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| The flag in the cotton field about a mile east of Roscoe. |
The flag itself, with seven white stars in a circle on a blue field next to three bars—red on top and bottom and white in the middle—was one that neither I nor others immediately recognized.
So, for a while none of us knew what it was for or what it represented. But then I got an e-mail a couple of days ago from a person I don’t know. Its subject heading was Cotton Field Flag, but it had no personal message—just an illustration of that same flag and some accompanying text explaining that it was the original flag of the Confederacy.
Then someone told me that the flagpole was in Tim Kerby’s field, so I phoned him to find out what the deal was. It turns out that he is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, an organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the soldiers of the Confederacy—and they are the ones who put up the flagpole.
The original flag of that design flew over Fort Sumter when the war broke out and was the Confederate flag until 1863—with more stars being added as more states joined the Confederacy. But it was largely replaced by the more familiar red flag with stars in an x pattern, the one popularly referred to as the “Stars and Bars” and more commonly thought of today as the Confederate flag.
The change was made so soldiers could more easily distinguish their flag from the Union flag during battles.
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DE LEON ROLLS OVER PLOWBOYS 38-6
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| Plowboys converge on De Leon ball carrier. |
The cards were stacked against the Plowboys before the game ever got underway with two team leaders, quarterback Luke Rovig and fullback/linebacker Landon Jones, watching from the sidelines, both out with injuries.
Even so, the game began on a depressing note as the Bearcats came out fired up and ready to play, blowing the Plowboys off the line and running through tackles to jump out to a quick 15-0 first-quarter lead.
The second quarter was the Plowboys’ best showing of the night as the offense found its passing game. Sophomore quarterback Cutter Davila showed a lot of promise with his ability to scramble, find, and hit his receivers, primarily Chris Deleon and Jesus Leanos. One Plowboy drive ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Davila to Deleon, and another saw the Plowboys move all the way down the field from their own 8 to deep in Bearcat territory before turning the ball over on downs.
The defense, aided by a recovered fumble and a couple of key penalties, regained its composure and held De Leon scoreless until the last play of the half, when the Bearcat kicker made a 38-yard field goal to make the halftime score 18-6.
The third quarter, however, marked by Plowboy miscues and poor tackling, was an unmitigated disaster. De Leon took over the game and cruised to a 38-6 lead.
The Bearcats sent in the subs for a scoreless fourth quarter, which was an afterthought for both teams. For the game, De Leon rolled up 471 rushing yards and had a 45-yard TD punt return.
Despite the lopsided loss, the Plowboys have something to build on with the emergence of their passing game. The line blocked well enough for the receivers to run their patterns and Davila to find them. Moreover, Davila is pretty accurate, and the primary receivers can get open and make the catches. Also, a couple of the new players, such as freshman Vincent Pantoja, showed some promise and should get better as the season progresses.
However, the defense has got to improve quickly if the Plowboys are going to be competitive. Both the first and third quarters were marked by lackluster and inept tackling.
Hopefully, they can make some needed corrections before Friday night when they take on Irion County in Mertzon. The Hornets are 1-0 after coming from behind to beat Roby 30-20 in the Mustang Bowl on Saturday.
Kickoff is at 7:30pm.
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NEW BED & BREAKFAST AND STORAGE UNITS GOING UP
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| The Plowboy Center on Broadway at Bois d'Arc Street. |
In front is what will be a 1400 square foot bed & breakfast, and behind it a fourteen-unit self-storage facility, two garages, and a 12’ x 40’ covered patio. The bed & breakfast will be fully furnished for short-term rentals, although Tom and Max say it will be a “Plowboy Bed & Breakfast,” where guests make their own bed and their own breakfast.
They also say the covered patio will be available to the city if needed during major downtown events, and the bed & breakfast can also be used as an extension to the Community Center.
They hope the facility will be finished in time for use during the Wind Festival on October 20. In the future they hope also to build a similar structure just to the west with either more self-storage units or three to four small apartments, depending upon need.
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ROSCOE SHOW PIG SALE SET FOR OCTOBER 20
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| Show pigs on display at last year's Nolan County Stock Show. |
The Sale Order Show will start at 1:00pm with Reggie Spencer of Colorado City as judge. The auction will begin at 7:00pm with opening bids set at $200.
