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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Wednesday, December 22, 1999
Eagles' lack of control helps Monahans win
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
MONAHANS, Dec. 22, 1999 -- There's nothing wrong with speeding up the
pace of a basketball game, so long as you can keep under control while
you're doing it.
The Pecos Eagles' game Tuesday afternoon in Monahans was a lot faster-paced
than their first meeting with the Loboes was last month in Pecos. And at
times, the Eagles were able to get behind or through Monahans' defense
for some easy baskets.
But there were also times when the Eagles got so up-tempo they got out
of control, throwing passes before looking and putting up long distance
shots in a hurry instead of working the ball around. All it took was two
bad stretches like that in the second and third quarters to help the Loboes
to an 81-56 victory over the Eagles, in the final pre-Christmas game for
both teams.
"There were little two-minute periods when we got out of control," said
Eagles' coach Tino Acosta. "When we play under control we looked good out
there, but when we go out of control we're not very good."
Last month, Pecos scored only two points in the first period of a 55-42
loss to Monahans. On Tuesday, the game started the same way, as Brian Morris
was left open for a pair of 3-point jumpers, and Chris Adams got open inside
for a series of lay-ups as the Loboes 10-2 and 14-4 leads.
But Chris Natividad then sparked a 13-4 run by the Eagles, which ended
with Daniel Terrazas' third lay-up of the period, tying the score at 17-all.
The Eagles had a chance to take the lead at the end of the period, but
threw the ball away in the final 15 seconds, leading to a Jorge Arroyo
basket and a 19-17 Monahans advantage.
Pecos stayed close to the Loboes for the next five minutes and trailed
just 29-25 after two foul shots by Natividad when things fell apart. The
Eagles were outscored 10-0 over the final three minutes of the half, going
0-for-4 from the foul line in the stretch and throwing the ball out of
bounds after Monahans' Ramon Ramos missed two free throws with the Loboes
up 33-25. That allowed Monahans to get another chance and this time Ramos
got inside for a lay-up, widening the margin to 10 points.
Morris would hit two more 3s early in the third period and Adams again
got inside for lay-ups, when the lead grew to as much as 22 points, at
54-32. Hector Rodriguez then led a late rally by the Eagles, but this time,
the 11-2 run only cut the margin back to 13 points. Pecos would then lose
both Terrazas and Jesse Salazar to fouls in the first minute of the final
period, and Monahans would add 10 more points to their lead over the final
eight minutes of the game.
Adams _ who didn't play in the teams' Nov. 16 meeting _ led Monahans
in scoring on Tuesday, Adams with 17 points, while Morris added 14. Rodriguez
led all scorers with 18 points and Natividad added 11 for Pecos, which
remained winless at 0-10 on the season.
"We're getting better every game. We just need to get smarter," said
Acosta. "We took too many 3s tonight. We're running our offense at times,
but tonight we just forced it up at other times, which wasn't very smart."
The Eagles will have the next eight days off for Christmas break, and
will return to play next week with three trips to Fort Stockton. They'll
play a single game on Tuesday afternoon against the Panthers, then go back
on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day for the presumably Y2K-compliant Fort
Stockton Holiday Tournament, beginning with a Dec. 31 match up against
Kermit.
Monahans also won Tuesday's freshmen and junior varsity games, by 58-41
and 66-49 scores. Tony Aguilar led the ninth graders with 11 points apiece,
while Jason Carrillo's 14 points topped the JV in scoring.
PECOS (56)
Cervantes 0 0-0 0; Rayos 2 0-0 4; Natividad 3 5-6 11;
A. Garcia 1 0-0 3; Chavez 2 2-3 6; Salazar 0 0-2 0; Tarin 2 0-0 6; Rodriguez
8 2-8 18; Terrazas 4 0-0 8. Totals 22 9-19 56
MONAHANS (81)
O. Porras 3 0-0 6; Hinojos 0 0-0 0; R. Porras 5 1-6 11;
Ramos 4 1-2 9; Moore 3 3-4 9; Welch 1 0-2 2; Moreno 0 0-0 0; Morris 5 0-0
14; Arroyo 3 2-4 8; Gaddis 1 0-0 3; Johnson 1 0-0 2; Adams 7 3-5 17; Phillips
0 0-0 0; Dominguez 0 0-0 0. Totals 33 10-23 81.
Pecos
17 8 18 13 - 56
Monahans 19
20 19 23 - 81
Three-point goals: Pecos 3 (Tarin 2, A. Garcia),
Monahans 5 (Morris 4, Gaddis). Fouled out: Pecos, Terrazas, Salazar.
Total fouls: Pecos 21, Monahans 12.
Saints trying new QB against Cowboys
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 22, 1999 (AP) - Jake Delhomme has never taken a snap
in an NFL regular season game. He hasn't even suited up for one this year.
Coach Mike Ditka has cut him twice.
