Saturday, August 30, 2008

Saturday Night Football

The Martin Tigers defeated the Nixon Mustangs, 19-13, on Saturday in the two teams' rival matchup.

It was the Tigers' first win against Nixon since 1999.

Also, Carroll defeated Alexander, 38-28, at the SAC.

The Bulldogs trailed 31-0 with 8 minutes left in the third quarter before a stirring rally almost earned them a win.

Senior QB Jerry Lopez was 36-for-70 passing for 447 yards, three TDs and three INTs.

Esteban Cruz tallied 160 all-purpose yards for Alexander.

Carroll was a one-man show with senior back Anthony Davis.

After compiling five TDs in Carroll's 41-34 season-opening win over the Bulldogs last year, he added four more on Saturday, rushing for 192 yards on 24 carries.

Prep volleyball on Friday

The United Lady Longhorns won their two matches on Friday to advance to the championships at the Alexander Tournament.

United defeated Crystal City 25-18, 25-22. Vanessa Alvarez had 15 kills, two digs and one point; Nohemi Basurto had five kills, five assists, four points and four digs and Melinda Treviño had five kills.

The Lady Longhorns then defeated Roma 25-20, 25-21. Alvarez had 21 assists, six points and five digs, while Marisa Lira, Jenny Jimenez and Anisa Aguilar had five kills apiece.

United will take on the winner of a match between Alexander and Rio Grande City in today’s championship.

Rio Grande City beat St. Augustine 25-7, 25-17. The Lady Knights also lost to Zapata 14-25, 25-19, 13-25.

At the Hillcountry Invitational Tournament, the Nixon Lady Mustangs lost to Del Rio 22-25, 18-25, 18-25.

Selina Guerra had nine kills and four blocks, Jackie Martinez had eight digs, Christina Alvarado had four digs, Erica Hernandez had 11 kills and Leslie Peña had 13 assists.

Late Friday night football

Scores and notes from Friday:

Cigarroa 20, La Joya 10: The Toros set the tone early, scoring first on a 30-yard run by junior defensive end Reynaldo Mayo, who stripped the ball from the Coyotes to take it in for a touchdown.
Cigarroa tacked on three more with a 35-yard field goal by Cesar Rivera.
La Joya scored once in the first half on a field goal of its own to make the score 10-3 in the Toros’ favor at halftime.
Rivera had a 25-yard field goal to add to Cigarroa’s lead, then the Toros scored again on a 32-yard run by senior running back Mark Gutierrez, who had 120 rushing yards in the game.
The Coyotes got their first touchdown of the game to make it 20-10 and brought the ball within the Cigarroa 40-yard line four times late in the game but were shut down by the Toros’ defense.

Stevens 14, United 0: Carried by the legs of senior quarterback Geoffrey Miles, Stevens tallied 126 rushing yards and scored both of their touchdowns via the run.
Miles’ quarterback keeper to put Stevens ahead 7-0 with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter was essentially all the Falcons would need, despite completing just 3 of 11 passes and totaling 34 yards through the air.
For the game, Miles tallied 80 yards on 18 carries.

South 27, Roma 7: South quarterback David Garza was 17-for-29 passing for 215 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Clemens 27, Eagle Pass 0

Harlendale 26, C.C. Winn 7

Friday, August 29, 2008

Today's stories

Here's links to the prep stories that came out in today's Times.

The game story from LBJ vs. Monterrey.

A preview of tonight's games.

Football talk

So far, Districts 29-5A and 31-4A are each 0-1 on the young season.

The LBJ Wolves put forth a gritty effort against a solid Monterrey team before falling 19-14 at the SAC last night.

Senior quarterback Arnold Garay was responsible for the Wolves' lone offensive touchdown.

Also, in somewhat of a surprise, San Antonio Southwest, which I picked to win the district title this year, lost its opener, 35-13, against Georgetown.

Here's the game story from that contest.

The two teams played in front of 5,000 fans, and Southwest's star running back Stephen Salinas had a very quiet night, rushing for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries.

The loss was a big one, as you might imagine. Georgetown is returning just 11 lettermen from a team that went 6-4 last year, while Southwest went 11-1 last season.

***

As many of y'all already know, our annual Laredo and area football preview tab is out.

Grab a paper today and you'll have a copy of your own.

Heading into the season, here are our district rankings:

District 29-5A

1. Southwest
2. Alexander
3. United
4. Martin
5. Eagle Pass
6. South
7. Del Rio
8. C.C. Winn

District 31-4A

1. Calallen
2. Corpus Christi Flour Bluff
3. Alice
4. Cigarroa
5. Kingsville
6. Nixon
7. LBJ
8. Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway

As the 5A beat writer, I picked the 29-5A selections, while LMT 4A beat writer Joy Lindsay picked 31-4A.

The method behind my selections went like this: Southwest was the obvious choice. They return 11 starters from a great team, and they played against more diverse competition last year than they'll see this year.

