PECOS ENTERPRISE

Daily Newspaper for Reeves County, Trans Pecos, Big Bend, Far West Texas

SPORTS

Tuesday, November 12, 1996

Shorthanded Eagle squads open hoop play

By JON FULBRIGHT

Staff Writer

PECOS, Nov. 12 -- Don't expect the Pecos Eagles or the Crane Golden
Cranes to be playing at full strength tonight, when they open the
1996-97 basketball season at the Pecos High School gym.
Pecos' girls also won't have all their players ready tonight in Odessa,
when they begin their `96-97 schedule. But the Permian Panthers will,
when they host the Eagles in freshman, junior varsity and varsity
contests, starting at 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m.
The boys were also supposed to play three contests, but that has been
reduced to just JV and varsity matchups with the Cranes, at 6 and 7:30
p.m.
"Crane's missing a lot of football players," new coach Mike Sadler said,
as the Cranes prepare to take on Alpine in the bi-district round of the
Class 3A playoff this Friday. "All the teams we scrimmaged (Saturday)
were missing people. Monahans had about six not there, Crane had eight
or nine, and Permian had three or four."
Sadler takes over a team that went 5-21 last season, 0-10 in district,
but which has eight of their 11 players from a year ago returning. That
group includes junior post Omar Hinojos, junior forwards Fabien Adame,
Jason Abila, Moses Martinez and Jacob Chavez, senior guards Nufie Flores
and Eric Abila and junior guard David Montgomery.
"They looked pretty good (Saturday), but it was hard to tell because it
was a controlled scrimmage," said Sadler, who along with Martinez,
Flores and both Abilas just got out of varsity football the previous
night.
The first-year coach also said grades will keep both Chavez and Jason
Abila out for three weeks, though Abila can play in tonight's season
opener. However, he does have Hinojos around, after he was treated for a
cut on the head Monday morning when he smashed into a wall chasing a
loose ball.
With the quick start of hoop play after football, Sadler said he'll know
hat his starting lineup will be "about one minute before game time."
Girls coach Patty Hall will also be making her debut as Eagles' varsity
coach tonight, and while she has a better idea of what her starting
lineup will be, it doesn't figure to be the one Pecos uses the rest of
the season.
"I got Lori (Marquez), Marisol (Arenivas) and Ivy (Thorp) back, but they
won't play tomorrow," Hall said on Monday. "They won't see any action
until next week."
The three are among eight girls who were members of the Eagles' varsity
volleyball team, which was ousted from the playoffs a week ago by
Lamesa. Seniors Veronica Carrasco and Denise Camarena and juniors
Shirhonda Bell and Gail Taylor were the other members of the volleyball
team who played basketball last season.
Junior Annette Marquez was the only member of the volleyball squad to
participate in Saturday's scrimmage at Permian, and will be the only one
to play back there tonight.
"Penny (Armstrong), Annette, Liz (Matta), Jennifer (Barrera) and Erica
Orona will be the starters, and I'll take Michelle Villanueva and Shea
Lara with us tonight. They're both sophomores," Hall said, while adding
the Eagles will have enough players for three teams tonight, despite the
missing girls.
"Permian looked good," Hall said of Saturday's scrimmage. "They've got
about three girls who are 6-1 and a lot of quickness.
"We probably won't be doing as much pressing as we normally do, because
of their height. We're going to play more zone than man for now."
Marquez was the team's leading scorer a year ago, when Pecos placed
fourth in District 4-4A with a 4-6 record, 11-14 overall. The Eagles did
graduate three players while freshman Tamika Gardner and Tiffany
Martinson transferred, leaving the Eagles with about half their players
returning, depending on how many of the volleyball girls wind up
participating in basketball this season.
Tonight's games are the only ones for the Eagles' varsity squads this
week, but not for the sub-varsity teams. The boys' JV will be competing
in the Midland Tournament this weekend, while the freshman girls will
host their own eight-team tournament on Thursday and Saturday at the
Pecos High School gym.
Return to Menu

State and Regional Sports Pages--San Angelo Standard-Times

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall
not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or
redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP
Materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for
personal and non-commercial use. The AP will not be held liable for
any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the
transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages
arising from any of the foregoing.

Copyright 1996 by Pecos Enterprise
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@bitstreet.com
http://www.pecos.net/news

Return to Sports Menu

Return to Home Page