The Roscoe FFA Chapter will run the concession stand.
The sale will be an excellent opportunity for anyone with kids who are planning to show pigs for the upcoming stock show year. For more information, consult the Roscoe Show Pig Sale Facebook page, or contact Allen Richburg at 325-236-5666 or Cullen Presley at 325-338-2457.
On Monday, October 8, there will also be the 21st Annual West Texas Rehab Benefit Pig Sale to raise money for the West Texas Rehab Center in Abilene. It will be held at 7:00pm in the Wylie FFA Barn. Breeders who would like to donate pigs to the sale should contact Allen Richburg at 325-236-5666 or Denny Heathcott at 325-754-5610. For more information, go to the West Texas Rehab Benefit Pig Sale Facebook page.
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WEATHER REPORT
It’s been sunny, hot, and dry without even a threat of precipitation. The highs Monday and yesterday reached 100°F. Lows were in the seventies.
The near outlook is for more of the same. Today’s high should be around 103°, tomorrow’s 101°, and Friday’s 102° with lows in the mid-seventies. On Friday night a norther is supposed to blow in, bringing a 20% chance of rain and taking nightly lows down into the sixties. Saturday and Sunday’s highs will be in only the eighties.
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† VELA HALL ALEXANDER EVANS
Vela Evans, 95, died Thursday, August 30, at Hendrick Hospice in Abilene. Graveside services were held on Sunday in Restland Cemetery in Gatesville.
Vela Hall was born January 26, 1917, in Coryell County and grew up near Crawford. After graduating from Crawford High, she went to Tarleton State and graduated in 1936. She married William Riley Alexander on April 18, 1937. They farmed in McLennan County before moving to Wastella in 1943. Mr. Alexander was killed in a farming accident in 1963.
From 1957 to 1968 she worked at Anthony’s in Sweetwater and the ASCS offices in Colorado City and Sweetwater. She was then Roscoe’s Postmaster until1974, when she married Herbert S. Evans. They lived in Friona, Marion, and New Braunfels. Mr. Evans died in June 1995, and in December of that year, she returned to Roscoe. In 2001, she moved to assisted living at Hoyt House in Sweetwater.
Survivors include two daughters, Elizabeth Ostlund of Sweetwater and Virginia Williams and husband Larry of Roscoe; one sister, Mrs. Edna Beth Beckelhymer and husband Roy of Austin; one brother, Halbert Weldon Hall and wife, Betty, of Bryan; two stepsons, Jim Evans of Yelapa, Mexico and Carl Evans of San Antonio, Texas; two stepdaughters, Elna Morton and husband Larry of Erie, PA, and Nancy Matz and husband Jack, of McKinney; four grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; six great-grandchildren; four step great-grandchildren; two nephews and eight nieces, including Mrs. Letha Boston of Roscoe and Rebecca Gracey of Albuquerque, NM.
Memorials may be given to favorite charities or Hendrick Hospice Care, 1682 Hickory Street Abilene, Texas, 79601. Online condolences may be expressed at www.mccoyfh.com.
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† JACKIE LEE FITTS
Jackie Lee Fitts, 77, passed away last Wednesday, August 29, at the Midland Hospice in Midland. Graveside services were held on Friday, August 31, at Sunset Memorial Gardens of Odessa.
He was born July 13, 1935, to Jack and Dorothy Fitts of Roscoe. He grew up here and graduated from Roscoe High in 1953. He then entered the Army and was stationed in Korea, Italy, and Germany over the next thirteen years, serving as a warrant officer in a missile battery. Upon discharge and return to west Texas, he worked for EDI and later became a partner in ESI Supply of Midland.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Richard Greg Fitts.
He is survived by his wife, Jan; his daughter, Sherrill Fitts Wells and husband Shane of Odessa; Jeff Freeman and wife Karen, Eric Freeman and wife Paula, of Odessa, and Leslie Parry of New Orleans; his sister, Kay Posey of Midland; seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Online condolences may be expressed by clicking here.
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