Happy Halloween!

Halloween is tomorrow evening, so remember to buy some trick-or-treat candy if you haven’t already done so, and keep in mind that kids will be trick-or-treating and walking the streets before and after sundown.  

For a scary Halloween greeting, click here.

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PLOWBOYS PUNISH PANTHERS 71-8

Max Nemir runs for good yardage in early action against Gorman.

What a difference a year makes.  This time last year the Gorman Panthers were having a good time putting the hurt on the Plowboys, leading at halftime 27-0 and cruising on to an easy 42-21 victory.  But now let’s fast forward to Friday evening for a little Plowboy payback.  

Gorman opened the scoring when their quarterback kept the ball on an option play and found clear sailing down the left sideline for a 47-yard touchdown run.  The extra-points attempt was successful, and the Panthers led 8-0.  The visitors’ side erupted in cheers and their band played the school’s celebration tune.  Little did they know that would be the last cheering they would do for the entire evening.

The Plowboys responded almost immediately.  On the first offensive series after the kickoff, Cutter Davila hit Jesus Leanos on a 69-yard scoring strike, the extra points were good, and the Plowboys had tied the game 8-8.  Later in the quarter, Davila found Rafael Aguayo for a 27-yard touchdown play.  Javier Leanos kicked the PAT, and the Plowboys led for the first time 15-8.  That was the score at the end of the quarter, and at the time it still looked like the game would be competitive.

That all changed in the second quarter, though, as the Plowboy defense stifled the Panthers, and the offense scored four unanswered touchdowns, two on passes and two on runs.  By halftime the score was 43-8, and for all practical purposes the game was over.  In the second half, the Plowboys added four more touchdowns to make the final score 71-8. 

For the game, Roscoe made 10 touchdowns and amassed 586 total yards on offense, 233 passing and 353 rushing. 

The Plowboys are now 4-4 on the year and 3-2 in district play.  Their next game will be considerably tougher than Gorman, though, as they face Hamlin at Plowboy Field Friday night.  The Pied Pipers are 7-1 on the year and 5-0 in district, their only loss coming to state-ranked Anson in their opening game.  Last week, they beat Cross Plains at home 35-7.

--o--

PLOWTECH WINS ROBOTICS COMPETITION IN SWEETWATER

Roscoe Plowtech 2013

Roscoe Plowtech, formerly the Plowbots, blew away the competition at the Big Country Hub BEST Robotics meet in Sweetwater last week.  Here are some of the awards they came away with:

1st place - Best all around
2nd place - Spirit
1st Place - Engineering Notebook
3rd Place - Marketing Presentation
1st Place - Exhibit and Interview
Most Robust Robot Design
Cleanest Design

They were competing with teams from these area high schools: ATEMS (Abilene), Blanket, Comanche, Gustine, Highland, Jim Ned, Potter’s Hand Christian (San Angelo), Rising Star, Robert Lee, and Sweetwater, as well as Sweetwater Middle School. 

Plowtech will next represent the Big Country Hub at the regional competition in Dallas.

--o--

SCADA SYSTEM FOR CITY WATER BEING INSTALLED

Workers have begun phase one of work on the water treatment plant.

Work has begun on the City’s water works upgrade with the installation on west Broadway of the new SCADA computerized system that will monitor and maintain consistent water pressure for the City water supply.

The SCADA installation is the first phase in the construction of the reverse-osmosis water-treatment plant and should be completed within the next two to three weeks.  Both it and the water-treatment plant will be in the City lot on west Broadway just north of Cedar Street.  The entire project is scheduled to be finished next August.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

I was hoping to be able to have a photo of the rain to go with this report since a 50% chance of precipitation was forecast for last night and today, but so far there’s been nothing but strong winds from the south and an unseasonably warm night last night.  We’re not giving up on the rain just yet, though, as forecasters are giving us a 50% chance for the rest of the day and a 40% chance tonight.

A norther will move in sometime tonight dropping temperatures about ten or fifteen degrees for the rest of the week.  From the eighty degree highs and upper sixty lows we’ve had the past couple of days, temperatures for the rest of the week will drop down to highs in the seventies and lows in the forties.

--o--

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Sunday will be that rare day with 25 hours that we unfortunately get only once a year.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have more?   At 2:00am, if you’re still up then, set your clocks back an hour, and you’ll be all set timewise for the next few months.  

We’ll all have to get used to the sun coming up and going down an hour earlier, however.

--o--

West Texas Wind Festival Enjoyed by All

The view from Memorial Park on Saturday afternoon.

Local folks and visitors from surrounding communities gathered in Roscoe Saturday to take part in the seventh annual West Texas Wind Festival, and on a beautiful fall day everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  From the morning’s Roscoe Elementary “Run with the Wind” one-mile and 5K runs to the fireworks show downtown that night, there was plenty to see and do. 

The area around the Community Center and the firehouse was filled with RVs and the barbecue pits of teams vying for the $1500 grand prize for the best steak in the “BBQ in the Wind” Cookoff.  At George Parks Field, spectators came to watch souped-up mud vehicles of various shapes and sizes plow through the squishy blackland mud.  At the FFA Ag Barn, sellers and buyers converged at the annual Roscoe Pig Sale, and downtown, strollers checked out the various wares sold by the street vendors, while kids played in the bounce houses and on the other inflatables. 

