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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Monday, January 4, 1999
Fourth quarter shots fall for Eagles in win
PECOS, Jan. 4 -- Just when it looked like the Pecos Eagles
were going to begin 1999 the way they closed out 1998, the
Eagles rediscovered their second half scoring touch.
Pecos, which went cold in the second half last Tuesday
against Presidio and blew a seven point lead, came close to
losing all of their 12 point lead Saturday night to the
Sonora Broncos. A rebound basket and a foul shot by Fernando
Navarette had given Pecos a 40-28 lead three minutes into
the third period, but when Navarette left the game with his
third foul a few moments later, Sonora went on a 13-1 run,
cutting the lead to 43-41 by the end of the quarter.
The Broncos then had several chances to tie or take the
lead, but several traveling calls by Sonora and steals by
Pecos kept the Eagles ahead until Frank Perea found his
shooting touch from the outside, hitting a couple of 3-point
shots. That widened the lead back to 10 points, and the
Eagles were then able to hold on for a 56-49 victory.
When Navarette went cold in the second half against
Presidio, no other Eagle was able to step up and take over
the scoring slack. This time, Mark Marquez and Alex Garcia
provided the offense early, when the senior picked up two
quick fouls, while Perea's jumper gave Pecos some breathing
room.
Garcia, who had seen only limited action so far this season,
came in and nailed a pair of 3s in the opening period, the
last giving the Eagles a 17-11 lead, while Marquez got
inside for a series of lay-ups late in the first period and
early in the second, the last putting the Eagles ahead to
stay after Anthony Luna's jumper tied the score at 22-all.
Oscar Luna had nine for Pecos, eight less than in the
earlier win over Sonora, though he had a chance for more but
missed a trio of fast-break lay up attempts off of steals.
They were among a series of steals the Eagles managed
Saturday, as Pecos Fared much better on defense against the
taller Broncos, after coming up away with few in their loss
earlier to the Blue Devils.
Navarette finished with 15 points, while Marquez had 14 and
Perea put in 11. Anthony Luna, who had 13 to lead Sonora in
the Eagles' 44-40 win last month, topped all scorers with 18
points.
The Eagles win improved their record to 8-9 on the season,
and they'll try to get back to .500 again on Tuesday, when
they go to Midland to face the Greenwood Rangers. Pecos beat
Greenwood back on Dec. 18 at home, by a 55-49 score.
Sonora did come away with a victory in Saturday's junior
varsity game, by a 40-34 final score.
Mustangs ride past shorthanded Eagles
PECOS, Jan. 4 -- Wins have been hard enough to come back for
the Pecos Eagle girls when they're at full strength during
the current basketball season. But Saturday afternoon
against the Sweetwater Mustangs, the Eagles had to try and
do it minus three of their players.
That proved to be too much to overcome, as the Mustangs
came away with a 73-32 win at the Pecos High School gym. But
coach Brian Williams was happy with his team's play in the
early going, when the Eagles trailed their former district
rival by only a 14-10 score.
"The first two quarters went real well We did a good job
rebounding and only giving them one shot each time
downcourt," Williams said. "I was short a post Saturday
because Lindsey (Hathorn) wasn't there, then Shaye (Lara)
got into foul trouble and Dee Dee Molinar had to play low
post. She did a good job and held her own down there, even
if she doesn't think so."
Lara finished with 15 points, but her foul problems,
combined with the loss of guards Maricela Arenivas for four
weeks and the absence of her backup, Katrina Quiroz on
Saturday left Pecos without any of their three regular
ball-handlers at times during the game.
Sweetwater got most of their early points from last year's
district MVP, Vanessa Lehrmann. She had 13 of her 24 in the
first half, though Williams pointed out, "That's better than
what we did last year, with taller players."
But starting late in the first half and continuing into the
second, the other Mustangs began to get open. "We just got
tired after a while and let down, and the turnovers started
hurting us at the end," Williams said. Lu Washington got
most of her 18 points in the final periods, as Sweetwater
outscored Pecos 39-12 in the second half.
The loss dropped Pecos to 3-14 on the season, going into
another home game against a former district rival on
Tuesday, when they host Andrews. The Eagles then begin
playing their new District 2-4A opponents on Friday, when
they travel to El Paso to face the Mountain View Lobos.
