News Gram Sports' Featured Players of the Week:

Winn High's & EP High's Offensive Lines

A.D. Ibarra

-Eagle Pass

In the third installment of our weekly feature, The Eagle Pass News Gram highlights two more very important groups of players from each of our Fightin' High School Football Squads, The Silver & Black Attack CC Winn Mavericks' and The High Flyin' Eagle Pass Eagles' Offensive Lines who open the holes for their half backs and provide the necessary pass protection for their individual signal callers Juan Elizondo and Ty Chisum.

First up is Eagle Center Tito Sanchez.

First of all, I want to apologize to your teammates as we are limited on space, but you're the lucky one who gets to answer the questions this week, are you ready?

Yes, Sir.

Who are your influences?

My father Jesus Roberto Sanchez.  He's always been there for me in the hard times.  He's always helped me with anything I've needed.  In the pros it's JJ Watt (Of the Houston Texans).  He's got great character and he's a great leader.  He's an unselfish player, he's relentless and he has a great motor.

What are your goals this season?

A District Championship and to have the most outstanding line in the district.  Our job is to get a good push and to get the person in front of you out of there and create some room for your back to score.

Who's your favorite NFL team?

The Houston Texans.

College?

Texas A&M.

What's your favorite play?

25 GT.  You get to crash down on the nose guard and usually it's unexpected.  Our strong tackle would probably like this play too because he's the one pulling.  The guard pulls as well.  We've had a lot of success as an O-Line with this play.

What is your career highlight?

It would have to be last year against United.  They were being hyped up to being #1 in the district and we upset them.  On the game-winning play to RJ Gomez you're pass blocking where you get help from the other guys on the line and it's more of a team effort.

What are your plans after graduation?

I want to attend Texas A&M University.

Major?

Forensic Science.  I would like to move to Houston and possibly work as a medical coroner.

What advice would you give a seventh grader playing football for the first time?

Do not take it for granted because time flies and it goes by really fast.  One day you're a seventh grader and the next you're a senior playing your last game of your career, so play every game like it's your last because you never know what can happen.

Next up is Joel Canizales' big little brother Big KC Kevin Canizales, Strong Tackle for the Mavericks.

Who are your influences?

My brother Joey (Former Maverick Joel Canizales who has the distinction of winning the Mavs' first district basball game in history with a walk off home run with CC Winn the man and his lovely wife and family present no less!) he was a defensive end for the Mavericks back in the day and was 1st Team All-District twice.  He always put in the hard work and got paid off with these rewards.  My uncle Rafael Santana is always pushing me and making me work hard in pursuit of a possible career playing college football.

What are your goals this season?

To take our team to the playoffs and to help Deion Alonso to achieve 2000 yards this season.  I know my teammates on the O-Line are going to help get this done!

Who's your favorite NFL team?

The Green Bay Packers.

College?

Ohio State.

What's your favorite play?

A-Right Tom 243 Tackle Trap.  It's a play where I pull and get to open the field up for my halfback.  On a 4th and goal from the two, we're thinking how we had to hit the sled on all those hot summer days in Eagle Pass every day with ultimate force to get the Mavericks that TD.  That's when we really become The Silver & Black O-Line Attack!

What is your career highlight?

Last year against Nixon I made a key block on an 85 yard TD by Deion Alonso.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to go play college ball more than likely in Missouri.

Major?

I'd like to pursue a degree in physical therapy.  Right now I'm trying to hurt people and let them know how it's gonna be for four very long quarters when you face us and later on in life I'm gonna work to fix 'em up!

What advice would you give a seventh grader playing football for the first time?

Always attend every practice because if you miss a practice, somebody else is getting better at your position.  ALways set goals for yourself so that you put in twice the work to stand out in the crowd!

Eagles battle it out with Alamo Heights;

Nixon Defense shuts out Mavericks

A.D. Ibarra

-San Antonio &

 Laredo, TX

Both of our local teams faced formidable competition in their Week 3 matchups as the Eagle Pass Eagles traveled to San Antonio to take on the Alamo Heights Mules and the CC Winn Mavericks were in Laredo to face the Nixon Mustangs.

