Posts Tagged ‘Ray Sanchez’

11 Mar

Semko, Kaplowitz Among Hall of Fame Nominees

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

Sgenesemko

kaplloeven candidates were nominated for induction into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame at a meeting last
Monday. Most had been nominated before. A familiar name was Gene Semko, a UTEP graduate who
has become one of the top football officials in the country. Nominated for the first time was Steve Kaplowitz, one of the most versatile journalists in El Paso sports media history.
There were three nominees for the coach-administrator category, two for the media category and one each for the officials category and the posthumous category. Strangely, no athletes were nominated at the first meeting.
More nominations are expected at the next two nomination meetings. They’ll be held at 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 18 and March 4 at First Christian Church, 901 Arizona Avenue. Each resume must consist of 60 copies which will be distributed to members of the board of directors.
Following are last Monday’s nominees:

COACHES/ADMINISTRATORS
Russ Vandenburg, who played football one year under UTEP coach Bobby Dobbs before a second concussion ended his playing days. He then went on to coach football and track at Burges High School before turning to business and becoming one of the city’s and UTEP’s biggest backers of sports both financially and otherwise.
Roy Culberson, a former Bel Air High School three-sport star who played football at New Mexico Highlands University but graduated from UTEP in 1971. He went on to coach at Andress and Eastwood High Schools and be an assistant coach at UTEP. He also coached at University of North Texas before becoming associate athletic director there then athletic director at Montevallo University and Jackson State University.
Jimmy Melendez, the successful baseball coach at Riverside High School where he won four bi-district championships, seven area titles, seven region quarterfinals, one region semi-final, one region final and is one of only four El Paso coaches ever to make the Final Four at the state tournament.

OFFICIALS
Gene Semko, a Burges High School and UTEP graduate who went on to become one of the top football officials in the country. He worked in the Western Athletic Conference for seven years and has worked in the Big 12 Conference since 2004. While in the WAC, he worked in the 1997 WAC championship game, the 1998 Cotton Bowl and the 2001 Motor City Bowl. And while in the Big 12 he has worked 10 Bowls, including the 2008 BAC national championship game between Ohio State and LSU and the 2012 BCS national championship game between LSU and Alabama.

MEDIA
Steve Kaplowitz, one of the most versatile journalists in the history of El Paso. His daily weekday KROD sports talk show has been a great asset to the El Paso sports scene and he’s also done play by play of both football and basketball games, worked in television, writes a weekly sports column, hosts the El Paso Sports Expo and has hosted various other major local sports events.
Eric Alwan, the director of publicity at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino who has become one of New Mexico’s race callers. He gained national fame early in life when his father, Dick Alwan, taught him to handicap horses races. He showed such an unusual talent that by the age of eight he was appearing on national television shows.
 
POSTHUMOUS
Robert Rapanut, one of the most popular equipment managers at UTEP who passed away in 2003 while on the job. He was such a big booster of the Miners and so inspirational Rapanut was awarded the game ball from football coach Charlie Bailey after UTEP beat Brigham Young University one year.

11 Mar

Fulton, Payne Parting Ways at Sunland As Friends

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

smilingpayne

stanfultonHarold Payne, who announced he will retire as general manager of Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on April 1, wants it known that he and owner Stan Fulton are parting on good terms. “He was always supportive,” Payne said. “I am leaving as one of Stan’s friends and he as one of mine. I wish him and Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino all the best.”
 
TRIVIA QUESTION: Who scored the winning touchdown in Baltimore’s overtime victory over the New York Giants in the National Football League championship game in 1958? There was no Super Bowl then. Answer at end.
 
THE PRO SHOP at Santa Teresa Country Club has been closed for at least a week. That hasn’t stopped some golfers from playing. “At least we play for free,” one said. One former employee guesses that the courses may be put in “moth balls” for a while. Meanwhile, dining facilities remain open.
 
