Muchachos juveniles en el Gimnasio de Usos Múltiples.

TIJUANA, Baja California — Los karatecas de Baja California tendrán bastante actividad en el mes de abril, como parte de su preparación de cara a la Olimpiada Nacional 2012 programada en Puebla.

Durante el cuarto mes del año, los artemarcialistas del estado 29, llegarán a revalidar sus buenas actuaciones en el Junior Olimpic y el USA Open, torneos tradicionales donde los seleccionados adquieren más confianza.

Lo anterior lo dio a conocer el entrenador Juan Carlos Andrade, luego de llevar a cabo un fuerte entrenamiento con los jóvenes del estado en las instalaciones del Centro de Alto Rendimiento de Tijuana (CAR).

“Antes de ir a la Olimpiada Nacional en mayo, donde esperamos ratificar nuestra supremacía, tenemos un par de competencias en el mes de abril con los vecinos del norte, donde esperamos llevar a la selección bien preparada”.

Recordó que en el torneo Abierto de los Estados Unidos, que está programado los días 6, 7 y 8 de abril, en Las Vegas, Nevada, los karatecas de Baja California lo toman como fogueo, pero también con seriedad ya que van buscando las medallas.

El medallista Centroamericano de oro por equipos y plata individual en kata, en Mayagüez, supervisó el trabajo de los muchachos juveniles en el Gimnasio de Usos Múltiples, en quienes cree firmemente, traerán buenos resultados.
Christian Amaya y Sebastián López, que fueron plata y bronce en la categoría abierta, kumite, respectivamente, le ponen la muestra al resto de sus compañeros, repitiendo una y otra vez, con velocidad y potencia sus movimientos hasta quedar satisfechos con su trabajo de dos horas.

He is the second former Fresno State professor to earn a high literary honor in the past year. Phillip Levine, professor emeritus of English, is poet laureate of the United States, appointed by the Library of Congress in August.

Two Fresno State alumni are past state poets laureate – Greg Pape (Montana) and Lawson Iwada (Oregon).

Herrera, 63, was chair of Fresno State’s Chicano and Latin American Department from 1990 to 2004 before going to the University of California, Riverside where he is the Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair in the Department of Creative Writing.

He has published more than two-dozen volumes of poetry, prose, plays, children’s books and young-adult novels. Herrera has won more than 50 awards, fellowships and honorable mentions.

Dr. Victor Torres, current chair of Fresno State’s Chicano and Latin American Studies department, said he is extremely proud of and happy for Herrera, who worked with him, was a mentor and whom Torres succeeded.

“Juan Felipe deserves all the accolades that come his way,” Torres said. “He was the department’s most popular professor because of his uncanny ability to nurture and expose the creativity within his students – creativity the students themselves did not think they possessed.”

The son of migrant workers from Mexico, Herrera was reared in Fowler. He earned a bachelor’s degree rom the University of California, Los Angeles, a master’s from Stanford University, both in social anthropology, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa where he also was a teaching assistant fellow at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop (1988-90).

In February 1995, I began working on stories about the building of a billion-dollar U.S. Navy warship at Bath Iron Works, in Maine, named for a 21-year-old Marine Corps platoon sergeant killed saving his men on the morning of February 4, 1968, during the Tet Offensive in Hue City, Vietnam. He was wounded three times over a three-day period prior to his final desperate, courageous move against enemy positions at the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in that embattled city.

His name was Freddy González, the only child of Dolia González – who is 82 years old and still lives and works every day in the family hometown of Edinburg. She had to raise her boy alone, on the wages of a farm worker and waitress.

I found this story as a novice reporter at the old Edinburg Bureau of the McAllen Monitor, the biggest newspaper covering the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Along with other duties, I kept with the González story, and a year later after leaving the newspaper, in Oct. 1996, the Navy sent me alone by helicopter from Key West NAS to the ship as it headed for commissioning ceremonies in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The October 1996 commissioning drew thousands of people, including former Marine buddies who served with Freddy up to the time he was killed by an enemy rocket propelled grenade.