 
(Click the play button to view video. Click the box in lower right-hand corner to view full screen.)

The free concert and street dance started at six with the music of Rance Norton and his Cadillac Cowboys, and they were followed by country music star Moe Bandy and his Americana band, who put on a great show for a large crowd.  

The events of the evening concluded with another of Robert McBride’s firework shows, and many of those not ready to go home yet walked over to the Lumberyard, where Lyndall Underwood and the Dusty Creek Band performed on the outdoor stage. 

Thanks are due, once again, to the organizers of the event, whose hard work and careful planning produced another memorable time for all.

--o--

Roscoe Elementary “Run with the Wind”

Runners set out on the 5K run.

The top three finishers in the One-Mile Fun Run received medals, as did the top three finishers in the 5K categories.  The top male and female finishers in the 5K runs received gift cards from Tractor Supply in Sweetwater and the Wildflower Boutique in Roscoe.

Event organizers wish to thank Tractor Supply, the Wildflower Boutique, and Paul and Verla Johnson for their generous contributions.

One-Mile Fun Run (10 and under)
    1. Levi Spencer
    2. Sam Wilson
    3. Katie Wilson

5K “Run with the Wind”
   
        Kids (13 and under)
    1. Jaden Gonzales
    2. Tyler Guelker
    3. Phillip Peyton
   
        Adults (14 and over)
    1. Andy Wilson
    2. Casey Wetsel
    3. Craig Guelker
   
        Top Female – Tamara Alexander

 
"BBQ in the Wind" Cookoff

Cooks at work on Saturday morning.

The Regulators were the big winners in this year’s “BBQ in the Wind” Cookoff sponsored by the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department.  They came in first in the 16 oz. ribeye steak competition and walked away with the $1500 grand prize, donated by Fuller Foods of Colorado City. 

Here are the top three winners in each category along with the amount of their prizes:

Steak
        1. The Regulators - $1500
        2. Backyard Cookers - $500
        3. Two Peas in a Pod - $250

Ribs
        1. Two Peas in a Pod - $500
        2. Brew N Q - $300
        3. Son of a Dink - $150

Chicken
        1. Spook’s BS BBQ - $150
        2. Two Guns BBQ - $100
        3. Backyard Grilling - $75


Plowboy Mudbog

Abel Alvarez of Colorado City, driving "River Rat," was the only contestant to make it all the way through the mudbog without bogging down.

You couldn’t have asked for better weather for the Plowboy Mudbog at George Parks Field on Saturday. 
 
Here are the winners for each of the classes (only first names were given on some entry forms):

Street
        1.    Shane, Big Spring
        2.    Fletch, Colorado City
        3.    David Pantoja, Roscoe

Modified
        1.    Caleb Dean, Roscoe
        2.    Lon Rhoudes, Big Spring
        3.    Shannon Mollette, Rotan

Super Modified
        1.    Josh Sorrells, Snyder
        2.    Art Rivera, Colorado City
        3.    Pam Alvarez, Colorado City

Open
        1.    Abel Alvarez, Colorado City

--o--

PLOWBOYS DOWN RANGER 46-36

On a cold, rainy Friday night in Ranger, the Plowboys fell behind early but made up for it with a strong second half and won going away 46-36.

The Bulldogs drew first blood when they intercepted a Cutter Davila pass and ran it back 24 yards.  The extra points were good, and they were up 8-0.  They then quickly followed with another TD on a 12-yard run, made the extra points, and the score was 16-0 Ranger.  The Plowboys got on the board when Davila hit Max Nemir for a 7-yard touchdown pass.  Then Davila scored on a 27-yard scamper.  Neither extra point try was good for the Plowboys, however, and the first quarter ended with them down, 16-12.

Ranger went ahead 22-12 early in the second quarter, but the Plowboys responded with a 4-yard Davila pass to Shelton Toliver.  Again the Roscoe PAT failed, and the score was 22-18 until Ranger scored again to go ahead 30-18.  Then Davila hit Toliver with another 4-yarder, which ended the scoring for the quarter.  At halftime the Plowboys were down 30-24.

Roscoe came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter, though, as they scored three touchdowns, and the defense held the Bulldogs scoreless.  The first Plowboy TD was a Kevin Lavalais 8-yard run.  The next two were Davila passes to Toliver, one for 33 yards and the other for 30.  The Plowboys were now ahead 46-30.

Ranger scored again in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late, as the Plowboys won 46-36.

For the evening Davila passed for 287 yards with 14 completions of 25 passes and one interception.  Toliver was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 104 yards and 4 TDs. Rafael Aguayo had 4 catches for 131 yards, Nemir had 2 receptions for 22 yards and one TD, and Lavalais had one catch for 8 yards.
Nemir led the Plowboy rushers with 101 yards on 15 carries, Davila had 63 on 16 carries, and Aguayo had 36 on 6 carries. 

Roscoe is now 3-4 on the year and 2-2 in district play.  Next up is Gorman at Plowboy Field Friday night.  The Panthers, who are coming off a 60-0 loss against Hamlin, are 1-6 on the year and 1-3 in district.

--o--

PLOWGIRLS ARE DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPS

Regional qualifiers: Whitney Williams (Sr), Alyssa Chavez (Fr), Karina Cisneros (Fr), Braiden Moore (Fr), Samantha Ortega (Jr), Lyndi Wilkinson (Fr), Alejandra Solis (So), and Olivia Saddler (Jr).  (Photo courtesy of Misty Guelker.)

