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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Wednesday, November 25, 1998
Panthers too big an obstacle for Eagles
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
FORT STOCKTON, Nov. 25 -- Points in the paint have been hard
to come by for the Pecos Eagles so far this season, and
Tuesday night in Fort Stockton was no exception.
Pecos managed just four points off second-chance baskets on
the night, and went to the foul line only eight times all
night against the Panthers, who used 6-foot-4 post Luke
Groth's 14 fourth quarter points to pull away from the
Eagles at the finish and score a 49-40 homecourt victory.
"It's kind of tough going 5-9, 5-10 up front and going
against 6-foot, 6-4 and 6-2," said Eagles' coach Mike
Sadler, who is still awaiting the return of his senior point
Fernando Navarette to the eligibility list. "we had
excellent guard play, but we didn't have anybody down low."
When the Eagles could connect from the outside they stayed
close, taking a 13-11 lead in the second period off two
3-pointers by Frank Perea, then rallying from a 26-16 third
period hole to go ahead, 31-30 early in the final period,
after back-to-back 3s by Perea closed out the third quarter.
But Oscar Luna had Pecos' only other 3-poniter on the night
and that turned out to be his lone basket off the game. Luna
had trouble in the first half trying to get driving lay-ups
to fall against the Panthers' tall front line, and couldn't
connect from the outside in the closing minute, with Pecos
down by a 44-40 score.
"Some games you're hot, some games you're not," Sadler said
of Luna, who scored 34 points in Pecos' first two games.
"Oscar just couldn't hit his lay ups tonight.
"We made a run, but we just couldn't convert our lay-ups
and free shots" Sadler said. Pecos was 3-for-8 on the night,
and while Fort Stockton shot badly from the line as well,
but their 10-for-21 night provided most of their victory
margin.
Groth helped the Panthers' foul line average, going 4-for-4
while also hitting a pair of side jumpers. But it was his
inside shooting that helped the Panthers regain their lead
after Pecos' second half rally, with one shot coming off the
Panthers' fourth offensive rebound.
While Luna was off, the Eagles got a good game out of their
other guard, Hector Garcia, who finished with 13 points,
second to Perea's 17. Nine of that came in the final period,
including a steal and lay-up that cut the lead to 44-40 with
45 seconds to play.
The loss left Pecos with a 1-2 mark for their
season-opening three game road trip, while Fort Stockton,
which will come to Pecos in three weeks, improved to 3-0 on
the season. The Eagles will get to play their first game at
home this Saturday afternoon against the Odessa High
Bronchos.
Fort Stockton also won Tuesday's junior varsity and
freshman games, by 57-30 and 71-40 scores. Saturday's
matchup with OHS will be only for the JV and varsity teams,
starting a 1 and 2:30 p.m.
PECOS (40)
Herrera 1 0-0 2; Marta 0 0-0 0; Perea 6 1-2 17; Evans 0 0-0
0; Luna 1 0-0 3; Garcia 6 1-2 13; Matta 0 0-0 0; Rodriguez 0
0-0 0; Marquez 2 1-4 5; Weidner 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 3-8 40.
FORT STOCKTON (49)
Alvarez 1 1-2 4; Groth 8 4-4 20; Rigino 2 0-1 5; R. Lopez 0
0-0 0; Castillo 1 1-2 3; Urias 0 0-0 0; J. Lopez 1 1-3 3;
Reeves 2 1-5 5; Sawyer 1 1-2 4; Weist 2 1-2 5; V. Lopez 0
0-0 0; Hernandez 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-22 49.
Pecos 7 10 9 11 -40
Fort Stockton 9 17 4 19 -49
Three-point goals: Pecos 5 (Perea 4, Luna), Fort Stockton 3
(Alvarez, Rigino, Sawyer). Fouled out: Pecos, Marquez. Total
fouls: Pecos 20, Fort Stockton 13.
