Juarez violence sparks Sun Bowl fears for OU fans | NewsOK.com

Juarez violence sparks Sun Bowl fears for OU fans | NewsOK.com

Article about the OU fans being afraid to come to El Paso to watch the Sunbowl because of the violence in Juarez. El Paso is a great city with little violence. Hate to see other people talk bad about the city when they have no idea what the heck they are talking about. OU should be glad they are playing in any bowl at all this year. Think the stadium will be packed and we will be rooting for Stanford. Tickets will probably cost about $140.00 for all four of us. This will be the 4th or 5th Sunbowl game we attend. Looking forward to seeing OU get beat.

Corpus Christi, TX | KRISTV.com | - Woman Stabbed 38 Times Survives, Tells Story

Corpus Christi, TX | KRISTV.com | - Woman Stabbed 38 Times Survives, Tells Story

Crazy story that I thought was interesting. How in the heck did this girl survive?

Freshman Basketball

Having fun coaching the freshman girls for a few games while their coach is out. We lost to Santa Teresa and San Eli and really was worried that we would be 0-3 agter last nights game with Del Valle. The girls played hard and had a lead through most of the game but DV starterd togive us pressure and we ended up being tied with 1 minute to play. We hit a few free throws down the stretch and ended up winning by 1 point. Varsity took care of Del Valle and beat them by twenty something. JV also showed plenty of toughness by coming back in the 4th quarter and beating a good team. Have a game this Friday and Saturday against Mt. View and then we take a little break for the holidays.

Varsity Tournament in Abilene

The varsity girls recently competed in the Polk tournament in Abilene, Texas. We beat Burkburnett in the first game and lost our last two to Wylie and Cooper. The girls played tough against Wylie and gave them a run for their money. Wylie eventually played Midland in the tournament championship. Think this competition will serve us well as we make our run to a district title.

Thanksgiving Parade

Ranger Football 2009

It's after Thanksgiving and the only El Paso team left in the playoffs is Chapin. They are playing tonight and look to be the only team from the border city to make it past the third round. Our team looked good at times and we had a huge victory over Del Valle to give us a shot at the 2-4a district title. We came up short of a title and had huge losses to Parkland and Canutillo. The biggest surprise was in our Bi-District match against the Irvin Rockets. We were leading through the 4th quarter but couldn't put them away. On fourth and one our quarterback couldn't get a first down and we turned the ball and the momentum over to the Rockets. With seconds remaining on the clock the Rockets threw up a fade in the end zone and their receiver mad a heck of a catch to steal the game. The bright side is that we are very young on both sides of the ball. Almost all of our skill guys are sophomores and should be stronger next year with one year of Varsity experience under their belts. Lots of surprises might be in store if the UIL decides to move schools around through re-districting. Think we will be able to make our push and re-establish ourselves as one of the elite programs in the city. Find it odd in a way that so many schools from South Texas, Corpus, are still in the playoff hunt and only one El Paso school is left in the running. Is the competition we face from out of town teams that much tougher? Wondering who will be left standing after this week. The pictures in this post were taken by Nidia. She has a great eye and is a talented young photographer. Some of the pics are of this years freshman team and some are of the varisty team.

UTEP Football What Could Have Been.

It wasn't that long ago when Stevo, Jazz, and Jess were watching Utep upset nationally ranked Houston in the Sunbowl. The fans actually rushed the field and we were already planning to get tickets to their upcoming bowl appearance. UTEP has fallen in serious hard times after that win and have fumbled away victories on their way to a losing record. I really had high hopes for Trevor Vittatoe and his receivers however he just never was able to produce in the clutch. The defense was terrible as always losing huge games to SMU and Rice. Games that they clearly should have wn by more than one touchdown, I just don't think Osia Lewis is getting the job done as defensive coordinator and would be surprised to see him return next year. I love having college football in our own backyard but would like a dang wining season and bowl possibilities to go along with the team. Too bad NMSU stinks too. Hopefully next year both programs will be a little more competitive and finally get into a bowl game. We are going to the last game in the Sunbowl tomorrow to see them play Marshall. Marshall is headed to a bowl game and is favored, of course, to beat the miners. The one bright spot has been the running of the junior Donald Buckram. He is on pace to be UTEP's all-time leading rusher and leads all conference USA rushers this year. He has played brilliantly but had two huge fumbles in last weeks loss to Rice. Guess I can't complain seeing that living in Corpus the only college football we had was Texas A&M Kingsville. Going to the Sunbowl game this year and look forward to seeing the Riverside kids play in the Senior bowl coming up in a few weeks.

