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| Seth Wilcox goes 19 yards for the Plowboys' first score. |
The 2021 Roscoe Plowboys got their first taste of competition Friday in a scrimmage with Menard at Plowboy Field. Play took place in sweltering 97° heat, but both junior varsity and varsity Plowboys finished with a successful and satisfying afternoon.
The scheduled three-school workout didn’t happen, as Iraan was unable to compete for lack of players. Instead, the scrimmage was divided into two parts: junior varsity and varsity. The JV Plowboys played well, holding their own against a Menard JV team that included some varsity players as they, like Iraan, were a little short on numbers, bringing only 19 players. The two teams were closely matched, and both made a score before yielding the field to the varsity squads.
At first, the varsities also seemed evenly matched, but on the Plowboys’ seventh offensive play, Seth Wilcox scored on a 19-yard sweep around left end, and Roscoe was off and running. The Plowboy defense stopped Menard on its first offensive series, and on their next offensive possession, the Plowboys broke loose by scoring on three consecutive plays—the first, a 19-yard pass from Jax Watts to Tyler Guelker; the second, a 70-yard Antonio Aguayo run around right end; and the third, another 70-yard run, this one by freshman Ivan McCann. Later in the scrimmage, they scored twice more, one a 52-yarder by Jake Gonzales, and the other 56-yard pass play to Aguayo. The varsity defense continued to play well and never yielded a score to the Menard varsity.
However, their scrimmage tomorrow with Forsan could be an entirely different matter as the Buffaloes are a different level of competition from Menard. Unlike Menard, the Buffaloes are a 2A-I division school and are predicted by Texas Football to finish third in a strong district with Hawley, Anson, Stamford, Haskell, and Colorado City. One of their stated strengths is team speed, so the Plowboy defense will need to be careful not to give up the long plays.
Play begins tomorrow in Forsan at 5:00pm.
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SCHOOL BOARD LOWERS 2021-22 TAX RATE
On Monday evening, the Roscoe Collegiate ISD Board of Trustees approved the 2021-2022 tax rate of $1.24579, which is a decrease of $.15421 (11%) from the previous tax rate of $1.40.
Last year, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution to dedicate excess interest and sinking (I&S) tax collections to the early payoff of the 2011 bond and to the early principal payment of the 2013 bond. That has put the district in a position to dedicate excess 2021-2022 I&S tax collections to the early payoff of the 2013 bond while still reducing the tax rate by $.15421. The early payoff of these two bonds will save the district and the taxpayers considerably in interest over what would have been a longer payout.
There are no other bond series that are callable in the foreseeable future, so it is likely that the RCISD Board of Trustees will be able to reduce taxes again in 2022.
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COVID-19 INTENSIFIES IN AREA
On May 19, after over a year of weekly Covid-19 updates, the Hard Times issued what it hoped was its last report. At the time, the Covid-19 numbers were low and had been essentially flat for over a month, not only in Nolan County, but also in the Big Country and the entire state of Texas.
In the first few weeks after that, the numbers continued to drop, and it appeared that we could finally put our concerns about the pandemic behind us and resume normal living. Covid-19 was still around but no longer seemed the threat it had been.
However, in the past month or so, the numbers have been rapidly rising, mainly because of the more highly contagious Delta variant, and, whether we like it or not, it appears that Covid-19 is back. Comparing the current numbers with those back in May shows that the differences are significant.
Back then, the state of Texas had 2,222 Covid-19 hospitalizations, marking the third week in a row that the number had been under 3,000. New cases were also under 3,000 per day at 2,836. The number of active cases was 51,990 and daily deaths were at 59. As of yesterday, the number of Covid-19 hospitalizations is at 12,227, new cases are at 20,123, active cases at 218,811, and daily fatalities at 96.
The number of active cases in Taylor County was 185 back then; now it is 1,298, which is over 400 more than last week’s 862. There were 10 Abilene hospitalizations in May and now 79. The percentage of Covid-19 patients in the Abilene trauma area back then was 1.32%. Now it is 15.15% and rising.
