Author Archive

24 Aug

Tigers Plan to Paint El Paso Orange and Black

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports.

by Ray Sanchez © 01.03.16

And the fun begins.

El Paso High School is observing the 100th anel paso highniversary of its present building this year

 

and, oh, how alumni and students plan to celebrate it.

“We’re going to paint El Paso orange and black (the school colors),” Michael Montes, newly re-elected president of the El Paso High School Alumni Association, says.

Many events are scheduled but the first order of business in the celebration is the first Legacy Series program on Thursday, Jan.21, in the El Paso High School auditorium.

The program will be highlighting the history and architecture of the school.  It’ll be the first in a series of five programs throughout 2016. All programs are free of charge and open to the public.

 

YES, I HAVE I have a special interest in El Paso High School. I graduated from there and plan to be at some of the events.

Let’s face it, we all have a special place in our hearts for our alma maters, and I’m no different. I tried to be impartial as a sports writer, sports editor and author during my 40 years at the El Paso Herald-Post but I’ve been accused of favoring the Tigers, especially when I was covering high school sports. I don’t think I was, but heck, I may very well have been subconsciously.

After all, I spent four wonderful years at El Paso High School and credit the teachers there for molding me. I played sports, played in the band, joined ROTC and I will always be thankful for my English teacher, Maud Isaacks.

I owe whatever skills I have as a writer to her. In fact, I owe my entire career to her. She was so strict that if you split an infinitive or ended a sentence with a proposition she’d jump on you like … well, like a Tiger.

But she seemed to like my essays. She would give me an A or A-plus and one time wrote on one of my essays, “You should be a writer.”

 

THAT LITTLE phrase, “You should be a writer,” must have stayed in my psyche because when I came back from Army service after World War II, I went to enroll at what was then Texas College of Mines planning to be a professor of languages. After all, I already knew English and Spanish and had picked up some French and German while serving in Europe.

But when I enrolled at Texas College of Mines I was asked what my “minor” would be. I didn’t even know what a “minor” was but the enroller told me it was something to fall back on in case I didn’t make it in languages.

I thought and thought then Ms Isaack’s words that I should be a writer came to mind. “Journalism,” I blurted out.

 

I WENT ON to make straight As in journalism and when the El Paso Herald-Post decided to give sports editor Bob Ingram at the El Paso Herald-Post an assistant in the fall of 1949, he called Texas College of Mines and asked if it could recommend someone.

Pete Snelson was my journalism instructor at the time and he, too, seemed to like my essays, especially one I did on Jackie Robinson who had broken the Major League color line.

Professor Snelson, later a state senator, recommended me and I went on to work for the El Paso Herald Post for the next four decades.

I retired from there in 1990 but I didn’t lose the writing itch. I’m now writing a column for another super newspaper, El Paso Inc., and continue churning out books on sports.

I don’t know when it’ll all end, but it’s been a fulfilling career and yes, I thank El Paso High School, and Maud Isaacks, for it.

 

2 Jan

El Paso Media Helps Pick 2015 Best in Sports

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports, Ray Sanchez. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

by Ray Sanchez 12.27.15

Following are El Paso’s Best in Sports for 2015. Making the athletes and coaches selections more substantial is the fact they were selected by a seven-man panel of El Paso media. The panel included Kevin Lovell of KVIA-TV, Beau Bagley of KTSM-TV, Steve Kaplowitz of KROD radio, Bob Nitzburg of Entravision, former sportscaster Tom Ciaburri, UTEP statistician/analyst Charles Hill and your friendly sports columnist (me).

The winners:

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR – Anthony Rotich of UTEP. He was a unanimous

UTEP Track and Field Mugs for 2013-2014. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre

UTEP Track and Field Mugs for 2013-2014. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre

choice of the panel. The cross country star was so outstanding during the year that he was also the unanimous choice of Conference USA cross country coaches as Conference US Cross Country Athlete of the Year. Rotich led the Miners to victories at five meets during the season. On Oct. 2 at the Notre Dame Invitational, he took gold and helped UTEP knock off five men’s teams on their way to capturing the team title. His storybook career ended with a whopping 63 races won (track and field and cross country combined), 19 individual conference titles, 11 All-America honors and four national titles.

