A.D. Ibarra -

Eagle Pass

When a boxer enters the ring, he knows that as soon as that bell rings, he's on his own and it's him against his foe, one-on-one. It was this type of confrontation that Oscar Ramirez lived for, the kind of athletic endeavor where he could prepare, with the help of his team, of course, but he could face and overcome any obstacle if he trained hard enough and was ready to take on the challenge. It is this attitude and work ethic that he passed on to his sons, Oscar, Jr. and Raul, two of Eagle Pass' all-time best track and field stars who now don the Maroon and White of Texas A&M University and who Oscar Sr. was most proud of, knowing that his sons would also inherit that drive and focus to be the best that they could be, most of the time when no one was watching. Unfortunately for he and his wife Angelica, Oscar was not able to overcome one of life's most difficult challenges, the fight against cancer. Ramirez was with is life's partner and his family as he succumbed to the dreaded ailment on the dawn of Tuesday, September 5th at his home in Eagle Pass. Ramirez was most proud as he joined his sons as the Ramirez family celebrated the 2012 Indoor Track & Field National Championship won by his son and the Aggies as now both Oscar Jr. and Raul are running the 800 meters for the prestigious institution in the SEC. Funeral services for Oscar Ramirez will be today at 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart Church followed by interment at the Catholic Cemetery.

Lane Nobles, Luis Blanco; Two of nation's top riders, Will be on Eagle Pass' biggest bull-battling stage, Dedicate performances to sons Kayden & Eric

A.D. Ibarra -Eagle Pass

Whenever you ask a bull rider what he's thinking before he gets into the chute with some of the fiercest, rankest bucking bulls in the world, they'll tell you that they are the happiest in that exact situation. " I love riding bulls," says Lane Nobles, the #1 rider on the Southern extreme Bull Riders Association Tour, "When I'm climbing down, I'm all smiles, ready to get on and have fun hoping to have a good ride and see how hard I can spur." The adrenaline rush that they feel when that bull is contorting, bellowing, twisting and grinding is what these men on a mission are living for. "When you ride a good one and you know you worked him, when you hear that whistle (That signifies a successful eight-second ride for points), you're on Cloud 9."