The Roscoe Plowgirls’ Cross Country team won the district meet in Eula on Monday and will compete in the Regional Meet in Grand Prairie next Saturday, November 2.

Three Plowgirls also won individual medals at Eula.  They were Lyndi Wilkinson, who came in second with a time of 13:08; Karina Cisneros, who was third at 13:14; and Alejandra Solis, who was sixth at 13:30.

One Plowboy, Braiden Moore, also qualified for Regional by coming in fourth.

In JV competition, Plowboys Adam Pope finished first and Jetly Hobdy second.

--o--

ROSCOE POST OFFICE WILL CUT TO SIX HOURS PER WEEKDAY

USPS District Manager Ernest T. Brown addresses concerns at the community meeting on Wednesday.

At the community meeting held at the RCHS Cafetorium last Wednesday afternoon, the Operations Manager of the Fort Worth District, Ernest T. Brown, confirmed that Roscoe is in no danger of losing its Post Office.  However, service hours will be cut from the current 6½ to 6 per day M-F sometime in the near future.  Just when those 6 hours will be has not yet been determined.  Customers with specific requests regarding open times should let them be known to acting Postmaster Linda Kubala.

Brown explained the cut by giving the recent history of the US Postal Service, its mandate from Congress, its requirements to be self-supporting—including retirement funding, and its recent losses in volume because of e-mail, direct billing and payments, and other technological advances.  These losses require cost-cutting measures, including a 3¢ increase in the cost of stamps for first-class mail, the cessation of Saturday mail delivery, postal plant consolidations, decreases in open service hours, and closings of low-volume post offices. 

Evaluations of post offices are made every February, Brown said, and depending on volume are considered full-time, 6-hour, 4-hour, or 2-hour post offices.  He advised local citizens to use their own post office for mailings and purchases since all evaluations are based on volume.  He said on-line purchases can be credited to the 79545 zip code rather than the default setting if customers just take the trouble to make the change.

In advance of the meeting, the Postal Service sent out 802 surveys to the Roscoe zip code and received 187 responses.

--o--

PLOWTECH TO COMPETE IN BIG COUNTRY ROBOTICS MEET IN SWEETWATER

The RCHS robotics team, formerly the Plowbots but now known as Plowtech, will be competing in the 2013 Big Country BEST Robotics Competition to be held this Saturday, October 26, in Sweetwater.  The game this year, entitled “Gatekeeper,” centers around three different areas, all leading up to the creation of a CPU (Central Processing Unit). 

Plowtech will be competing with teams from the following high schools: ATEMS (Abilene), Blanket, Comanche, Gustine, Highland, Jim Ned, Potter’s Hand Christian (San Angelo), Rising Star, Robert Lee, and Sweetwater, as well as Sweetwater Middle School.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

Friday afternoon was beautiful and sunny until a norther blew in that afternoon bringing 35mph winds with gusts up to 41mph.  The temperature dropped sharply, going from about 75°F down to 60° in the space of about an hour or so.  On Saturday, the wind had abated, but the weather was cooler with a light frost at sunrise and a temperature of 34°. 

The weather warmed up as the day went on, and it was nice to be outside for the 5K run, the Plowboy Mudbog, and the other outdoor events of the Wind Festival, although it was a bit chilly that evening at the free concert and street dance downtown.

Since then, the sunny skies have continued.  It warmed up to 78° on Sunday, but another front moved through, and Monday’s high was only 66°.  Yesterday was back to 73° for the high with 44° for the low.

Today should be similar, as should the rest of the week.  Highs will be in the seventies and lows around fifty.  Friday and Saturday will also have a 20% chance of precipitation.

--o--

West Texas Wind Festival on Saturday

Moe Bandy is the headliner for this year's Wind Festival.

Plans are being finalized for the seventh annual West Texas Wind Festival, and organizers are expecting a large crowd, especially for the free concert and the fireworks show.  As usual, the downtown streets will be lined with vendors all afternoon and evening, and kids’ bounce houses and inflatables will be in the park.

The Plowboy Mudbog will be going on at the baseball field in the afternoon, and the annual Roscoe Pig Sale will be in progress at the FFA Ag barn. 

Music for the free concert and street dance will begin downtown at six with Rance Norton and the Cadillac Cowboys, who were impressive when they opened for Mel Tillis at the Lumberyard recently.  Norton’s two CDs, True Country and Here We Go Again are filled with traditional country music.  As Norton says, “If it doesn’t have a fiddle or steel guitar, it isn’t country music.”

They will be followed about 8:15pm by country music legend Moe Bandy, who’s been producing hits since the 1970s. His first hit, “I Just Started Hating Cheatin’ Songs Today,” was followed by several others: “Bandy the Rodeo Clown,” “Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life,” “Here I Am Drunk Again,” “Cowboys Ain’t Supposed to Cry,” “It’s a Cheating Situation,” “I Cheated Me Right Out of You,” “Americana,” and others. 

A former bull rider, both Moe and his brother Mike Bandy are members of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.

The fireworks show will follow Bandy’s performance at about 9:45 and conclude this year’s Wind Festival, although those who aren’t ready to go home yet can move over to the Lumberyard, where Lyndall Underwood and the Dusty Creek Band will play until midnight.  There will be no cover charge.

