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Weekly Newspaper and Tourism Guide for Ward County Trans Pecos, Big Bend of West Texas

Sports

September 24, 1998

Mustangs skin Loboes


Andrews scored early and often in a 40-6 triumph over the
Monahans Loboes at Lobo Stadium on Friday, Sept. 18.

The Mustangs, ranked fourth in the state in 4A, were led
by consensus all state running back Shaud Williams, who
rushed for 202 yards on 16 carries, including three
touchdowns.

The Mustangs had other weapons. QB Daniel Kessler brought
into the game a strong, accurate arm along with a great
field presence. Both lines for the Mustangs played solid,
and earned a solid victory over the Loboes.

Scoring began in the first quarter, when Andrews received
the opening kickoff. The Mustangs ran a few short plays,
then gave the ball to their playmaker. Williams scampered
56 yards through the Lobo defense for his first touchdown of
the evening. Chris Timmons added the PAT for a 7-0 lead,
just 55 seconds into the game.

The Lobo offense then came out, and failed to garner a first
down against the swarming Andrews "D." After a Shaud
Williams punt return for a TD that was called back due to a
clip, the Lobo defense shut down the Andrews attack. The
Mustangs punted the ball back, leaving the Loboes midway in
their own territory.

On that drive, the Loboes seemed to hit paydirt. On a roll
out pass, Jarod Thomas found Micah Tuxhorn, who fought his
way through coverage to make the catch for 54 yards. The
Loboes seemed looked to finally be in control. However, two
plays later, the Loboes fumbled the ball back to the
Mustangs. Subsequently Chris Timmons kicked a Field Goal to
give the Mustangs a 10-0 lead with no time remaining in the
first quarter. It was 31-0 at the half.

Volleyballers face quick team


By Nathan Rogers
A sports correspondent of The News
Monahans High School's Lady Lobo volleyballers are slowly
but surely learning to adjust to unseen obstacles as they
prepare to start district volleyball play with Crane on
Saturday, Sept. 26, in the Complex.

A three year starter at middle hitter, junior Cassidee
Avary, has developed into a team leader. As the Ladies last
week played their third game without Avary, who is ill,
they faced a three hour trip and a long wait, before
starting. The opponent was feisty 1A Bronte, a small
school with plenty of size and quickness. Bronte won 15-9,
15-13.

" Their team is deceptively quick," says Lobo Coach Patty
Hall.

Five-feet-nine-inch sophomore Stephanie Taylor has been
called up from the JV to replace Avary. Taylor is a quick
player with a great vertical jump, says the Coach.

From Hall, "We're getting more adjusted to playing without
Cass, but I think it'll still take a little time. . . Crane,
at this point, is a strong, salty team. To beat them, we'll
have to play well and be careful."

Undefeated teams meet on neutral field


By a sports correspondent of The News
Trinidad, undefeated, untied, and rolling meets
Grandfalls-Royalty, undefeated, untied and rolling on a
neutral field, Panther Creek Stadium in Voss at 2 p.m. on
Saturday, Sept. 26. The game matches the state's
second-ranked six-man football team, Trinidad, with the
state's third-ranked, Grandfalls-Royalty. Those rankings
come from the San Antonio based Huntress Report on six-man
football in Texas.

No one denies this. Trinidad and Grandfalls will be a shoot
out, a barn burner, a game in which the last team with the
ball might be the winner.

"What we're going to do is line up. We'll be there," says
Cowboy Coach Dewaine Lee. "We've been working on our
blocking and focusing on our front three on offense. They
are extremely fast. I don't think there is another team with
this kind of speed."

One of Trinidad's runners is Damien Jackson, the Class A
state champion in the 200 meter and 400 meter dashes last
Spring. Grandfalls also is fast. Cowboy running back Roy
Vasquez almost outran a lightning bolt a couple of Summers
ago. He's faster today.

More from Lee: "We're going to run at them one play at a
time. We're going to control the ball."

The Big Red coach agrees it is big, the marquee game of the
early season. Most of Grandfalls plans to make the trip if
they can find Voss. Voss is South of the city of Coleman on
State Route 508.

But will Trinidad-Grandfalls be a preview of the state
championship in December?

Possibly. But Lee downplays that, noting there is a lot of
football left before even a District 7A championship can
be reclaimed by the Cowboys, a title Grandfalls won in 1996
and 1997.

"It is a little early to be talking state championship,"
says Lee. "There are some good teams in this district, some
very good teams."

And then Lee mentioned Balmorhea, Buena Vista and Sanderson,.