The Eagles were able to regain their offensive prowess, scoring twice on the Mules in a 31-12 game at Alamo Heights High School.

QB Ty Chisum scored once on a 25 yard run up the middle weaving his way through the Mule defense which was relentless and very quick.

Chisum connected with Sergio Morales on the other score when after scrambling in an attempt to evade the Alamo Heights rush, he found a streaking Morales, hitting him in stride for a 35 yard TD.

The CC Winn Mavericks also took to the air as Juan Elizondo showed he could throw the ball around the yard as well, however Mav receivers had trouble pulling it in on several occasions as they fell to the Nixon Mustangs 17-0.

The MAverick defense did all they could to keep the game close forcing several key turnovers, but their defense, who shut out Eagle Pass in Week 2 recorded their second on this night.

Verdict arrives in BP officer's sexual abuse case: 'Not guilty'

A.D. Ibarra

-MC Court House

The tension was high as both Assistant District Attorney Albert Rodriguez and Defense Counsel Greg Torres addressed the seven woman, five man jury early Friday morning before The Honorable Cynthia Muñiz' 293rd District Court in the sexual abuse case of Bryan Phipps.

Judge Muñiz advised all in attendance that due to the sensitive nature of this case she was not going to put up with any outbursts of emotion or any other interruptions in this case.  Her bailiffs had been instructed beforehand to escort anyone who disobeyed this order out of her courtroom.

She also warned the jury of the consequences and ramifications of any jury misconduct  before reading the charge: Bryan Edward Phipps is accused of continuous sexual abuse and a written copy of the accusation was provided to the jury during their deliberation period later.

"An indictment is not evidence of guilt and cannot be considered in any way," added Judge Muñiz, "You are to render a fair and impartial verdict."

She then  began citing the time frame in which the alleged abuse occurred, sometime between January 18th of 2010 through July 30th of 2011 stating the definitions of key terms in the accusation as well as the graphic nature of the elements also read therein.

Assistant DA Albert Rodriguez who was accompanied by Assistant DA Robert Little very concisely and eloquently began to state his case in his closing remarks to the jury which included one alternate as he graphically laid out the evidence stopping to make sure they understood the gravity of the accusations against the defendant.

"Why are we here?," Rodriguez queried the members of the jury, "We are here because the defendant took advantage of his seven year-old stepdaughter.  Is it OK to allow this to happen?  What kind of human being would do such a thing?  I will leave it up to you and there is only one word that can describe what has transpired in this case...'Guilty'."

Then it was Defense Counsel Greg Torres' turn to address the jury and in doing so, he re-established himself as the top criminal attorney in Eagle Pass when, in a lengthy discourse he attempted to highlight character flaws of key witnesses brought forth by the prosecution, "My job is going to end right now ladies and gentlemen, but yours is just about to begin.  Now my client is not saying these things are OK, he's just saying he didn't do it."

In what has to be a statement that had to have impacted the jury, Torres questioned the fact that one of the State's witnesses may have not been telling the truth, "The truth doesn't have to be remembered... you NEVER forget it."

"Several BP officers testified.  When someone is accused of something like this, they avoid you, they don't come up and testify.  My job is to try to SHOW you the truth.  My goal is not to abuse her (Mr. Phipp's Ex- wife), but to make her tell the truth and she was not able to do that.  How many times do you have to tell a lie until it becomes the truth?"

Judge Muñiz commended both attorneys in this case and stated that they both handled themselves with the utmost professionalism before allowing the jury back into the courtroom.

At 2:43 P.M. after two hours of deliberation the verdict was read by Judge Muñiz who found the defendant, Bryan Edward Phipps 'Not Guilty' as family members of the victim, many of whom came all the way from Utah, directed verbal remarks at the defendant on the way out of the courtroom.