COLLEGE ATHLETE of the Year – Anthony Rotich.

COLLEGE COACH of the Year – Not surprisingly, it’s Rotich’s coach, Paul Ereng, who was also a unanimous choice. Every athlete needs a good coach to help him, shape him and develop him. A former Olympic gold medalist, Ereng’s men’s team reached a ranking as high as seventh in the country prior to the NCAA Championships. In the fall of 2015, Ereng led the men’s cross country team to its first team conference title since 2009.

HIGH SCHOOL Athlete of the Year — Paulo Benavides of Franklin High School, who set a national high school indoor record of 17 feet, ll inches. He won the state 6A UIL meet each of the past two years and represented the U.S. in the World Youth Championships in Ukraine.  He is attending Kansas on scholarship and almost surely has a future as a U.S. Olympic pole vaulter. The son of a pole vaulter father, Paul, young Benavides was described by Mile Split Magazine as “one of the greatest high school pole vaulters of all time.”

HIGH SCHOOL Coach of the Year – Tony Carter, Hanks High School wrestling coach. He has built Hanks into a state power. Four of his girls reached the state finals and two, Daniela Flores at 128 pounds and Adrienne Holguin at 148 pounds, won state titles.

The following are selections of El Paso Inc.:

RADIO SPORTSCASTER of the Year –Tim Hagerty of the El Paso Chihuahuas, whose radio reports of the games were not only delightful but his deep knowledge of the goings-on with the entire Pacific Coast League conference kept us informed.

TV SPORTSCASTER of the Year – Beau Bagley of KTSM-TV who seems to be everywhere covering every sport. His nightly reports are exceptional in every way.

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER of the Year – Mark Lambie of the El Paso Times. Year after year he comes up with exceptional images in sports that leave readers agog. This year was no different.

SPORTSWRITERS of the Year – The entire crew of the sports department of the El Paso Times. They keep us informed on UTEP, high schools and other sports and editor Bob Moore gives them so much space to do it that it’s a delight to pick up the morning paper each day.

SPORTS INFORMATION Director of the Year – Jeff Darby of UTEP. He not only turns out information, he goes beyond the call of duty and gives us special stories, like the Q&A piece on Gerina Spiller. Not only that, his reports of games are so good and informative they could appear in local news outlets.

OTHERS RECEIVING votes and thus getting honorable mention status were: Basketball coach Jim Forbes of Andress High School, Chapin High wrestler Andy O’Brien, Cathedral High swimming coach Jack White and San Elizario Cross Country and track star Michael Johnson.

2 Jan

What Santa Should Not Bring El Paso This Year

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports.

by Ray Sanchez 12.20.15

happysantaEach year at this time columnists ask Santa Claus what to bring certain folks. I do it differently. I ask Santa Claus what not to bring. I mean, why ask Santa to bring people something they already have? So here’s what I’m asking Santa not to bring El Pasoans this year:

UTEP: A new football coach. Sean Kugler did such a great job this season despite having a host of injuries to starters that finishing with five victories seemed something like a miracle. The Miners fought tooth and nail to the very last game, which is a testament to the coach. I see good times ahead, Santa.

KEITHA ADAMS, coach of the Miners’ women’s basketball team: New talent. Adams’ team has been a wonderful surprise this season, Santa. The young ladies got off to such a strong start that they even beat a good New Mexico State team in its own backyard. It looks like she has plenty of new talent.

TIM FLOYD: Good guards for his UTEP men’s basketball team. He has a couple of dandy ones in Dominic Artis and Lee Moore, Santa, and they’re a delight to watch. (Uh, but psst, Santa, can you help the Miners a little more on the rebounding aspect?)

SUN BOWL: A new game selection chairman. John Folmer has been bringing us outstanding games for decades, Santa. This year’s matchup between Washington State and Miami, which will be televised nationally Dec. 26, is no exception.

SUN BOWL: A new media relations director. I hate to ask for two non-gifts for anybody, Santa, but Eddie Morelos has taken over that position at the Sun Bowl and he’s been doing an excellent job of keeping us media-ites informed. He was formerly with New Mexico State University.

