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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Eagles, Cranes look for more points, fourth win
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Four plays away from being either undefeated or winless in the 2003
season, the Pecos Eagles will bring home a 3-1 record for Friday
night's game against the Crane Golden Cranes, who are undefeated and
ranked No. 7 in the latest Class 2A poll, but who've also had some
close calls in their games the past two weeks.
The Eagles host the 3-0 Cranes beginning at 7:30 p.m., and will try
to get going on offense earlier than in their road wins at Lamesa and
Brownfield the past two Fridays. Meanwhile, Crane will also be trying
to get back on track offensively and put up the kind of numbers they
have in their past two meetings with the Eagles.
Both teams own comeback wins over Brownfield. Crane rallied from a
12-0 deficit in the second period two weeks ago at home to defeat the
Cubs, 13-12, while Pecos trailed after three quarters last week, 13-0,
before scoring three times in the final nine minutes to win by a 19-17
final score.
The Cranes rolled up over 300 yards on offense in their Sept. 13
win. Last week at Seminole, they also scored two touchdowns, but
managed only 186 yards a week ago in their 14-7 victory over the
Indians.
"Crane's got a ranking mainly on reputation. We haven't really done
anything to deserve it yet," said coach Randy Doege, who replaced Alan
Cherry as the Golden Cranes' head coach this season. He has added a few
new things to the Crane offense this season, which he said is in part
to blame for the team's lower scores so far in 2003.
"Crane has done some wonderful things over the years and has won a
million games with their offense," Doege said. "It's been a pretty
simple system, but the new one is more complex, and it's taking a
little while to learn it."
He said injuries and turnovers also have helped cut down Crane's
offensive output, but added that for Friday's game, "We've got
everybody with us, so that's a plus."
Last season in Crane, running back Devon Zimmerman almost out-gained
the Eagles all by himself, rushing for 169 yards and two touchdowns on
only 14 carries in the Golden Crane's 38-7 victory. That's still a
closer score than the last time Crane played in Pecos, when they
crushed the Eagles by a 63-7 final score.
Zimmerman had both of Crane's touchdowns against Brownfield and
caught a 38-yard scoring pass from quarterback Alfredo Franco a week
ago in Seminole. "He's been making some pretty impressive runs," said
Eagles' coach Patrick Willis. "We've got to wrap up and keep him
contained."
Franco has been the Crane's passing quarterback, though Doege said
he's alternated behind center with Denton Dodd. Along with Zimmerman in
the backfield, Crane also has wingback Dusty Corley, who made several
key catches in the first half against Pecos last year, when Crane
turned a 7-0 deficit after one period into a 24-7 halftime lead.
As far as the other receivers go, Doege said, "We don't have anybody
who is going to run by you, but we've got kids with good quickness."
In four games so far this season, Pecos has allowed only 43 points,
and have outscored their opponents 31-6 in the fourth quarter of their
last two games. But in each of the past three games the Eagles have
struggled offensively in the middle periods, both at gaining yardage
and avoiding turnovers. They were able to hold off Lamesa and
Brownfield long enough, and create enough turnovers in the final
period, to give the offense a chance to rally for wins in those games,
but the offense couldn't take advantage of a couple of late turnovers
in their 13-8 loss to Alpine in their last home game.
Willis hopes the offense won't put the pressure on the defense again
this week to try and keep the game close until the final period.
"The key to stopping them will be to keep their offense off the
field, so we've got to start making some first downs and establish a
running game," he said. "If we can establish the run, that will open up
the passing offense."
The Eagles have only run for 220 yards in four games, over half of
that in their season opening 15-8 victory over Midland Christian. But
their passing game has averaged just over 125 yards per game, and
quarterback Saul Pina threw for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the
fourth quarter last week against Brownfield.
This week, Pecos will face a Crane defense that Doege said also has
been changed up some from what was running under Cherry. But he added,
"The defense is pretty simple. You put your best 11 out there and run
to the football. Crane's been a pretty aggressive team in the past and
that's what we're doing this year."
"Defensively, they've got some good ball players. Their defensive
tackles like to come and get you and they like to blitz," said Willis.
"I think about 85 percent of the time they like to send their
linebackers when they get you in 3rd-and-long, and just sit back and
play cover 2 (zone defense)."
