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By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 7 -- Rope Myers has been doing more wrestling than roping
over the past year. But the Athens, Tx., native did well enough in both
to capture the All-Around Cowboy title at the 115th Annual West of the
Pecos Rodeo Saturday night.
Myers placed second to Byron Walker in steer wrestling on Saturday, and
combined with his winnings in steer roping earlier in the week, it
allowed him to take the All-Around title with winnings of $3,849.
"Last year, I didn't rope because I broke my wrist a year-and-a-half
ago," Myers said following the conclusion of action on Saturday. "I
still haven't quite gotten things right yet in steer roping, but it will
come around."
Myers was the top-ranked steer wrestler from 1996 entered at this year's
West of the Pecos Rodeo, having finished sixth, and came in ranked third
this year. "I've been coming here since my rookie year in 1992," said
Myers, who earned Profession Rodeo Cowboy Association Rookie of the Year
honors then.
Myers wasn't the biggest money winner at the West of the Pecos Rodeo --
which paid out $217,363 to its competitors this year, a new record --
but along with J.D. Yates was one of only two cowboys to earn money in
more than one event last week.
Steer roping Jerry Cox of Cottula took home the most money from the
rodeo, as he won $6,417 after taking top honors both in the finals of
the event, and winning the average with a 36.2 time, a new record for
the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena.
Cox beat out 1995's All-Around winner in Pecos, Trevor Brazile, who
finished with a 38.9 combined time. He also won the finals on Saturday
with a 13.5 time, a half-second up on Mack Altizer, whose Bad Company
rodeo again served as West of the Pecos Rodeo producer this year.
Cox' mark was one of three combined time records set on Saturday. Byron
Walker, who finished just ahead of Myers in steer wrestling, set the
mark there with a 12.8 time on three attempts, after tying the mark for
best individual time with a 3.7 mark in the finals.
The wins were worth $4,891 for Walker, who returned to competition after
a year of retirement. Myers, with a 4.0 time and 14.4 total, was second
and earned $3,059 in the event.
In team roping, defending national champs Steve Purcella and Steve
Northcott tied the arena record in winning the team roping competition,
with a 23.3 time overall. They just missed taking Saturday's finals,
going 8.2 seconds to 8.1 for Tee Woolman and Rich Skelton.
Purcella and Northcott each earned $4,838 for their efforts, while
Woolman and Skelton took home $1,524 apiece after placing fifth on the
average. Charles Poague and Britt Bockius were second overall with a
26.5 time and earned $2,519.
Former national champion Tuff Hedeman's 87 point score Tuesday on `The
Warrior' during a special pre-rodeo performance stood up in bull riding
through all four nights of the rodeo, and earned him $6,224. He was one
point better than Cory Crye of Coleman, whose 86 point ride on `Funky
Town' was worth $4,771.
Scott Mendes' ride on the same bull Hedeman rode was the highest score
on Saturday, worth 83 points and good enough for sixth place.
In barrel racing, Kim Squires' 17.76 time on Wednesday was just good
enough to hold up for first place and a $2,859 payoff. Shryl Padgett's
ride of 17.79 seconds Saturday night moved her into second place and
earned $2,359, while Cheyenne Wimberly was third with a 17.81 time.
The closest time event was calf roping, where Johnny Grimes was able to
hold off Kaid New for top overall honors, with a 31.5 second time to
New's 31.7.
New won the finals on Saturday with a 10.5 time while Grimes placed
third at 11.2 seconds and took home $5,267 to Grimes' $4,712.
Roy Cooper took second on Saturday with an 11 flat time, while Stran
Smith was third overall at 33.5 seconds.
In Saddle Bronc riding, Charles Soileau of Stephenville won with a 78
point score on `Centerfold,' earning him $4,608. Craig Latham's 77 point
ride on `Good Vibrations' during Saturday's show gave him a second place
tie with Scott Johnston and Tom Reeves. All three took home $2,611.
In bareback, it was Chad Klein of Jackson, La., who won top honors,
scoring 81 points riding `No Satisfaction' on Friday. He beat out Chuck
Logue and Jon Brockway, who tied for second with 80 point efforts on
`Little Sister' and `Addicted to Love'
Klein won $4,128 while Logue and Brockway each earned $2,752.
In the two local events at the West of the Pecos Rodeo, Ruben Carrasco
and Trevor Teague were the winners of the wild cow milking competition,
while Jay Fowlkes, Casey Stewart and Jason Owen won the wild horse race, which closed out Saturday night's performance.
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 7 -- The Pecos Junior League All-Stars came up with a pair
of lopsided wins over the Fourth of July weekend to open up District 4
Tournament competition.
Of the two, Thursday's 13-0 win over San Angelo Northern was by far more
impressive than Saturday's 13-3 over Tri-County, a combination of
players from small towns northeast, southwest and southeast of San
Angelo.
