The Skyline Newspaper

Coach Steve Wright instructs his 2007 football team during an pre-season August practice . Photo by Jason Hennington

Winning 2007 Football Remembered Firsthand

Adam Cuellar
Skyline Reporter

Last week a curious article in the Skyline caught my eye. Steve Lang, a man I greatly respect but whose weekly spills I admittedly find trouble understanding at times, described the silliness and success of the 2007 Lobo football team. I found his comments insightful, humorous, and accurate all at once, and immediately felt the urge to provide readers with a similar first-hand experience, this time through the eyes of a player.

The Lobos were by far one of the most exciting teams to watch in all of Division III this season. I was fortunate enough to have played not only this year, but also the previous two years' worth of thrilling overtime wins and agonizing last second defeats.

My first year here by the hill was tough. The team lacked basic discipline and the football knowledge necessary to remain competitive in what is considered by many the toughest conference in the nation. I can vividly remember a starting linebacker who was routinely thrown out of practice for his cursing and appalling on-field antics. I remember how quickly the losses piled up and how for the first time football was not fun for me; it was more like a chore.

Luckily, the team's fortunes turned last year as we finished 5-4, producing the first winning season under head coach Steve Wright. This may not seem like such a wonderful record to those of you who fancy yourselves football experts, but it spoke volumes about a team and coaching staff who had won exactly that many games in the prior four years combined.

The success of the 2006 football team leaked over into this past season as we continued playing football like it's supposed to be played, with intelligence and emotion. Add the media circus created by the efforts of one of our more mature (and selfless) players and a routinely thick and frenzied atmosphere was the result. I had never before seen the crowd and general Lobo following so routinely populated and intense. This year there were times when I felt like a Division I athlete on scholarship due to the praise and attention continually showered on us.
This season was a memorable and lasting experience, which I shall cherish for the rest of my life, and for that I am supremely grateful and forever indebted to all the friends, fans, and family members who supported us ceaselessly.

"So what's it like behind the scenes of Lobo football?"

I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I've been approached with this type of question the past five months. Having such a diverse assortment of players sure made for some interesting locker room chatter, though; that's for certain. In an effort to keep my spot on the football team, however, I'll have to leave those conversations to the wondering mind.

"Is the head coach as crazy as everyone says he is?"

Well, yes and no. Coach Wright is undoubtedly the most unorthodox head coach in the league, if not the nation.
But there is a method to his madness. It seems that very few of his peers completely understand him, but those who do can attest to his superior coaching abilities and absolutely unquestioned desire to see the team excel.
This year I made it a point to learn more about the man who I too thought was a bit loony at first. I found that he has a curious approach to many aspects of both football and life in general, and people have a tendency to confuse his spontaneous behavior with a perceived inadequacy of sorts, which is in my opinion a genuine travesty.

"What!? But why!?!"

This seems to be the automatic reply when I mention that football was the chief reason I came to Sul Ross. And to be perfectly honest, until this past season, I really couldn't fire back a valid response. But now I no longer have to worry about quickly funneling out an answer I think would sound pleasing. I merely have to reflect on my personal experience this past year and the amazing memories that resulted from it. Thanks to the tireless work of one of the most undermanned staffs in all of college football, fifty-two other hard working young men will be able to do the same.

Lady Lobos Destroy The Eagles From The Ozarks, 59-41

Nitra Woods' fourth double-double of the season propelled Sul Ross State University to a 59-41 women's basketball triumph over visiting University of the Ozarks Thursday, Nov. 28.

Coach David Tandy's team doubled the score on the Lady Eagles by halftime, 32-16, to even their American Southwest Conference West Division record at 1-1, 2-3 overall. The Lady Lobos will host Howard Payne University Saturday, Dec. 8, 1:00 p.m., at the Gallego Center.

Woods, Andrews, tallied 17 points and snared 10 rebounds to continue her stellar play. The senior forward hit half of her 10 field goal attempts, seven of eight free throws, and grabbed six offensive boards, adding two assists. She is averaging nearly 17 points and nine caroms per outing.