THE CHIHUAHUAS: Success. El Paso’s Triple-A team has been received with incredible delight by El Pasoans, Santa. They’ve had so many sellout crowds I couldn’t begin to count the number. The games at Southwest University Park are more than a baseball game. Heck, Santa, going there has also become a place to go, to mingle and to enjoy all kinds of goodies on our beautiful summer days and nights. What joy. What happiness.

HIGH SCHOOLS: More competitive athletes and football teams. There was a time, Santa, when El Paso’s public high school football teams couldn’t compete in football with other West Texas cities, but that seems to be changing. El Paso prep teams have won state championships in basketball and baseball and other sports, like wrestling, tennis, soccer, etc., but never in football. Hopefully, that will change soon.

GOLFERS: Better weather. The El Paso area is a golfer’s paradise when it comes to weather, Santa. No hurricanes, no earthquakes, no forest fires, no floods, no nothing but two or three dusty days a year. Heck, we can play golf just about every day of the year.

 

NOLAN RICHARDSON: Induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. It finally happened this year, Santa. Our greatest El Paso-born combination athlete/coach had been inducted into 12 other halls of fame, including the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, but the Texas hall kept ignoring him year after year.

Finally, with the help of KVIA Channel 7 general manager Kevin Lovell, who kept pestering the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and a few articles, he got his due.

 ME: Appreciation of sports. I already have it, Santa. I love our city, our people and can’t stop giving thanks for the delight sports bring us.

EL PASOANS: Wishing them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I’ll do that myself, Santa. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

 

2 Jan

Books of ’66 Miners Signed by Haskins Found

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports, Ray Sanchez. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

by Ray Sanchez 12.13.15

Sometimes you get lucky. '66book.jpg

I went to clean out my storage room the other day and lo and behold, there, under a pile of other books, were four brand new hard cover copies of the book, “Basketball’s Biggest Upset,” signed by late coach Don Haskins..

“My God,” I thought, “What a treasure.”

If you know local sports history, “Basketball’s Biggest Upset” is the most comprehensive history ever written about the Texas Western Miners’ march to the 1966 NCAA basketball championship and led to the movie, “Glory Road,” being made.

It has more details than any other book written on the subject and includes bios of all the players, how the big games were won and a play by play description of the title game against University of Kentucky.

I found other “Basketball’s Biggest Upset” books, both hard cover and paperback, but only those four were signed by “The Bear.” 

BUT WHY am I telling you all this? It’s because the downtown El Paso Public Library has invited me to make an oral presentation of the history of El Paso sports, including the 1966 Miners, and at the same time have a book signing. The event will be held next Sunday, Dec. 20, at the downtown El Paso Public Library. 501 North Oregon Street, at 2 p.m.

donhaskinsWhat with Christmas and the 50th anniversary of the Miners’ amazing 1966 victory coming up next year, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

I mean, UTEP will be celebrating the Miners’ championship next year and the surviving members of the ’66 team will be present and honored at the men’s basketball game against Western Kentucky on Feb. 6 at the Don Haskins Center. Wouldn’t it be great to have a copy of a book for the Miners to sign? 

THE FOUR books signed by Haskins will be up for auction at the oral presentation and book signing at the El Paso Public Library downtown next Sunday but if you’re not lucky enough to get one signed by Haskins you can get an unsigned one. If you want a special and unique gift for someone, it’ll be hard to find a better Christmas stocking filler.

I’ve also had many requests for copies of my latest book, “The Good, the Bad and the Funny of El Paso History” and “Haskins: The Bear Facts” and those, too, will be available along with other books I’ve had a hand in writing or producing. 

TRIVIA QUESTION: Of all the players who have played Major League baseball, Hank Aaron ranks first alphabetically. But can you tell me who comes in second? Answer at end of column.  

IT’S GOOD to see local athletes receive their due. Don Maynard, one of UTEP’s greatest football stars, has been chosen the 2015 Legend of this year’s Hyundai Sun Bowl game which will be played Saturday, Dec. 26.

Maynard helped UTEP to victory in the 1957 Sun Bowl then helped the New York Jets to victory over Baltimore in one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history in 1969.

