Area Newspaper and Travel Guide for Reeves County, Ward County, Trans-Pecos, Big Bend of West Texas

Sports

Thursday, December 11, 1997

Eagles have fun, fun, fun with T-Birds

PECOS, Dec. 11 -- All of the Pecos Eagles' varsity boys
basketball players figure to see a lot of court time this
weekend, at the West of the Pecos Shootout.

That's because the Eagles have two teams entered in the
varsity division, along with their regular squads in the
junior varsity and freshmen brackets.

Meanwhile, Pecos' varsity girls got their third win in their
last four games this morning, as they routed El Paso
Coronado 70-42 in the opening game of the Monahans Sandhills
Tournament.

Shea Lara scored 23 points and Lori Marquez had 17 as the
Eagles built a 43-21 halftime lead. "We really did a good
job at both ends of the court today," said Eagles' coach
Brian Williams. "I was quite surprised. Usually when we play
El Paso schools it can go either way.

"I think when we play the big schools we sometimes get
intimidated, but this is the first time we've showed we're
not afraid of a 5A school.

Williams said the Eagles scored often off Thunderbird
turnovers, while Annette Marquez hit a couple of 3-pointers
early, "and that opened things up inside." She finished with
12, nine on 3-point shots, and Marisol Arneivas also was in
double figures with 10.

"Valerie (Lara) got a lot of points in the paint. Any time
she plays like that and Lori plays like Lori and gets her
17, we're going to be in good shape," the Eagles' coach said.

The 4-6 Eagles will now play the winner of today's
Fabens-San Angelo Lake View game at 8 p.m. Friday. El Paso
Irvin faces Reagan County and Monahans plays Fort Stockton
in today's other first round games.

Play for the varsity boys begins at 12 noon Friday in the
West of the Pecos Shootout with the Eagles' `B' team takes
on the Alpine Bucks. Like last weekend's Odessa Hoopfest
Tournament in which Pecos was entered, the Shootout is a
three-team pool play format. Lydia Patterson is the other
team in the `B' teams' pool, while the `A' team will begin
play at 4:30 p.m. against Odessa High's junior varsity,
after OHS takes on Presidio in a 1:30 p.m. contest.

The `A' team faces the Blue Devils at 7:30 p.m. in their
other pool game, while the `B' team plays again at 3 p.m.
Friday against Lydia Patterson.

Pecos' JV will also begin tournament play on Friday, though
the other six teams in the regular-format tournament get
their first action today. Lydia Patterson opened things up
against Alpine at 12 noon, followed by Odessa High's
sophomores against Fort Stockton's JV at 1:30 p.m. and Van
Horn against Kermit at 3 p.m. The consolation game between
losers of the Bronchos-Prowlers and the Lions-Bucks games
will meet at 4:30 p.m., while the Eagles will face the Van
Horn-Kermit winner at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

The freshmen division will also be a six-team pool set-up,
and started in the old gym at 12 noon today with Van Horn
facing Fort Stockton. Pecos' ninth graders took the court at
1:30 p.m. against Kermit, and will face Alpine at 4:30 p.m.
Lydia Patterson is the third team in the other bracket.

The freshman division will conclude on Friday, with the pool
winners facing the runners-up at 10:30 and 12 noon, while
the third place the teams meet for consolation at 4:30 p.m.
The third place and title games are set for 6 and 7:30 p.m.
starts.

Semifinals in the JV division will be Friday, with the
consolation, third place and title games set for 8, 9:30 and
11 a.m. Saturday in the old gym. In the new gym varsity
division semifinals and the third place game will be at the
same times, with the consolation final set for 12:30 p.m.
and the championship game at 2 p.m.

Balmorhea boys stay undefeated

PECOS, Dec. 11 -- The Balmorhea Bears remained unbeaten on
the boys' side Tuesday night in Presidio, while Balmorhea's
girls were beaten by the undefeated Blue Devils in a varsity
doubleheader.

Presidio's girls downed the Bears, 72-43, to go 8-0 on the
season, while Balmorhea's boys improved to 6-0 going into
today's Buena Vista Tournament with their 55-41 victory over
the Blue Devils.

"In the girls' game we played pretty good, they were just
that much better," said Bears' coach Ennis Erickson. "The
boys also played pretty good overall."

Balmorhea's girls fell to 2-5 on the season, while
Presidio's boys are now 6-3 overall. High scorers were
unavailable for Tuesday's games.

Today, Erickson will split up his girls' squad for the
three-day tournament in Imperial. "I've got 15 girls, so
we're just going to take two groups and go from there," he
said.

Erickson said he'd divide the girls into `A' and `B' squads,
with the `B' team opening tournament play at 3:30 p.m.
against Kermit's varsity, while his `A' group will take on
the host Longhorns in a 6:30 p.m. matchup. Sanderson takes
on Grandfalls and Marfa faces Jal, N.M., in the other
tournament openers.

Coach Adolfo Garcia's boys will all be playing as one team
when they face Jal in their first tournament game, at 5 p.m.
The other three boys quarterfinals match Grandfalls against
Fort Stockton's JV, Marfa against Sanderson and Buena Vista
against McCamey's JV squad.