But with the New Orleans Saints at 2-12, Ditka's job on the line and
time running out, the coach is hoping Kurt Warner isn't the only guy who
can go from NFL Europe to state-side stardom.
"It's not a public relations ploy," Ditka said. "It's nothing like that.
I want to see how he plays. I said he was going to play and we're going
to see, that's all."
So on Friday, against the Dallas Cowboys, on national television, Delhomme
- who has a total of five games on the active roster, all in 1998 - will
be calling the plays.
"I came in early Monday morning to look at film, and Coach called me
up to his office and said, `Do you want the ball?' And I said, `Yeah, I
sure do,"' said Delhomme, who was cut by the Saints following training
camp and re-signed Nov. 23. "I feel like I was in the right place, now
I want to make it the right time."
Delhomme left Southwestern Louisiana as the state's career passing leader,
throwing for 9,216 yards in four years. NFL scouts weren't impressed, so
Delhomme spent time shuffling between the Saints' practice squad and unemployment.
As recently as Sunday, Delhomme was the Saints fourth-string quarterback,
clutching a clipboard and charting plays in New Orleans' 31-8 loss to the
Baltimore Ravens.
"I was watching every play, trying to learn everything I could," Delhomme
said. "I try to use every scrap to get better. I wasn't there just for
the trip."
Delhomme spent two springs in NFL Europe, backing up Warner with the
Amsterdam Admirals in 1998, and alternating as the starter of the Frankfurt
Galaxy this spring, when he finished near the top of the league in passing.
"I always thought I just needed to be in the right place at the right
time, and this could be it," Delhomme said. "Playing with Kurt and being
on the same team with him, it really gave me a lot of confidence. I played
with him, and I played against Damon Huard. I see them and I think, `I
can play like that.' I just need a chance."
Warner, the season's leading passer, has helped the Rams to a 12-2 record
after 4-12 and 5-11 seasons. Huard played quarterback in place of the injuried
Dan Marino in midseason for the Miami Dolphins.
Delhomme's opportunity comes as Ditka searches desperately for anything
to help his struggling team. These might be his last two chances. The Cowboys
are the Saints' final home game, and they close out their fourth straight
losing season, three under Ditka, on Jan. 2 at Carolina.
Despite consistently defending a string of ineffective quarterbacks,
Ditka - possibly inspired by 32 losses in the 46 games he's coached - now
says beefing up that position is a top priority.
Ditka has started four quarterbacks each of his three seasons with the
Saints.
Carruth faces long wait in jail before trial
By JOE MACENKA
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 22, 1999 - Now that he's back behind bars, Rae
Carruth is likely to stay there for at least several months.
In a ruling that could signal the start of a long, lonely wait for Carruth
to be tried on charges of conspiring to kill his pregnant girlfriend, a
judge ordered him held without bond Tuesday.
Mecklenburg County General District Judge David Cayer gave defense attorney
George Laughrun a chance to ask that bond be set for Carruth. But Laughrun,
whose client was free on a $3 million bond last week when he fled more
than 500 miles to western Tennessee, decided against trying to get Carruth
out of jail again.
Authorities said it could take a year or more before Carruth goes on
trial for first-degree murder and related charges in the Nov. 16 drive-by
shooting of Cherica Adams, 24, who died last Tuesday. Adams' son Chancellor,
delivered by Caesarean section shortly after the shooting, continues to
improve at a Charlotte hospital.
Today, Cherica's mother, Saundra Adams, who has emergency custody of
Chancellor, will seek a more permanent custody arrangement during a closed
court hearing before Judge Yvonne Evans. WSOC-TV reported Tuesday that
Adams also plans to seek a court order requiring Carruth to pay child support.
Carruth, a former wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, was hiding
in the trunk of a Toyota sedan when federal authorities captured him the
day after Adams died.
While Carruth awaits trial, he is being held in a protective-custody
cell at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County jail. The 52-square-foot cell
is outfitted only with a few basic steel furnishings: a small bed, toilet,
sink, desk and stool.
Carruth has no access to television, radio or video games, and his meals
are delivered to his cell. He can read books, newspapers and magazines,
and he is given one day each week to meet with visitors for up to 30 minutes.
He is permitted three one-hour recreation periods each week in a concrete-enclosed
patio. Should Carruth elect to use the recreation periods, he would be
the only person on the patio.
Authorities said isolating prisoners is a standard practice when several
defendants from one case are being housed at the same jail. Separating
the defendants prevents them from being able to compare stories, and it
also reduces the likelihood of other inmates coming in contact with them
and causing problems.
Carruth is one of four defendants in the case, and all are at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
jail. Also being held without bond on first-degree murder and related charges
in Adams' death are William Watkins, 44; Michael Kennedy, 24; and Stanley
Abraham Jr., 19.
When deputies led Carruth into the courtroom Tuesday, he was sporting
the makings of a goatee and wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, handcuffs
and leg irons.
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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