I’ve written countless stories about Maynard some of which are included in some of my books. He made receiving look easy – and fun. My favorite story about him is that he was so fast that he would mutter “beep-beep” as he flew by pass defenders.

 

AND HOW’S this for more excitement to the holiday season? Live horse racing returns to Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on Friday, Dec. 18. We’ll see the finest horses, owners and trainers in the Southwest competing for big purses on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays through April 19.

As I’ve noted before, with UTEP, the El Paso Chihuahuas, our high schools, Sun Bowl, beautiful golf courses, great weather and Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, my sports cup runneth over 

ANSWER to trivia question: Tommy Aaron, Hank’s younger brother.

2 Jan

UTEP Football Team Didn’t Know the Word Quit

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports, Ray Sanchez. Tagged: .

by Ray Sanchez 12.06.15

 

UTEP football coach Sean Kugler says he’s proud of his players.utep logo

UTEP athletic director Bob Stull says he’s proud of them, too.

So should all El Pasoans.

The Miners suffered an almost incredible amount of injuries to starters, 17, this season. At times they had to go down to third stringers to fill positions.

But they all fought, scratched and clawed and came within a field goal of making a bowl game.

Some have asked, why all the injuries? They suggest that maybe the players were worked too hard, even before the season started, and they were more susceptible to injuries during the season. It’s a theory, and even Kugler is considering that as a possibility.

 

ON THE OTHER hand, Stull says, sometimes bad things just happen, like opponents falling on a Miner’s leg and breaking it, or other such mishaps. It’s part of the game.

Stull, who coached the Miners to their winningest season ever, 10-3, in 1988, should know. He had his share of injuries, including losing his starting quarterback before a crucial game.

Yes, bad breaks happen, but you’ve got to love these 2015 football Miners. They didn’t know the word quit.

All of which bodes well for next year. Many of this year’s starters will be back bigger, stronger – and wiser.

 

TRIVIA QUESTION: When the National Football League and the American Football League merged, which three teams moved into the American Conference? Answer at end of column.

 

AND HOW about UTEP’s basketball teams? Okay, so the Miners men’s team lost at New Mexico State last Wednesday, but both the men and the women teams got off to terrific starts.

Charles Hill, one of El Paso’s finest analysts, put it in perspective. He writes:

“Last Saturday (Nov. 28) may have been the best single day performance by UTEP athletic teams of all time with the exception of the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship. Here is a recap: “The UTEP men’s basketball team won the Corpus Christi Coastal Basketball Classic by beating Southern Illinois on Friday and then by defeating Colorado State 99-90 in double overtime after trailing by 17 points at half time. UTEP was ranked 7th in ESPN’s RPI poll on Sunday and 4th in the CBS RPI poll.

“The UTEP women won the 5th annual UTEP Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament by defeating UC Riverside on Friday night and beating Idaho State on Saturday night. Neither game was close and Jenzel Nash was named Tournament MVP. “The UTEP football team closed out its season by defeating North Texas to finish the season at 5-7. The Miners could have won 8 or 9 games without all the injuries.

“I can’t remember any other single day where UTEP has performed so well. “

 

MATT SLOAN, one of my golfing buddies, tells the story of an old man who was a pretty good golfer in his younger days but gave up the game for some 25 years because of health and personal reasons.

The old man took up the game again in his later years but, thin and frail, he could only play nine holes and couldn’t break 40 anymore. In fact, he had a hard time breaking 45. He declared one day that he would die happy if he could break 40 just one more time.

And one magical day, at the age of 88, it happened. Sloan played that day with him and reports that the old duffer was happy as a bird after he shot a 39 by miraculously hitting seven greens in regulation. And, Sloan says, the score could have been even better if the old duffer hadn’t three-putted two greens.

Did the old duffer retire after his 39? No. Now he says he wants to do it again.

Which proves old duffers never die, they just keep swinging away.

 

ANSWER to trivia question: Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.

 

2 Jan

Readers Express Their Love of Nolan Richardson

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports. Tagged: , , , .

by Ray Sanchez 11.29.15

It seems like everywhere I go people are talking about the question and answernolannow.jpg article with Nolan Richardson that appeared in the Oct. 19 issue of El Paso Inc. And oh, the emails and comments on Facebook.