Here are the events of the day:

Roscoe Elementary “Run with the Wind” One-Mile and 5K Runs

9:00am – Registration begins at the RCHS Special Events Center. Entry fee for the mile run is $15 and for the 5K run $25. Those who pre-register by today, October 16, can be sure of an included t-shirt.     
 
10:00am – The One-Mile Fun Run begins.
 
10:30am – The 5K Run begins. Prizes will be awarded to the first-place male and first-place female with medals for the top three places of two groups: runners under 14 and runners 14 and over.

BBQing in the Wind Cookoff around the Fire House and Community Center.

First Place Steak Prize: $1500 from Fuller Foods, Colorado City

Categories:
16 oz. Ribeye Steak
Pork Spare Ribs
Half Chicken

Schedule:
6:00pm (Friday)  – Setup begins
8:00am (Saturday)  – Meat inspection begins
10:00am – Cooks’ meeting
3:00pm – Chicken turn in
4:00pm – Ribeye steak turn in
5:00pm – Pork ribs turn in
7:45pm – Announcement of winners

Contestants must enter all three events.  Cost for all three is $120. 

All proceeds go to the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department.  For more information, contact Gary Armstrong at 325-235-4110.

Plowboy Mudbog at George Parks Field

9:30am – Driver registration begins
11:00am – Public gate opens
12:00 noon – First run begins
 
Kids 8 and under – Free; Ages 9 to 14 – $2; Ages 15 & up $5.  All proceeds benefit the Roscoe Little League.
 
Roscoe Pig Sale at the FFA Ag Barn on 12800 N I-20

12:00 noon – Show and sift for sale order
1:30pm – Auction begins. Auctioneer is Brodie Harris.

Approximately 100 July and August show barrows and gilts offered.  They are just right for local, county, and state shows held from December to March.  Most will be certified Texas bred.  Sellers include Mund, West Texas Genetics, Lazy Oaks Genetics and Raising Kaine.

There will be a concession stand serving brisket sandwiches and drinks. All proceeds of the sale go to the Roscoe FFA.

Free Concert and Street Dance downtown "on the bricks"

6:00pm – Rance Norton and the Cadillac Cowboys
7:45pm – Announcements of Cookoff and Mudbog winners and giveaways
8:15pm – Moe Bandy and Band

Fireworks Show – 9:45pm

--o--

STATE-RANKED ALBANY TOO MUCH FOR PLOWBOYS, 44-0

Kevin Lavalais catches a pass in early action against Albany.

The Plowboys made some good plays and hung tough against a bigger, more experienced opponent Friday evening, but the game was never really in doubt as the undefeated, state-ranked Albany Lions (No. 9 in Class A, No. 3 in Class A, Division II) rolled over the Plowboys, 44-0.

The game started on a bad note as the Plowboys received the kickoff and then fumbled on the first play from scrimmage.  The Lions recovered on the Plowboy 29 and on their first offensive play ran it in for a touchdown.  The extra point was good, and before a lot of fans had even found a seat, the Plowboys were behind 7-0.  To the Plowboys’ credit, they kept the Lions from scoring again for the rest of the first quarter.

The second quarter was a different story, though, as the Lions scored three touchdowns and on the last play before the half kicked a field goal to make the score 30-0.

They then scored a touchdown in both the third and fourth quarters to make the final score 44-0.

Rafael Aguayo led the Plowboy rushing for the evening with 36 yards on 2 rushes.  Cutter Davila completed 17 of 29 passes for 100 yards with 1 interception.  Shelton Toliver caught 6 passes for 44 yards, Javier Leanos caught 4 for 29, and Kevin Lavalais had 5 for 23.

The Plowboys are now 2-4 on the year and 1-2 in district play.  This Friday they play Ranger in Ranger.  The Bulldogs are 1-5 on the year and 0-3 in district.  They lost to Gorman in Gorman last week 36-30.

--o--

ALBANY JV TOPS PLOWBOY JV 42-34

In a high scoring affair in Albany last Thursday evening, the Albany JV came out on top, 42-34.  The Lions opened the scoring with a touchdown and extra points, but the Plowboys came back and tied it up 8-8, which is how the first quarter ended.  In the second, both teams scored again, but neither converted the extra points, and at halftime the score was 14-14. 

In the third quarter, Albany scored three touchdowns to Roscoe’s one making it 36-20.  In the fourth, the Plowboys had two TDs to Albany’s one, making the final score 42-34.

Tomorrow evening, the Plowboy JV will take on the Ranger JV at Plowboy Field.  Kickoff is at 6:30.

--o--

POST OFFICE COMMUNITY MEETING TODAY AT 3:00PM

The community meeting regarding the fate of the Roscoe Post Office will be today at the Roscoe School Cafetorium at 3:00pm. 

Results of the recent surveys sent out to everyone in the Roscoe postal area will be shared, questions answered, and additional information provided.  Unless survey results show that people prefer otherwise, the Roscoe Post Office will be maintained with weekday hours for window service cut from 6½ hours to 6 per day.

--o--

CENTRAL ROLLING PLAINS CO-OP HOSTS OPEN HOUSE AT GIN

Larry Black introduces "The Hydrologists of Roscoe," a group of 6th graders who recently won a research project competition.

The Central Rolling Plains Co-op held its annual open house last Wednesday with a hamburger lunch at the gin northwest of town.  Gin Manager Larry Black gave a short address to the members present and updated them on recent developments regarding the gin, and a couple of student presentations followed.