Lee notes first ranked Borden County, which beat the
Cowboys by four in the 1997 play offs and went on to win the
state championship. Borden County wants a repeat. Borden
County plays Balmorhea, like Grandfalls a District 7A team,
this week. Balmorhea is capable of taking down Borden
County. If Balmorhea succeeds, the winner of
Trinidad-Grandfalls most certainly vaults to the number one
ranking in Texas.

Defensive End Sean Francisco definitely is out for this
game, perhaps the season, with bone chips removed and
cartilage repaired in his right knee last week by surgeons.
Francisco has been a major factor. Lee notes Jason Carter,
a preseason all state choice at center, will take over
Francisco's defensive duties. James Stocks or Steve Phillips
will play for Francisco on offense. Says Lee of Trinidad:
"We have seen Trinidad on video and we've seen their speed.
We are up for the challenge. We're looking forward to having
a great outing. We're going out to do our job and do the
best we can."

Lobo alumnus aids Tech victory


By a sports corespondent of The News
LUBBOCK - Kyle Sanders, a sophomore out of Monahans High
School with a perfect 4.0 average, and his fellow hawgs
helped lead Texas Tech to 285 yards rushing and 109 yards
passing.

Kyle Sanders, a nearly shy growing boy who stands a little
over six feet and weighs 305 solid pounds, gave more than a
boost to Tech's Heisman Trophy candidate Ricky Williams, who
rushed for 205 yards.

Kyle Sanders, who graduated from Monahans High School in
1996 the year he was an honorable mention all state and
academic all district tackle, is a center now. He snapped
the ball, knocked down people and had fun in Texas Tech's
34-to-28 victory over Fresno State in Lubbock on Saturday,
Sept. 19.

Kyle Sanders, whose grade point in high school was better
than perfect in the sometimes strange way in which high
schools determine grade points, started against Fresno State
in place of injured center Robert Haddon, who was out with a
foot injury.

Sanders' proud parents, Dr. Charles, a veterinarian, and
Donna, were there to see their son start a Division One
football game before he even got a scholarship. Sanders is
the only known Lobo-Ex currently playing, much less
starting, for a Division One school.

He was a red shirt center last season. This year he's
running behind Haddon on the depth chart. Haddon is the
starter. Sanders knows that. But he is getting some snaps
and he did have his first collegiate start on Saturday.

Kyle Sanders, the kid from Ward County, is, reports Tech
conditioning coach Kelvin Clark, the strongest player on the
Texas Tech football team. He presses more than 460 pounds,
not bad for an intellectual.

Before the season began, Tech Offensive Coordinator said of
Sanders: "Kyle is one of the harder working offensive
lineman on the team. He has worked hard to have a chance to
compete for the starting position at center."

He already had taken a lot of snaps before his start against
Fresno State, including about half the snaps against North
Texas State after Bob Haddon's foot was injured and he
left the game at the half.

Then he got his first collegiate start against Fresno State,
the first time he had started since high school, the game
that marked his transition from Lobo starter to full fledged
Texas Tech Red Raider starter.

What about that start?

Tech's offensive line coach Clovis Hale knows.

Hale has been around the bend and back again from high
school through college to the pros and back to college.
What does Hale think about the first start of the kid from
Monahans?

"The boy did good, real good," says Hale. "We were really
proud of him. He had about 40 snaps. We were confident in
his ability to do the job and he did."

Tech Head Coach Spike Dikes also was "really proud of Kyle."

Senior Haddon still is the starter. That's a given. But
sophomore Sanders gives the Red Raiders more than a strong
backup and every snap he takes means another few tenths of
a second of experience that will count in the seasons ahead
at Lubbock when Haddon is gone.

Hale continues: "You'll get to see a lot of Kyle in the
future and you'll be proud of him in Monahans. When Kyle
becomes (first on the depth chart) he'll know he definitely
earned it."

Sanders is not on scholarship. He's a student athlete who
plays for fun. There are almost none of those in NCAA
Division 1 football. Sanders could use the scholarship
assistance though.

When Hale was asked when Texas Tech was going to award
Sanders that scholarship, the offensive line coach gently
avoided the question.

And then Clovis Hale said again: "You will hear of him in
the future. I promise."



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Copyright 1998 by Ward Newspapers, Inc.
Joe Warren, Publisher
107 W. Second St., Monahans TX 79756
Phone 915-943-4313, FAX 915-943-4314
e-mail monnews@ultravision.net

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Copyright 1998 by Ward Newspapers Inc.