Stevo and Jazz in their Fall Sports

Fantasy Football Sunday

Admit to being totally addicted to fantasy football. Agonized over my starting players more than Obama over his health care plan. Started off slow to day and was down to Steelman by almost 90 points due in part to big games by Ben Rothlesberger and some no name running back for the Detroit Lions. Made my move late in the day with huge games by Brady and the running back and receiver from the Jets. Cowboys made me sick to my stomach again today by only being able to score a touchdown. They came away with the win but see bad things on the horizon for the boys. Watched the Utep Miners basketball team demolish the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Saturday at the Don Haskins Center. Still a little upset that is cost almost 55 bucks to for all of us to see a less than marquee matchup. Chapin Huskies are the only team still atanding in the football playoffs from El Paso. Thought Coronado would do much better but they jus couldn't stand toe to toe with their bigger opponent. WOuld like to see chapin make it into the elite eight and represent El Paso. Was surprised to see that Corpus Christi West Oso girls basketball team has fallen on hard times. Hope they can get it together for Coach Williams. The Oso boys team looks reals strong. They are ranked in the top ten and should mak a strong run for the State Title. Promise to go this year once they make the tournament in Austin. Riverside girls lost to Andres and to Chapin in the Canutillo tournament this past weekend but we were playing without our spark plug point guard. We play A tough Irvin team this Tuesday then are off for the holidays before we head to Abiline to play in their tournament. Life is good.

BASKETBALL DIARIES

Lost by ten last night to the Chapin Huskies and their super sophomore center. This girl put the H in huge. Despite playing so bad we actually had cut it down to eight in the second half and had a chance to make a run. I was impressed with Burges overall as a team . Think not having our point guard hurt us but the girls have to be ready to step up and score in situations like that. We saw Parkland play Santa Teresa. They have a great post player team. Only had three players on their bench. They are ranked in the top ten in the city. I am taking the jv team to their tournament today in Chaparral. We play Deming at 5:30. Hope they come to play and limit their mistakes. Haven't coached anyone on this team except for the point guard so I'm sure they are going to have a hard time adjusting to my coaching style. The freshman won last night vs. Irvin without having a few of their key players. They take on Bel Air in the second round of their tournament today. Our program is headed in a good direction overall. Learning a lot from coach Graham. Last day of school before Thanksgiving holiday. Kid broke my heart today when she came in and told me that one of her relatives, a policeman, had been gunned down in Juarez. Crazy how close to home the whole Juarez thing is to our kids and our school. Switching gears. I am addicted to fantasy football. kicking myself for not taking it serious earlier in the season and losing games I should have won. have a 5-5 record going into this weekend. Brady is my qb and Stephen Jackson my runningback. Huge points with these guys. Hurting a little at wide receiver but mad a few trades and should be ok this weekend. Heading to see the Chapin Huskies play against Frenship on Saturday in the area playoffs. Glad El Paso schools are getting a little respect from the out of town teams. Hoping Coronado can make it to the next round. UTep basketball Saturday night. They take on another Arkansas team. Utep is loaded this year and should make a run at the Tourney and win their conference now that Memphis is rebuilding. Good life....

Basketball Off To a Good Start

The varsity girls are off to a good start despite dropping games to Burges and Coronado. The girls came out flat against Coronado but battled back to erase a twenty three point deficit and make it a game in the last quarter. We are young all around and depend heavily on our juniors to step up. The one sophomore we have on the team, Dorothy Stewart, has been a nice surprise. She is tough in the paint and plays hard when she gets the chance. This week the girls faced the number three team in the city, Burges, and took them down to the wire before losing on the free throw line. We were outmatched in the paint but we were scrappy the entire game and held a lead in the fourth quarter. Burges has a great point guard who put up twenty plus against us and they are a team who will be competing for a District title this year. Heading to Canutillo to play in their tournament today. We face Chapin in the first round so our work doesn't get any easier. Good to face this competition early. (Just found out that we are playing tonight without our point guard and best player). Jr's have to play big again to get past the huskies.

Great start to the new year

It's been a while since I last posted because things have been hectic wit school and football kicking off. My Freshman team won their first game against the Austin Panthers on Thursday 28-6. We were blowing them out in the first half but got lazy and made it a closer game than it should have been. I felt bad because i wasn't able to spread out the playing time as much as i wanted to . We have a big game against Franklin this Thursday and need to play a perfect game if we are going to walk away with another win. The varsity completely destroyed Austin 49-0 last night. The sophomores stepped up and played a hell of a game. Proud of them for coming through just like last year. Jazzy and Stevo started school this week and are settling back into their routine. Loads of homework already. My classes are great and my schedule is the best I have had since I've been at Riverside. Largest class is 36 but they are good kids who make teaching easy. Had tons of kids show up to our first theatre ad speech and debate meeting this week. Looks like we will be doing A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as our fist show. Looking at having auditions this week. Utep takes on Bufffalo this Saturday in a game they should win easily. Hope everybody in Corpus is dong great. Love and miss you guys. Life is good.

Freshman Football Camp

We had about thirty kids show up to the annual football camp at Riverside this morning. Great group of kids with a whole bunch of talent. Looks like we will be throwing the ball around this year to a bunch of different receivers. Kids got after it and busted their tails through all the offensive drills. I have been blessed to get a talented group every year at Riverside. Practice officially kicks off on Monday.

Tonight we have our second to the last night of The Sorcerer's Apprentice at the El Paso Playhouse. It has been a good experience despite the small crowds. The next show is Graceland and Asleep at the Wheel at the end of August.