On our trip from Florida, across to Cuba and the across the wide expanse of ocean toward Corpus Christi, the ship accidentally caught the edge of Hurricane Josephine, and for two days the new crew of about 300 sailors endured 40-foot seas. There was some damage to the ship, but we made it in time to clean up and repair for the ceremony.

Dolia González stood on an upper deck to wave at the large crowd, standing beside Secretary of the Navy John Dalton. She was a mere waitress, and former farmworker, but she was a star that day. And though she is financially poor, Dolia does not complain. She is proud of her boy’s heritage as the only American to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroic last stand in Hue City–at the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. It was there he gathered a dozen or so anti-armor rockets, climbed to the second floor of a school complex, and fired at enemy positions before getting hit.

In 1997, Dolia González told me she had been cut off from receiving monthly benefits from her son’s death many years before, and then had received a letter from the V.A. stating not only was she being cut off, but she owed the V.A. about $8,000 for “overpayment of benefits” over a period of decades.

I got on the phone with friends in the media, and wrote a story myself that was carried on AP, and soon Alb-ertson’s Corporation–a grocery store chain about to open a new store in Edinburg–read my story and contacted me, saying they were going to present a check for $8,000 to Dolia González to cover her “bill” from the V.A. I faxed over all the stories to the V.A. secretary’s office, and he personally cancelled the bill.

She still works, part-time as a greeter at the local grocery store, and part-time as a waitress at the Echo Hotel and Conference Center–an old, historic meeting site for locals–just to survive.Freddy was the sixth recipient of the medal since it was established in the 1950s. Another recipient was one of Audie Murphy’s commanding officers during World War II.

This story started for me in 1995, and it will always be a part of me. I will not cease and desist until this story about a heroic Mexican-American becomes nationally recognized, perhaps even made into a movie. In the past two years actor Martin Sheen, Mr. Vietnam (from his role in Apocalypse Now), has taken an interest in my book and hopes it really makes it. He’s sent me several letters urging me on.

The first book “When The River Dreams”, was not complete, and since that time I have completely rewritten it—greatly expanding it with photos, more interviews, war stories, and many of Freddy’s letters home to his mother during those tours in combat. Right now, U.S. Naval Institute Press, in Annapolis, is reviewing the manuscript for publication. I have my fingers crossed.

This is a great American story of hope from a remarkable woman who, though very poor, financially, raised her only child to have a heart like a treasure chest full of gold. He could easily have gone into gangs, drug abuse, criminal activities. But that was all reprehensible to him and his innate sense of human decency. His sense of honor. His sense of civic duty, instilled in him in no small part by her.

Last Christmas was the 44th one that she has spent alone, without her only child. But instead of sitting alone with her memories, she always reaches out and is like a star shining at the top of the tree, for those around her. That is her sense of decency, honor, and civic duty.

Via: ABC Tickets

The San Diego Sockers announced the signing of midfielder Jason Santos to a contract for the remainder of the 2011-2012 season. Santoswill accompany the team on its trip toMonterrey,Mexicofor the upcoming FIFRA Championships.

“Jason has been training hard with the Sockers Reserves and deserves an opportunity to showcase his talents with the parent club,” said general manager John Kentera.

Santos, 24, was born and raised inCardiffby the Sea and graduated from La Costa Canyon High School, where he was captain of the soccer team his senior season and first-team all-Avocado League. Santoswent on to play college soccer at UC Davis, where he was a two-year starter and named the team’s most inspirational player in 2010.

Jason’s brother Joe Santos is also a member of the Sockers Reserves team.

The Sockers will play in the first-ever FIFRA Championships, an international exhibition tournament featuring the Sockers, the Liga Mexicana de Futbol Rapido champion Monterrey Flash, and teams from Canada and Ecuador, taking place in Monterrey February 2^nd-5^th.

San Diego(13-0) returns home on February 11^th to take on the Arizona Storm. Tickets are available for the January 21^st, 2012 game between the Sockers and the Storm online at www.sdsockers.com, through TicketMaster or by phone at (866)-799-GOAL.

