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Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Eagle lifters place 11th at 3A state finals

Pecos Eagle powerlifters Ruben Salgado and Chris Navarette both finished 11th in their divisions on Saturday, at the Class 3A State Powerlifting Championships at Aldine High School in Houston.

Coach Fred Howard said both seniors moved up one spot from their seedings going into the state meet, after both qualified for state with second place finishes two weeks ago at Levelland. “Ruben passed the young man who beat him at regionals,” Howard said.

Salgado had a 1,350-pound combined total in the 242-pound weight class, while Navarette had a combined 1,265 in the 275-pound division. “We had a rough day with the squats, but did well on the bench press and the dead lift,” Howard said. “The squat is based on judging, and the judges hadn’t seen our kids lift before, so they had a little trouble with the way they did it.”

Salgado lifted 520 pounds in his squat thrust, 320 on the bench press and 510 on the dead lift, while Navarette had 465 pounds on the squat, 300 on the bench and 510 on the dead lift. “Chris set a personal best in the dead lift. That’s the first time he’s lifted 500 pounds, Howard said.

“There were over 30 records broken,” Howard said. “Our kids weren’t intimidated, it’s just that some of the other kids down to the south had totals that were way up there.” Navarette was bothered by an abdomen injury at the meet, and Howard said overall, “There were a lot of accidents at the meet. They had one spotter get his finger torn off when he got it caught in-between two weights.”

Salgado and Navarette were among 12 boys to qualify for regionals for Pecos this season, while eight girls also advanced to the regional meet, though none were able to make it to last weekend’s state finals.

“I was very pleased with the powerlifting team as a whole this year. We qualified more for regionals than we ever had, and we qualified two of them for state,” Howard said. “We hadn’t had anybody go to state since 2002, when Ruben’s older brother (Aaron Salgado) went.”

Golf teams set to start district tournament

District 2-3A play for the Pecos Eagle golf teams opens up Tuesday morning in Fort Stockton, with the first 18 holes of their three-round district tournament.

Pecos, Monahans and Fort Stockton are the only teams competing in boys and girls golf, and the top two finishers out of both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams will advance to Region I-3A Tournament play next month in Midland.

The girls have been off for the past two weeks, while the boys come into district play off a fifth place finish last Wednesday in a one-day tournament at Lamesa. The host Tornadoes easily won the tournament with a 294 score, while Midland Trinity, Midland Christian and Sweetwater were grouped together ahead of the Eagles with 314, 315 and 318 scores.

“We didn’t do too badly. A couple of them felt they should have shot a little better,” said Eagles’ coach Pat Gent. “I was impressed with Nathan Duke’s play. He shot his low round of the season, which shows he’s getting geared up for district play.”

Duke and Joseph Tarin tied for low score honors for the Eagles with rounds of 80 on Wednesday. Heath Armstrong shot an 84, Drake Bradley had an 86 and Sammy Salgado shot an 87 for the other Pecos scores.

“There was only one other district opponent there, Monahans, and they shot a 332,” Gent said. “So I’m pleased about that, and the fact we’ve played well against Monahans and Stockton so far this year, but I’m not ruling anything out. We’re still going to have to go out there and play well on Tuesday.”

While the Eagle boys will be trying to stay in front of the Loboes and Panthers when they start their 2-3A tournament, Pecos’ girls will be trying to catch up to Monahans, while staying in front of Fort Stockton when the district round begins. Pecos was 10th two weeks ago at the Andrews Tournament, finishing 54 strokes behind Monahans but 158 in front of Fort Stockton in the 36-hole tourney.

The girls have been short at least one golfer in most of their tournaments this season, but coach Tina Doan said, “I’ll have all my golfers on Tuesday,” when the opening round begins.

Monahans will host the second round of the 2-3A Tournament on April 3, while Pecos will host the final round on April 13. The teams will start at 10 a.m. for Rounds 1 and 2, while the girls will play in the morning and the boys in the afternoon for the final round in Pecos.

