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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Thursday, October 28, 1999
Eagles face struggling Canutillo
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Oct. 28, 1999 -- Last year, when the Pecos Eagles lost a wild
26-23 decision to the Canutillo Golden Eagles, the game ended up giving
both teams a share of the District 2-4A title.
This time, when the teams meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Eagle Stadium,
Pecos will be trying to maintain control of their own playoff destiny while
Canutillo looks for a win _ and some help _ to keep their post-season hopes
alive.
The Eagles come in off a 41-18 loss last week at Clint, which left them
with a 2-1 record in district, and a 4-4 mark on the season. Pecos can
clinch its second straight playoff berth with a victory combined with either
a win by San Elizario over Clint or a victory by Fabens over El Paso Mountain
View.
Canutillo needs a lot more help, after their 20-6 loss last week at
Mountain View dropped them to 1-2 in district and 1-7 on the season.
"We have an outside chance, but I don't know. I kind of felt last week
was the key game," said Golden Eagles coach Scott Brooks.
While Canutillo has posted just one win, that came two weeks ago at
Clint, and in all but one of the Golden Eagles' losses, they've been in
the game at least through the third period.
"We play good about two or three quarters and then get tired," Brooks
said. "Part of that is our off-season program needs to get stronger next
year, and we're also pretty young. I think we've got eight underclassmen
starting on defense this week."
One of those, sophomore strong safety Mark Dominguez, will probably
be handling the quarterbacking duties as well, after starter Jesus Navarette
injured his back early in last week's game.
"He played both ways almost all night," Brooks said of Dominguez, who
had one touchdown pass a week ago. However, he added, "He's not the thrower
the other one is, and he's not going to be a big threat to run."
"They don't have that (Ignacio) Jurado kid, but when they do throw it,
they're not bad," said Eagles' coach Gary Grubbs. Eloy Gonzales, with 11
catches for 340 yards, has been Canutillo's main receiving threat this
season.
Navarette ran around the Eagles' defense in the closing seconds last
year to hit Israel DelaRosa with the winning touchdown pass as time expired
after Pecos had taken a 23-20 the lead with under a minute to play. While
DelaRosa has graduated and Navarette is injured, Canutillo still has running
back Gilbert Gonzales, who has teamed with fullback Pete Terrazas this
season.
Gonzales gained 58 yards in last year's win over Pecos and has run for
662 yards this season, while Terrazas has gained 367 yards. "He ran for
about 1,000 yards as a sophomore, but broke his leg and couldn't play all
of last year," Brooks said.
"They've got two that just run right at you," Grubbs said. "They run
some veer (offense) stuff and down block with some dives. That's their
bread and butter."
"We're just kind of excited not to be playing a team that spreads us
out so much on defense," he added.
Gilbert Gonzales also has filled the kick return role Jurado and David
Rodriguez handled last year, when each scored a touchdown against the Eagles.
He leads the district with a nearly 40-yard average on kickoff returns
and two touchdowns, including the game-winner two weeks ago at Clint.
"We'd like to get somebody to kick it to him. Clint did, but mostly
we've bee trying for three weeks to get the ball to him, because he has
a knack for returning it when he does get it," Brooks said.
Defensively, Canutillo's big problem has been against the pass _ they've
allowed nearly 1,100 yards through the air this season, and last week gave
up 251 to Mountain View, while surrendering just 74 yards on the ground.
"They looked pretty aggressive against Mountain View. They run a defense
a lot like them with the split, and it was pretty even for most of the
game. It was only 7-6 at the half," Grubbs said.
"We did all right against the pass. They just dinked us to death with
little 5-6 yard passes, and at the end we got tired and broke down," Brooks
said. "That's been the thing all year."
The Eagles did all right against the pass last week as well, but Jeremy
Arnold ran for 207 yards and three touchdowns, while Check scored twice
rushing.
Grubbs said Ian Dominguez would start on the offensive line in place
of Micah Huffman, who was lost for the season with a knee injury, while
Matthew Levario may start at safety in place of Mason Abila, who sprained
his ankle in last week's game.
Rocket lands first Series title, Yanks 25th, 4-1
By BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 1999 — What a way to say goodbye to a century of
baseball: one of the game's greatest pitchers wearing the pinstripes of
its greatest team in the most storied ballpark of them all.
Roger Clemens validated his greatness. And so did the New York Yankees.
With Clemens pitching shutout ball into the eighth inning, the Yankees
became the first team in 60 years to sweep consecutive World Series with
a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 Wednesday night.
"This must be what it's like to be a Yankee," said Clemens, who before
the game gave a little pat to the monument honoring the most famous Yankee
of them all, Babe Ruth. "This is what everybody said it was all about."
Clemens captured the only prize that had eluded him in his 16-year career
as the Yankees won their record 25th championship and third in four seasons.
They also won their 12th straight Series game, matching the mark set by
their Murderers' Row teams.
"To do this on top of what we did last year, this is even better, I
think," manager Joe Torre said. "We don't rest on our laurels. We went
out and proved we belong here."
As did Clemens.
A five-time Cy Young winner with 247 lifetime victories, the Rocket
had never won in the World Series. But that all changed once he arrived
in the Bronx this spring in a trade for David Wells, a deal that Yankees
fans disliked.
Booed at Yankee Stadium this year, Clemens went 14-10 with a 4.60 ERA
and rarely showed the form that put him on the all-century team. But on
a cool October night, he was in total command and, at 37 — the same age
John Elway was when he won his first Super Bowl — earned his first ring.
Clemens walked off in the eighth to a huge ovation, tipping his hat
and holding both arms high to acknowledge the cheers.
"It seemed like a perfect setup," Torre said. "I couldn't see it not
happening tonight, not with the way his career had gone."
With the final out, Clemens bolted for the mound and, flanked by two
of his sons, grabbed Torre in a bear hug that lasted a full minute.
Then, while his teammates were still dousing each other with champagne,
Clemens sprinted back out to the field, climbed on the dugout roof and
ran up and down, slapping every outstretched hand in the front row.
Clemens recalled seeing his teammates get their 1998 World Series rings
in April, and being a bit envious.
"I was sitting there watching them receive them. They said, `We're going
to get you one,"' he said.
With raucous fans waving yellow, plastic brooms all over the ballpark,
Clemens outdueled John Smoltz.
Mariano Rivera, who had two saves and a win in the four games sweep,
was named Most Valuable Player for the Series, the third time the award
has gone to a reliever.
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
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 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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