Gavin Escobar had six receptions in the win over Fresno State

   The San Diego State Aztecs Football Team (8-4) completed their regular season last Saturday with a thrilling come from behind victory over Fresno State (4-9) after falling behind 21-0 in the first half. The following day they were delighted to learn that their (8-4) record was enough to earn them an opportunity to play for the second straight year in a postseason bowl game. On Dec. 17, the Aztecs will take on the Sunbelt Conference’s third place finisher, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (8-4, 6-2) at the Mercedes Benz New Orleans Superdome. The game will be aired live on ESPN at 6:00 p.m. on Dec. 17. 

   The Aztecs wrapped up their home schedule in what has become their own peculiar way of playing football games. Once again, they looked clueless initially, fell behind early and then came roaring back. Falling behind 21-0 at the 9:46 mark of the second quarter, the Aztecs looked completely unworthy of a bowl bid. To their credit, despite their catastrophic start they kept their heads in the game. Then thanks primarily to the running of the electrifying Ronnie Hillman they battled their way back into the game.

   Hillman, the sensational sophomore who is considering a career in the NFL at the conclusion of this season, ended up with 178 yards and four touchdowns. While no doubt the biggest key to what was an amazing comeback, Hillman had plenty of help.

   Tight end Gavin Escobar was once again superb hauling in six Ryan Lindley passes for 125 yards. His highlight reel 55-yard rumble after a short reception set up Hillman’s third touchdown. Wide receivers Colin Lockett and Dylan Denso also had six catches for 102 and 44 yards respectively. Also worth mentioning was the passing of senior quarterback Ryan Lindley. Lindley, playing his final game as an Aztec in Qualcomm Stadium completed 21 of his 40 passes for 281 and no interceptions. He will conclude his Aztec career on December 17 as SDSU’s all-time passing leader.  Kudos also to the defense which stiffened late in the second quarter and from that point on held Fresno’s high powered offense to just seven points.

   For the Aztecs, the key to winning their second consecutive bowl game will revolve around two things. The first how well they are able to neutralize the Ragin’ Cajun’s quarterback Blaine Gautier. Gautier passed for nearly 2,500 yards this season and 20 touchdowns. He is also a threat while running the ball. Gautier carried for 464 yards and a 4.3 yards per carry average this season.

   The second key factor is which Aztec team will show up in New Orleans? Will it be the team that bumbled through the first half of many of their games? Or the team that played solid, winning football most of the time in the second half. Matching last year’s achievements with another 9-4 record and a bowl game win would be a great way for Lindley & Co. to take their final bow.

   Una vez más, el mejor equipo del fútbol mexicano se coronará campeón de la Primera División en Telemundo, durante la gran final del torneo apertura que se disputarán los Tigres de la UANL vs. Santos Laguna. El partido se transmitirá en vivo desde el Estadio Universitario en la ciudad de Nuevo León en Monterrey, México, el próximo domingo 11 de diciembre a partir de las 6:55pm ET / 3:55pm PT.

   Esta es la séptima temporada consecutiva en la que la gran final se lleva a cabo entre uno de los equipos exclusivos de Telemundo, reafirmando así el rol de la cadena hispana como la casa del mejor fútbol mexicano. Asimismo, se trata de la sexta ocasión en que el equipo de Nuevo León llega a la final y busca obtener el título que no ha podido ganar desde 1982. Para el Santos Laguna de Coahuila, México, esta es la octava vez que pasa a la final, incluyendo el año pasado con el torneo Apertura 2010, cuando se enfrentó al equipo de Monterrey. El contraste entre ambos equipos, caracterizados por su buena ofensiva, en el caso de los Tigres y su sólida defensa, en el caso del Santos, augura una de las finales más impactantes de los últimos años.

   Para más información sobre estos y otros partidos, visite la página www.Telemundo.com, en su sección Deportes.

José Estrella, noqueador Tijuanense, está listo para demostrar cosas más grandes.