For good reason. Richardson is undoubtedly El Paso’s greatest native combination athlete/coach.  He not only excelled as an athlete at Bowie High School and UTEP but went on to coach Western Texas to the national junior college championship, win a National Invitation Tournament title at Tulsa University and win a NCAA title at University of Arkansas.

Nolan let out his inner most personal feelings in the article, and fans seemed to like that. Following are some of the comments I received:

 

TONY JORDAN: “You really got the best out of Nolan in that addicting interview. It was so enjoyable I couldn’t get enough. My brother, Phil Jordan, played ball against Nolan both in high school and college and always said he was the toughest guy to defend. My greatest moment with Nolan was back in 1985 when Paul Moreno, Dr. Pablo Ayub and I held a fund raiser at Caravan East for the devastation that the earthquake in Mexico City had caused and who shows up out of the blue but a true El Paso hero, Nolan Richardson That moment is to this day and forever engraved in my heart. Only you could have gotten an interview like that. We needed to know. El Paso thanks you.”

 

JAY TAVREZ directed his email directly to Richardson: “Coach, when our junior high coach would take us to watch Texas Western when the games were played at the (El Paso) Coliseum you were our favorite player. In one game, you were submarined and landed on your head and all of us thought you were seriously hurt, but after they tended to you, you got back on the floor and continued having an excellent game! You were not only a great athlete, you were the toughest one we had seen! Thanks for giving so much back to your communities!!!!!”

 

RICHARD GLANCEY: “ (Richardson is) one of the greatest persons I have ever known. His loss of his daughter had a tremendous effect on him and his family. Yes, Nolan, I remember playing golf at Ascarate and afterwards you had a beer and a chaser. God Bless this dear friend I have not seen perhaps since his daughter’s funeral that I flew in for.”

 

RANDY SANDERS: “What a great guy! When I was a kid my dad would leave work early so we could get a seat in the tiny Bowie gym and watch him play basketball.”

 

GEORGE SAENZ: “Nice job in interviewing Nolan, I got to meet him two years ago and had a good conversation and a few drinks with him at Adrians.”

 

LUIS ZUNIGA, a longtime sportscaster at the Spanish language KINT station, even took to Spanish to express his feelings: “Excellent interview Ray. Sin duda alguna que Nolan es, y sera siempre, el emblema y embajador de El Paso a donde quiera que vaya. He is a class guy. Tuve varias oportunidades de entrevistarlo durante mis dias en KINT TV-26. Felicidades para ambos.”

(Translation: “Excellent interview, Ray. Without any doubt Nolan is and will always be the emblem and ambassador of the passage to wherever I go. He is a class guy, I had several opportunities to interview him during my days in KINT-TV, Channel-26. Congratulations to you both).”

 

THE ABOVE comments are just a few of the emails I received. Many other folks came up to me and told me personally what great esteem they feel for Nolan.

I feel so proud to have known him since he was only nine years old and hit a homerun in Little League. I actually gave him his very first writeup.

Nolan Richardson personifies all that is good about athletics.

2 Jan

UTEP’s Artis: Another Hill, Nate or Tim?

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in Ray Sanchez, Sunland Park Racetrack. Tagged: , , , .

by Ray Sanchez 11.22.15

After the Texas Western College Miners beat University of Kentucky for the artis.jpgNCAA basketball championship in 1966, Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp was asked what he thought of Miners guard Bobby Joe Hill, who had stolen the ball twice from Kentucky guards on consecutive plays and gone in for easy layups.

Rupp replied, “He’s a good little guard, but everybody has a good little guard.”

Really? Rupp must have been awfully frustrated. Everybody has a good little guard, but not everybody has an exceptional guard. Bobby Joe’s consecutive steals still stand as one of the greatest feats in the history of NCAA championship games.

We El Paso fans know the difference. The Miners have been lucky to have seen other exceptional guards besides Bobby Joe. Like Nate Archibald and Tim Hardaway. Both went on to excel in the National Basketball Association.

 

AND NOW, it looks like this season’s Miners may have another of that caliber, an exceptional guard who can dominate a game with incredible quickness, ability to drive through the tiniest of holes for layups and put the ball through the basket from anywhere on the floor. Oh, yes, and play great defense, too.

