Victor Muñoz Killed in Pickup Rollover

Jessie Victor Muñoz, 43, of Roscoe was killed Saturday evening about 8pm in a one-vehicle accident on old Highway 80 (now CR 274) about two miles east of Roscoe.
According to a DPS report, he was traveling west when he lost control of his 2003 Dodge pickup, went into a side skid, rolled over, and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was wearing his seatbelt when the wreck occurred. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

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2018 PLOWBOY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE STILL NOT SET

The Plowboy football team is looking for a game to complete its fall football schedule after Roby was dropped from District 7-2A-II for lack of varsity players. The drawings for district game dates had to be redone, and the other district teams are also scrambling to find another game with the 2018 season fast approaching.

Roscoe is in a particular bind because their schedule as it now stands has two consecutive open dates in the middle of the season. So far, they’ve had no luck in finding another team to play, but Coach Jake Freeman is actively looking.

District 7-2A-II will now have only six teams instead of the seven originally assigned in the new district alignments. Besides Roscoe, the other teams are Albany, Hamlin, Cross Plains, Haskell, and Baird.
 
Roby still wants to keep its Junior Varsity schedule, so the district’s JV schedule is not a problem. The Roby football program has recently had trouble fielding competitive teams because of the school’s declining enrollment. Just as Rotan was forced to do for the same reason, the Lions may have to go to a six-man program in order to be competitive.

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CITY FIXES DOWNTOWN LEAK ON CYPRESS

Workers tackle a leak below the bricks on Cypress yesterday.

A persistent leak that has plagued the city off and on for some time was finally fixed yesterday. Leaking water came from underneath the bricks on Cypress, and the reluctance to tackle the repair sprang from the fear that the water was coming from a leak possibly as far away as Second Street and traveling down the line to emerge near the alley behind the Shelansky Building.

If that had been the case, the bricks would have had to be taken up for up to a half block, and replacing them as they were before would have been difficult and expensive.

Luckily, the leak was from a broken valve almost directly beneath the point where the water emerged. So the fix was easily made, and the correct replacement of the bricks shouldn’t be too difficult.

City Secretary Donna Parker said, “Now everyone will be happy…except the birds. They won’t have a place to take a bath anymore.”

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SWIMMING POOL TO FEATURE HIT MOVIE BLACK PANTHER TOMORROW EVENING

Adults 21 and over are invited to a showing of the hit movie Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman at the City Swimming Pool tomorrow evening from 7-11pm. Price is the $2 for admission to the pool.

The movie will begin at 7:00. For more information, contact Tammy at 325-574-3101.

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OVERTURNED TRUCK SNARLS WESTBOUND I-20 TRAFFIC

This truck with overturned trailer backed up I-20 traffic for hours.

This 18-wheeler caused quite a traffic backup around 2:30 on Sunday afternoon. Westbound on I-20, it overturned about 3 miles east of Roscoe near the A-1 Auto Parts. The driver was heading to a bottling plant, and, when his trailer overturned, it spilled thousands of plastic preforms used to make plastic bottles.

The driver was taken to Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital, but was not seriously injured. However, westbound traffic was still tied up five hours later.

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GREAT PLOWBOY FOOTBALL TEAMS TO BE REVIEWED

1937 Plowboys tackle the Loraine ball carrier.

Editor's note: The Texas Rangers are not going anywhere this year, the dryland cotton crop is shaping up to be a disaster, and the weather is relentlessly hot and dry with strings of triple-digit days. So, maybe we should start looking forward to football season a little early this year, which we can do by looking back at some of the great Plowboy teams of the past.

Every fall for at least the past 105 years, Roscoe High School has entertained local fans with its football teams, some better than others, and since 1925 or 1926, complete season records are available for each of those teams. During that span, the Plowboys have won 558 games, lost 396, and tied 32 for a won-lost percentage of 59%-41%, or approximately 3 wins for every 2 losses. That’s a pretty good average for a period of that length. Naturally, over a span that long, some teams have been terrible, others average, others above average, and a few great. And of those great teams, one might even ask which was the greatest.

It's a good question, but one which may be impossible to decide. In a century much has changed—the rules, the equipment, the opponents, the preparation, and the game itself. Football has evolved from the time when the ball was rounder, drop-kicks were used for field goals and extra points, helmets were made of leather, jerseys weren’t numbered, and shoulder pads were optional. Offenses have developed from the single wing to the T-formation to the shotgun spread and from the old “three yards and a cloud of dust” mentality to the wide-open pass-filled offenses of today.