Northern came into Thursday's game with most of the players who won the
District 4 Little League title as 12-year-olds in 1996, including
pitcher John Black, who struck out 11 Pecos batters while tossing a
two-hitter last year. But this time, Black lasted less than two innings,
as he was touched for a trio of doubles and walked six batters in 1_
innings, as Pecos jumped out to a 9-0 lead.
That was more than enough for Richard Rodriguez, who didn't walk a
batter on the night, tossing a four-hitter as Pecos came away with a
13-0 win, in a game called after five innings under the 10-run rule.
"I'm real proud of Richard. I'm sure he's going to continue like that,"
said coach John Salcido following Thursday's win.
On Saturday, starter Capi Magana wasn't as sharp, but was able to shut
out Tri-County for three innings while Pecos was building a 9-0 lead
that was more than enough to earn the victory after Pecos scored three
times without a hit in the first inning, and added six more runs in the
second.
Rodriguez scored the first run in Thursday's win, walking on four
pitches ad then coming home on Mason Abila's double to right-center
field. That's where Abel Lopez and David Meline took Black in the
second, doubling around a walk to Jaime Herrera for a 3-0 lead.
Black would get Peter Juarez to hit into a fielder's choice later, but
after Meline's double he had trouble throwing strikes. Tony Trujillo,
Magana and Rodriguez all walked on five pitches, and after Abila walked
on just four pitches Black was replaced on the mound by Chris Grigo.
He got Chris Natividad on a popped up bunt, but Lopez reached on an
infield hit, scoring the sixth run, Herrera walked, forcing home the
seventh, and two more came in when second baseman Mark Gaines let
Meline's pop up behind second fall in safely.
Pecos would get four more runs in the final three innings off San
Angelo's third pitcher, Jason Parsley. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was having
little problem getting through Northern's lineup after the first inning,
when Jason Peres reached on Natviidad's one out error at shortstop and
Black and Grigo singled with two away. But Meline was able to throw out
Peres trying to score from second on Grigo's hit, and San Angelo would
get only one more runner as far as second base on the night.
Tri-County fared much better against Magana and Abila on Saturday, but
by the time the visitors put three runs on the board in the fourth,
Pecos had already scored 12 times.
They got three off starter Johnny Kissko in the first, thanks to three
walks a pair of errors, a fielder's choice grounder and a wild pitch.
Juarez got Pecos' first hit, a bloop single to center, in what turned
out to be a six-run second. Magana scored Juarez on another blooper, and
Rodriguez doubled him home for a 5-0 lead.
He was out at third trying to steal, but Abila reached on an error by
shortstop Will Doyle, Natividad singled, Lopez doubled and Meline
tripled to make it 8-0. Samuel Gonzales couldn't follow up those three
hits with a home run to complete the cycle, but did single in Meline to
make it 9-0.
Pecos would make it 12-0 in their next at bat, on a Juarez double,
Magana single, a later double-steal by Magana and Rodriguez and a
squeeze bunt by Natividad.
Tri-County was getting on base during that time, but not getting to home
plate. Natividad turned a double play on a Nick Medina grounder in the
first, Magana got Casey Mund to line to left and struck out Chad Brown
after loading the bases in the second, and fanned Cole Mikulik and got
Cody Oriver on a grounder to second base in the third, after again
loading the bases.
Tri-County finally got on the board in the fourth when Cliff Geese
walked, stole second, then came around to score on a pair of throwing
errors. Abila came on after Magana walked Harvey Davis, and struggled at
the outset, allowing two more runs to come home to make it 12-3, but
Pecos was able to add a run in the bottom of the fourth, then shut down
Tri-County in the fifth to end the game under the 10-run rule.
The wins sends Pecos into a 7 p.m. game Tuesday at a site they'll be
going to a lot over the next six years -- Chiefs Field in San Angelo,
where they'll take on San Angelo Lake View, which scored narrow 9-7 and
21-20 wins over San Angelo Southern and Western in its first two games. The winner advances to Saturday's championship game.
PECOS, July 7 -- The bats never heated up and the defense melted down
for the Pecos Little League All-Stars on Sunday in Ballinger, as they
dropped an 8-1 decision in the quarterfinals of the District 4
Tournament.
Four errors and a couple of passed balls helped Ballinger score five
runs in the fourth inning to break up a 1-1 tie, and pitcher Tyler
Carter held Pecos to only two hits on the evening.
"We were hitting the ball, but they were just making the plays," coach
Lee Serrano said. Carter struck out only four batters, but allowed only
Matthew Levario's home run in the second inning.
"The infield grass was so high we were at a disadvantage, because we're
used to a fast field and the balls going through, but they had a slow
one, and when we hit the ball, they had a chance to recover," Serrano
said. "I'm not making any excuses. We didn't hit the ball like we did
against Alpine, but their field hurt us."