Sul Ross shook off 27 percent shooting (18-66) by dominating the boards 55-42 and forcing 22 Lady Eagle turnovers. Tandy's team bolted to a 14-3 lead in the first seven and a half minutes and cruised to a 16-point halftime edge.

Ozarks used a 15-4 run to close within 44-39 with 6:59 left. Angelique Benton, El Paso Parkland, answered with a jumper, Woods added two free throws and Morgan Johnson, Christoval, meshed a jumper for a 50-39 advantage with 2:50 to play. Woods converted two more free throws and a three-point play to spur a 9-2 run down the stretch for the final 59-41 margin.

Benton scored 12 points, including six of six at the foul line, while Johnson scored seven and Janice Mitchell, Round Rock Stony Point, and Isela Garza, El Paso Eastwood, added six each. Mitchell had eight rebounds and Johnson and Brittany Hatch, Richardson Pearce, grabbed six apiece.

The Lady Lobos offset poor outside shooting with 21 successes in 26 tries at the foul line.

Lobos Trim Visiting U of Ozarks, Move To 2-0 In ASC

All five starters reached double figures as Sul Ross State University trimmed visiting University of the Ozarks 78-70 Thursday, Nov. 29.

Abraham Ely, El Paso Hanks, scored four of his points in the final 57 seconds as the Lobos snapped a 70-all tie to thwart the Eagle comeback. Sul Ross improved to 3-1 for the year, 2-0 in the American Southwest Conference West Division. U-Ozarks fell to 2-2, 0-1.

After Ely's layup put coach Greg Wright's team ahead, Fili Torres, Clint, blocked a shot, Ricky Aguilar, El Paso Franklin, rebounded, was fouled, and sank both free throws with 35 ticks left. Art Gonzalez, El Paso Eastwood, scored two more charity tosses after a U-Ozarks turnover, and Ely capped the scoring with another brace of foul shots with five seconds to play.

The Lobos, who host Howard Payne University Saturday, Dec. 8, 3:00 p.m., at the Gallego Center, led 43-34 at halftime and by 17, 59-42, with 12:37 to play. The Eagles, behind Ted Beard, steadily trimmed the deficit before gaining a 66-66 tie at 3:05 on Clint McHenry's hoop.

Beard's bucket with 1:31 left tied the count at 70 before Ely led the Lobo surge.

Gonzalez paced Sul Ross with 19 points, including five of seven from three-point range. He added a career-high nine assists. Jermaine Packer, Midland Lee, scored 16 on seven of nine shooting and added nine rebounds. Torres had 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots, while Aguilar netted 14 and Ely 12. The Lobos netted 47 percent from the floor (26-55), nine of 17 from long range and converted 17 of 23 free throws.

U-Ozarks, led by 15 points from Beard, 13 each from Habeeb Kareem and Andre Williams and 12 from Tony Brock, shot 48 percent (29-60), but just four of 19 beyond the arc. The Eagles held a 37-30 rebound edge, but netted only eight of 12 free throws and committed 18 turnovers to 11 for Sul Ross.

Lobos Fall At A&M International

Texas A&M International used a 21-0 run to open the second half and went on to an 88-77 win over visiting SRSU Tuesday night, Dec. 4, at Laredo.

The Division II Dust Devils trailed 45-34 at halftime, but held the Lobos, 3-2, scoreless over the first seven minutes of the second session. Sul Ross closed within 68-66 with 5:47 left, but were unable to narrow the gap.

Art Gonzalez, El Paso Eastwood, and Roderick Gunter, Houston Westside, tallied 16 points each for the Lobos, while Abe Ely, El Paso Hanks, added 11 and Ricky Aguilar, El Paso Franklin, had 10. Filiberto Torres, Clint, supplied nine points and 13 rebounds, while Jermaine Packer, Midland Lee, scored eight and snared as many boards.

Coach Greg Wright's team netted 43 percent (20-47) from the floor, 13 of 25 from three-point range and made 24 0f 30 free throws.