Members also wrote down their guesses for the number of cotton bales to be ginned this year, and a $100 prize awaits the person who gets the closest without going over.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT: RAIN

We got a nice rain on Sunday evening.  It started about five o’clock and fell until about one early Monday morning.  I had 1.9” in my rain gauge for Sunday and .1” for that one hour on Monday, making a total of two inches even.  A couple of times the rain just came pouring down, but most of the time it was light and easy. 

Skies were overcast and grey Sunday, Monday, and yesterday, as the rain preceded a cold front.  Temperatures have dropped, and I had to turn on the heat and put on an extra blanket last night for the first time since spring.  Highs since Sunday have been in the mid to low seventies, and last night’s low was 47°F.  It also rained some more yesterday, mostly drizzle.  I had .3”, bringing the total to 2.3” since the rain began on Sunday. 

The predicted high for today is only 55° and the low tonight 45° with continued cloudy skies.  Tomorrow should be partly cloudy and warmer with afternoon temperatures into the mid sixties.  The outlook for Friday and Saturday is for partly cloudy skies with highs in the upper sixties, which should be just fine for the Wind Festival—although you may need a jacket or sweater if you stick around for the fireworks.  The low that night will be in the upper forties.

--o--

REDNECK FUN


(Click image to activate video.)

Recent rains filled the bar ditch near the cotton gin west of town, and Jeremy Baker and Travis Williams decided to do some wakeboarding in it with Jeremy's wife, Eden, pulling them with a rope from a four wheeler just like a boat would on a lake.


--o--

City Council Approves $1,040,000 Bond for Sewer Line Upgrade

Cody Thompson discusses sewer upgrade with City Council.

At its monthly meeting last night, the City Council approved the issuance of a $1,040,000 bond to upgrade the City water and sewer lines, primarily in the south Roscoe neighborhood north of I-20.  The old lines, most of them over 60 years old, are in bad shape, broken in some places, and clogged with tree roots in others.  The old shallow six-inch lines will be replaced with new eight-inch ones, and 37 new manholes will be created for ease of maintenance and repair. 

As required by law, the Council also resolved to publish public notice on October 7 and 11 of the intention to issue the $1,040,000 bond. Additionally, they officially expressed their intent to reimburse the costs of the project.

The plan for the Stone Tower RV Park at Young Farm Estates. (Click to enlarge.)

The Council also approved the plat for a new five-acre RV park at Young Farm Estates.  It will be located just east of FM 608 in north Roscoe in the area next to the new road near the old circular stone tower.   Known as the Stone Tower RV Park, it is a project of 2LM Enterprises and will have spaces for 54 RVs.  It will have city water and sewer as well as a permanent 8’ fence surrounding it as required by city ordinance.  It will also follow city ordinances regarding street widths and spacing between RVs. 

City Manager Cody Thompson addressed complaints from Rex Hirt, Jason Freeman, and James Cleckler concerning the overgrowth of weeds and debris at the new sewer farm southeast of town.  Thompson explained that the City recently cleaned up the area to allay their concerns.

Thompson also informed the Council that the general contractor, Associated Construction Partners of Boerne, expects to be onsite next week to begin work on Phase 1 of the new water treatment plant project.  Initially, they will remove the old well-head slabs, make piping modifications, and get their under-slab conduits in place in preparation for installation of the new computerized SCADA system that will monitor and regulate the City water flow. 

--o--

EVENTS SCHEDULE SET FOR WEST TEXAS WIND FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 19

Moe Bandy is the featured singer at the Wind Festival.

Preparations are underway for the seventh annual West Texas Wind Festival, to be held next Saturday, October 19.  As usual, the downtown streets will be lined with street vendors, and bounce houses and other inflatables for the kids will be in the park.   

The day will begin with the Roscoe Elementary “Run with the Wind” 5K run.  This year will also feature a one-mile run around the school.  Registration for both events starts at 9:00am.  The entry fee for the 5K run is $25, and for the mile run, $15.

The fourth annual “BBQing in the Wind” steak cookoff will also begin Saturday morning, starting with the meat inspection at 8:00am.  The cooks’ meeting will be at 10:00, and the turn-in times for chicken, rib eye steak, and ribs will be at 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00pm respectively.  Entry fee for all three events is $120, and the prize for the winning steak will be $1500 from sponsor Fuller Foods of Colorado City.  For more information, contact Gary Armstrong at 325-235-4110.

The Plowboy Mudbog will once again be at the baseball field with registration beginning at 10am and the first run at noon.

The free concert and street dance “on the bricks” will begin at 6:00pm with the up-and-coming group Rance Norton and the Cadillac Cowboys.  They impressed everyone with their musical skills recently when they opened for Mel Tillis at the Lumberyard.

Then at 8:30pm, country music legend Moe Bandy and band will take the stage.  This will be his first appearance in Roscoe and should be a performance you don’t want to miss.

The evening will then be capped off by the fireworks show, which begins at 9:30pm.

The festival will have something for everyone, so make plans now to attend.  More details will follow in next week’s Hard Times.  For more information, contact Roscoe City Hall at 325-766-3871.

--o--

SECOND HALF COLLAPSE KILLS PLOWBOYS AT CROSS PLAINS 56-31

Cutter Davila calls a play in Buffalo territory.