Even so, some things about the game never change. Speed, size, and talent have always been assets, and the fundamental skills of blocking, tackling and ball-handling are critical. Winning teams play smart and with confidence, aggressiveness, strength, and stamina. And they have coaches who understand the game and motivate the team to play to its full potential.

With these thoughts in mind, we will look at some of the most successful Plowboy teams, focusing on a different one each week as we move into the 2018 football season. Judging by their records and progress in the playoffs, here are some Plowboy teams that merit consideration:

            Year                 Record             Playoff Progress
            1922                 8 - 1                  N/A
            1929                 10 - 2                Regional
            1935                 10 - 1                Regional
            1945                 10 - 1                Bi-District
            1969                 9 - 1 - 1            Bi-District
            1981                 11 - 1                 District Zone
            1982                 13 - 3                State Finals
            1992                 10 - 1                Bi-District
            1995                 13 - 2                State Finals
            2000                13 - 1                Quarterfinals
            2001                 12 - 1                Regional
            2007                 13 - 1                Regional

With the exception of the 1922 team, almost all the teams chosen here were undefeated until their final game in the playoffs, and two of the ones with more than one defeat are the teams that made it to the State Finals (1982, 1995). There were others with two or more defeats that advanced as far as the Regional Finals before losing (e.g., 1983, 2002, 2003, 2015, 2016).

Over the coming weeks, we will take a closer look at four of the best teams listed above, one each week and each from a different era. They may not be the same four you’d select, but each was great in its own way and each deserves consideration as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Plowboy team of the century.

Next week: The 1922 RHS team.

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WEATHER REPORT: STILL HOT, STILL DRY

Clouds in the southern sky on Sunday.

The hot weather continued with highs in the mid-nineties and lows in the seventies. Several days had afternoon clouds, some with thunder and a few with scattered showers, but even when there was the occasional precipitation, it was usually only a sprinkle and never over a quarter of an inch. Here in town, we never got more than a sprinkle. Four of the days had highs of 96°F, one had 95°, one 93°, with the high of the week coming yesterday at 101°. The low temperature of the week came on Monday morning at 71°, and the maximum low was 77° on Saturday.

Temperatures of over 100° are predicted for the next six days. Today’s projected high of 101° will increase to 103° tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday, and 104° on Sunday. Monday’s is predicted to be 103°, and Tuesday’s only 99°. Lows are also predicted to be warmer than this past week with 4 of the seven days dropping to 77°, one to 78°, and two to 75°. Excessive heat warnings are in effect for the entire week, so keep that in mind and limit outdoor activities when possible. Winds will be from the south or southwest and skies will be partly cloudy.

Once again, there is no rain in the forecast.

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† JESSIE VICTOR MUÑOZ

Holy Mass of Christian Burial for Jessie Victor Muñoz, 43, of Roscoe will be held at 11:00 this morning, July 18, at Holy Spirit Catholic Parish with Father Nilo Nalugan officiating. Burial will follow at Roscoe Cemetery with arrangements by Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Home. He passed away on Saturday, July 14, in a one-vehicle accident between Roscoe and Sweetwater.

Jessie was born on February 11, 1975, in Sweetwater to Fred and Adelina (Gonzales) Muñoz. He worked as a plumber for Black’s Plumbing. A Catholic and lifelong resident of Nolan County, his hobbies were outdoor activities and cooking. He also loved his family.

He is survived by four children, Victor Muñoz, Jr. and wife Gabriela of Roscoe, Zachary Muñoz and wife Gretchen of Roscoe, Vikki Muñoz of Roscoe, and Kelsey Daniel Muñoz of San Angelo; mother, Adelina Guerrero of Roscoe; grandmother, Angelia Gonzales; brothers and sisters, Andrew Muñoz and wife Patricia of San Antonio, Fred Muñoz, Jr., and wife Marie of Andrews, Terese Muñoz of Baytown, Tracey Ehlin and husband Shane of Nebraska, and Salena Muñoz of Georgetown; seven grandchildren; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Fred Muñoz, brother, Michael Marcus Muñoz, and grandparents.

Pallbearers are Victor Muñoz, Jr., Zachary Muñoz, Andrew Muñoz, Jr., Timothy Muñoz, Adam Muñoz, Marcos Martinez, and Jose Martinez.

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