In our four-county area, Nolan County had 5 active cases, Mitchell County 1, Fisher County 1, and Scurry County 4. Now Nolan County has 75, Mitchell County 27, Fisher County 20, and Scurry County 144. And in each county, the numbers just keep going up.
Here are the Big Country’s estimated active cases (compared to May 19’s in parentheses): Brown, 224 (10); Howard, 212 (30); Scurry, 144 (4); Jones, 125 (4); Erath, 120 (4); Nolan, 75 (5); Comanche, 29 (4); Coleman, 28 (0); Coke, 27 (5); Eastland, 26 (3); Mitchell, 25 (1); Runnels, 25 (1); Callahan, 21 (2); Fisher, 20 (1); Stephens, 12 (1); Haskell, 4 (0); Knox, 1 (0); Stonewall, 1 (0); Kent, 0 (0); Shackelford, 0 (3); Throckmorton, 0 (0). The total of all these counties on May 19 was 78. Now it is 1,119.
Selected west Texas counties’ estimated active cases (with May 19’s in parentheses): Lubbock 2,970 (166); Ector (Odessa) 1,649 (218), Tom Green (San Angelo) 1,218 (62); Wichita (Wichita Falls) 628 (82); ; Midland 349 (234). May 19’s total for these counties was 762. Now it is 6,814.
And, of course, the bad news is that all these numbers continue to rise.
RCISD COVID-19 REPORT
Roscoe Collegiate currently reports a total of 6 students out with Covid-19--1 in the Early Childhood Center with 6 others quarantined and 1 waiting for results, 3 in Elementary with 3 others quarantined, and 2 in Secondary with 4 students and 3 staff quarantined and 1 student waiting for results.
In a letter to parents, the school says it is encouraging but not requiring students and staff to wear masks. It also notes that students 12 and older are eligible for vaccinations. Other measures include a survey for anyone who has tested positive for the virus, and questions to determine student exposures to anyone infected.
WEATHER REPORT: AUGUST HEAT, TWO RAINS
It was another hot summer week in the Roscoe area, interspersed with two rains, one on Saturday, the other on Monday night. Neither rain was big, at least in town. However, both rains were bigger elsewhere, the first south and southwest of Roscoe, where amounts of up to almost two inches fell, and the second west of town, where upwards of an inch were recorded.
In the first few weeks after that, the numbers continued to drop, and it appeared that we could finally put our concerns about the pandemic behind us and resume normal living. Covid-19 was still around but no longer seemed the threat it had been.
However, in the past month or so, the numbers have been rapidly rising, mainly because of the more highly contagious Delta variant, and, whether we like it or not, it appears that Covid-19 is back. Comparing the current numbers with those back in May shows that the differences are significant.
Back then, the state of Texas had 2,222 Covid-19 hospitalizations, marking the third week in a row that the number had been under 3,000. New cases were also under 3,000 per day at 2,836. The number of active cases was 51,990 and daily deaths were at 59. As of yesterday, the number of Covid-19 hospitalizations is at 12,227, new cases are at 20,123, active cases at 218,811, and daily fatalities at 96.
The number of active cases in Taylor County was 185 back then; now it is 1,298, which is over 400 more than last week’s 862. There were 10 Abilene hospitalizations in May and now 79. The percentage of Covid-19 patients in the Abilene trauma area back then was 1.32%. Now it is 15.15% and rising.
In our four-county area, Nolan County had 5 active cases, Mitchell County 1, Fisher County 1, and Scurry County 4. Now Nolan County has 75, Mitchell County 27, Fisher County 20, and Scurry County 144. And in each county, the numbers just keep going up.