Pecos was able to run around the ends for a couple of good gains
last week, while scoring their winning touchdown on a 3-yard run up the
middle by Rashad Terry. But yards up the middle remain tough to come
by, as Pecos struggles to learn its own new offense this season.
"We're working on it," Willis said. "The kids are becoming aware
that is the key to our football team is to believe in what you're doing
and carry out your assignment. It's an uphill battle, but I hope that
soon the light will come on."
STARTING LINEUPS
Crane Pecos
Offense Defense
QB (10) - Alfredo Franco 170 DE (56) - Chad Evans 210
HB (22) - Devon Zimmerman 175 DT (54) - Jacob Marquez 180
TB (46) - Garrett McNease 160 DT (66) - Victor Reyes 165
SE ( 1) - David Heredia 160 DE (47) - Booker Fobbs 210
LT (73) - Patrick Garcia 220 LB ( 5) - Alex Orosco 165
LG (52) - Damian Paredez 185 LB (33) - Joe Marruffo 170
C (54) - Oscar Banuelos 210 LB (32) - Eddie Vela 155
RG (64) - Edward Heredia 205 CB (30) - Jose Garcia 150
RT (70) - Mark Collier 240 R ( 9) - John Parent 175
TE (38) - Hunter Seabourne 200 S ( 2) - Oscar Parada 180
WB ( 4) - Dusty Corley 170 CB ( 6) - Simon Castillo 155
Defense Offense
DE (88) - Hunter Seabourne 200 QB (10) - Saul Pina 165
DT (73) - Patrick Garcia 220 RB (22) - Rashad Terry 160
DT (50) - J.J. Esquivel 200 SE ( 9) - John Parent 175
DE (58) - Daniel Blue 185 WB ( 2) - Oscar Parada 180
LB (34) - Brent Owen 195 LT (56) - Chad Evans 210
LB (30) - Chuy Hernandez 180 LG (62) - Travis Burkholder 225
LB (47) - Riley Roussaire 190 C (71) - Daniel Medina 160
CB ( 1) - David Heredia 160 RG (55) - Adrian Barreno 195
FS (46) - Garrett McNease 160 RT (66) - Victor Reyes 165
SS (22) - Devon Zimmerman 175 TE ( 5) - Alex Orosco 165
CB ( 1) - Dusty Corley 170 SE ( 6) - Simon Castillo 155
K (30) - Chuy Hernandez 180 P (32) - Eddie Vela 155
P (10) - Alfredo Franco 170 K ( 5) - Alex Orosco 165
Teams on road, junior high host Crane
The Pecos Eagles junior high football teams will be at home today,
while Pecos' junior varsity and freshman teams go on the road to take
on the Crane Golden Cranes.
It's the first time all of the sub-varsity teams will play the same
school as the varsity this season. Pecos hosts Crane at Eagle Stadium
on Friday night, while the Crockett eighth graders will be there today
to face the Cranes, at 5 and 6:30 p.m.
Crockett's seventh graders will play Crane at the junior high field,
also at 5 and 6:30 p.m., while the freshman and JV will be in Crane for
their games at the same starting times.
The JV is 2-2 on the season after their 12-0 loss at home to
Brownfield last Thursday, while the ninth graders are 1-0-1 after they
and the Cubs played to a 12-12 tie. Luis Ortega had a pair of scores
for Pecos, which led until the final 31/2 minutes of the game.
The junior high teams played in Monahans last week. It was the
second straight trip to Monahans for the gold teams, and after wins two
weeks ago, both squads lost last Thursday, the seventh graders by a
28-6 score and the eighth graders, 14-0. The two teams are 1-1 on the
season.
The eighth grade purple team is also 1-1 after losing by a 30-0
score at Monahans, while the seventh graders improved to 2-0 with their
6-0 win over the Loboes. Jeremy Martinez' TD pass to Kevin Herrera was
the only score of the game for the seventh graders.
Along with the eighth grade football teams, Pecos' purple and gold
junior high volleyball teams also will be at the high school today,
taking on Monahans, while the seventh grade white and eighth grade
black teams play at Crockett against Midland Trinity.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
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 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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