Panthers’ rally, thunderstorms jolt Eagles

A lack of power at the plate and too much power flying around in the sky was a bad combination for the Pecos Eagles on Friday night, in their District 2-3A and 2007 home baseball opener against Fort Stockton.

Pecos rallied from an early 1-0 deficit following a one-hour delay due to lightning to grabby a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning, then took a 5-4 lead after Fort Stockton tied the game in the second, only to watch Panthers pitcher Bryant Gonzales get out of a bases-loaded none-out jam in the fourth inning before Fort Stockton scored three times in the fifth off Pecos starter Isaiah Rayos. Gonzales then survived two walks to shut out Pecos in the bottom of the fifth, to make it an official game just before a second round of thunderstorms hit the area, ending the game and giving the Panthers a 7-5 victory.

“When you get the bases loaded and no one out and don’t score, you knew it was going to come back and bite us,” said coach Eric Garcia, whose team had been out-hit, 12-3 by the Panthers when the game was called with one out and a runner on first in the top of the sixth. What the Eagles didn’t get in hits, they made up for at times thanks to Gonzales’ control problems and the fielding problems his teammates were having with the strong winds caused by the severe thunderstorms in the area.

Jeremy Martinez reached on an infield single and scored on the first of two doubles by Billy Bradshaw in the top of the first. But Rene Corral threw away Timo Reyes’ leadoff grounder in the bottom of the inning and then, after the one-hour delay due to lightning in the area, Gonzales walked John Paul Salcido, Kenny Rayos and Isaiah Rayos to force home a run.

Chris Garnto then lined a single to left-center to score Salcido for a 2-1 lead, and one out later, Rocky Lozoya walked to make it 3-1, and Gonzales then missed a Vincent Palomino grounder back to the mound for an error, as Isaiah Rayos scored to make it 4-1.

The lead was short-lived, as four straight one-out hits by the Panthers in the second off Rayos tied the game. Three singles, by Julian Flores, Omar Calderon and Zack Rodriguez made it 4-2, and Calderon scored when Robert Nunez’s throw from right field got past Mark Molina at third base Martinez then singled home Rodriguez to tie the game.

Two more walks by Gonzales in the bottom of the inning allowed Pecos to take a one-run lead, when Calderon dropped Garnto’s wind-blown two-out fly ball. But the Eagles missed a scoring chance in the third, when Reyes was doubled off first on a Salcido fly, after he reached on a dropped pop up by Corral following an infield hit by Lozoya. Then in the fourth, Calderon dropped a Jose Chavez fly, Kenny Rayos blooped a single to left and Isaiah Rayos walked to open the inning, before Gonzales came back to strike out Garnto and Nunez, and then get Lozoya to tap in front of the plate, which Rodriguez picked up and tagged out Chavez to end the inning.

“Their pitcher didn’t have very much control, and our kids were patient enough to draw some walks (nine), which was good, but we just didn’t hit the ball when we needed to,” Garcia said

Pecos’ defense bailed out Rayos in the top of the fourth. Molina made a backhand stab and on a hot grounder to third by Martinez, and then, after Gonzales reached on an infield hit and Bradshaw on an error by Molina, Chavez was able to throw out M.J. Salmon after initially bobbling his grounder to short. The bobble cost Pecos a chance at getting Bradshaw at second, but they ended up getting courtesy runner Francisco Jacquez, who was sent home by coach Jeremy Hickman but was tagged out by Garnto, on a throw from Kenny Rayos at first base.

But an error and a mental mistake would hurt his own chances the next inning after Alan Mendez singled and Corral walked. Isaiah Rayos failed to back up home plate on Calderon’s single to right, which allowed the ball to roll to the backstop when Nunez’s throw sailed over Garnto’s head. Corral scored the go-ahead run and Calderon ended up on third, where he easily scored on Martinez’s single.

“He was having problems with his control,” Garcia said of Rayos, who fell to 2-2 on the season. “He was a little high in the zone, and we were trying to get him to bring it down. He would for a while, but then he would get one back up, and Fort Stockton is a pretty good hitting team.”

