Meet the Preps

Co-MVP's

Sometimes it is not fun to find that two players have to share the title of Most Valuable Player. Obviously if you are a fan, you would want your favorite to win the MVP title out-right, but in this case we believe that the title co-MVP is appropriate.

First looking at the stats: Baeza threw for 3,435 yards and 37 touchdowns while only giving up four interceptions. That is one heck of a season and it also included an eight-touchdown game and four of Del Valle's single season records being broken. That says MVP.

Then Sanchez rushed for 2,26 yards and 35 touchdowns in the season alone. But more importantly, Sanchez launched the Huskies into the third round of the playoffs with a five-touchdown performance against Wolfforth Frenship, who was previously undefeated against El Paso area teams. Once again MVP.

Last year's MVP Ernest Rayas was a hands down favorite and he only had 31 total touchdowns, so it once again gives a good argument of why both Baeza and Sanchez should be MVP.

Overall the title of MVP must go to athlete's who left such an impression on their team that if they were absent the team would not be the same. While both Del Valle and Chapin would still be successful programs without these two, they would not be on the same level and perhaps come short of the district titles.

Now there is no way to know what would happen, but we believe these two athletes were a big part of their team on so many different levels and thus when two players deserve it there is only one thing to do — give it to them both.

Selecting All-City Football

The All-City football team is definitely the most difficult All-City team we have to select here at the El Paso Times. While every All-City process is tough because of the decisions that have to be made or because of the obvious work and research that goes in, football is tougher because of the size of it. 

Keep in mind that we have 11 offensive players and 11 defensive players plus four more special teams spots. Then add the offensive MVP, defensive MVP and overall MVP... now do it again for second team and honorable mention.

Luckily for us we are able to take the week in between finals week and Christmas day to pour through statistics, nominations and all-district teams (which are selected by the district's coaches). 

There have been several times that I have been asked how the process is. Some have assumed we just pick at random and others have asked me if we have a board that resembles NFL draft day war rooms (I wish we had the resources for that). I would like to say we lock ourselves in a room with no food or water for four days until we come out with a team, but the truth is we have a bunch of papers with players names and statistics, a long list of players at each position that we have compiled and several sheets of notebook paper.

Overall it is a long and tedious process that goes happens, then we have to start doing all the work necessary for the stories, pictures and capsules. As hard as it is, I do enjoy doing it and think it is worth it. 

Scoring updates from Chapin-Denton Ryan football in Midland (Class 4A Division 1 regional round playoffs)

Keep checking back here for updates from the Chapin-Denton Ryan football game in Midland.

The Huskies are trying to become the first El Paso football team to the fourth round. 

This is the third time they have played in the third round of the playoffs. In 2005 they lost to Aledo 41-35 in overtime and in 2006 the lost 48-0 to Wichita Falls Rider.

First Quarter

Chapin — Cori Sanchez run 1 yard touchdown to cap off a 11 play drive. Chapin 7, Ryan 0. 7:04 remaining.

Ryan — Antonio Anderson 41 pass from Scotty Young. Four play drive. Chapin 7, Ryan 7. 5:32.

Chapin — Milton Roberts 33 pass from Anthony Campuzano. Eight play drive. Chapin 14, Ryan. 2:36.

Ryan — Bud Sasser 6 pass from Young. Five play drive. Chapin 14, Ryan 14. 1:46.

Second Quarter

Ryan — Michael Cudd 37 yard pass from Young. Three play drive. Ryan 21, Chapin 14. 11:45 remaining.

Ryan — Sasser 19 pass from Young. Two play drive following an interception to set up short field. Ryan 28, Chapin 14. 10:44.

Chapin — Sanchez 18 run for touchdown out of direct snap. All three plays were Wild-Husky formation. Ryan 28, Chapin 21. 9:33.

Ryan — Anderson 5 pass from Young. Longest drive of the night for the Raiders, eight plays. Ryan 35, Chapin 21. 7:05.

