The Skyline Newspaper

Photo: Jacob Warden, Westley Miller, Jimmy Farmakakis, Marland Harrison, and Michael Van Wagner. Photo by Jason Hennington

Ex-Bulldogs Reunite

By Jason Hennington
News Writer

Michael Van Wagner and Jacob Warden led the way, and a year later three Bandera teammates followed.

Sul Ross State University's football roster now boasts five former Bulldogs who left the pound to join the Lobo Pack.

Kicker Van Wagner and wide receiver Warden returned to action this season and are joined by high school teammates Jimmy Farmakakis, Marland Harrison, and Westley Miller.

Van Wagner and Warden soon became recruiters after inviting three of their longtime friends to join them as Lobos.

"They came and dragged me out of the oil fields," laughed Harrison.

Harrison and Farmakakis spent their first years out of high school in the oil fields, while Miller, who graduated a year earlier than the others, attended different colleges before coming to Alpine.

"I came to a game last season and talked to the coaches about playing here," Miller said.

Prior to Sul Ross, Miller attended Hardin-Simmons University and later attended North West Vista Community College in San Antonio. He began his studies at Sul Ross in the spring of 2007.

"I decided it was time to get away from home again," Miller laughed.

Van Wagner is chiefly responsible for the Bandera infusion. He convinced Warden not to join the Marines and to come to Sul Ross, instead.

"I came here because the coaches called me back," Van Wagner said. "I came to meet the coaches and told Jacob to come play."

The former Bulldogs spent most of their years together playing Little League, middle school, and high school sports. Van Wagner is a relative late-comer, joining the group in eighth grade.

"I remember he was my back-up in middle school," Farmakakis laughed.

He was easily accepted as a teammate and a friend and has remained so since then. Even after high school, they remained close and eventually ended up together again.

During a visit from the oil fields, Harrison and Farmakakis attended a Sul Ross game, and after a conversation with Warden, they were persuaded to come and play football. "I knew they still wanted to play, and they wanted to go somewhere they knew they would play," Warden said. "I thought they had a good chance to play here."

Like their high school days, there is a connection on the field as well as off the field between the friends.

"Our two classes (Miller in 2005 and the rest in 2006) were close, and we all hung out together," Farmakakis said.

"None of the other classes were close like ours."

"It almost feels like high school again because we're all still together," Miller said.

"We get a lot of crap, jokingly, from the coaches about being from Bandera," laughed Farmakakis.

"When we were hurt they would say stuff like 'it must be something in the water down there.'"

Having friends on the team made it that much easier for Harrison, Farmakakis, and Miller to fit in.

"That makes it easier when you have someone on the team you already know," Harrison said.

After two consecutive 4-6 won-lost seasons in high school, the Bandera Boys want another chance to be a part of a winning team. Sul Ross provides that opportunity.

"It's good playing with these guys and knowing that we can make a good contribution to a college team," Warden said. "We're getting a chance to make a name for Bandera."

Van Wagner said "family sticks together," and through thick and thin, the boys from Bandera have remained close.

"Not a lot of people have come this far. We've stuck it out together," Farmakakis said.

"It feels like home."

"Playing with them, I don't get homesick," Harrison said.

As Bulldogs, these five young men have seen ups and downs. As Lobos, they hope to have a positive impact on the team.

Sul Ross Hosts Cross Country Meet

El Paso Community College claimed five of the top six places in both men's and women's competition to win the Sul Ross State University Cross Country Invitational Saturday, Sept. 8 in Alpine.

EPCC placed first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth to win the five-mile men's race with 19 points, outdistancing Lubbock Christian University (52) and the Lobos (69).

In the women's 3.1 mile race, EPCC placed second-sixth to tally 20 points, followed by Lubbock Christian (50) and Sul Ross (67).

EPCC's Robert Menjo won the men's race in 25:37.7, while Lubbock Christian's Brittani Borden was the women's winner, 19:44.6.

Larry Lovato (Lubbock) had the top Lobo men's finish, 28:29.9, while Karen Hancock (El Paso) placed 10th in the women's race, 24:50.8.

Other Sul Ross men's finishers were: Crispin Salais (El Paso), 10th, 29:22; Peter Ojeda (Del Rio), 18th, 32:49.4; Josh Rio (Del Rio), 19th, 34:02.3; and Weldon Pearce (Alpine), 20th, 39:18.4.

Lady Lobo place winners were: Dorothy Quiroz (Alpine), 14th, 26:46; Stephanie Gutierrez (El Paso), 16th, 27:45.3; Kim Blanco (El Paso), 17th, 28:00; Rose Sanchez (Lubbock), 18th, 28:03.3; and Devin Shrier (Port Aransas), 20th, 29:13.4.

Sul Ross, coached by Don Cook, will compete Sept. 22 in the Division III championships at Abilene.

Lobos 2-0 Before Saturday's Big Challenge in Belton

For the Sul Ross State University football team, the road goes on...seemingly forever.