   El noqueador Tijuanense José Estrella (9-2-1, 8KOs) busca cerrar su año con broche de oro cuando se enfrenta a Víctor Godinez (4-2-1 3KOs) de San Felipe, Baja California, México, el Sábado, 10 de Diciembre, en la capital cachanilla Mexicali, Baja California.  La contienda a seis vueltas es parte de la velada “Noche de Luces en Calafia” presentada por la empresa Box Latino de cuatro veces campeón Erik “Terrible” Morales y estelarizada por el combate de campeonato NABF (por sus siglas en inglés) entre el Sinaloense Pedro “Pedrin” Guevara (14-0-1, 11KOs) y Manuel “Menny” Jiménez (11-1-1, 7KOs).  El encuentro entre GuevaraJiménez será transmitido en México por Televisa.

   Después de sufrir su segunda derrota en Diciembre del 2010, Estrella ha ganado tres peleas en hilo en el 2011, todas por nocaut.  En Marzo, Estrella detuvo a Juan Manuel Armendariz y un mes después a Manuel Valdez, ambos en el primer round. En su último combate en Julio, Estrella visito las playas de Mazatlán, Sinaloa, y noqueo en el tercer capítulo al anteriormente invicto Juan Jiménez.

   “A estas alturas, no importa a quien me pone enfrente mi promotor Box Latino, estoy listo para demostrarles que estoy listo para cosas más grandes”, dijo el joven Estrella antes de una sesión de entrenamiento. “Quiero peleas a ocho rounds el año que viene y por eso tengo que demostrar eso y más y todo empieza el 10 de Diciembre”.

   José, quien es el hermano menor del prospecto Omar Estrella, entrena bajo el tutelaje del dos veces campeón Raúl “Jibaro” Pérez en el gimnasio Gaspar “Indio” Ortega localizado en el barrio bravo de la Zona Norte de Tijuana.

   El apoderado de José Estrella, Adrián Corral, dice que después de un 2011 triunfador, buscan un 2012 con aun más cosechas. “No nos queremos adelantar pero reconocemos que José está listo para un título regional en los primeros meses del 2012. Creo que con un triunfo espectacular el 10 de Diciembre, demostrará que está listo.  Esa es nuestra meta pero el primer paso se da contra Godinez”.

   También programados para la velada es el hermano menor de los campeones Erik y Die-go Morales, Ivan “Niño Maravilla” Morales (14-0, 9KOs) vs. Ricardo “Rocky Armenta (15-12-1, 7KOs) a seis en súper mosca, Ricardo “Piolo” Castillo (39-10-1, 26KOs) a diez rounds en peso pluma contra Daniel “Cañerito” Ruiz (24-4, 18KOs), Ramón “Niño de Oro” Ayala (21-2-1, 14KOs) cuando se enfrenta al zurdo Manuel Aguilar (14-2, 11KOs) a ocho vueltas, el clasificado mundial Javier “Cobrita” Mendoza (14-2, 11KOs) también está programado contra un rival a designar y en una atracción especial, Khabir “Rulo Loco” Suleymanov (11-1, 6KOs) en su debut en tierra Azteca vs. Jorge Guerrero (6-8, 5KOs) a ocho vueltas en la división de los super gallos.

   The “Battle for the Oil Can” was coined as the result of a contest that was run jointly by the Fresno State and San Diego State Alumni Associations this fall. Entrants were asked to suggest a name for the rivalry game and as well as a trophy to commemorate it. Of the 65 entries received, one stretched back into history telling about the discovery of an oil can from Fresno (circa 1935) that was supposedly recovered during a San Diego State campus building project.

   “The oil can likely came from a time when Aztec and Bulldog fans traveled to football games between the two schools via the old, twisting, precipitous Grapevine section of Highway 99 over Tejon Pass,” said Jacquelyn K. Glasener, executive director of the Fresno State Alumni Association.

   The alumni associations agreed on the winning entry, the “Battle for the Oil Can,” and purchased an antique oil can to be the basis of the trophy, which will be awarded to the winner of this year’s game.