Ryan — Will Clark run 2 yard touchdown. Raiders went 80 yards on nine plays. Ryan 41, Chapin 21. 0:28.

HALFTIME

Third Quarter

Ryan  —Sasser 10 pass from Young, his sixth touchdown pass. Six play drive. Ryan 48, Chapin 21. 10:30 remaining.

Ryan — Anderson 10 pass from Young, Anderson's fourth touchdown catch. Seven play drive. Ryan 55, Chapin 21. 5:26.

Ryan — Masinura Price 72 yard interception return for a touchdown. Ryan 61, Chapin 21. 0:46.

Fourth Quarter

Ryan 61, Chapin 21 Final

Area Round High School Football Scores

Keep checking back here for updated scores for all six local high school scores. We will update them as soon as we find out.

Final: Abilene 45, Coronado 7.

Final: Arlington Bowie 49, Montwood 7.
Final: Hereford 45, Parkland 13.
Final: Big Spring 49, Irvin 25.
Final: Chapin 33, Wolfforth Frenship 14.

Final: Abilene Cooper 51, Del Valle 41.

High School football Top 10 shake-up

Here is a look at the most recent high school football Top 10 poll:
Rk. Team    Record    Previous
1. Montwood   5-1    2
2. Coronado    7-0    3
3. El Dorado    6-1    1
4. Franklin      5-1    4
5. Canutillo     5-1    5
6. Americas     4-2    8
7. Chapin        4-2    9
8. Riverside     4-2    10
9. Del Valle     4-2    NR
10. Andress     4-2    NR

For those of you who have been following, you will notice that both Hanks and Parkland were dropped for the poll after disappointing losses last weekend. For the Knights it was their fourth straight, almost eliminating them from the playoffs, and for the Matadors, the bigger loss was seven players, who became ineligible.

That allowed Americas, Chapin and Riverside to move up two spots each, and it made room for Del Valle and Andress to get back in the poll.

Andress been running through District 1-4A recently and look like a contender for the district title along with Chapin. A 31-0 victory over Parkland was the easy way for Del Valle to get back in it, now this week they have Canutillo on the road in a game with District 2-4A and Top 10 implications.

However, the biggest game this week is hands down Coronado-Montwood, in the second straight No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up. The winner of course gets No. 1, but the loser will find themselves mixed in with Franklin and El Dorado.

Americas will have a gut-check game with Hanks this week, meanwhile Riverside needs to watch out for an upset with Ysleta in a Lower Valley rivalry game.

If anyone drops out of the Top 10 possible team to jump in would be recently departed Hanks and Parkland, but another team right on the verge of making it is Horizon, who at 5-1 and 2-1 in District 2-4A is one big victory from proving they are a contender and earning a Top 10 ranking.

Thoughts on the El Dorado vs. Montwood game

We built up the El Dorado-Montwood football game like a heavyweight boxing match, and in many ways it was.

The first half ended with a 7-6 score in favor of the Rams, but it looked more like the early round of a pay-per-view fight with both fighters, in this case teams, feeling each other out.

When they came out in the second half, both teams looked like they had a better understanding of their game plan and were ready to execute.

However, it was the seasoned veteran in Montwood that was able to break down its opponent. While the Aztecs were never out of the games, an eight point margin the biggest of the entire game, the Rams seemed in some sort of control.

El Dorado on the other hand looked like a younger, perhaps more talented up and comer. They had a
few power moves that were successful at times, and may have even been a knock out blow.

However, when the Aztecs big shots missed, it was the Rams who were able to rely on its savvy to deliver the punches that ended the fight.

With that, Montwood is still the top team in El Paso (keep in mind Coronado is still the next great contender for next week). However, a re-match next year should still be a good game and maybe be billed as a second shot at the title for El Dorado.

But I think in the end experience will always come out in big games like this, and the experience Montwood had proved to be the difference, but the experience El Dorado gains in this game and future games in the playoffs will serve them well.

