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The gridiron Cowboys of Grandfalls-Royalty High School and the
volleyball Cowgirls proved last year they can win district championships.
And this year, the Fall athletic teams of the small school district have
tradition on which to build. They built that tradition in the glorious
season of 1996.
They have a six-man football legend, Lighting Roy Vasquez, who almost
outran a lightning bolt in the Summer and who did flash for 1,122 yards
in 1996 in a season that took the Cowboys through their district
championship into the regional round of the play-offs where they lost to
Jayton by two points in a barn burner. Running back Vasquez, five-feet,
seven and 150 pounds, is a junior this season.
They have a heroine in Stacy Miller. She's an all-around athlete who as
a junior is a five-feet, nine-inch middle blocker on the district
winning Cowgirl volley ball team and an all-district, perhaps all-state
candidate at her position.
But coaches agree teams are not made by legends and heroes. They are
made by the whole team working together.
Football coach and athletic director Dewaine Lee is more than laconic
when he assesses his Cowboys: "We have depth and we have been working
very hard."
Depth? Lee has all but one starter back from a team that averaged 60
points a game. Lee's teams never heard of working anything but hard. But
the defending champions aren't picked to win the district gridiron
title. That pick is Balmorhea featuring All-State Back Zane Rhyne.
Grandfalls and Balmorhea open the district with each other on Oct. 3 at
Balmorhea. When that one's over, the district race will fall into place.
Coach Laura Moses is equally brief in assessing her defending district
champion Cowgirls.
First note she has two returning All-District players - Miller and
five-feet-tall Laura Porras, a senor hitter.
Moses has five potential all-district players - Miller, Porras and
Janet Enriquez, a five-feet tall senior; Christina Huerta, a
five-foot-three-inch senior and Melissa Moses, a five-feet-five inch
senior.
"Our weakness is height," notes Moses. "Our strengths are strength
(Miller also is a state champion power lifter), experience and
quickness."
Scotty Hunter, the 10-year-old son of Heath and Teresa Cox of Monahans,
is the 1997 American Junior Rodeo Association world champion steer rider
in the nine through 12 year old division of the rodeo competition for
youth.
Father Heath says he believes Scotty may be the first product of
Monahans to win any AJRA world championship.
Before earning the title and the world championship buckle at
Sweetwater on July 28, Scotty competed in about 50 rodeos and 16
AJRA-sanctioned competitions.
At Sweetwater, the steer-rider from Ward County went into the finals a
half-point out of first place. When it finished, Hunter was a half-point
ahead and the AJRA world champion steer rider in his division.
"It was close and Scotty won," says father Heath.
Heath Cox reports his son has been riding steers every year "since he
was nine years old" and sometimes the trail has been long and rough in
the search for youth rodeo competition.
"We traveled just about everywhere," recalls Heath, "Fort Worth;
Carlsbad, N.M.; Brownwood to Del Rio."
Scotty won a buckle and saddle, boots and a coat at the Sweetwater rodeo
steer riding. The coat was for having the high average in the finals of
the steer riding.
Says father Heath: "To my knowledge, no one from Monahans has ever won
an AJRA world title. This boy is doing what he loves, riding bulls and
rodeoing."
The 10-year-old Monahans rider wasn't the only Ward County winner at
Sweetwater.
Coby Wood, 16, son of Wayne and Kelly Wood, competed in the tie-down
calf roping and finished sixth after being in third place most of the
season. Wood is sponsored by Circle J Western Wear of Monahans.
Scotty still has not found a full-time sponsor. But Scotty's father
quickly notes the family has not done it alone. Heath says he and
Scotty thank several people for their help - Coach Jim Watkins and
Watkins' Odessa College Rodeo Team; Curley Beard of Curley's Inspection
Service; Delton Shirley and Well Testers; Triple B Productions and P&P
Welding.
Scores of players from 16 schools in West Texas will jam at Monahans
High School on Aug. 22 and 23 in the school's annual late Summer
madness volleyball bash.
It's the 24th annual varsity tournament, the sixth annual freshman
volleyball tournament, and Junior Varsity Volleyball tournament.
And it begins the Autumn volleyball season for each of the teams with
competition that allows their coaches an opportunity to evaluate their
teams in an intense competition that includes squads from several areas.
The teams come from as far West as El Paso, as far South as the Mexican
border and as far North as the Staked Plains.
Teams which play in the tournament traditionally have been playing in
the state playoffs in December.
Each of the tournaments involves three pools. Coaches are warned that
because of the amount of volleyball involved in the three days:
"We will proceed ahead of schedule if possible. Please be prepared."
Schools from which the competitors will come include:Monahans, Plains,
Buena Vista, El Paso Burgess, Fabens, Fort Davis, El Paso High,
Presidio, Marathon, Greenwood, Crane, Kermit and Colorado City, Denver
City, Fort Stockton and Pecos.
Monahans High School Lobo football is in the air and the Lobo Football
Booster Club already is working. The Club's annual watermelon feed is
scheduled on Saturday, Aug. 16, immediately after the 9 a.m. Varsity
inter-squad scrimmage. Plus, according to a Booster Club announcement,
the annual picture and poster drive is underway. Letters have been sent
to Monahans businesses. Questions, contact Conda Lee at 943-3462.
Copyright 1997 by Ward Newspapers, Inc.
Steve Patterson, Publisher
107 W. Second St., Monahans TX 79756
Phone 915-943-4313, FAX 915-943-4314
e-mail news@bitstreet.com