After two victories, including Saturday's (Sept. 8) 39-7 win over Southwestern Assembly of God at Waxahachie, this week's (Sept. 15, 1 p.m.) stop brings the Lobos to Belton and fourth-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The Crusaders, the defending American Southwest Conference champs, opened with a 51-19 triumph over Christopher Newport. UMHB has never lost to Sul Ross in nine previous meetings.

"This is the best UMHB team I have seen to date," said Sul Ross head coach Steve Wright.

"This is not Beginning Football 101; this is more like the doctorate level.

"Our young lines will be playing against probably the best interior people in the country," he said.

"People talk about how lethal the Cru's special teams are and how an opponent needs to try to break even. We just want to avoid breaking in two, as most of the players on each of our special teams are newcomers."

At SAGU, however, veterans led the way to Sul Ross' first 2-0 road start in recent memory. Quarterback Austin Davidson, Hallsville, passed for 197 yards and three touchdowns. Fellow senior TJ Barber, Midland High, gained 114 yards on 13 carries, including a 40-yard touchdown run and a 22-yard burst to set up another score.

Defensively, Sul Ross yielded less than 200 yards rushing and passing for the second straight week.

"The defense scored and the kicking game improved," Wright said.

"Three running backs saw extensive action from the opening whistle and were able to evaluate some more young players."

Davidson passed 12 yards to Jarrett Dickerson, Willis, and added a four-yard run as the Lobos jumped to an early advantage. Mike Van Wagner, Bandera, booted the extra point after Davidson's run and added a 25-yard field goal for a 16-0 first quarter lead.

An 11-yard pass from Joseph Garcia to Andrew Colvin narrowed the gap to 16-7 with 8:52 left in the half, but the Sul Ross defense trapped Garcia in the end zone for a safety with 2:50 to play. Sul Ross marched 62 yards after the free kick, scoring again with just 11 seconds left on a 16-yard Davidson-to-Dickerson aerial. Barber's 22-yard run set up the score.

Jamal Johnson, Odessa Permian, returned the second-half kickoff 26 yards to the SAGU 48 and Davidson found Joc Quise Brown, Temple, for another scoring pass with the half just 18 seconds old.

Sul Ross completed the scoring with 12:49 remaining in the quarter on Barber's 40-yard run, set up when Albert Gomez, Mercedes, forced a fumble and Kyle Braddick, Burleson, recovered at the Lion 33. Davidson was sacked for a seven-yard loss on the first snap, but Barber broke containment to score on the second play. Van Wagner booted both extra points.

The Lobos finished with 208 yards rushing and 233 passing while allowing SAGU only 102 on the ground in 38 carries and 95 through the air. Dominique Jones, Marlin, had an interception.

Freshman quarterback Carlo Dominguez, Ramondville, and sophomore running back Cameron Holliness, Royce City, each rushed for 36 yards and Dominguez hit five of nine passes for 36 more. Brown caught six passes for 125 yards, Dickerson added four grabs for 44 and Jamal Groover, Cleburne, had three receptions for 11 yards and rushed for 13 more.

Defensively, Nate Graham, Odessa Permian, led the way with seven tackles. Braddick, Fernie Acosta, El Paso Americas, Curtis Smithson, Johnson City, and Randy Enriquez, Pharr North, had six stops apiece. Sul Ross recorded 11 tackles for 23 yards in losses.

"I really like our bunch," Wright said.

"They are learning to travel right. They are really selfless in their accomplishments and understand the team concept. We do at some time this season have a chance to have a really good football team. Most of all, they are having fun with each other and playing this team, combative sport."

Lady Lobos Volleyball Falls to McMurry

McMurry University kept its season record unblemished by posting a 3-1 win over Sul Ross State University in an American Southwest Conference volleyball opener Friday (Sept. 7).

McMurry, 4-0, handed the Lady Lobos, 1-4, a 30-28, 28-30, 30-18, 30-22 setback at the Gallego Center.

Coach Rick Garcia's team seeks to bounce back on the winning track this Friday (Sept. 14, 6 p.m.) against Schreiner University. Sul Ross plays Texas Lutheran Saturday (Sept. 15, 11 a.m.) in another home match, then travels to Odessa Tuesday (Sept. 18, 7 p.m.) to meet the University of Texas Permian Basin.

Stacy Macias, Fabens, and Melanie Valenciana, Odessa, had 10 kills each for Sul Ross. Valenciana led the team with 11 set assists and Macias had nine. Jennifer Harder, El Paso, added five kills, five assists and 13 digs.

Lyndi Cypher, Monahans, had a team-high 18 digs and Blanca Espinoza, San Antonio, added 10; Naomi Wilkins, San Elizario, eight; Macias seven; and Carin Stocks, Stockdale, and Elfida Olivas, Presidio, six each. Stocks supplied four kills.

Macias served two aces and Valenciana one.