Sweetwater also won Saturday's junior varsity game, by a
70-15 final score. Pecos' freshmen were idle, but will face
Andrews on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Williams said the JV will
also play at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 6
p.m.
Saturday
SWEETWATER (73)
Lehrmann 10 4-9 24; J. Nannefield 2 0-0 5; Lambreth 3 0-0 6;
Browne 0 0-0 0; Glover 3 0-2 6; L. Nannefield 2 0-0 4;
Ramirez 0 0-0 0; Washington 6 6-8 18; Ballinger 4 0-0 10.
Totals 30 10-19 73.
PECOS (32)
Lara 6 2-3 14; Marquez 2 2-2 6; Garcia 0 0-0 0; Payne 0 2-4
2; Molinar 0 0-0 0; Salcido 0 0-0 0; Levario 2 0-0 4; Fobbs
2 1-2 5. Totals 12 8-10 32.
Sweetwater 14 20 21 18 --73
Pecos 10 9 5 8 --32
Three-point goals: Sweetwater 3 (Ballinger 2, J.
Nannefield). Fouled out: Pecos, Fobbs. Total fouls: Pecos
14, Sweetwater 9.
Niners stun Packers with miracle victory
By DENNIS GEORGATOS
AP Sports Writer
SAN FRANCISCO -- A backpedaling quarterback, a desperate
throw into the end zone with time running out and an
incredible leaping catch.
Joe Montana and Dwight Clark teamed up 17 years ago to make
that enduring image. Steve Young and Terrell Owens brought
it to life again.
Young tripped after taking the snap and nearly went down,
but recovered to throw a 25-yard pass to Owens with three
seconds left. Owens soared over traffic at the goal line to
make the grab, and the San Francisco 49ers emerged from with
a 30-27 NFC wild-card victory over the Green Bay Packers on
Sunday.
``The whole sidelines just erupted,'' said San Francisco
tight end Greg Clark, who had two TD receptions earlier.
``It's a great thing, an emotional thing,'' Young said after
beating the Packers for the first time in nine tries. ``That
play will be attached to 49ers' lore for a long time. I'll
always remember it.''
The 49ers (13-4) travel to Atlanta next Saturday. The
Falcons displaced the 49ers as NFC West champions.
In heart-stopping fashion reminiscent of Montana's drive and
``The Catch'' by Clark that beat Dallas in the 1981 NFC
championship game and sent the 49ers to the first of five
Super Bowls, Young and Owens collaborated to reverse San
Francisco's discouraging run against the Packers.
Green Bay had ended San Francisco's season in the playoffs
in the previous three years.
``They certainly felt they had our number but we battled
them,'' said 49ers defensive end Chris Doleman. ``It took us
59 minutes, 57 seconds into the game to figure out who wins
this thing. That's about as tight as you can get it.''
And it was also a moment of redemption for Owens, who had a
fumble and four drops earlier. Somehow, he hung on to make
the game-winning catch despite being decked by three
defenders the instant the ball hit his hands.
``I just looked at the clock and it was ticking, ticking,
ticking,'' said Owens, who was in tears on the sideline
hugging San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci after the catch.
``I wanted to beat Green Bay so bad. Any time there's a
chance for me to get the ball over the middle, I'm tough
enough to take it. I was just happy that I caught the ball.
I had a rough day. I let the team down in the beginning, but
they all encouraged me to keep my head up.''
Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren, a former 49ers offensive
coordinator whose success against his old team led to rumors
he might be lured to San Francisco to replace Mariucci,
declined to address his future with the Packers. He has said
he might leave to become a coach-general manager elsewhere.
If it was Holmgren's final game as Packers coach, he'll
remember it as one of his most difficult defeats. It also
cost Green Bay a chance at becoming the first NFC team to
reach the Super Bowl in three straight years.
``The Super Bowl loss (to Denver) last year was very
difficult but the way this one ended was startling,''
Holmgren said. ``I don't know how they scored. I guess I'll
look at the film some day. The ball goes down the middle and
you don't think that ball is going to be caught, ever.''
The score capped a nine-play, 76-yard drive after Brett
Favre put the Packers (11-6) up 27-23 on a 15-yard touchdown
pass to Antonio Freeman with 1:56 remaining.