Defensively, the Eagles hurt themselves in the fourth, when Patrick
Fuentes walked and hit a batter around an error by Tony Aguilar on a
Carter grounder to second base. "All of a sudden it was bases loaded,
and we were in trouble," Serrano said.
A passed ball, a walk and another error on a fly ball to the outfield
helped score three runs off Fuentes and Mario Rangel, and Ballinger
would get two more after Levario came on to get a bases-loaded fielder's
choice at home plate, when catcher Joey Ortega threw the ball by third
trying for an inning-ending double play.
"Everybody has their bad day. Maybe that was ours," Serrano said.
"We're too good a team to lose like that."
Pecos now drops into the loser's bracket of the double elimination
tournament. They'll play on the road Wednesday night, against the winner
of Tuesday's Tri-County-San Angelo Northern elimination game. Pecos will
need to win five straight games over the next five days to take the District 4 title.
LEMONT, Ill., July 7 (AP) -- Tiger Woods was being followed.
Thousands of fans -- maybe even tens of thousands -- broke through the
ropes aligning the 18th fairway so they could share the moment with
golf's present and future star.
Having landed his second shot safely on the green, Woods had the Western
Open won Sunday. Still, he tried to ignore the boisterous, adoring crowd
that trailed him down the fairway, a group that kept growing in numbers.
A normal occurrence at the British Open, it rarely happens in the United
States.
``I definitely heard them,'' Woods said. ``I didn't really see them. I
was facing forward. I didn't want to look back. It does no good. I have
to finish out the hole. Finishing out the hole is not behind me.''
Such focus.
Combine that trait with skill, power, confidence and mental toughness,
and it explains why 21-year-old Woods has won more tournaments and more
money than any other golfer in the world.
Sunday's victory at Cog Hill's Dubsdread course was Woods' fourth title
this season and sixth in 21 events since turning pro last August. The
list includes this year's Masters.
``I was like a lot of people last year who thought it would take him two
years to win. Like many other people, I was proven wrong,'' said Frank
Nobilo, who finished second at 10-under-par 278, three strokes behind
Woods' 275 and one ahead of Justin Leonard, Steve Lowery and Jeff
Sluman.
``When it stops, no one will know. If he was to win another three or
four, I don't think people would be dramatically surprised.''
Woods certainly won't be.
``If I play my normal game, I should be able to win,'' he said. ``The
biggest thing is to have the belief that you can win every tournament
going in. A lot of guys don't have that. (Jack) Nicklaus had it. Every
time he'd tee it up, he felt he was going to beat everybody. That's the
mindset you have to have if you want to win.''
For winning the Motorola-sponsored Western, Woods got $360,000. That
gives him $1,761,033 in earnings this year, and only a huge slump will
keep him from becoming the first golfer to make $2 million in a season.
As it is, he's less than $20,000 behind the record Tom Lehman set last
year.
``The money takes care of itself,'' Woods said. ``I just want to win
tournaments.''
He has reached six professional victories faster than everyone except
Horton Smith, a 1920s player who had seven before he turned 21.
Four wins in 13 starts this year puts Woods in the company of some
all-time greats. Nicklaus -- the man Woods uses as a measuring stick --
won seven of 18 in 1973 and Jimmy Demaret six of 12 in 1940. Ben Hogan
captured five titles in six events in '53, including the Masters, the
U.S. Open and the British Open.
Woods' next stop is Royal Troon.
``I think the British Open will suit him to a tee,'' Nobilo said of the
major tournament, which begins July 17. ``The British Open does suit a
stronger hitter of the ball.''
Few, if any, are stronger than Woods. But while he elicited oohs and
aahs with his 320-yard-plus drives Sunday, he was unhappy because so few
landed in the fairways.
``Going into the day, I thought the par-5s were going to be my saving
grace just because of my length,'' Woods said. ``But that wasn't the
case. I hit a couple bad drives and, consequently, made only two
birdies. The par-3s are what saved me and won me the tournament.''
He birdied 6, 12 and 14. And each 2 score was crucial.
No. 6 gave him his first birdie after opening with five pars and drew
him within a stroke of Loren Roberts, his playing partner. No. 12
followed a bogey on 10 and a botched birdie attempt on the par-5 11th.
And No. 14 all but won him the tournament.
After hitting a tee shot within a foot on the 167-yard 14th, Woods
seemed almost embarrassed. He reacted to the fans' roars by smiling
sheepishly and shrugging. Woods then tapped in to take the lead for good
at 12-under.
``That was like a knife in the back when he made 2 there,'' said Nobilo,
who had briefly tied for the lead. ``When he's in a position to win, he
hardly ever goes backward.''
Woods said he got lucky.
``It wasn't a very good shot. It almost went into the bunker,'' he said.
``The golfing gods were definitely looking down upon me in a good way.''
All that skill, all that poise ... and golfing gods, too.
It really doesn't seem fair.
Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, 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@bitstreet.com
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