Will they roll over Laredo schools? Not by any chance. But they'll win the district.

Alexander was my second choice simply because I feel this is a breakout year for QB Jerry Lopez. He still has a plethora of options on offense, and the defense has improved drastically.

It also doesn't hurt when your linemen were ranked as some of the best in the state this past summer, either.

After the disappointment last season, the whole team has a chip on its shoulder.

United looks strange as a third pick. It has been No. 1 the past two seasons, and definitely deserved another top spot since it's won 22 straight district games and two consecutive district titles.

But I'm not confident in the 'Horns' quarterback position. Behind senior Luis Escontrias is an inexperienced, although poised and sharp, Tony Salas.

Also, I think the defense will take a considerable step back, and I don't think the transition to back for Roger Rueweler will be easy.

We'll see though.

Martin and Eagle Pass, I struggled with. Either can easily take that No. 4 spot, but I think the Tigers made a big, big move by moving Jerry Delgado to wingback, where his height and athleticism is more vital in Martin's double-wing offense than as quarterback.

Plus, that means more time for Charlie Cruz at QB, who has a great arm and height at the position. The Tigers may throw a lot more this season, and if so, that could make things very difficult for opponents.

I also think back Ricky Munoz is in for a big year, and you're also probably looking at a top district defense with 9 of 11 starters returning from a unit that was pretty good in the first place.

If the Tigers can score at least 20-24 points per game on a consistent basis, they'll be in great shape.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Prep updates

Volleyball:

The big news of the week: the resignation of Alexander volleyball coach Teresa Cruz on Monday morning.

The reason behind her resignation is unknown at this point. The timing is odd, as is her resignation, period.

After all, in her three years at Alexander, she led the Bulldogs to two district titles and a 69-17 overall record.

I've left a voicemail on UISDA Athletic Director Bobby Cruz's cell phone earlier today. Hopefully we can get some answers soon.

Football:

The start of the Laredo prep football season is less than 24 hours away, as Monterrey visits LBJ at the SAC tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

A preview of that game will be in tomorrow's Times.




Wednesday, August 20, 2008

South stops Zapata; Alexander receivers are confident

The Lady Panthers had a relatively easy win over the Zapata Hawks in volleyball action last night, winning in four sets.

You can read the story here. You can also read other local scores and stats towards the end of the article.

Next on the slate for local prep volleyball teams are is a myriad of tournaments in Sinton, Uvalde and Mission.

The only solo game is Cigarroa at St. Augustine on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Prep football is less than two weeks away and the tension and hype is high.

I was able to watch Alexander's intrasquad scrimmage last night and it looked good.

QB Jerry Lopez is showing no ill effects from his 2007 season-ending ACL injury. He still throws a magnificent deep ball, and he was mobile and quick when need be.

What separates him from other QBs I've seen so far is his decision-making. He shows no hesitation in when and where to place the ball.

Coach Joel Lopez also told me that this year's offensive line may end up being the best he's ever coached when it's all said and done.

As far as receivers, which lost considerable talent due to the graduation of stud wideout Carlos Laurel and the transfer of all-purpose back Jonathan Hardy to San Antonio Reagan, the team is confident not much will be lost.

To read more on that group, click here.

Tomorrow's paper will bring a Nixon volleyball story, where Coach Mike Gabrillo intends to continue Nixon's rich playoff tradition in a new district, as well as football stories on Martin's wingback position and Cigarroa's linebackers.

Stay tuned.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

It continues

Training Camp Central continues in today's Times.

This week marks the "Spot Focus" segment of our TCC, where we focus on a position or player whom we see as significant to that respective team's chances this season.

At United, you'll see a curious quarterback competition between a sophomore and a senior. And the QB you'd think would be involved is not.

Read more about it here.

Over at Nixon, Joy Lindsay has the scoop on the Mustangs' receiver core, which deems vital for a team that expects to pass "80 percent" of the time this season.

Read here story here.

Clara Sandoval continues her trek through the volleyball world as she highlights the rich tradition that has become Alexander volleyball during coach Terry Cruz's tenure there.

Read all about it here.

And last, but certainly not least, Nino Cardenas revisits the United Longhorns' first four team tennis tourneys this season.

It's all here.

There's a plethora of volleyball games on the slate for tonight as we get closer and closer to the start of district play in September.

Tonight's games are: C.C. Winn at LBJ at 6 p.m.; United at Roma at 7 p.m.; Zapata at United South at 7 p.m.; Martin at Cigarroa at 7 p.m.; and Nixon at St. Augustine at 7 p.m.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Friday camps

Yes, I know I'm late.

Here's the story on South football.

And here's the story on LBJ head coach Oscar Villasenor.

Training Camp Central won't continue again until next Tuesday as we make our second rounds through all the local 4A and 5A prep schools.

We also still have a local volleyball preview story coming out within the next few days so be on the lookout for that.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Reports

My trek to South today completed our first week of Training Camp Central.