I’m talking about Dominic Artis, a 6-foot-3 transfer from University of Oregon. He came highly touted but I expected nothing like what I saw in his debut with the Miners last week. He has greatness written all over him.

Folks, you’re in for quite a show at the Don Haskins Center this season.

 

TRIVIA QUESTION: Nate Archibald and Tim Hardaway both had their numbers retired by UTEP. Can you tell me what the numbers were? Answer at end of column.

 

YOU PROBABLY know that Don Haskins resigned as UTEP basketball coach after the Miners won the 1966 NCAA championship. He was offered $60,000, which was three times what he was making at then-Texas Western College, by Detroit University in 1969. He visited the Detroit school and it was a shock. The media kept referring to his 1966 players as “outlaws” and asking what the “outlaws” were doing now. They also wanted to know what it was like living in the desert, if there were any snakes and how about all those Mexicans. He was so disgusted he asked for his job with the Miners back.

His “resignation” lasted exactly one day.

But did you know that he seriously planned to resign at UTEP another time? It’s true, and it was because of Norm Ellenberger.

 

ELLENBERGER, who passed away Nov. 15 at the age of 83, was fired by University of New Mexico in 1979 over a recruiting scandal involving forged academic transcripts.

After his firing, Ellenberger went into business but he always wanted to return to what he loved most, coaching.

He and Haskins had become friends and Haskins was not one to turn his back on a friend.

He hired Ellenberger as his assistant in 1986. The administration didn’t like it, and let Haskins know it. Haskins became extremely unhappy. Or should I say furious? I was sports editor of the El Paso Herald-Post at the time. He told me frankly that he was so disgusted he was seriously thinking of quitting.

Luckily, the administration relented, Haskins stayed and Ellenberger helped Haskins coach the Miners the next four years.

 

AFTER LEAVING the Miners, Ellenberger, a friendly and loquacious man and a heck of a coach despite his troubles, found other coaching positions. He even became an assistant to Bobby Knight at Indiana and an assistant to Tim Floyd with the Chicago Bulls.

And I’m sure he was forever grateful to Don Haskins, who stood up for him in the worst of times.

 

ANSWER to trivia question: Archibald wore No. 14 and Hardaway No. 10.

2 Jan

The Outlaw in Ruidoso Drawing Golfers Again

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports, Ray Sanchez. Tagged: , .

by Ray Sanchez 11.15.15

The Outlaw is back at Ruidoso, and going great guns.  The Outlaw Golf Course, outlawcoursethat is.  Golf enthusiasts may remember that The Outlaw Golf Course opened in 2008 as part of the Alto Golf Estates development, which also includes Alto Golf Course.

Alas. Alto Golf Course continued to function but hard times hit The Outlaw course and it closed. But it was revived when Alan and Patty Russell purchased the subdivision in 2011 and has been growing steadily. So steadily that the two courses now boast some 2000 members.

LOTS ALONG both courses range from $95,000 up. Annual memberships are $2579 but you can play either of the two courses. Both are open to members or direct guests of members.

The view, high in the mountains, is incredible. And you can imagine how challenging it is with downhill, uphill and sidehill fairways and greens.

But what fun.

I know. Tom Hussmann, Jack Welch, Danny Garcia and I played The Outlaw course there a couple of weeks ago and had a blast.

It’s always fun going to Ruidoso for a weekend, or even a day. The old two-lane 54 highway is now a divided 4-laner so it’s easy to get there. And now golf enthusiasts have another beautiful golf course to play.

TRIVIA QUESTION: What two players did the New York Yankees honor when they retired uniform number 8? Answer at end.

LAST WEEK my crystal ball predicted that UTEP will make the basketball playoffs this season. But Charles Hill, a respected sports analyst, says it won’t be quite so easy to make the NCAAs. He writes:

“I see UTEP winning 23-25 games during the season before the C-USA Tournament but it doesn’t matter. The Miners will have to win the conference tournament because the schedule is so weak.