It was a tale of two halves at Cross Plains Friday night.  The first half decisively belonged to the Plowboys as they fought their way to a 31-14 lead with their passing game and a strong defense.  Unfortunately, the second half belonged even more decisively to the Buffaloes as they scored 42 unanswered points and won going away, 56-31. 

The game started well for the Plowboys as they stopped the Buffaloes on downs and drove down for a score with Max Nemir going over from the one.  Cross Plains came back, though, with a 59-yard touchdown pass, tying the score at 7-7, which was how the first quarter ended.

In the second quarter, the Plowboys had the Buffaloes on their heels, scoring four touchdowns to Cross Plains’ one.  First, Cutter Davila passed to Shelton Toliver for a 61-yard touchdown.  Then, Nemir scored the next two touchdowns, the first on a 5-yard pass from Davila and the second on another 1-yard run.  Cross Plains responded with a 75-yard TD run before Roscoe closed out the scoring for the quarter on a 10-yard pass from Davila to Toliver.  The Plowboys failed to make the extra points on any of the touchdowns, though, and the halftime score was 31-14.

The Plowboys received the second half kickoff and moved into Buffalo territory, but were stopped on a couple of incomplete passes to Toliver.  The Buffalo defender was all over him both times, but for some reason the referees failed to call pass interference.  Cross Plains took over and almost immediately scored on a 75-yard pass from Stephenson to Branch.  That shifted the momentum, and Cross Plains got on a roll that the Plowboys were unable to stop.  They went on to score three more touchdowns in the quarter and got two more in the fourth to make the final score 56-31.

Big plays killed the Plowboys all night.  Cross Plains completed only 3 passes the entire game, but all three went for long touchdowns, the first for 59 yards, the second for 75, and the third for 79.  They also had touchdown runs of 75, 64, 22, and 19 yards, along with a 38-yard interception return.

Roscoe was also hurt by their lack of a running game, totaling only 3 yards on 18 carries.  Cross Plains made some halftime adjustments that worked out in their favor, and, as they were a bigger team, they also wore the Plowboys down as the game went on.

The Plowboys are now 1-1 in district and 2-3 on the year.  Their next opponent is Albany at Plowboy Field on Friday night.  The Lions are the district powerhouse.  They are currently 5-0 on the year and 2-0 in district, averaging 48 points per game to their opponents’ 7.

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PLOWBOY JV BEATS CROSS PLAINS JV 38-0 — AGAIN

On Thursday evening, the Plowboys Junior Varsity team performed a feat rarely achieved in modern-day football.  They beat the same team by the same score for the second week in a row.  And the score wasn’t something simple like 7-0 or 7-6.  No, it was 38-0.  What are the odds of that happening?

Just to play the same team two weeks in a row is a rarity these days.  The circumstance came about because the Plowboys’ scheduled game with Baird the previous Thursday fell through, and the Cross Plains JV agreed to take them on.  So, the Plowboys JV traveled to Cross Plains and beat them there 38-0, as reported in last week’s Hard Times.

Then, this past Thursday, they took on the Cross Plains JV at Plowboy Field in the two teams’ regularly scheduled game, and once again the Plowboys JV won by the same score, 38-0.

Juan Sanchez opened the scoring for the Plowboys on a 2-yard run.  He then caught a pass from Brayden Beal for the conversion, putting Roscoe up 8-0.  Later in the quarter, Sanchez scored again, this time on a 5-yard run.  The conversion was no good, and the score at the end of the first quarter was 14-0.

Beal scored on a 28-yard run in the second quarter, followed by Johnathon Cuellar’s 3-yard run and 2-point conversion.  Then, Austin Willman forced a safety for the Plowboys, making the halftime score 30-0.

In the third quarter, Sanchez scored again from 5 yards out and also ran for the conversion, and the Plowboys were up 38-0.  There was no scoring in the final quarter.

Next opponent for the Plowboys JV is the Albany JV in Albany tomorrow evening.  Kickoff is at 6:30.

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WEATHER REPORT

Even though we don’t get the spectacular colors from the trees like they do up north, fall is definitely with us now.  Days are getting shorter, and nights and early mornings have cooled down into the fifties, while  afternoon temperatures are more bearable than they were just a couple of weeks ago.

Last Friday’s summerlike high of 88°F and low of 68° cooled down to Saturday’s 76° and 54° respectively as a front moved through.  Sunday’s high was also 76° and the low was 49°, the first time since last spring that we’ve had any temperatures in the forties.  A warming trend followed with Monday’s high of 80° and yesterday’s 82° with lows for both days at 55°.

Today should see an afternoon high of around 84° with a low tonight of around 58°.  Tomorrow and Friday should have similar temperatures, and so should the weekend, although Saturday, Sunday, and Monday will also bring a 20% chance of precipitation. 

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Good Times at Homecoming 2013

The gym was packed for Friday's pep rally.

RHS alumni came from far and wide last weekend to take part in this year’s homecoming, the first since 2010.  Crowds for all the announced events were large and enthusiastic, and lots of renewed community and school spirit were evident as the weekend progressed. 

A bonfire in north Roscoe on Thursday evening kicked off the festivities.  Cheerleaders and the Plowboy Band were on hand, and Army Sergeant Donald Kimbrell gave a pep talk to the football team as the blaze roared.

Plowboy cheerleaders at the bonfire.