I WAS IMPRESSED with McKenzie Moore from the first time he hit the hardwood at UTEP this season. He reminds me a lot of Fred Reynolds, who was a super star for the Miners in the 1980s. Like Reynolds, Moore is perfectly built for the sport, has excellent moves and can fly through the air to dunk the ball. But I didn’t know he was so talented he could also make a three-pointer from near half-court to win a game like he did against East Carolina last weekend. On the road, no less.
 
THE EL PASO Athletic Hall of Fame will begin accepting nominations for induction this year beginning Monday, Feb. 4. Got someone you want to nominate? Easy. Get up 60 copies of a resume and show up at one of the three meetings. Besides Monday, Feb. 4, other nomination meetings will be held on Feb. 18 and March 4 at 5:15 p.m. at First Christian Church, 901 Arizona Street.
 
GRUMBLES ARE beginning to be heard about banning football because of all the serious injuries. That’s pretty drastic. Maybe rules can be modified to ease all the pounding. Any ideas?
 
MANY FOLKS who showed up at Ventanas Restaurant at Sunland Park recently were so disappointed there was no longer buffet-style dining they turned away. But, says food and beverage shift manager Luis Moreno-Cano, business is beginning to pick up again. My wife and I along with friends Tommy and Art Johnson went there last week and enjoyed being waited on, the food was good and by the time we had finished ordering a la carte the bill was about the same as the buffet price.
 
HE’S AT IT again. El Paso’s James Arthur Lyle has won another title. He is the age 65-69 champion of the Southwest Challenge Series, a duathlon and triathlon championship. It’s the oldest and largest duathlon and triathlon series in the world. Lyle was the age group winner for the 17th time and took nine multi sports competitions. All in all he has competed in 307 triathlons so far.
 
AND I WAS broken hearted to hear that El Paso sports radio and TV personality John Garmon was killed in a pedestrian accident last week at the age of 72. He was such a nice, easy going, friendly fellow people were just naturally drawn to him. I knew his father, the late Jake Garmon, well. He was the head pro at Valdespino Golf Course and then at Ascarate Golf Course when I was taking up golf in my early 20s. Jake gave me my first golf lesson. May John and his dad have many happy rounds of golf among the angels.
 
ANSWER to trivia question. Alan Ameche

11 Mar

Haskins Told The Real Story Behind ‘Glory Road’

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

coachhaskinsWith movies about El Paso sports in the news, I find that there are still misconceptions about how the movie “Glory Road” about the 1966 national champion Texas Western Miners came about. Some think it was based on the book of the same name.
Not so. That book came out after the movie in an effort to cash in on it.
I was going through some old files and found a story by El Paso Inc. columnist Sam Kobren. He interviewed Don Haskins, who coached the 1966 Miners, shortly before Haskins’ death and Haskins told exactly how the movie happened. The story never appeared in any sports section or any other sports news outlet so few sports minded folks read it.
To set the record straight, I’m reprinting here the story – the real story – of how the movie “Glory Road” really came about. If I get credit, so be it.
 
“By Sam Kobren
“… Two things remain to be told before the book is closed on ‘Glory’ Road,’ the movie. How did Walt Disney Pictures happen to get the rights to produce it and who was responsible for calling Don Haskins’ interest to it?
“And more than that, who convinced Haskins to listen to Disney’s pitch after a half dozen or more studios and scriptwriters had bugged him over a period of four or five years and all had been turned down by The Bear?
“That’s the best chapter of the story.
“… No one was able to do that until Christopher Cleveland, a well known Hollywood scriptwriter, managed to wrangle an interview with Haskins. It evolved one Sunday morning when Haskins got a call from Ray Sanchez, a longtime El Paso sports writer and columnist for El Paso Inc…
 
“SANCHEZ WAS having breakfast with Cleveland at the Camino Real Hotel. Cleveland had read Ray’s book, ‘Basketball’s Biggest Upset…’
“Cleveland was inspired by the story and thought it would make a good movie. He persuaded Sanchez to call Haskins and ask him to the hotel to discuss it with him.
“Haskins was not interested and told Sanchez to forget about it. He had just turned down a major studio’s offer and was fed up with scriptwriters and producers. None of them were willing to do it his way – the way it really happened …
“Sanchez persisted. He said he was impressed with Cleveland and convinced Haskins to at least come down and give him 15 minutes.
 