   “Cars in those days carried extra oil and water to be sure they could make it through difficult trips,” added Jim Herrick, executive director of the San Diego State Alumni Association.

   The contest’s winning entry was submitted anonymously and therefore, all the other entrants became eligible for the grand prize. A drawing, which will be overseen by both schools’ alumni associations, is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 2, at San Diego State’s Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center to determine the winner, who will receive an iPad2.

   The Aztec-Bulldog series dates back to 1923, with San Diego State winning the initial meeting 12-2 at home.  Since then, the sides have met 49 more times, including every year from 1945-79, when the two competed in the same conference or were independents. After not facing one another between 1979-1991, the schools resumed the annual series from 1992-98, when both were members of the Western Athletic Conference.  The most recent meeting was in 2002, with Fresno State holding on to defeat San Diego State 16-14 at Bulldog Stadium.  SDSU, however, leads the all-time series at 26-20-4, including a 13-11-2 mark in San Diego.

   Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. PT at Qualcomm Stadium and will be televised live in high definition on CBS Sports Network, while also being shown locally on Channel 4 San Diego. Game tickets can still be purchased 24 hours a day via GoAztecs.com or by calling (619-283-7378).

TIJUANA CHAMPION JUAN CARLOS BURGOS RECEIVES BELTS!

Juan Carlos Burgos is looking forward to a big 2012, Photo by Carlos Baeza/Thompson Boxing Promotions.

   Champion Juan Carlos Burgos was on hand at El Paseo Inn Restaurant at the historic Placita Olvera earlier today to receive his WBO Latino Super featherweight belt and his WBC International silver super featherweight/ WBC Latino super featherweight belt.

  Burgos, who is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions and Banner Promotions, earned the belts by battling for 10-tough rounds against hard punching Puertorican Luis Cruz on the opening televised bout of the November 12 Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy undercard. 

   Burgos had this to say about the battle, “Some of Cruz’s people thought that I was going to be an opponent that would only last three rounds.  Even if you watch the video, you can hear his trainers telling him that I was not at Cruz’s level.  But I proved everybody wrong.”  

   When asked about his future plans, Burgos stated: “My main focus now is to become world champion. I owe it to my family, my team and my promoters who have always believed in me. I would love to take on Yoriokis Gamboa. I will fight him at any weight… featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, catch weight. You name the weight and I will fight him. I would also love to be matched up against current WBC featherweight champion Jonnhy Gonzalez.  We were supposed to fight each other in September of 2010 but he went another direction.  I don’t know if he is afraid of me but I really feel he is ducking me.”   

   Other fighters mentioned on Burgos’ wish list were, IBF Featherweight champion Billy Dib, highly ranked featherweight Mickey Garcia, Super featherweights Juan Manuel Lopez and WBC Champion Takahiro Aoh and lastly IBF Super featherweight champion Juan Carlos Salgado.     

   Burgos (28-1, 19 KOs), is scheduled to make his return the ring in the first trimester of 2012.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER
Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko II: Saturday, Dec. 3 At Honda Center In Anaheim, Calif.

   In a highly anticipated re-match of one of the year’s most talked about and exciting fights, unbeaten rising star Abner Mares will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver Bantamweight Championship titles against the boxer he dethroned, former two-time IBF 118-pound champion Joseph King Kong Agbeko, in the main event on Showtime Championship Boxing on Saturday, Dec. 3, live at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

   In the co-featured world championship bout, Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) Bantamweight Super Championship against Two-Division World Champion Vic “The Raging Bull’’ Darchinyan.

   Mares (22-0-1, 13 KO’s) scored a hotly disputed 12-round majority decision over Agbeko (28-3, 22 KO’s) to win the Showtime Bantamweight Tournament and IBF title last Aug. 13 in Las Vegas.

   The summer slugfest featured many two-way exchanges with numerous swings in momentum. Mares and Agbeko combined to throw 1,394 punches in the fight. The fast-starting Mares connected on 318 of 732, while Agbeko landed on 231 of 662 and notably came on strong in the later rounds. Each fighter landed his share of big blows.

