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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Sports

Thursday, December 3, 1998

Bears eager to face Coyotes again


By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec. 3 -- Usually, when teams get to the state
semifinals in football, they don't know much about their
opponents.

That's not the case for the Balmorhea Bears, who'll be
seeking their first-ever berth in the six-man state finals
on Friday, when they take on the Borden County Coyotes at
Kermit's Walton Field, starting at 7:30 p.m.

The Bears and Coyotes have already met once this season, in
Gail, where Borden County took advantage of a series of
Balmorhea turnovers to score a 57-24 victory back on Sept.
26. The turnovers led to 30 unanswered points in the second
period, turning a 14-8 Coyotes' lead into a 44-8 halftime
advantage.

Bears' coach Ennis Erickson said his team is happy to get a
second shot at Borden County, which comes into the game with
a 12-1 record compared to Balmorhea's 8-3 mark.

"They're ready to prove they can play with this team more
than they did the first time," Erickson said, adding that
having already faced Borden County once, "helps out, because
we know a little bit of what to be prepared for."

Balmorhea outgained Borden County on the ground despite
their turnovers, but quarterback Colt McCook threw four
touchdown passes, two in the first period to Colt Miller. He
also had a short TD pass to Ed Rodriguez, who added 41- and
70-yard scoring runs in the Coyotes' big second period.

Arturo Miranda, who scored four times in last week's 52-24
victory over Samnorwood, had a 33-yard touchdown run in the
opening period and later caught a 15-yard TD pass from
Matthew Sanchez. Roger Lopez had Balmorhea's other touchdown
on a 1-yard run.

Injuries hampered Balmorhea during the middle part of the
season, and almost kept the Bears out of the playoffs for a
second straight year. "We had three that didn't play that
game," Erickson said, while Miranda and Jouse Mendoza missed
games in October due to injuries.

The Bears were able to beat out Sanderson for second in the
District 7-A six man standings, and with a full squad the
past two weeks, have run over Ackerly-Sands and Samnorwood.
The Bears have stuck mainly to the ground, throwing the ball
just 20 times during their current five-game winning streak.

Erickson said Borden County didn't do anything fancy in
their win back in September. "They just passed efficiently,"
he said. Along with Miller and Rodriguez, McCook also hit
Kevin Pinkerton with a touchdown pass, while Erickson said
Rodriguez is joined by Fernando Baeza as the Coyotes' other
main running back.

Since suffering their only loss of the season to Sands,
Borden County has won seven games in a row, including a
44-12 victory over the Bears' district rival, Grandfalls,
which was without their top running back, Roy Vasquez. The
winner of Friday's game will advance to the state finals
against either Trinidad or Strawn. Trinidad, ranked No. 1 in
the final regular season six-man poll, faced Grandfalls the
same weekend the Bears first played Borden County, and
scored a 44-32 victory over the Cowboys.

Eagles open Crane tourney with victory


PECOS, Dec. 3 -- The Pecos Eagle boys evened their season
record at 3-3 this morning by scoring a first round victory
over the McCamey Badgers at the West Texas Shootout in Crane.

The Eagles defeated the Badgers by a 58-54 final score,
advancing them to a 5 p.m. game today against the winner of
this morning's game between Fort Stockton and Kermit. No
high scorers in this morning's game were available at
presstime.

The winner of this afternoon's game will advance to the
tournament finals, set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, while the
loser will play for third place in as 3:30 p.m. game on
Friday. Today's other first round matchups put Alpine
against Abernathy, Ozona against Reagan County and the host
Golden Cranes against Fort Davis. The Eagles beat the Cranes
in Pecos on Tuesday by a 72-41 score, while losing seven
days earlier at Fort Stockton, by a 49-40 score.

Pecos' girls began play in their half of the tournament
with a 2 p.m. game against Reagan County. They'll face
either Fort Davis or Crane this evening, at 7 p.m. if they
lose to the Owls or at 8 p.m. if they advance to the
tournament semifinals.

The consolation finals and third place games are scheduled
for 3 p.m. on Friday in the girls' bracket, with the title
game starting at 6 p.m.

Jays agree to Clemens' trade demand


NEW YORK, Dec. 3 (AP) -- Roger Clemens wants a new place to
play. Are you listening, George Steinbrenner?

Tired of playing for a team that he does not think will
contend, Clemens told the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday he
wants to be traded.

The World Series champion New York Yankees, Houston Astros
and Texas Rangers are considered the top -- and perhaps only
-- clubs likely to land Clemens, who has won a record five
Cy Young awards.

``Who wouldn't have an interest in Clemens?'' Yankees
general manager Brian Cashman said. ``I'm sure Toronto will
have many discussions with us before this is over with.''

Clemens, 36, has won the Cy Young in both of his seasons
with Toronto. But convinced the Blue Jays won't spend enough
money to challenge next season, Clemens is looking to move.

Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash said he would try to
work out a trade within 10 days. It's expected the Yankees
will be main suitor at the outset.

``I think it's important not to let this drag out,'' Ash
said. ``This is certainly not done with any acrimony or with
any anger on either side.''

Clemens was coveted by Steinbrenner two years ago after
becoming a free agent, but the Yankees owner could not lure
him to the Bronx. Instead, the pitcher signed a three-year
contract that also included an option year with Toronto in
December 1996.

At the time, Blue Jays president Paul Beeston said if
Clemens didn't think Toronto would contend and asked for a
trade, the team would accommodate him.

Beeston left the Blue Jays during the 1997 season to become
baseball's chief operating officer, but Ash said he will
honor Beeston's commitment.

``It's a two-prong situation,'' Ash said. ``There's a
desire to be closer to home or with a club that has a better
chance to provide him with a World Series ring.''

Clemens, whose teams have never won a World Series title,
went 20-6 with a 2.65 ERA and 271 strikeouts last season. He
went unbeaten in his final 22 starts, winning 15 decisions
after starting 5-6.

He led the AL in ERA and strikeouts and tied for the lead
in wins after finishing first in all three categories in
1997.

Ash visited Clemens at his home in Houston last week along
with the Blue Jays' two assistant general managers, Dave
Stewart and Tim McCleary.

``There was a lot of listening,'' Ash said.

The team's owner, the Belgian company Interbrew SA, does
not want to spend as much money on players as the Yankees,
Baltimore or Boston. Clemens watched Toronto trade away Ed
Sprague and Juan Guzman in midseason, and became discouraged
when the Blue Jays did not make a competitive offer to
retain Jose Canseco, who hit 46 homers and drove in 107 runs
this year.

Toronto was 88-74 last season, finishing four games behind
Boston in the wild-card race.

``We recognize they would have a decent team,'' said agent,
Randy Hendricks, who represents Clemens and who telephoned
Ash on Wednesday to make the demand.

``The reality is, they're not prepared to add players and
contend at the highest level,'' Hendricks said.

The Blue Jays' biggest needs include a power-hitting
outfielder, a third baseman and, like most clubs, a top
starting pitcher. The Yankees would be able to fill those
holes.

``There's a tendency to look at the bottom line, that you
have only $40 million or $43 million and say you have no
chance,'' Ash said, referring to his payroll range. ``I
think you have to look a little deeper. You don't need to be
at $60 million to compete.''

Ash also said Toronto was looking to acquire players to
help now, not prospects. But he isn't limiting the positions
he wants help at.

``I don't think we're really going to be interested in
future returns. We're looking more for present value,'' he
said. ``I want clubs to come forward and tell us what
they're prepared to do. I don't want to put any parameters
on it.''



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Pecos Enterprise
Ned Cantwell, Publisher
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324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net

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Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise