Austin Head Football Coach Ruben Batista has enjoyed an incredible ride over the last two seasons in leading the Golden Panthers to 17 wins in the last 18 games……Batista, who is an Austin graduate, has worked at his alma mater for the last 10 years as the leader of the school’s football fortunes on the gridiron. It was a job he coveted, wanting it very badly, wanting to see, if he could turn the Golden Cats into winners, not losers……He has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams guiding Austin to a District 1-4A championship in 2007, compiling an 11-1 record, and so far this year he has coached the Panthers to a 7-0 record, proving that last year was no fluke……
Ruben, now owns a 45-44 career coaching record, which is rather amazing considering he had posted a 28-43 mark just two seasons ago. Why, all of a sudden, has Austin won 17 out of its’ last 18 games? There are a lot of reasons why Austin sports a 17-1 record over the last 18 games on the football field. Primarily, you have to give credit to a great group of players over the last two seasons that have dominated just about every school they have played. Austin’s only loss during this time span was to Lubbock Estacado in the 2007 state playoffs……
Senior QB Ernest Raya, the leader of the last two Austin football teams, is a winner, refusing to lose. Raya has led the Panthers to victory overcoming some impossible game situations. He just does not give up! Austin has been blessed with an influx of players coming from military families lately, thanks to the Base Re-Alignment taking place at Ft. Bliss. These athletes have certainly bolstered Austin’s player roster……. There is no doubt that Coach Batista and his staff of assistant coaches have done a superb job of getting the Panther players ready to compete each and every week. Otherwise, Austin is not a 17-1 football team over the last 18 games they have played
Batista has paid visits to his feeder schools begging the elementary school coaches to run the same offense and defense that Austin runs at the varsity level. This is not a given thing in El Paso football circles Unlike other school districts in Texas, feeder school’s belonging to Austin are not obligated to Batista. He does not hire the feeder school coaches and they do not have to run Austin’s offensive and defensive schemes. In most of the rest of Texas, feeder school coaches owe their livelihood to the varsity head coaches in that system. They are also obligated to run the same offenses and defensive systems that the high school utilizes. Grade school coaches are also obligated to scout for the varsity school on Friday night’s, if asked to do so. In El Paso, what I have just listed is not mandatory. It should be, but over the years athletic directors have been shot down by school board trustees when it comes to hiring and job requirements. This is a disgrace and should be corrected immediately. Most school board trustees do not understand the intricacies of athletics……
Coach Batista has also spent plenty of time watching the grade school youngsters play because he will have to coach them one day in the future. He has a very good idea of what future Panther teams will look like because he has made the effort to go and watch them play on Saturday mornings, instead of being totally surprised a few years later…… All of these reasons factor into successful winning seasons at the varsity level. Coach Batista has done a tremendous job in every aspect required of a head football coach. ….. Austin must play Burges, Chapin, and arch-rival El Paso High, yet this year. The Austin-Chapin match-up should decide the District 1-4A title. Get your tickets early for this tough game. To me, it is refreshing that a 79 year old high school is still capable of playing for a district championship. Most of the championships won these days are captured by newer schools in newer sub-divisions in town……
In District 2-4A, the Canutillo Eagles pulled off a remarkable victory over Del Valle last Friday night on the road at Del Valle. Why, was it so remarkable? Well, because Coach Scott Brooks was forced to play at least four quarterbacks against Del Valle in order to win the game 19-10…… Eagles starting QB Matt Carrasco is out with a dislocated shoulder. Back-up QB Esteban Vargas was knocked out of the Del Valle game with a sprained ankle forcing Brooks to search his roster for an athlete that could play the position. He settled on TB John De La Rosa for most of the offensive snaps, just trying to survive Del Valle’s defense. It was the Canutillo defensive unit that won the game for Brooks refusing to get beat by a struggling Conquistadors’ offense……
District 1-5A champion Montwood whipped Coronado 28-14 last Friday night at Coronado, thanks to the play of RB Domingo Torres, who carried the ball 39 times for 257 yards and 4 TD’s. Montwood threw the football earlier in the year, but against Coronado, Rams QB Louie Tinoco put the ball in the air only 10 times for 91 yards. Montwood did not have to throw the ball against the Thunderbirds due to the great blocking from its’ offensive line and the strong running of Domingo Torres…… The Rams play host to the Franklin Cougars this Friday night for what amounts to the District 1-5A title.
Franklin ripped Bel Air 42-9 last Thursday night to take a (5-0-6-1) record into the game with Montwood (5-0-5-2)……Franklin and Montwood have dominated District 1-5A in football dating back to 1996, when the Cougars won its’ first Bi-District crown belting the Rams 27-9. Franklin captured five District 1-5A championships or Bi-District titles defeating Montwood. In fact, Montwood’s lone championship happened in 1998. It was not till Chuck Veliz was hired to coach football at the under achieving east side school that the Montwood football fortunes improved. Since then, Veliz has lead Montwood to three District 1-5A championships, two Bi-District crowns, and one Area title. This ought to be a great battle for the District 1-5A championship in 2008. Get your tickets early!
Last week, I correctly picked 15 winners in 16 games, losing only the Canutillo-Del Valle game. For the year, yours truly sports a 66-11 won-loss record, as a guesser of games, good for an 85.7% record…… This week I will pick Montwood to defeat Franklin, El Dorado will stun Coronado, on Thursday night, Hanks will outscore Socorro, and Americas should handle Bel Air. In District 1-4A, Austin keeps rolling along stopping Burges, Chapin will crush EPHS, Andress will whip Jefferson, and Irvin will beat Bowie. Canutillo should hold onto first place in District 2-4A defeating Mt.View, Parkland will clobber Ysleta, Riverside will halt Horizon, and Del Valle should bounce back against San Elizario. In District 4-3A, Pecos will bomb Tornillo, Ft. Stockton will crush Clint, and Fabens will get a win at Anthony…… Eastwood and Cathedral have Week Number 9 off!