``I felt we had them,'' Favre said.
Even before then, the Packers thought they had them.
During San Francisco's last drive, Jerry Rice made his only
catch of the game but his apparent fumble at the end of it
wasn't called by the officials. They ruled his knee was down
when Scott McGarrahan stripped the ball from him.
``That was clearly a fumble. We clearly recovered. The
game's over,'' Packers general manager Ron Wolf said.
Green Bay safety LeRoy Butler echoed his general manager,
saying officials blew it and Rice got the star treatment.
``Absolutely,'' he said. ``But he's Jerry Rice and I can't
comment on the referees, or I will get fined.''
Young said the officials made the right call, and it wasn't
even close.
``It was clearly not a fumble,'' said Young, who completed
18-of-32 passes for 169 yards, 76 on the final drive.
He also had touchdown passes of 1 and 8 yards to Clark, with
two interceptions.
Favre was 20-for-35 for 282 yards and had touchdowns of 2
and 15 yards to Freeman, but also threw two interceptions,
his first postseason turnovers against the 49ers.
Garrison Hearst, giving San Francisco a viable running game
for the first time in its four playoff meetings with the
Packers, gained 128 yards. Dorsey Levens rushed for 116
yards and a touchdown for Green Bay, but also had a costly
fumble.
Green Bay also got field goals of 23 and 37 yards from Ryan
Longwell and San Francisco got field goals of 34, 48 and 40
yards from Wade Richey.
Loss shows weaknesses of Cowboys
By DENNE H. FREEMAN
AP Sports Writer
IRVING -- The Chan Gailey era began for the Dallas Cowboys
with a division championship and a playoff bust.
Owner Jerry Jones said he's still glad he did what he did
when he sent Barry Switzer packing after a 6-10 season.
``We're every excited where we are headed with our new
coach,'' Jones said. ``Of course we are disappointed. But
this is a good first step.''
``We did not play well as a team and we have to get that
corrected,'' said Gailey, who was hired by Jones from
Pittsburgh.
Arizona beat Dallas 20-7, snapping a nine-game losing streak
in Texas Stadium. It was only the second time in the last 18
games the Cardinals had beaten the Cowboys.
``This season was a crazy rollercoaster ride,'' said running
back Emmitt Smith. ``We never got to the point of being
consistent for a long period of time. Even when we won four
consecutive games in the middle of the season you could
still see all the inconsistencies.
``We have a good system and good personnel but surely some
changes will be made. Whatever it takes to get this team
back on track, I'm all for it.''
Cornerback Deion Sanders was openly critical of his
teammates.
``If we are going to call ourselves big-time players, then
we have to make big plays,'' Sanders said.
The Cowboys missed wide receiver Ernie Mills, who has the
speed to stretch a defense. Mills was lost for the season
with an injury a month ago. Also, Dallas played without
Chris Warren, signed to give Smith some rest at tailback.
However, the way Dallas played, neither player could have
helped much.
Dallas is a long way from being the team that won three
Super Bowls in the 1990s.
``Everybody wants to think this is the same Cowboys as the
old days and it's not,'' said quarterback Troy Aikman, who
was sacked four times and intercepted three times by the
Cardinals. ``We rely on different people now, and for a few
of the people the door of opportunity is shut. We are
looking through a different window now.''
The Cowboys still need help on the offensive line, more
speed on offense and a pass rush. In the offseason, they
must sign linebacker Randall Godfrey, kicker Richie
Cunningham, punter Toby Gowin, wide receiver Patrick
Jeffers, running back Sherman Williams and Mills.
Offensive guard Nate Newton is an unrestricted free agent
and the Cowboys likely won't pursue him. Cornerback Kevin
Smith's fate also is to be determined. He was healthy, but
didn't play against Arizona as Kevin Mathis took his place.
Gailey said the Cowboys will be studied from top to bottom
in the offseason.
``We lost seven times this year and we will go and evaluate
why and where we did poorly and try to correct it for next
year,'' he said.
He tried to give the team a goodbye speech, but stopped
short.
``I started to evaluate the season and then stopped and just
talked about the game,'' he said. ``I thought the guys were
too disappointed to take what I was saying about the season.
I will address the season later.''
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, 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
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Copyright 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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