Here are the Big Country’s estimated active cases (compared to May 19’s in parentheses): Brown, 224 (10); Howard, 212 (30); Scurry, 144 (4); Jones, 125 (4); Erath, 120 (4); Nolan, 75 (5); Comanche, 29 (4); Coleman, 28 (0); Coke, 27 (5); Eastland, 26 (3); Mitchell, 25 (1); Runnels, 25 (1); Callahan, 21 (2); Fisher, 20 (1); Stephens, 12 (1); Haskell, 4 (0); Knox, 1 (0); Stonewall, 1 (0); Kent, 0 (0); Shackelford, 0 (3); Throckmorton, 0 (0). The total of all these counties on May 19 was 78. Now it is 1,119.
Selected west Texas counties’ estimated active cases (with May 19’s in parentheses): Lubbock 2,970 (166); Ector (Odessa) 1,649 (218), Tom Green (San Angelo) 1,218 (62); Wichita (Wichita Falls) 628 (82); ; Midland 349 (234). May 19’s total for these counties was 762. Now it is 6,814.
And, of course, the bad news is that all these numbers continue to rise.
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RCISD COVID-19 REPORT
Roscoe Collegiate currently reports a total of 6 students out with Covid-19--1 in the Early Childhood Center with 6 others quarantined and 1 waiting for results, 3 in Elementary with 3 others quarantined, and 2 in Secondary with 4 students and 3 staff quarantined and 1 student waiting for results.
In a letter to parents, the school says it is encouraging but not requiring students and staff to wear masks. It also notes that students 12 and older are eligible for vaccinations. Other measures include a survey for anyone who has tested positive for the virus, and questions to determine student exposures to anyone infected.
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WEATHER REPORT: AUGUST HEAT, TWO RAINS
Here in town, I got .2" for the first rain, and Kenny Landfried recorded an official .38". For the second, I had .4", while he got .45".
The rains were welcomed everywhere they fell, even if they didn’t amount to a lot. Any rain that falls in west Texas in mid-August is almost always a boon to the crops, which otherwise may be wilting from the hot, dry days.
Before the rain on Saturday, afternoon highs were in the mid to high 90s, 95° on Wednesday, and 99° on Thursday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday were milder with highs of 87° and 92° respectively. Monday was back up to 95°, but the cool front that blew in that night lowered temperatures, and the high under cloudy skies and light precipitation dropped to a pleasant 77°.
There’s a slight chance that we may get more rain today as the forecast is for scattered thunderstorms with a 20% chance of precipitation. The high is forecast to be 89° under mostly cloudy skies. Chances drop to 18% tomorrow and Friday with sunny skies forecast for the weekend with highs in the low to mid-90s and lows in the 70s.
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† CATALINA M. HERRERA
A rosary will be held at 7:00pm today at Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Home Chapel with family members officiating.
Catalina Marquez Herrera was born to Francisco Marquez and Guillerma (Orona) Marquez on November 25, 1934, in Bado De Piedra, Mexico. She married Sixto Q. Herrera on November 18, 1950, in Presidio, Texas.
Sixto was a farmer in Roscoe, and Catalina was his partner in their success as his support and in raising their family of ten children. They were lifetime Catholics and active in the Catholic Church in Loraine and Sweetwater until they were instrumental in the building of St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Roscoe.
She is survived by daughters, Lorina Hoffmann, Yolanda Gonzales, Juanita DeLeon and husband Lano, Nilda De La Cruz and Tommy Davila, Diana Reyes and husband Raymond, and Sandra Herrera; sons, Sixto Edward and wife Claudia, and Michael Herrera. She has twenty-seven grandchildren, thirty-seven great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of thirty-eight years; two sons, Henry and Ruben Herrera; one granddaughter, Jennifer Ortega; her parents, Francisco and Guillerma Marquez; and sons-in-law, Harold Hoffmann and Johnny Gonzales.
Pallbearers will be Barney Marquez, Kevin Gonzales, Nicholas DeLeon, Sixto (Spider) Herrera, IV, Bryan De La Cruz, Canon Herrera, Chip Reyes, and John Ruben Herrera.
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