“IT DIDN’T take that long…. He (Cleveland) proposed doing the movie for Disney but admitted he couldn’t guarantee the studio wouldn’t make some changes. Haskins was swayed by Cleveland’s integrity …He felt Disney’s reputation would ensure the movie would be more family oriented and kids would be able to see it.
“No crime, no sex, no drugs.
“…Several months later a deal was struck with Disney. And as they say, the rest is history.
“That meeting at the Camino Real was the first step that clinched the deal with Disney.
“’Ray Sanchez was totally responsible for Glory Road being produced and shown as close to the way it really happened as Hollywood would allow,’ Haskins said.”
End of story.
 
ALL I CAN SAY to Haskins’ last sentence is “Wow.”
I worked as a consultant on the movie, was given a bit part in it, all the actors were provided with a copy of my book “Basketball’s Biggest Upset” and I even helped some with the screen play. I also made a little nest egg for my retirement by selling the rights to my book to several other studios before Disney came along.
Still some members of my family and some friends, including Haskins, don’t think I got enough credit for the movie. I wasn’t invited to the Hollywood and New York premieres or the meeting of the team at the White House. Haskins didn’t make those events, either, because he was so ill. No doubt he would have invited me.
It’s okay. Nothing helps me sleep more soundly at night than Haskins’ compliment.

21 Jan

El Paso Athletic Hall Has A New President

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

breichmanIf you’re a real El Paso sports fan, you’ve probably heard of Bruce Reichman. He’s one of the finest high school coaches ever to bless our city.
He coached Del Valle High School to state boys soccer championships in 2005 and 2008, took them to the Final Four four other times, won 64 various championships and has been named El Paso High School Coach of the Year six times.
A UTEP graduate, he has also earned honors as a teacher, including being named to Who’s Who of American Teachers. He is now serving as department head of the Physical and Health Department.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, Reichman has been inducted into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame. More than that, he is going to serve that organization as president this year. Yes, he became a member of the board of directors and, not surprisingly, quickly rose to the head of the table.
Now listen here. I’m a member of the board of directors, too. In fact, I’m a charter member, and I say let’s make our new prexy’s tenure a great one. The El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame is open to the public and anyone – anyone – can make a nomination. If you think someone should be inducted, get up a resume and show up at the nomination meetings. The more the merrier.
The nomination meetings will be held Feb. 6, Feb. 20 and March 5 at 5:15 p.m. at First Christian Church, 901 Arizona Street. All three of those dates are Mondays.
For more information, call Mr. Reichman at 584-4187, vice-president Bernard Polk at 533-6364 or secretary Dennis Devine at 562-5831. They’ll be happy to help you.

TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the first golfer to win all four Majors during his career? Answer at end.

A RECENT COLUMN about UTEP’s last-play victory over Utah in 1965 called “The Turning Point” brought back fond memories to Eddie Mullens, who was sports information director of the Miners at the time. UTEP was known as Texas Western College then. Mullens was at the game and tells some things I didn’t know. He writes:
“I can still remember sitting between Don Haskins (who was in Salt Lake to discuss Utah’s Jack Gardner’s motion-offense) and El Paso Times sports writer Roger McKown at that game. Don whispered to me when TWC got the ball with nine seconds left ‘we’ve got a chance’. He and Roger damn near beat me to the floor when Bullet Bob (Wallace) crossed the goal line.
“Moments later Cliff Speagle (whose offense the Miners had installed that season) and other coaches came storming down from the floor above where they had charted the game. I still remember, the normally reserved Cliff giving a war whoop on his way down the stairs to the press row.