I'll have a story on the Panthers tomorrow, and LMT reporter Joy Lindsay will have a story on LBJ head coach Oscar Villasenor.

Next week, as part of our Training Camp Central, we'll do spot focuses on each club, selecting a position or player that will play a central part of each team's success.

Here's what I've gathered as the 5A beat writer this week:

- Alexander: The Bulldogs are my favorite, so far, to be the top Laredo school in 29-5A. I think SA Southwest will break United's string of two straight district titles. Alexander QB Jerry Lopez looks good, and the defense will surprise people.

- United: The Longhorns will be up there contending as always. They have good speed from what I've seen, though I need to see more from the QB spot to really gauge an accurate judgment. They lost a lot of talent - only 10 starters return, five on each side of the ball - and while I'm confident they'll score points, it's defense where I'm concerned. Replacing Cesar Salinas, Fabian Juarez, and Ramon Sandoval, among others, won't be easy.

- Martin: Probably the best defense in 29-5A. Nine starters return on a unit that surrendered 23.3 points per game last year. Add that to the Tigers' trademark double-wing offense, and the Tigers will stay close in any game. They'll be competing for a playoff spot, and may even pull off a few surprise wins.

- South: South lost a lot of talent - 14 starters - and are incorporating a new offense, which I think will take a year to work with a team so grounded in the power option running attack. But they're on the right track and Coach Briones does not have the deer-in-the-headlights look as head coach. He knows what he wants and how to get there. I just don't think they'll get there this year.

So what do you, the reader and fan, think? Email me at densilva2@gmail.com and let me know. I'll answer any questions as well.

Still campin'...

More camp central!

Here's a story on Martin football, and here's a story on LBJ football.

The schedule for tomorrow - which is always tentative - are stories on United South football and a feature on LBJ head football coach Oscar Villasenor.

Also, let us know what you think of the stories and how we can improve on coverage. Email me at dsilva@lmtonline.com and share your thoughts.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

More football...and volleyball!!

Training Camp Central continued on Tuesday.

Here's the feature story on Alexander's football team, focusing on the defense.

Here's a story on Cigarroa football, focusing on coach Manny Martinez.

And last, but certainly not least, here's a story from the volleyball tri-match that took place at Martin High yesterday.

On the schedule for tomorrow's paper:

Martin High football, and LBJ football and volleyball.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

TCC...

Training Camp Central exploded in a big way in today's paper, with two football camp stories and a volleyball camp story.

Here's the story on United's football camp.

Here's the story on Nixon's football camp.

Here's the story on United South's volleyball camp.

Expect a lot more coming soon with the start of the volleyball season less than a week away, and the start of football season a little more than two weeks away.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Training Camp Central

LMT's Training Camp Central - football style - is in full effect.

Clara Sandoval has been reporting on prep volleyball the past week, and Joy Lindsay went out to LBJ this week as the Wolves got a head start on training since they did not participate in spring ball.

Here's Joy's story that ran today.

And here's Clara's story on the Zapata Hawks.

A lot more reports are coming in the next week so be on the lookout for that.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

More volleyball camp central

Volleyball camp central continues as Clara Sandoval is at United High today for a preview on the Lady Longhorns.

Here's Clara's story on St. Augustine that ran in today's paper.

Football fanatics, don't worry. The Class 4A and 5A camp centrals are running starting next week.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Volleyball Camp Central

Prep volleyball has already started practices, and football starts next week.

In the meantime, our own Clara Sandoval has been out doing Volleyball Camp Central reports on each local prep varsity team, doing previews for the upcoming 2008-09 season.

Her first installment is in today's paper, on the Cigarroa Lady Toros. Read it here.

More are coming daily so keep your eyes open for them.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Updated football and volleyball camps

An updated list of prep volleyball and football camps can be found here.

More prep info:

Zapata High volleyball info
Zapata High School volleyball tryouts and practice will begin on Monday.
All girls interested in trying out need to meet at the high school gym at 8 a.m.
For more information, call Coach Rosie Villarreal @324-0981.

Martin High girls’ Cross Country
The Martin High girls’ cross country team will start practices on Monday at 8:30 a.m. at Shirley Field.

Nixon High tennis practices start
Nixon tennis players must report to practice at 9 a.m. on Monday at Nixon High School.

TASO – Volleyball officials
The Laredo Border Chapter meets Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Cardenas Driving School at 5615 San Dario, suite 103.
All veteran officials are expected to attend and anyone interested in joining is encouraged to show. For more information call 729-8988.

Physicals to be taken at Alexander High fieldhouse
Physicals will be held at Alexander High fieldhouse for anyone interested in participating in extracurricular activities for the 2008-09 school year.
Cost is $15 and the physicals will be held on Friday.
Forms may be picked up at the fieldhouse or from any coach.
Athletes must have their medical history form completed and signed before seeing the doctor.For more information, contact Athletic Trainers Mario Saldivar or Tori Whitaker at 473-5859 with any questions.