   Their brave performances, however, were overshadowed by referee Russell Mora, who warned Mares several times for low blows throughout the fight yet never deducted a point. In the 11th round, the referee called a knockdown when Agbeko took a knee following a punch that appeared below the beltline.

   When the final bell rang and the scores were totaled, Mares scored a majority decision victory by the scores of 115-111 twice and 113-113, however the controversy surrounding the fight was such that an immediate rematch was ordered by the IBF.

   On Dec. 3, these two great champions will settle the score…

   Moreno (31-1-1, 11 KO’s), 26, of Panama City, Panama, will fight for the first time since he signed with Golden Boy Promotions last August. He will be making his United States debutagainst Darchinyan (37-3-1, 27 KO’s), 35, a Sydney, Australia-based Armenian who has fought in Southern California X times in his career.

NEW YEAR’S EVE BOXING BASH
AT HISTORIC ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER

   In the main event, International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (23-0, 19 KOs), of Tallahassee, Fla., will make his fourth title defense against former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 175-pound kingpin Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18 KOs), of Budapest, Hungary. World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight champion Rico Ramos (20-0, 11 KOs), of Whittier, Calif., will risk his belt for the first time when he faces the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games Gold Medalist and current World Boxing Association (WBA) interim champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (8-0, 6 KOs), of Miami, Fla., by way of Cuba. This will be the first major boxing event at Anaheim Convention Center since Carlos “Sugar” De Leon scored a first-round knockout over Waldemar Paulino in a WBC cruiserweight eliminator on April 25, 1980.  Former world champion Rafael “Bazooka’’ Limon also appeared on the card.

   The 10th ranked Boise State Broncos (9-1) with their high scoring offense and solid defense didn’t need any help in beating the San Diego State Aztecs (6-4) last weekend, but they received plenty of assistance nonetheless. The Aztecs turned out to be their own worst enemy in a game which saw them provide the Broncos with perfect field position three times in the first quarter.

   Starting short field drives following Aztec turnovers at the Aztecs 24, 10 and 23 yard lines, Boise State had little trouble converting for three easy touchdowns and a 21-point first quarter  lead. The Broncos added three more second quarter touchdowns to put the game out of reach by halftime. The discouraging 42-14 intermission score was enough to send many Aztecs fans to the parking lot. They had been part of one of the largest crowds of the year (52,256).

   While the Broncos were by far the superior team, the Aztecs managed to pull off several electrifying plays in the losing effort. Undoubtedly, the most impressive was running back Adam Muema’s first quarter 81-yard touchdown scamper. Muema, a freshman, has been Ronnie Hillman’s understudy this season and has rarely seen the playing field. Finishing with an impressive 119 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns, Muema gave his career a tremendous boost. His efforts should result in some increased playing time even after Ronnie Hillman returns to full time duty. Hillman has been limited by his high ankle sprain.

   Tight end Gavin Escobar who has been outstanding all season, had a career night hauling in eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. On his second touchdown, Escobar grabbed a Ryan Lindley pass and then broke several tackles on a 30-yard jaunt to the end zone.

   Lindley, now the Aztec and Mountain West all-time passing leader, added 350 yards to his passing total going 30 for 51 with one very costly interception and three touchdowns.

   Speedy wide-out Colin Lockett had his best game as an Aztec with eight receptions for 149 yards. Lastly, defensive back Larry Parker notched another interception for a team high six.

   It is hard to find a lot of positives in a 52-35 rout, but in the fourth quarter the Aztecs outscored the Broncos 21-0. To their credit they kept fighting long after they had no realistic chance of winning. The final score of 52-35 reflected their refusal to roll over and surrender after their disastrous start.

