Before I was appointed to cover big time sports by Harry Moskos. editor of the El Paso Herald-Post at the time, I had an unusual career as a sports writer.
I had a career as a high school editor then I was assigned to cover horse racing.
As high school editor, there were only four high schools. You can imagine how heated the confusion was. I got complaints from every high school in town that I was partial to El Paso High. I went to El Paso High School so I guess I was rooting for the Tigers whenever they played any sport. But I tried to hide it. Never mind. I still got a lot of complaints.
When I was covering high school for the El Paso Herald Post, there were only four in the city (El Paso High School, Austin High School, Bowie High School, and Ysleta High School). Every high school except Austin, threw me in the shower after the game but only when they won. They were so happy they would go to the press room and pick me up. I was a young buck then in my 20s so I didn’t mind taking the shower and it was a lot of fun.
When Sunland Park race track opened in 1959, Dick Alwan was turf editor. When he retired as turf editor, I was assigned to cover horse racing. Dick Alwan turned out a handicap of horses that was very popular. I took over the chore of picking the horses myself. I hope I lived up to his expectations.
Owner George Riley and general manager Bob Haynesworth were nice enough to name a horse after me. It was a big brown colt foaled in 1966. The horse, Ray Sanchez, went on to win at every racetrack in New Mexico, Arizona and Juarez Race Track. He had 126 starts, 17 wins, 17 seconds, and 20 thirds. I actually rode in a mile race unofficially and the horsemen were making fun of me for holding on to the saddle horn.
I started playing golf at El Paso Municipal Golf Course when Bill Silver took me out for the first time. He was a printer in the printing department of the El Paso Herald Post. He took me out in 1951. I fell in love with the game and I have been playing golf from 1951 to the present. I played at every course in El Paso. I played in Hawaii and California, Nevada, Cloudcroft and Florida. I actually covered a PGA tournament in Detroit Michigan and I was allowed to play on one of the other courses.
I also played football in high school, ran track, intramural basketball in college, and tennis. I also took up bowling at Thunderbird Lanes, Bowlero Lanes, Five Point Lanes, and Freeway Lanes. I miss covering high schools and my son Victor was a great basketball player at Coronado High School. He led the team in scoring, assists, and rebounds. My daughter, Anita, and granddaughter, Pam, also played tennis. Anita reached the finals in the Sun Carnival Tennis Championship and her daughter Pam started at age 7 when I took her to Santa Theresa and introduced her to Gene Stogner. My wife Helen, won the championship of Santa Theresa Country Club.
I have lived a happy life in sports.
Ray Sanchez