Martinez would then keep Pecos from getting to within a run in the bottom of the inning, diving to grab Kenny Rayos’ line drive after Salcido and Chavez walked with two away. M.J. Salmon would then single after a Bradshaw strikeout, before a bolt of lighting just east of town sent the players off the field, and eventually, led to the game being called.

It’s the second straight year the Eagles have opened up district play with a home loss to the Panthers. Fort Stockton improved to 10-2 with their win, while Pecos fell to 5-5-1 going into their 2-3A road opener on Tuesday night in Presidio. The defending district champs edged Monahans in their 2-3A opener on Friday by a 5-4 score.

Garcia said Palomino, 3-0, would start on the mound against the Blue Devils. The Eagles’ scheduled non-district game on Saturday against Fabens was cancelled. It’s the second home game of the season for Pecos that has been cancelled, but the Eagles will get to play their second home game of the season this Friday, when they host Monahans.

Pecos’ boys earn first golds at shortened Wildcat Relays

The Pecos Eagle boys track team had more success at the weather-shortened Wildcat Relays in Wink on Friday then they had enjoyed at their two previous track meets combined, while Pecos’ girls were without several of their team members, and ended up with their low point total so far in 2007.

The boys, who managed just 10 points at the West of the Pecos Relays and the West Texas Relays, picked up 48 on Friday and placed sixth in the meet, which ended prior to the finals of the 200 meter dash due to high winds and lightning in the area. Pecos’ girls scored 63 points in their division and wound up in fifth place overall. Kermit’s boys, with 117 points, and Wink’s girls, with 111 points, won the division titles.

The boys picked three medals overall, which included their first gold medals and first silver medal of the season. Larry Johnson, who had Pecos’ only medals prior to Friday with a pair of third place finishes in Pecos and Odessa prior to spring break, won the 400 meter dash with a 52.74 time, while Vincent Palomino took the long jump with a 20-feet-4 1/2 effort in his first meet of the season.

“We ran better times. The wind kind of kept us from going as fast as we could of in a couple of races, but we had some kids for the first time this season, and our relays were a lot faster,” said Eagles’ coach Robbie Ortega. “Larry looked real good against the wind in running a 52, and Matthew (Florez) ran a good race and finished fourth.”

The Eagles’ second place finish was by freshman Robert Herrera in the discus, where he threw 125-feet-7. Herrera earlier had taken fifth in the shot put.

Pecos’ other medal was by Elias Valenzuela in the pole vault. German Rodriguez was fifth in the 800 meter run, Hector Ramirez was sixth in the 300 meter hurdles and the Eagles’ 400 and 800 meter relay teams also placed sixth for the other points on Friday.

The girls got first place finishes by Chantell Mazone in the shot put and discus for the third straight meet, though coach Donna Gent said Mazone suffered a slight muscle pull while competing in the discus. She won that event with a throw of 117-feet-7, and then took the shot put with a 35-feet-2 throw.

Veronica Tarin finished fourth in the shot put and Angel Millian was fifth in the discus for the Eagles. Pecos also got a third in the field events from Allyson Salcido, in the triple jump, while in the running finals the best finish for Pecos was a second by Kathryn Lamka in the 3200 meter run, with a 13:39.01 time. Her sister Heather was fourth, just over two seconds behind.

“Usually Heather’s the one that runs first. This week Kathryn decided she didn’t want her sister to beat her,” Gent said. “I think that’s be best time she’s run since her freshman year.”

The other individual points for the Eagles at the meet were by Olivia Castilleja, fourth in the 100-meter hurdles and fifth in the 300-meter hurdles. Pecos’ 800-meter relay team also took fourth, while the 400-meter relay team finished in sixth place.

“I had at least two of my four on the relay,” said Gent, as a conflict with Friday’s girls’ softball game kept several of her runners at home. “We dropped the baton in the 400, and we just didn’t seem to have our steps down right. The wind was also a factor. The girls running into the wind were having a little bit of trouble.”

