Co-op Gin Lot Fire Destroys Over $500,000 Worth of Cotton

Modules burn on the gin lot last Friday morning. (Photo by Johnny Hermosillio)

Roscoe’s Central Rolling Plains Co-op Gin was the site of a spectacular module fire that started about 2:00 early Friday morning and burned with such intensity that video of the blaze made the national news on the ABC network.

(For the ABC article with video, click here.)

The fire started when burrs caught on fire, and high northeast winds quickly spread it to the modules. Gin Manager Larry Black reported that 106 of 438 modules on the gin lot were destroyed, resulting in the loss of around a half-million dollars.

The fire was essentially out by Friday evening, and the remainder was buried by Saturday. The gin’s insurance covered everything on its lot, so the loss is not to the Co-op nor to the farmers whose modules were destroyed.

In addition, the heavy smoke from the fire ruined some 80 acres of John Bergstrom’s unharvested cotton immediately southwest of the gin lot.

The Co-op Gin wants to thank Sweetwater Fire Chief Grant Madden and the Sweetwater Fire Department, the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department, the Snyder Fire Department, and all the volunteers who helped fight the blaze early Friday morning.

Along with the gin lot fire, there have also been several recent stripper fires. This year’s cotton, unusually dry from the dry September, is fluffy and can be ignited by a single spark. The Hughes family stripper was destroyed and others have been damaged by fires caused by the dry cotton. These include strippers belonging to the Williamses, Parrotts, Ormans, and Cornutts.

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2017 COTTON HARVEST COULD TOP 100,000 BALES

Dryland cotton just southeast of town.

Cotton farmers are anticipating a banner crop this year, and Gin Manager Larry Black is optimistic that Roscoe’s Central Rolling Plains Co-op Gin may gin over 100,000 bales, just as it did in 2007. The crop is excellent and exceeding all expectations. Stripper operators are reporting yields of a bale to a bale and a half and more per acre for dryland cotton, and up to three and more for irrigated.

Cotton is best in the Roscoe and Champion areas, where the July and August rains came at the right time. The Wastella area, especially the farms that missed those rains, is good in some places and not so good in others, while Hermleigh, Dunn, Ira, and Snyder will make even less.

Gary Pieper of Gary Pieper Crop Insurance notes that years ending in the number 7, i.e., 1977, 1987, 1997, 2007, and now 2017 have all produced excellent crops. He offers no explanation for this but just says that it’s an interesting fact.

The Co-op Gin, which hit some snags getting started this year, has now ginned 2,000 bales and is in full operation.

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SEAGRAVES SINKS PLOWBOYS 42-19

Clemente Aguayo (6) is tackled after catching a pass for a short gain. (Football  photos by Tamara Alexander)

It was a long night for the Plowboys at Seagraves on Friday as the Eagles surprised them with a 42-19 home victory. On the Abilene Reporter-News’ “Ten Shockaz of the Week,” the game’s outcome was number two, behind only Sweetwater’s upset loss to Seminole. The loss resulted primarily from three costly second-half turnovers that kept the Plowboy offense off the field and gave the momentum to the Eagles.

The first quarter was basically a stalemate with neither side scoring until Seagraves made a TD on a 31-yard run with only 4 seconds left and went up 7-0. Roscoe tied it up a couple of series later when Jayden Gonzales hit Jose Ortega on a pass play covering 39 yards. Ortega’s extra-point kick was good, and the score was 7-7. Then on Seagraves’ next possession, a bad snap to the quarterback at the Seagraves 33 resulted in the ball going over his head. He ran back and tried to pick it up, but Paul Pantoja sacked him, and the ball went into the end zone, where Tait Fullwood covered it for a touchdown. The conversion attempt failed, but the Plowboys were ahead 13-7. Shortly before the half, however, Seagraves scored on a one-yard run, and at halftime the game was tied 13-13.

Unfortunately, the Plowboys were outscored 29-6 in a disastrous second half. In the third quarter, Seagraves scored twice, the first on a 14-yard pass to take the lead 19-13 and the second on a 1-yard run that extended it to 27-13. The Plowboys answered with a 54-yard pass play from Gonzales to Brandon Lavalais, but the conversion attempt failed, and the Eagles led 27-19 at the end of three.

They added two more TDs in the fourth quarter, winning the game by 23 points, 42-19.

For the game, the Eagles doubled the Plowboys in time of possession, 32:34 to 15:18, and in first downs, 26 to 13. The Plowboy defense was unable to stop the Eagles for most of the game as Seagraves racked up 474 yards with 353 of those on the ground.

Jayden Gonzales completed only 13 of 31 passes with 2 TDs and 3 interceptions. Francisco Garcia had only 9 carries for 31 yards, while Gonzales had 8 for 29 yards. Brandon Lavalais caught 9 passes for 164 yards and 1 TD, and Jose Ortega caught 3 for 64 yards and 1 TD. Clemente Aguayo caught 1 for 5 yards.

On defense, Tait Fullwood and Ortega both had 9½ tackles, while Parker Payne had 9. Paul Pantoja and Clemente Aguayo both had 6, Brandon Lavalais and Jacob Rainey 5, and 7 others had 3 or fewer.

The Plowboys now have one district loss, and so does Seagraves after losing to Hamlin 34-28 their previous game. Since Hamlin is still undefeated in district, the Plowboys now must beat Tahoka at home this week and Hamlin in Hamlin next week in order to create a three-way tie for the district championship. If they can do that, then the final rankings will be decided by a point system determined from the tied teams’ game scores.

Brandon Lavalais heads for the end zone in third-quarter action at Seagraves.

Plowboys vs. Tahoka Here Friday

Tahoka is 3-5 on the year and 1-2 in the district, losing to Seagraves 42-6 and beating Roby 12-6, before falling on Friday to Hamlin 32-27. It’s a must-win game for the Plowboys—and one that they should win if Tahoka’s previous scores are any indicator. The Bulldogs are led on offense by Juwan Hamilton, a small but very quick running back, and on defense by 6’2”, 215 lineman Kevin White.

Kickoff at Plowboy Field is at 7:00pm.

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WEATHER REPORT: COOL WEATHER CONTINUES

This morning's sunrise.

Since a cold front moved through last Thursday, temperatures have been considerably below average for this time of year. Thursday afternoon had a high of 87°F, but by Friday the high had dropped to a chilly 57° with high north winds of 28mph and gusts up to 37mph. The winds died down on Saturday, but the high was only 58° and the low was 33°. Sunday was sunny and warmer with southwest winds and a high of 76°, but Monday was cool again with a high of 61°, and yesterday was still cooler with a high of 56° and a low of 37°. Yesterday morning was also cloudy with a light rain that totaled .12”.

The weather is due for a big change today when the high reaches 84° with sunny skies and southwest winds of around 15mph, starting a warm spell that will last into the first part of next week. Tomorrow and Friday should be similar with highs of 83° and 86°. Lows will be back into the mid to upper fifties and climb into the low sixties on Saturday. Saturday’s high is expected to be 86° and Sunday’s 90°. Winds will remain from the southwest, and highs should be in the eighties until next Wednesday or so when another cold front moves in.

There is no rain in the forecast.

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