   With Boise State likely to be bailing out of the Mountain West Conference, the Aztecs probably won’t have to worry about facing this top notch program again. Tomorrow the Aztecs visit the (2-8, 1-5) UNLV Rebels. It is a must win game for the Aztecs (as is their home Dec. 3 regular season finale against Fresno). With wins against both teams, the then (8-4) Aztecs will have a good chance of being invited to their second consecutive bowl game. Additional losses by Air Force and Wyoming would considerably improve their prospects.

By Steve Galindo III 

(L-R) Juan Manuel Marquez throws a left to the face of Manny Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS – I always knew that the whole world wanted to see a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. but it became quite apparent last Saturday night that nobody wants to see that fight transpire more than Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge-the two judges that ludicrously awarded a majority-decision victory to Manny Pacquiao over Juan Manuel Marquez last Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden. Despite the efforts of the two disgraced judges, we may instead see a fourth installment of the Pacquiao-Marquez saga long before we ever see the much talked about bout between Pacquiao and Mayweather.

   At 38, Juan Manuel Marquez gave the finest performance of his 18 year career. The Mexican, whom was deemed as “old” and “washed up” before the fight frustrated his younger, and much faster opponent while dictating the flow of the fight. The 9-1 underdog matched the best fighter in the world tit-for-tat and offset Pacquiao’s blazing speed with timely counter-punching- landing a higher percentage of total punches than his Filipino rival. And, yet, it wasn’t enough (at least in the eyes of the two judges which scored the bout 115-113 and 116-112 for Pacquiao the third scored the bout a draw) for Marquez to wrest the WBO Welterweight title away from the tiny 28″ waist of the champion. “I’m happy with the performance that I gave” a dejected Marquez said afterwards. “We prepared ourselves well for this fight. For the third time we felt that we won and for the third time we were robbed. I’m going to take some time off. I’m going to talk to my team and to my family and see if we continue in this sport or if I hang up the gloves.”

   Distraught and visibly shaken, Marquez’ longtime hall of fame trainer Ignacio Beristain also expressed frustration with the contentious decision. “I’m very sad,” Beristain said. “The decision was a joke for boxing, a joke for Pacquiao, and a joke for the true winner Juan Manuel Marquez. It makes me sad to see where boxing is heading. The sport loses a lot of credibility and the people here that saw Juan as the winner perhaps they’ll not want to buy any more fights or buy a ticket for a fourth fight- I’m very frustrated.”

   The silver lining in all of this for Marquez is that in losing the Welterweight title in another controversial decision, Dinamita, at least on this night took the title of “The People’s Champ” away from the genial Filipino. Instead of receiving accolades for his 54th career victory, Pacquiao was instead the focus of frustration for the 16,368 fans in attendance. When the decision was read the pro-Marquez crowd who just seconds earlier were heard chanting “Si Se Pudo,” “Si Se Pudo,” unleashed a flurry of their own. Instead of jabs and uppercuts their flurry involved hurling water bottles and 24 oz. red plastic Tecate cups in the Congressman’s direction. Pacquiao held his head down as if to say to himself “And I thought politics was tough.” Perhaps the angry crowd still harbored feelings from Marquez controversial loss to Pacquiao three years prior. Perhaps the loyal fight fans were tired of a string of bad decisions that have marred the sport this year. Whatever the reason- the scene resembled an Occupy protest with boxing fans representing the 99% and Pacquiao representing boxing’s big business.

   Basking in all the post-fight revelry was Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who was already trying to set-up a fourth fight just minutes of the decision being read. “I’m bound and determined to have these two fight once and for all in a decisive fight,” said the legendary promoter. “I had Manny winning this fight, some people particularly Mexicans had Marquez ahead. I’m going to talk to Manny and I’m going to talk to Juan Manuel and maybe we’ll do it again in May. If we do it again, it’s going to break all monetary records for pay-per-view.”

   When asked of a potential fourth fight, Marquez hesitated “All the people saw- all the people know and what else can I do,” a dejected Marquez said. “I think that even if I did knock him down they would just pick him right back up and give him the fight. I think that’s what they would do. This one hurts a lot, I’m very frustrated.’ If there ever is a fourth fight between the two, maybe Marquez should suggest that it take place in Mexico with Mexican judges not named Moretti or Trowbridge. Maybe then he can finally get a fair shake. 