The Exes’ Reception filled the AVID Room at the high school on Friday afternoon, followed by a loud and boisterous pep rally in the gymnasium of the Special Events Center.  Then, a baked potato supper in the school cafetorium preceded the football game.

The stands and sidelines were packed at Plowboy Field, and the players responded, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back as they put on a powerful passing show to beat the Baird Bears 47-6.

Football Beau Jesus Leanos and Football Sweetheart Whitney Williams. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Nevins.)

The Homecoming Court was held at halftime, and Whitney Williams was crowned Football Sweetheart and Jesus Leanos Football Beau.  Band Sweetheart was Danielle Dean and Band Beau was Antonio Gallegos.

Band Beau Antonio Gallegos and Band Sweetheart Danielle Dean. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Nevins)

After the game, some went for coffee and visits in the cafetorium while others went downtown to hear exes’ bands play the dance at the Lumberyard.  Chris Baker started the show, followed by Leslie Huff of the band Duck Soup and his classmates Billie Joe Jay, Kenny Zimmerman, and Gordon Miles.  Lyndall Underwood of the Dusty Creek Band capped off the evening.

Gordon Miles and Leslie Huff at the Lumberyard Friday night.

Despite the rain, the “Meet & Greet” on Saturday morning was well attended.  Coffee and donuts were served as exes shared memories and caught up on current situations with old classmates and acquaintances.  The Plowbots, Roscoe’s robotics team, put on a demonstration, and prizes donated by local merchants were awarded to lucky winners.

The Ratliff Library dedication on Saturday morning.

A large crowd was on hand in the Elementary School for the Ratliff Library dedication to honor the late Verlia Ratliff, who was the librarian there from 1967 to 1995.  Several ex-students and family members spoke of how they were inspired by her and by her husband, Charles, both of them ardent and faithful Plowboy fans.    

Outside it rained until about eleven o’clock, causing the only damper of the day when the Homecoming Parade was called off.  The decision turned out to be unfortunate as the sky cleared up later, and by what would have been parade line-up time the sun broke through to stay for the rest of the afternoon.

Nineteen ex-Plowgirls and eleven ex-Plowboys played in the Exes’ Basketball game in the Special Events Center later that afternoon.  Each team was co-ed with boys against boys one quarter and girls against girls the next, and the Purple team wound up victorious over the White.

Individual class reunions were held in various locations on Saturday afternoon and evening, and there was another general gathering at the Lumberyard Saturday night.  Once again, there was a large crowd, and music was supplied by exes and exes’ bands, beginning with an open mike session, followed by Whiskey Flats and then the Blackland Bullet Company.  Exes attending the Lumberyard events were asked to donate $10 each to the Homecoming Scholarship Fund, and approximately $4000 was raised for the two nights.

All things considered, this had to be one of the best homecomings ever, and the Homecoming Committee, led by Katie Heaps, deserves our thanks for organizing and putting on such a successful event.  

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YOUNG FARM ESTATES HAS GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY
 

Carl Childers speaks at the Young Farm Estates groundbreaking.

A large crowd was on hand yesterday evening to witness and take part in the festivities surrounding the official groundbreaking of the Young Farm Estates.  Located in north Roscoe, the proposed subdivision will be the first major development in Nolan County in over forty years.

The RCHS Plowboy Band was there, and so were the Plowboy cheerleaders and flag team, along with several local dignitaries from Roscoe and Sweetwater.  Owner and developer Carl Childers spoke of his family ties to Roscoe, followed by words of support from Roscoe Mayor Pete Porter, City Manager Cody Thompson, and Director of Sweetwater Economic Development Ken Becker.  Also participating in the ceremony were the Roscoe City Council, the RISD School Board, and the downtown Roscoe merchants and businessmen. 

After the ceremony, a hot dog supper was served with chips and cold drinks.  Kelly Etheredge was the organizer and MC of the event.

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PLOWBOYS PLEASE LARGE HOMECOMING CROWD, ROLL OVER BAIRD 47-6

Kevin Lavalais (19) catches a Cutter Davila pass.

Following a rousing pep talk from Plowboy Ex Donald Kimbrell at the bonfire Thursday evening, the Plowboys apparently took his words to heart in defeating Baird 47-6 in their first district contest Friday night in a game that was never close after the first few minutes. 

Although the victory turned out to be an easy one, the Plowboys paid a high price for it.  Vincent Pantoja, Roscoe’s leading rusher and a major force on defense, broke his collarbone in the third quarter and will be out for an estimated six weeks, and Jesus Leanos, one of the leading receivers, suffered a high ankle sprain in the second quarter.  His return will be assessed on a week-to-week basis.

Baird opened by methodically driving the ball down the field deep into Plowboy territory before turning the ball over on downs.  That first drive was the high point of the evening for the Bears, however, as they were unable to defend against the Plowboy passing attack.  The Plowboys responded quickly with several completed passes, and Vincent Pantoja ran the ball in from the two for the first touchdown of the evening and a 6-0 lead.

The Plowboys scored twice more in the first quarter, once on a 37-yard Cutter Davila pass to Jesus Leanos and once on a 29-yard Davila pass to Shelton Toliver on a fourth and ten.  At the end of the first quarter Roscoe was up 21-0.

The Plowboys were never seriously challenged after that.  In the second quarter, Davila threw two more touchdown passes to Toliver, the first for 27 yards and the second for 42.  At halftime the score was 35-0, and for all practical purposes the game was over.