“ANOTHER SIDEBAR to that story. I was talking to John Mooney, the excellent sports editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, about the play when his photographer came up to us and overhearing our discussion said something like ‘was that important?’ After John recovered from such a question, he said yes, and the photographer said, ‘Well, I have it all on film.’
“That’s where I acquired the sequence of photos on that play. Ah, yes, great memories.”
Those photos became a historical gem and have been printed in many publications, including the book “The Miners. The History of Sports at University of Texas at El Paso.”
The photos also helped world famous artist Tom Lea recreate the play in a painting.

ANSWER TO trivia question. Gene Sarazen. He won the U.S. Open and PGA in 1922, the British Open in 1932 and the Masters in 1935.

25 Nov

Induction of UTEP Star Athletes Brought Thrills

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

I’ve always believed that besides one’s job or business one should contribute to his community in other ways. Like helping others, joining civic organizations and the like.
In that respect I’ve served one time or another on the board of the UTEP Library, County Golf Association, the Downtown Lions, the Sunturians and just about every sports hall of fame ever created in El Paso.
I like to kid that I’ve served on so many boards I’ve got splinters in my behind.
 
BOARD MEETINGS     can be long and boring. Sometimes I’ve sat there wondering if I was wasting my time.
But those doubts disappear when I see the results.
Take this year’s UTEP Athletic Hall of Fame banquet. I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to be there and watch some of the Miners’ greatest athletes we board members selected receive their just rewards on Oct. 28. For example:
 
THERE WAS Andy Everest, one of inductee football coach Jack Curtice’s finest linemen, telling of what a great job Curtice did of putting together battle-scarred veterans returning from World War II and young recruits just out of high school to turn out winning teams “He was not only a great coach but a great human being who cared about his players,” Everest said.
Curtice’s .638 won-lost-tied percentage of 24 wins, 13 losses and three ties from 1946 through 1949 ranks second only to Mike Brumbelow’s .651 in UTEP history.
 
OTHER INDUCTEES besides Curtice in order of appearance were Soma Dutta-Williams, Jim Forbes, Thad Steele and Obadele Thompson.
We learned that Soma grew up in India wanting to be a tiger hunter, moved to the United States when she was 12 and used her talent to become one of the best rifle shooters in the nation. She won All-American honors in smallbore competition from 1990 through 1992 and represented India in the Olympics. Graceful and soft spoken, she absolutely delighted the crowd.
 
JIM FORBES, all 6-feet-7 inches of him, was impressive as he walked up to the podium next to accept his induction. He played basketball four years for the Miners in the early 1970s and represented the school in the 1972 Olympics. His career would have been even greater had he not suffered an injury but he said he has no regrets. He’s now a high school basketball coach and, he added, “I’m doing what I want to do and I’m doing it on my terms.”
 
THEN CAME Thad Steele Jr. to accept induction of his late father, Thad Steele Sr. who is rated one of the greatest linemen in the annals of UTEP football. He played center and middle linebacker when the Miners won seven games and lost only one each season from 1929 through 1931.
The younger Steele got a big laugh from the audience when he spoke of his father’s philosophy. “Dad used to say that if something didn’t happen the way it should it should have happened that way anyway,” Steele Jr. said.  The elder Steele wasn’t as big as his son, who’s 6 feet 4, but, says his son, he was broad of shoulder and very powerful.
 
THE FINAL inductee to speak was track and field star Obadele Thompson, whose accomplishments were detailed by his coach, Bob Kitchens. The coach said he had to do a double take when Thompson was clocked in 9.5 in the 100 meters when Thompson was a junior. It was a hint of what was to come. Thompson went on to win countless NCAA titles, set records right and left and still holds the world record in the 55-meter dash (5.99),
It was so great seeing and recounting the feats of these outstanding athletes I’m looking forward to the next board meeting, boring or not.

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