Pecos’ girls will be headed back to Winkler County this coming Saturday, for the Permian Basin Relays in Kermit, while the Eagle boys will be headed to San Angelo, for the San Angelo Relays on Friday and Saturday.

Pecos downs Stockton, snaps loss streak

A little better defense by the Pecos Eagles and a little weaker one by their opponent on Friday helped the Eagles snap a three-game losing streak, as they picked up their first win in District 2-3A softball play by beating the Fort Stockton Prowlers, 7-2.

Gabby Garcia’s bases-loaded triple down the right field line off reliever Cecelia Molinar was the big hit in a five-run third inning by the Eagles, and Pecos was able to match single runs scored by the Prowlers in the fifth and six innings to get their first win since 2004 over Fort Stockton and even their district record at 1-1 on the season.

Amalie Herrera picked up the victory, going the distance. The senior allowed four hits and struck out three, all in the first inning, while the defense was able to overcome a couple of errors on the day, something Pecos hadn’t been able to do in their losses to Marfa, Greenwood and Monahans.

“We played with more intensity, and that was the difference,” said Eagles’ coach Tammy Walls. “Amalie pitched a strong game, they really didn’t hit anything hard off her, and I thought Brittany Palomino did a good job at second base and Jenny Palomino played well in right field.”

Herrera also got a good defensive play from Garcia at shortstop in the second inning on a Heather Garvin grounder to avoid trouble, while in the third she was able to get Molinar to ground out to Brittany Palomino at second after the Prowlers had gotten runners to second and third with two outs.

Pecos then took the lead in their half of the third off starter Gabby Rodriguez. Singles by Jenny Palomino and Brittany Palomino opened the inning, and Herrera then reached on a bunt single before3 Rodriguez hit Claire Weinacht with an 0-2 pitch to force home the first run of the game.

It also brought Molinar on to pitch, but Garcia greeted her with a hard line drive to right that was blown away from outfielder Monique Ortiz by Friday’s strong easterly wind and landed just inside the foul line for a bases-clearing triple. One out later Garcia scored on Jasmine Rayos’ ground out to second for a 5-0 lead.

“That was a big hit, with the bases loaded just after they changed pitchers,” said Walls. “I thought overall we did a good job of hitting the ball tonight, and I couldn’t be more proud.” Garcia would misplay Jessica Gonzales’ leadoff grounder in the fourth inning, and Nadine Acosta followed with a single to right. But Gonzales tried to go to third and was thrown out by Jenny Palomino, and Herrera then caught Acosta too far off second, throwing back to Palomino, who came in from right field to make the tag for the double play.

Fort Stockton would get on the scoreboard in the fifth when Soli Hernandez walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Jesenia Venegas’ two-out single. Ortiz then hit a ball that went off Rayos at first, but Palomino was able to come over from second and field it, throwing back to Rayos to end the inning.

The Eagles then got the run back in their half of the fifth on another triple down the line in right, this one by Kristen Ikeler past a diving Ortiz to score Garcia, who had singled off Heather Garvin’s glove at shortstop, and Ikeler scored on a pop up to second by Rayos, when the strong wind carried Kryshyna Cordero away from home plate.

Gonzales would be hit by a pitch and scored on an error by Garcia on a Garvin grounder to make it 7-2 in the sixth, but Herrera then got Cordero on a grounder back to the mound, then retired the side in order in the seventh.

“That was good, for us to come back after losing to Monahans and beating Stockton,” said Walls. The win improved Pecos’ season record to 15-5-2 going into their Tuesday afternoon game in Presidio against the Blue Devils.

Presidio fell to 0-2 in district with a 26-0 loss at Monahans on Friday, after dropping their district opener to Fort Stockton the previous afternoon. Tuesday’s game will complete the first third of the district schedule for both teams. With just four schools in 2-3A, the softball and baseball teams will play three rounds of district play for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

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Pecos Enterprise
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