Stockton girls get error-filled win over Pecos
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
FORT STOCKTON, Nov. 25 -- With a veteran team going up
against a squad of mostly freshmen and sophomores, the Pecos
Eagles had little problems last year with the Fort Stockton
Prowlers.
This year, Pecos is in the same boat as Fort Stockton, with
sophomores making up the bulk of their varsity squad, and
the result Tuesday night was a sloppy -- but close -- 53-49
loss to Fort Stockton on the Prowlers' home court.
"We're just killing ourselves throwing the ball away and
missing lay-ups," Eagles' coach Brian Williams said at
halftime, after Pecos had come back from an early 11-2
deficit to tie the game at 25-all. Things were a little less
sloppy for both teams in the second half, but in the end it
was Pecos' problems foul shooting that did them in.
The Eagles missed eight of their first nine free throws,
allowing Fort Stockton to get the first half lead despite
committing 18 fouls in the opening quarters. They improved
after that and finished 20-for-39 from the line, while Fort
Stockton wound up hitting 19 of 32 shots, including two by
Zorinda Galindo with 15 seconds left that sealed the victory.
It took the Eagles nearly half of the opening period to get
on the scoreboard, on a rebound lay-up by Monique Levario.
Fort Stockton would go up by nine even though starters Nina
Robledo and Jessica Carrillo both got into early foul
trouble.
A Lindsey Hathorn lay-up and the only 3-pointer of the
night, by Alexa Marquez, got Pecos back to within 11-8, but
the Eagles then missed six of their first seven foul shots
in the final 1:20 of the period. Two more missed foul shots
by Philonicus Fobbs opened the second period, while Dianta
Valeriano hit her two free throws and Galindo and Cassandra
Ortiz added baskets to give the Prowlers a 17-8 lead.
When Pecos finally found the range from the line, they wiped
out a 24-17 deficit in the final two minutes of the half.
Maricela Arenivas, Ashley Salcido and Katrina Quiroz were
all 2-for-2 from the line down the stretch, while Shaye Lara
added a jumper to help Pecos tie the game.
But the foul problems that hurt Fort Stockton in the first
half would hit Pecos in the third period. Hathorn, Fobbs and
Lara all picked up their fourth fouls in the quarter, and
both Hathorn and Fobbs would foul out early in the final
period.
That took away two of Pecos' post players as the Eagles were
finally starting to score from inside. They got their first
lead of the night with 5:50 left in the third period on a
basket by Lara. She would give Pecos back the lead with a
lay-up off a Levario steal after a basket by Robledo, but
Robledo came right back and put the Prowlers ahead for good
with a basket and foul on Lara, her fourth.
Robledo would make it all the way to the final 17 seconds of
the game before fouling out, while Carrillo left early in
the fourth period. The Eagles were within 49-48 with just
under a minute left on a lay-up by Arenivas and had a chance
when Robledo missed two foul shots at the 37 second mark.
But Alex Fuentes was able to get inside to get the rebound
and score, and after Lara hit one of two foul shots with 17
seconds left Galindo's free throws finished things off.
Lara led Pecos with 11 points, while Arenivas added nine.
Robledo's 12 topped all scorers for Fort Stockton, which got
its first of the season in three tires, after posting just
two victories last year.
Pecos falls to 0-3 and will face another winless former
District 4-4A rival on Saturday, when they go to Andrews to
face the 0-3 Mustangs, 60-32 losers at home to Seminole
Tuesday night.
The Eagles' varsity was the only team to make the trip to
Fort Stockton on Tuesday. Pecos' junior varsity stayed in
town and dropped a 73-14 decision to the Buena Vista
Longhorns varsity squad. Pecos' freshmen played Buena
Vista's JV, but no score was available on that game.
