by Ray Sanchez© 03.20.16
Would you like to learn about El Paso High School’s
greatest teams and athletes? And would you like to meet some of those still alive?
You’ll get your chance next Thursday, March 24, when the second of five Centennial Legacy Series celebrating the 100th anniversary of El Paso High School’s present building is held in the school auditorium. The Thursday event is titled “100 Years of Excellence in Sports.”
Longtime El Paso theater director and teacher, Elizabeth “Liz” Gaidry, is producer and director so you know it’s going to be a whale of an event. It will include photos on big screens and a parade of living athletes.
THE TIGERS have had many outstanding team and individual state champions through the years. Can you believe four state team champions in basketball? Or eight teams in the basketball state finals and 11 times in the state Final Four?
All true. And can you imagine El Paso High winning a Sun Bowl game, producing so many tennis champions you can hardly shake a stick at and even a Wimbledon champion? And athletes that went on to great careers in college and professional sports?
I could tell you all about them here but I’d rather tell you about them at the Thursday event. You see, Sandy Aaronson and I, both El Paso High exes, will be master of ceremonies, she telling you about the female stars and me telling you about the male ones.
The event will start at 7 p.m. Thursday. You really should be there.
ON ANOTHER note, Rosa Guerrero is one of El Paso’s greatest treasures. She’s been an artist, educator, dance historian and humanitarian. She’s also an El Paso High School alumnus of which all El Pasoans can be proud. And oh, what memories of sports she has. Here, with her permission, is a wonderful, and heart-rending, email I received from her:
“Dear Ray: Thanks so much on the story of David Palacio and the ‘66 UTEP Team. I had asked Togo Railey some years back when Coach (Don) Haskins was alive about David. He said that David would not come at all to El Paso for any ‘66 celebration. I am so glad you got the real story … That was truly beautiful.
“I loved all the (Austin High School) Panthers when they played for coach Ed Haller … I used to teach modern dance and girls sports there until 1970. Haskins recruited four boys from Austin High (for the 1966 team) — David, Tony, Togo and Issacs.
“RECENTLY, you wrote about our dear amigo, Rami Escandon. He was a great athlete, too. When I went to El Paso High from 1948 through 1953, Sergio, my husband of 61 years, was a great athlete also. He lettered in basketball for Coach C.D. Jarvis and was a three-year letterman in baseball where he pitched for several coaches who knew nothing about baseball. In the early ‘50’s we had Manny Pacillas, Tito Garcia, Don Henderson, my cousin, Art Medrano, George Hodge … EPHS had wonderful athletes.
“SERGIO, MY high school sweetheart, has been ill for over 16 years. He has suffered depression, cancer, osteoporosis and had a stroke in 2009. He was in a wheel chair since his stroke.
“It was not hard taking care of him, but he could not walk or even stand up by himself. With the lack of exercises and movement, his right leg artery clogged up and he ended up with an
amputation on Feb. 6, 2016. This is the hardest of all the years of illnesses. He is dead weight and I, at 81, cannot lift him anymore.
“I am still busy with motivational talks, recently with 300 Job Corps students, started by ex-Tiger and great athlete, David Carrasco. Then came Women’s Month for our Border Patrol and Customs Agents.
“God is still good and has given me strength and faith to take care of Sergio.
“Peace and love, Rosa Guerrero.”
I have her and Sergio in my prayers.