“The following games are crucial to the Miners’ post season chances: 1) At least one win against Southern Illinois or Colorado State, (2) beat Washington State, 3) split with NMSU, 4) win all their C-USA games at home and 5) maybe pick up road wins in C-USA against UTSA, Southern Miss, Marshall, FIU and Florida Atlantic.

“The Miners can do all this and they still will be on the bubble to play in the post season. Basically they have to win the C-USA Tournament at UAB in March.”

 

IT WAS GOOD to have Lee Trevino attend the 2015 Sun Bowl Western Refining College All-America Classic at El Paso Country Club last weekend.

He and I go way back to when he was working at Horizon Golf Club and cleaning clubs and shining shoes before he became famous. What a presence he was. Loud and funny – and exceptionally talented with a golf stick – he went on to become one of the PGA’s greatest stars.

I listed many of his exploits, and jokes, in my book, “The Good, the Bad and the Funny of El Paso Sports History.” He was a perfect example of the good and the funny of sports.

I HAD MANY happy moments with him but my personal favorite is the following excerpt from my book:

“This writer was golf editor at the El Paso Herald-Post during Lee Trevino’s stay in El Paso and surrounding area. Among his duties at Horizon Country Club (when he first arrived in El Paso) was shining shoes in the caddy shack.

“When I played there and he shined my shoes I would tip him a quarter. After he won the U. S. Open in 1968, there was a big celebration in the Horizon clubhouse and I was sent to interview him. We were sitting at the bar having a drink and, jokingly, I asked him if he would still shine my shoes.

“‘Sure,’ he said (smiling). ‘Take them off. But, uh, the price has gone up.’

“I didn’t ask how much and laughed all the way back to the office.”

ANSWER to trivia question: Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra, both catchers.

2 Jan

UTEP Basketball Has the Talent to Make Playoffs

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports, Ray Sanchez. Tagged: , , , , , .

By Ray Sanchez 11.08.15

UTEP officially opens its 2015-16 basketball season next Saturday at Loyola ray's crystal ballUniversity in New Orleans, so it was time last week to take my obnoxious crystal ball out of its drawer and ask how the Miners will fare this season.

It’s not a pleasant task because it always brags when it’s right and makes excuses when it’s wrong, but everywhere I go people keep asking for its predictions.

So I gingerly opened the drawer and, as usual, was met with sarcasm. “Where in the #$%$#! world have you been?” it snarled. “Don’t you know the basketball season is almost upon us? What a slacker.”

I retorted, “Slacker? Man, you know how many sports I have to keep up with and write about? But never mind that, just give me your thoughts on the Miners this basketball season.”

Then I added, “Please.”

THE ORB snickered but straightened up, cleared its throat in its customary obnoxious way and replied, “Well, since you said please.

“The Miners seem to have plenty of firepower this season. Did you see the Orange vs. White scrimmage? Man, four players scored more than 20 points. Center Hooper Vint, 6 feet 11, looked much improved. And then there’s 7 feet 1 Matt Willms. Wow, if a team has a great big man under the bucket and guards breaking through defenses to feed him the ball, that’s a big, big advantage. May I point out Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabbar?

“The Miners seem to have other good scorers, too, like newcomer Lee Moore and returnee Omega Harris. And then there’s Dominic Artis, a transfer from University of Oregon. From what I hear, he’s been the most impressive of all in practice.

 

“AS FOR OUTSIDE shooters, can you believe freshman Trey Touchet hit 28 out of 30 to win a three point shootout in scrimmage?

“And as far as guard play, even coach Tim Floyd is impressed. He said he liked the guard play, especially of Artis and Moore. And there’s another good guard that will be joining the action. That’s Josh McSwiggan, who’s out with a knee injury.”

I shook my head in wonder. “Gee,” I said, “you’re really optimistic.”

The crystal ball just smiled.

 

“BUT WAIT,” I said, “don’t forget that other teams in Conference USA will have outstanding players, too. You’re just focusing on the Miners.”

It answered, “True. And anything can happen, like dissension or eligibility problems or injuries or who knows what but the Miners have coach Floyd. He’s been in the big time. And he’s never sounded so optimistic. I think he’ll have a big season and has a good chance of making the NCAA playoffs.”

I must admit I was impressed. I picked up the crystal ball and, for a change, put it back in its drawer gently.

