EAGLE PASS ISD LOCAL ATHLETIC NEWS

What about the other sports venues?

Why & How Come?

By: Conrado Perez, Jr. – Eagle Pass Sports Central

“Your best and only source for local sports news in Eagle Pass”

With the recent naming of the Eagle Pass ISD Student Activity Center Football facility to the Cozel Foster-Veterans Memorial Football Stadium, my question is will the Board of Trustees now also consider naming the other sports venues at the Student Activity Center Complex? If they choose to, it will be equivalent to opening Pandora’s Box.

It will be quite interesting as to what name or names will be chosen.  In baseball alone, there is around a dozen or so truly legendary great former high school baseball players included among these former players some whose actions should be considered inappropriate as exemplary to our youth.

The City of Eagle Pass does have one former baseball player that in 2006 was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  He was an outstanding catcher and manager in the Negro Leagues by the name of James Raleigh “Biz” Mackey who was born in Eagle Pass, Texas on July 27, 1897 and died on September 22, 1965 in Los Angeles, California.

Another local baseball legend was Blas Tenorio whose feats on the ball fields are legendary with the majority of his games played against some truly elite traveling semi-pro teams from San Antonio, Texas as well as the surrounding cities and professional baseball teams from Mexico.

During the 1970’s,  the Eagle Pass Eagles high school baseball teams under the direction of the legendary Texas Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee Polo Moncada and assistant coaches Rolando Moncada and Pete Castillo were the Pride of South Texas. These Eagle teams won 78.8% of their games in an era in which all opposing teams had at least one pitcher who threw 90 mph or better and with wooden bats non-the-less.  During the 1980’s, when it was extremely rare to find someone that threw over 90 mph, the Eagles only won 67.9% of their games.  During the 1990’s, the Eagles winning percentage continued to drop off to 61.0%.  The next decade saw an addition decline, as the Eagles only managed to win 56.1% of their games against pitchers that only threw on the average only 80 mph.  This decade the Eagles are currently winning 66.6% of their games, while the C.C. Winn Mavericks are currently winning 52.7% of their games.  Like my father stated to me once; “There are whole bunch of people that go around saying I played baseball but very few really did play exceptional baseball.” The logic here being that there have been many good baseball players, but only a few can be considered as exceptional.

That brings us to softball, where unfortunately there exist many differences of opinion as to the talent level of our past and present softball players.  Those formulating an opinion, cannot accept the fact that the district is today much more competitive than in the past.  In the words of the late sports writer Al Kinsall, during the early years of softball competition, the Laredo schools fielded teams that were no better than a regular PE Class. In the past, a handful of former players have gone on to play at the Junior College and at NCAA Division II schools and couple more have played at non-scholarship Division III programs.  It could be said, that one of the greatest local high school softball talent is currently still playing and has verbally committed to an NCAA Division I program.

What about the soccer fields?  High school soccer in Eagle Pass is still in its early years of UIL competition.   So what name will be chosen for the soccer fields? Perhaps maybe they could be named after legendary world class soccer stars.

The same could be said for the tennis courts.  There have been many excellent tennis players here in Eagle Pass.  The late Eagle Pass businessman, Ruben Riskind,   was a state champion during his high school career in California and was considered by many as a very good tennis player.

When it comes to track and field, for your information the City of Eagle Pass has been well represented at the prestigious UIL State Track & Field Meet in Austin. Throughout the years, several local high school athletes have advanced to the State Meet to compete against the very best from the State.  There has been only one State champion in track & field,   Antonio Gonzalez won the Gold medal in the 880 yard run back in 1952.  He continued to run track at the collegiate level and was inducted into the Texas State University Hall of Honor.

What about the new gymnasium?  With both basketball and volleyball being played at this facility, if it is to be named, a more general approach should be considered.

Naming the football stadium is one thing, but naming the other sporting venues could become a very complicated and controversial issue.  My suggestion is if they are considering naming the other sporting venues, for a committee to be formed comprised of people that actually do know the history of local high school and city athletics and can make an unbiased recommendation.

And to conclude as to how complex future naming of facilities at the complex could become, consider that there have been former coaches and  many local citizens whose support and contributions to local high school sports would merit that they be considered for the honor of having a facility named after them.