PECOS (49)
Lara 3 5-7 11; Marquez 1 0-2 3; Molinar 1 2-4 4; Quiroz 0
2-4 2; Salcido 1 3-4 5; Arenivas 1 7-10 9; Levario 2 0-0 4;
Hathorn 1 1-5 3; Fobbs 4 0-6 8. Totals 14 20-38 49.
FORT STOCKTON (53)
Valeriano 0 4-7 4; Fabela 0 0-0 0; Ortiz 3 1-2 7; Galindo 3
2-2 8; Fuentes 2 2-2 6; Munoz 0 0-1 0; Robledo 4 4-9 12;
Galvan 1 4-6 6; Carrillo 2 2-3 6; J. Gonzales 2 0-0 4;
Garrison 0 0-0 0; Leach 0 0-0 0; Torrez 0 0-0 0. Totals 17
19-32 53.
Pecos 8 17 12 12 --49
Fort Stockton 10 15 14 14 --53
Three-point goals: Pecos 1 (Marquez). Fouled out: Pecos,
Hathorn, Fobbs. Fort Stockton, Carrillo, Valeriano, Robledo.
Total fouls: Pecos 25, Fort Stockton 33.
New receivers try to catch Aikman's eye
By DENNE H. FREEMAN
AP Sports Writer
IRVING, Texas, Nov. 25 -- At halftime of Sunday's game
against Seattle, rookie wide receiver Jeff Ogden hit the
dressing room door running and feverishly rifled through his
playbook.
Ernie Mills had been knocked out of the game for the Dallas
Cowboys, and the free agent from Eastern Washington was
pressed into immediate duty.
``I told him to put the book down because if he didn't know
the plays by now he'd never know them,'' wide receiver
Michael Irvin said. ``I told him to just relax.''
Ogden said: ``I was just trying to refresh my memory about
some things. It was like the teacher giving you five minutes
before the exam.''
Ogden passed. He caught four passes and earned praise from
quarterback Troy Aikman.
``Somebody said my eyes looked as big as half dollars,''
Ogden said. ``Maybe they did. We were playing Seattle, and I
knew the whole state of Washington was watching me.''
Ogden and Pat Jeffers, who played for Denver last year, both
played against the Seahawks in the 30-22 victory. Dallas got
Jeffers in a trade with the Broncos on Aug. 30.
They will log extra time against Minnesota on Thanksgiving
Day because Mills is out for the regular season with an
internal injury and coach Chan Gailey sometimes uses as many
as five wide receivers.
Jeffers has one catch for 11 yards this year.
``Both of us have been practicing hard, and coach Gailey
isn't afraid to use young guys who have worked in his
system,'' Jeffers said. ``He has confidence in both of us,
and that means a lot.''
It's Jeffers' third year in the NFL but he's caught a total
of only four passes.
The Cowboys (8-3) will have to match the firepower of the
Vikings (10-1) in the Texas Stadium game, and that means
either Billy Davis, Jeffers or Ogden will have to have a big
day if Minnesota double-teams Irvin.
``Somebody else has to step up with Ernie out,'' Aikman
said.
Ogden, who earned a scholarship at Eastern Washington as a
walk-on, said he has been amazed how hard and accurate
Aikman throws the ball.
``On one play, I was coming out of my route looking for Troy
and the ball hit me in the face mask,'' said Ogden, who made
the catch. ``Now, that's accuracy.''
Dallas needs a huge offensive day because the Vikings, who
have already clinched a playoff spot, are averaging 32
points per game. The Cowboys' beat-up secondary could have
trouble staying with the likes of Randy Moss and Cris
Carter. Jake Reed will miss the game because of back
trouble.
``It could be a shootout. You never know,'' Aikman said.
``Minnesota has made tremendous offensive strides and can
really score points. We'd like to keep their offense on the
sideline by moving the ball.''
To move the ball consistently, Aikman will need help from
Jeffers and Ogden, two unheralded receivers who must make up
for the loss of Mills.
Pecos Enterprise
Ned Cantwell, 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
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise
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Pecos Enterprise