 

TRIVIA QUESTION:  What are the first and second names of the three DiMaggio brothers? Answer at end of column.

 

BOUQUETS to UTEP for scheduling a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1966 NCAA men’s basketball championship. It’ll be celebrated at the men’s basketball game against Western Kentucky on Feb. 6 and will be nationally televised on FOX Sports 1 with a tip-off time of 3 p.m.

As UTEP sports information director Jeff Darby points out, “The significance of Western Kentucky as the opponent for the anniversary game is great, as the Hilltoppers also participated in the 1966 NCAA Tournament and started two African American players, including Clem Haskins, who was selected third in the 1967 NBA Draft.  Clem Haskins and Dwight Smith became the first African-American players to join the WKU basketball program in the fall of 1963, putting the school at the forefront of integrating college basketball in the South.”

More Details coming.

 

ANSWER to trivia question. Joseph Paul, Dominic Paul and Vincent Paul.

2 Jan

Piller Tells How it Felt to Make Solheim Putt

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports, Ray Sanchez. Tagged: , , , .

Gerinaby Ray Sanchez 11.01.15

Don’t you like people who go that extra step in their jobs? Jeff Darby, Senior Associate Athletic Director/Communications and University Relations at UTEP, has one of the most difficult jobs at the school what with keeping up with all the sports, but he always gives a little extra. Like calling former UTEP golf sensation Gerina Mendoza Spiller for a question and answer article. Gerina not only won a Conference USA championship but has earned more than $1 million on the LPGA Tour and made the putt that won the Solheim Cup for the United States last month. She spoke of that winning putt.

I asked Jeff if I could use his article. He said yes .I cut some of it to fit this space. If you’d like to read it in total, go to utepathletics.com. 

You probably improved as much as any player in the history of UTEP golf from your freshman year to your final college tournament. What was the key? I was pretty new to the game [when I got to UTEP], so I had lots to learn. I just picked coach’s brain because he had so much information.

What is the biggest difference between the college and pro game? By the time you’re a senior in college, you’re like a big fish in a small pond and when you go to the Futures Tour you’re a small fish in a big pond.

What were the biggest things that you realized you needed to improve on to qualify for the tour? I think the big thing was developing consistency and really figuring out what was best for my game.

What has been the highlight of your pro career to this point? Well, it just happened at Solheim, making the (9-foot) putt on the last hole to basically keep our hopes and dreams alive. I’ve always been very patriotic and I love my country.

 

Take us through the experience at the Solheim Cup in Germany, making that putt. I had been playing well all week and I had been putting well. I just had an errant iron shot on 17, kind of a similar putt, and I missed it for bogey. (On 18) I left my iron shot a little right and tipped it up there. Getting the full point on Sunday in singles is huge. And so for me, that was my goal starting the day. Just take care of business, get your point and that’s all you can control. I glanced at the video board and saw 13 and a half. And I was like, `Oh my gosh.’ Clearly I’m a math major and I know that they need half a point, and this is for half a point. This is kind of what you prepare for [in practice]. Before you go home, you say `I’m just going to get one last putt. This is a putt to win the U.S. Open or to win the Solheim Cup.’ As much as you can practice for it or prepare for it, I don’t think it’s ever the same. But you have put yourself in those situations (in practice). I really just tried to go back to my routine and focus on the process and not the results. I read it and looked over it, and the only thing you can do is make a good stroke. `How good can I hit the shot?’ I was asking myself, `How good can you roll this putt on this line?’ And to hit that putt and see it come off the putter exactly how I envisioned it and go straight into the hole, it was awesome.

You are married to Martin Piller, another professional golfer. How have you managed to balance each other’s careers?  We don’t try to avoid golf, but we definitely don’t make it who we are. We are basically our own boss and make our own schedules. So it has actually been pretty cool and he understands when I go through tough times or great times. I think that’s probably why we were so emotional after I made that putt, because we both understand.

What advice would you give to the members of this year’s UTEP team? If you have the dedication and work ethic, you can make it. If you want to get really technical, I would not let them go to the driving range. I would make them chip and putt until they are blue in the face. I can’t stress enough with professional golfers how important it is to be able to chip and putt and get up and down.

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