Ray Sanchez 09.25.16©
Nothing but kudos for the El Paso Chihuahuas who won the Pacific Coast League
championship.To think they rose to the top of the 114-year-old Triple A league in only their third year of existence is all astonishing.
It has to go down as one of the greatest sports accomplishments in the history of El Paso.
And what a testament to the owners (Mountain Star Sports headed by Paul Foster), president Alan Ledford, general manager Brad Taylor, field manager Rod Barajas, the players and all the staff who have made going to Southwest University Park such a delight.
El Pasoans got to honor them at a game against the International League champions, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, last Tuesday, but I wish we could have paraded them all through town and thrown flowers at them. Maybe we still can. They’re certainly the toast of the town.
TRIVIA QUESTION: There was a heavyweight fighter who won the gold medal three times at the Olympics. Who was it? Answer at end of column.
HELP! EL PASO High School’s attempt to set a world record for high school reunions is in jeopardy. With only two weeks to go the list of those who have signed up is still a few hundred short of the 3300 needed for the homecoming game on Oct. 8.
GECU, a sponsor of the event, sent out this urgent message:
“El Paso is celebrating 100 years of providing education to our community. For more information on the event and other Centennial Celebration activities visit the El Paso High School Centennial Celebration site.
“Register today and help celebrate a 100 year old tradition of education in our community!”
But Michael Montes, president of the El Paso High School Alumni Association, is confident the Tigers will reach their goal. He says, “I strongly feel we will get to the magic number because I believe in the Tiger Spirit; that’s why I pushed for us to go after this record. I wanted to show the world how much the ‘Lady on the Hill’ means to her Alumni and community.”
WHAT’S WITH our UTEP golf teams? All of a sudden they look like winners. The men’s team went out and tied for first in the Gene Miranda Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the women, who were in first going into the final round, finished second in the Payne Stewart Memorial meet in Springfield, Mo. Is this a mirage or for real? We’ll know more when the men compete this weekend in the William Tucker tournament in Albuquerque and the women play in the Bob Hurley Shootout beginning Sept. 26 in Tulsa, Okla.
MORE AND MORE readers are calling for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to retire. He’s 37 years old and, as one reader put it, “He should get out before he gets even more serious injuries.” Good observation. Too many former players wind up so broken up they suffer horrific pain the rest of their lives. Local example: Jesse Whittenton, former Ysleta High, UTEP and Green Bay Packers star.
I MARVEL at the dedication of Kristi Albers’ efforts to help kids with the game of golf. Her First Tee of Greater El Paso program is currently in its fall sessions at Ascarate Golf Course. The next session will be held Oct. 11 through Nov. 15. There are even classes for “wee ones” (ages 3 through 6). If you have a kid starting out and need some golf clubs Kristi can get you a discount from U.S. Kids Golf. You can contact her at Ascarate Golf Course or at tftgreaterelpaso@clubmailer.memfirst.net.
AND HOW COULD Army have crushed UTEP at the Sun Bowl so easily (66-14) last Saturday? One former coach whom I admire highly says the Miners were over-coached. He says, “Army’s option offense was three-dimensional. The Miners should have stacked up the middle and it would have been only two-dimensional.” Hey, second guessing is fun.
ANSWER to trivia question: Teofilo Stevenson of Cuba in 1972, 1976 and 1980.