The Balmorhea-Jal winner will face either Grandfalls or Fort
Stockton's JV on Friday at 3:30 p.m., while the losers meet
at 8 p.m. in the consolation semifinals. On the girls' side,
the `B' team will face either Marfa or Jal at 3:30 or 8 p.m.
Friday, while the `A' team will play at 5 or 6:30 p.m.
against Sanderson or Grandfalls.

Osborne wants title for retirement gift

By TIM KORTE
Associated Press Writer
LINCOLN, Neb., Dec. 11 -- One of college football's most
successful coaches is calling it quits, and Washington State
is in position to help give Tom Osborne the best retirement
gift he could get.

Imagine the frenzy in Miami if the No. 8 Cougars upset
top-ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl, clearing the way for
No. 2 Nebraska to send Osborne into retirement with his
third national championship.

The scenario became possible Wednesday when Osborne
announced his retirement after 25 seasons. Osborne's eyes
welled with tears after he said the Orange Bowl against No.
3 Tennessee on Jan. 2 would be his last game.

Frank Solich, a Nebraska assistant for 19 years, was named
to succeed Osborne, who indicated he would stay on through
February to help with recruiting and other transitional
matters.

Citing health problems and saying he wants to spend more
time with his family and at church, Osborne, 60, announced
the end to one of the most successful coaching careers in
the sport.

``I think it's wise to back off before you leave feet first
or somebody tells you it's time to go,'' the coach said.

Michigan and Tennessee no doubt hope Osborne's career ends
without the glory that has marked much of his tenure. For
his part, Osborne was concerned that his big announcement
might become a distraction to his players.

``That's the risk and the downside -- that this might upset
the chemistry, that it might in some way lessen the
resolve,'' Osborne said. ``I don't think it will. I think
everybody will want to win and play very hard.''

Quarterback Scott Frost told his coach not to worry.

``He didn't just teach us football,'' Frost said. ``By the
example he sets, he teaches us how to be grownups, to be
men. We're going down to the Orange Bowl to make sure he
goes out a winner and a champion.''

One could argue that Osborne, with a bowl appearance in
every season, already has those credentials.

He won consecutive national titles in 1994 and 1995. His
career record of 254-49-3 ranks him sixth in victories in
NCAA Division I-A history, behind Bear Bryant, Pop Warner,
Amos Alonzo Stagg, Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden.

Osborne's winning percentage of .835 is first among active
I-A coaches and fifth in history behind Knute Rockne, Frank
Leahy, George Woodruff and Barry Switzer.

With a 69-7 win over Oklahoma on Nov. 1, Osborne reached
the 250-victory mark in 302 games -- faster than any other
coach. Penn State's Paterno is second, reaching 250 wins in
320 games.

The Cornhuskers are 59-3 over the past five years, with
five straight 11-win seasons, an NCAA record.

NBA reportedly seeks Sprewell compromise

By CHRIS SHERIDAN
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK, Dec. 11 -- Not one official conciliatory word has
come out of the NBA office. No one in Latrell Sprewell's
camp has softened his stance.

Still, there are rumblings that a compromise is being
considered to put an end to one of the stormiest
controversies in NBA history.

Billy Hunter, executive director of the players union, was
meeting with Golden State Warriors officials on Wednesday
when they told him that ``some sort of olive branch might be
extended or the door might be left ajar somewhat to give us
the opportunity to work something out.''

Sprewell was suspended last week for one year for attacking
coach P.J. Carlesimo.

Hunter said he had not spoken directly to commissioner
David Stern or anyone else from the league office, but he
was ``obviously open to discussions.''

NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said Stern was not available
to discuss the possibility of a deal Wednesday.

``I haven't heard anything about it (a compromise),''
McIntyre said.

Earlier Wednesday, NBC basketball commentator Peter Vecsey
said on the ``Today'' show that he had spoken with Stern
about what will happen next.

``He said they're not locked into anything and not
precluded from doing anything. Anything's possible and they
could compromise,'' Vecsey said.

If a compromise is being considered, it would be a sharp
departure from the NBA's much-applauded public stance that
Sprewell's actions do not have to be tolerated.

The union has filed grievances over the suspension and
Golden State's termination of the remaining three years of
Sprewell's four-year contract, which had nearly $23 million
remaining.

``That was pretty harsh,'' Michael Jordan told the Chicago
Sun-Times. ``They didn't really evaluate it properly. I
think they should re-evaluate the situation and certainly
not limit him. You may penalize him for the act, but to say
he can't get a job elsewhere is kind of attacking his
constitutional rights.

``I think they should have had due process first and then
made their suspension or penalties. In doing that without
due process, they've kind of backed themselves into a
corner, and that's one of the reasons it's become such a hot
topic. It could have been done a lot better than the way it
was done. And because of the way it was done, you're gonna
have that in the news for a long period of time.''

Jordan also said he would support a boycott of the All-Star
game or this summer's world championships, especially if it
were directed at larger labor issues such as a possible
attempt by owners to renegotiate the collective bargaining
agreement to force salaries down.

``I will always support the players in whatever way I
can,'' Jordan told the Chicago Tribune.

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