Roscoe opened the third quarter with another touchdown on a 12-yard Pantoja run.  The Bears answered with their first score of the evening to make it 41-7.  Then Max Nemir closed out the scoring for the Plowboys with a 40-yard run in the fourth quarter.

For the evening Baird actually had more first downs than the Plowboys with 24 to Roscoe’s 17.  They also led in rushing statistics with 222 yards to Roscoe’s 209.  But the big difference was in the passing yardage with Davila racking up 297 yards while completing 23 of 39 passes with no interceptions.  Baird had only 19 yards, completing 2 of 10 attempts and 1 interception.

Pantoja led the Plowboys in rushing with 85 yards on 6 carries.  Davila had 56 on 8 carries and Nemir 56 on 6 carries.  Toliver led in receiving yardage with 139 on 6 catches, while Leanos had 61 on 3 and Kevin Lavalais 34 on 3.

The Plowboys' next opponent is Cross Plains in Cross Plains on Friday night.  Like the Plowboys, the Buffaloes are 2-2 on the year and 1-0 in district.  They are on a two-game winning streak after beating the Abilene Ravens 34-0 and Gorman Panthers 47-13.  

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US 84 OVERPASS AT “DESTRUCTION JUNCTION” FINALLY RE-OPENS

Traffic is once again using the US 84 overpass east of town.

It’s been a year now since a truck slammed into the supporting columns of the US 84 overpass at “Destruction Junction,” where US 84 and I-20 merge.  As a result, the structure suffered permanent damage, and a year of detours of heavy traffic through Roscoe was the result.  Finally, though, the bridge repair was completed last weekend, and US 84 traffic now is once again going over the overpass and onto I-20 east.

The reparations, however, do not mean that the junction is any safer—it isn’t, as can be demonstrated by the fact that there have been three wrecks there in the past month.  Although architects spent some time on the project, TxDOT (the Texas Department of Transportation) determined that it would be too expensive to make major changes, so with minor improvements “Destruction Junction” is essentially the same as it always was.

Additionally, the heavy truck traffic that detoured through Roscoe on Business US 84 for the past year has seriously damaged Cypress Street between the railroad tracks and the stop sign on Broadway.  I am told that the State will repair the damage—as it should.

In any case, it’s nice that the detours are history—although the owners of Stripes might disagree—and the overpass is functional once again.  Remember, though, that the area around that underpass is still dangerous, especially in rainy conditions, and take proper precautions when driving there.

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PLOWBOY JV TROUNCES CROSS PLAINS JV 38-0

The Plowboy JV took the Cross Plains JV to the woodshed Thursday evening in Cross Plains, winning handily 38-0.

After a scoreless first quarter, Brayden Beal threw a two-yard TD pass to Isaiah Gonzales, and Juan Sanchez ran for a 2-point conversion, putting the Plowboys up 8-0.  Later in the quarter, Beal hit Braiden Moore with a 17-yard touchdown pass, and Sanchez again ran for the extra points, and the Plowboys were ahead 16-0.

In the third quarter, Sanchez scored on a 13-yard run and made the extra points on a pass from Beal.  Then, A. J. Renteria blocked a Buffalo punt, and Beal picked up the loose ball and returned it 38 yards for another Plowboy TD.  Johnathon Cuellar ran for the extra points, and the score was 32-0.

Then in the final quarter, Cuellar broke free for a 48-yard touchdown run.  The extra-point try was no good, making the final score 38-0. 

The Plowboy JV will play Cross Plains JV again tomorrow, this time in Roscoe.  Kickoff is at 6:30pm.

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COMMUNITY CENTER HOSTS FREE MOVIES SATURDAY EVENING

There will be free movies at the Roscoe Community Center Saturday evening starting at 5:30pm.  First up is a scary double feature for the kids: Friday Night Frights followed by Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love?  Total time for both movies is an hour and a half.

Then, starting at approximately 7:15, the main feature of the evening will be Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, starring Benjamin Walker and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  A youtube preview of the movie may be accessed by clicking here.

Admission is free, but bring money if you want something from the concession.  Possibilities include drinks, candy, and hot dogs.  For more information, contact Roscoe Police Chief Felix Pantoja at 325-514-8384.

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WEATHER REPORT: RAIN

2.25 inches of rain fell in Roscoe Saturday morning.

Thunder and lightning woke me up—and I’m sure many others—about 5:00am early Saturday morning as a front moved through, bringing in a rain that was initially heavy but slowly tapered off to a light rain that fell until about eleven or so.  My rain gauge in the middle of town recorded 2.26 inches, and Kenny Landfried on the east side got two and a quarter.  Areas west of town got less, about an inch and a half, but everyone got plenty as water was standing in the rows in fields all around Roscoe.

The front also brought cooler temperatures.  The highs of around 90°F and lows of 65° or 70° that typified last week dropped on Saturday and Sunday to a high of 76° both days with lows of 55° and 58° respectively.  Since then, it’s been sunny and warmer with Monday’s high of 86° and yesterday’s 88°.

The forecast is for highs in the upper eighties or 90° until Friday night when another cold front moves through, dropping highs to around 70° and lows down into the mid forties on Saturday night and the lower fifties on Sunday and Monday. 

There is a 20% chance of thunderstorms as the front moves through.

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