Time will tell how this new rivalry plays out in the years to come.

Podcast: High school football, volleyball, cross country

In the latest high school sports podcast, Lenny Jurado and Aaron Bracamontes of the El Paso Times discuss El Paso high school football, plus a little volleyball and cross country.

To listen to the podcast, click here. (right click, save-target-as to download)

Or better yet, subscribe the Times sports podcasts on iTunes! That's right, with one click of the subscribe button, you'll automatically get the weekly UTEP football and high school sports podcasts.

Get signed up here: El Paso Times podcast page on iTunes.

Breaking News: Phil Lopez resigns

Wanted to just put this up here for anyone's information. Bel Air head football coach Phil Lopez has resigned to take up the athletic director position for Carlsbad Municipal Schools. 

We are following the story and will have updated information for you in tomorrows paper as we attempt to contact players, the YISD athletic director and coach Lopez himself. To read our online story click here.

What do you all think of the resignation and who do you think may be candidates to take over for the Highlanders? Maybe and assistant coach, someone from another school or another city? Share your thoughts.

Stephenville pummels Parkland 51-13 in 4A football regional semis

By Lenny Jurado

El Paso Times

ODESSA - History will have to wait for El Paso, as the city’s lone remaining high school football team was ousted from the playoffs Saturday.

Parkland High School, trying to become El Paso’s first football team to advance past the third playoff round, gave up 44 first-half points against Stephenville and went on to lose 51-13 at Ratliff Stadium.

“They’re a good team,” Matador senior offensive lineman Nate White said. “Every team is a good team in the third round. We came out, we slacked it a little bit, they stepped up and capitalized. We tried to come back in the fourth quarter, but it was too late. (ellipses) To go down like this is kind of a heart-breaker for us.”

The loss ends Parkland’s season at 9-4, while Stephenville (10-3) will have a rematch with No. 2 Everman (13-0) at 1 p.m. MST Saturday at Waco ISD.

“They’re a good football team,” Stephenville head coach Joseph Gillespie said of Parkland. “They didn’t get here by happenstance. (ellipse) Things just came together for us today in all phases of the game.”

Did it ever.

In the first half, Stephenville scored on all five offensive possessions, while limiting the Matadors to 46 yards of total offense.

Stephenville quarterback Brad Picha threw for three first-half touchdowns, and tailback Brad Mills finished the game with 156 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.

“They were just a machine, and it was hard for us to stop them,” Parkland head coach Jerry Walker said. “Defensively, the were pretty much sitting back and reading us and waiting for us to do something and sending all 11 people to go for it.”

Stephenville scored twice in the half’s final two minutes, once on a punt return and another on a fumble recovery run back for a touchdown.

The third quarter was Parkland’s best, as the Matadors limited Stephenville to three offensive plays - two of the them interceptions by Omar Martinez and Shawn Crawford - and scored on a 6-yard run by Justin Sedillo.

That score culminated a 17-play, 69-yard drive that consumed 8 minutes, 46 seconds.

“We made some adjustments at halftime, and the kids were down a little bit and we got them up,” Walker said.

Stephenville went up 51-7 midway through the fourth quarter, then Parkland closed the scoring on a nine-play, 68-yard drive capped by a 1-yard run by quarterback Assad Taylor.

Parkland played the second half without star tailback Mike Davis (eight carries, 22 yards), who sat on the sideline with a bag of ice on the back of his neck.

This had been quite the run for Parkland, which made school history by winning an area-round game after finishing with the fourth seed in 2-4A.

The Matadors also became only the city’s 11^th football team to advance past the second playoff round.

“I told them (players) that no matter what happens here, we’re all proud of them for getting this far,” Walker said.

Talking high school sports

The latest high school sports podcast is now available.

KTSM's Beau Bagley joins Lenny Jurado, Aaron Bracamontes and John Erfort of the El Paso Times to talk about the high school football playoffs and the beginning of high school basketball.

To download or listen to the podcast, click here.