Jazzy has her awards ceremony for t-ball tomorrow and Stevo will be playing basketball in the morning. We are looking in to the next sport for the both of them. Thinking we might put Stevo in football and jazz in basketball. Life is good.

T-Ball is officially over.

Saturday Jazzy laced up her cleats for the last time this summer. I had a great time coaching her Tiger t-ball team this summer however, I have learned five things a parents should know before they decide to coach their kids t-ball team.

1. Patience. You need this skill more than anything . The kids will certainly test your skill in this area. You have to be ready to grant bathroom breaks during the middle on an inning, tie shoes twenty times during a two inning game, deal with a ball of energy who is hyped up on birthday candy and cake. You will be tested but the reward will be great. These little guys will look up to you like you wear a cape and leap over buildings in your spare time.

2. Bring extra equipment. A kid will always forget a glove, a hat, something. Its always good to be prepared and ready for anything.

3. Make sure the parents know when they are in charge of bringing snacks. The kids could care less if they win or lose but if you forget the snack they will go after you with a bat.

4. Remember that they are kids. Their stance may remind you of Alex Rodriguez and they may throw the ball harder than Mariano Rivera but all they are thinking about is having fun. Always encourage them even when they make a mistake. A lot of coaches can tear down a kid but few know how to build them up.

5. Be creative. Practices will be a major hurdle for a t-ball coach whether they are a novice or a battle tested veteran. Keep them fun. Remember there are a thousand different ways to fillet a trout (or teach a kid how to throw). The best thing we ever did in practice was use games like relay races to teach how to run the bases and competitions like throw the ball and hit the bucket to teach the proper way to throw to first base. being creative and prepared will make your life so much easier and will reduce the amount of white hairs that will invade your head during the season.

I was really fortunate to have a great group of kids and awesome coaching partners this season. Jess was great in handling the kids in the dugout and keeping the parents informed about everything. Proud of Jazzy for letting her Dad coach. Now it's on to basketball season.

Got a chance to watch the El Paso fighter Antonio Escalante fight on ESPN2 tonight. I had never watched in him in action and was impressed with the way he handled the veteran opponent Cornelius Locke. ESPN analyst,Teddy Atlas, made good comments about the El Paso crowd and it looks like Escalante might get a title shot in the near future. I miss yelling at the screen with my brothers and my dad after a fighter gets knocked down or is cut. I have loved boxing since I was a little kid when my dad used to take us to watch fights at Memorial Coliseum. I still remember cheering for Corpus Christi legends Frankie Panchito Warren, Roberto Elizondo, and Jesse Benavidez. My brother David is a huge boxing fan who can give you breakdown of all the divisions with the skill of an HBO analyst. Greatest fight memories: any Sugar Ray Leonard fights (cause we hated him so much), Alexis Arguello losing to Aaron Pryor (I cried when Alexis lost), Roberto Duran saying "No Mas, the Gatti-Ward fights, the rise and fall of Mike Tyson. Hope to continue the tradition my father started with my own son. Hopefully we'll be watching Escalante fight for the title soon.

Counting Sheep Ain't Working

It's 4:30 in the morning and I am wide awake. Damn. I have to be one of the world's worst insomniacs. I have watched the same ESPN highlights for three hours now and have picked up about three different books but nothing seems to work. Feel like one of those people that Benjamin Bratt tries to help in The Cleaner. I have always had this problem but summer is the worst for me. Too much time on my hands. Have a coaching clinic for basketball to go to today and rehearsal for the show at the playhouse so I'm thinking I'll stay up all day so I can be sleepy by the time 10 pm rolls around. Decided to start running again. Ankle finally feels better. Might just take off in the next couple of minutes because I am getting frustrated trying to get to sleep. See if I can at least run three miles without killing myself. Tired of the treadmill so will head over to Franklin track. Crazy how many people are out there this time of morning. Planning on going to Corpus before school starts to see everybody. My brother David just had another baby. Five boys now. Think my mom said she has 15 or 16 grand kids now. So many she can't even keep track. Read an awesome post by Priscilla on facebook about her kids. Put a lot of things into perspective. Decided on theater season for next year. Roosters, Boys Next Door, The Diviners, and one other show for one-act. Rambling cause I'm tired but not sleepy. Guess I'll lace up the shoes and head out.

The Sorcceror's Apprentice at the El Paso Playhouse

I am currently in the show The Sorcerers other Apprentice at the El Paso Playhouse. I get to play a mean old dragon that can't eat anybody because he has a nasty toothache. I have a great cast and crew to work with and the audiences seem to be enjoying the show. Leave it to El Paso to have a Mexican dragon.

Field Day for Stevo and Jazz

Steve and Jazz did well during their field day competitions at school this year. Both brought home alot of ribbons.

I Never Saw Another Butterfly at El Paso Playhouse

I did my first play at the El Paso Playhouse a few months back and was glad to be back on stage again. Jess and the kids were really good about supporting me through long rehearsals and an even longer run. The play dealt with the Holocaust and the children who lost their lives at a concentration camp in Terazin.