Pacquiao-Marquez III breaks record in Mexico

   More than 40 million people tuned into the fight in Mexico making it the highest rated boxing event in the Country’s history.

Tijuana’s Burgos shines on Pacquiao-Marquez undercard

   Juan Carlos Burgos, who is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions and Banner Promotions, scored the biggest win of his career last Saturday night, a 10 round decision against previously undefeated prospect Luis Cruz. Banner Promotions president Art Pelullo said, “I congratulate Juan Carlos Burgos on his big win. It was a very important fight, a high-profile co-featured bout on the Pacquiao-Marquez card, and he rose to the occasion and gave a sensational performance. Luis Cruz was undefeated at 19-0 and ranked IBF No. 3, WBC No. 4, and WBC No. 6. A lot of people considered him the favorite to win, but they obviously underestimated Juan Carlos. “Juan Carlos is only 23 years old, but he proved that he is a top featherweight contender last year in a very close decision loss – and a great fight – against Hozumi Hasegawa, who has been one of the most dominant world champions in recent years. On Saturday night, Juan proved it again.” After arriving home in Tijuana on Monday, Juan Carlos said, “I never bought into the idea that I was the underdog for this fight. I went 12 hard rounds against Hasegawa last November and I was confident as I prepared for Cruz. I have vindicated myself from that loss and I know I have a lot ahead of myself, but for now I will rest and enjoy this moment with my girlfriend and family. But I will very soon be a world champion. I work very hard to achieve that dream.” Now 28-1 with 19 knockouts, Juan Carlos is currently ranked No. 5 by the WBC at 126 pounds.

   While the Aztecs (6-3, 3-2) were 18-15 winners last weekend in a sloppy game played in cold, windy conditions at Colorado State, they ended up on the losing side of the all important injury battle. Already reeling from the losses of stellar linebacker Logan Ketchum and outstanding guard Nik Embernate the previous weekend, the list of the walking wounded grew considerably as a result of the battle against the CSU Rams.

   The worst news is that starting defensive lineman J.J. Autele sustained a dislocated elbow and is done for the season. The Aztecs came into the season with a paper thin defensive line. They have been lucky until now to avoid major injuries in this area. That luck ran out last Saturday.  Ready or not redshirt freshman Dontrelle Onuoha will be forced into action in place of Autele.

   In addition, running back Walter Kazee, who has been the perfect complement to mega-talented Ronnie HIllman, severely sprained his right knee. As a result, Kazee will join Autele as a spectator for the rest of the season. Kazee, with his punishing runs and his trademark extra effort will be missed. Hillman also sustained an injury (sprained ankle) and sat out of practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a chance however, that he will be healthy enough to play tomorrow. If Hillman can’t make it, Aztecs freshman Adam Muema will get the call. Muema has just 15 carries and 85 yards on the season.

   Despite the windy, Arctic conditions Aztecs quarterback Ryan Lindley completed 18 of 35 for 154 yards and one touchdown. His stats would have been considerably better had several of his receivers been able to hold on to well thrown balls.

   Ironically, place kicker Abe-lardo Perez became the game’s hero when he split the uprights to give the Aztecs an 18-15 lead with 5:49 left in the game. Perez, who has been in a bit of a slump recently missed two earlier tries from 27 and 44 yards out.

   The Aztecs face a tough and angry Boise State team (8-1, 3-1) tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. at the “Q”. Prior to last weekend’s one point upset loss at the hands of TCU, the Boise State Broncos were ranked 5th in the nation and appeared destined for a BCS Bowl game. While they still might get one, that loss moved them down the ladder to number 10 and likely closed the door on their bid for a national championship. That loss might also cost them a berth in a BCS Bowl game at season’s end.

   By winning against CSU, the Aztecs (now with six victories) qualified for a shot at a bowl game although it guarantees them nothing. Last year, they won their first bowl game in over forty years. Whether they will return to the Poinsettia Bowl, the Las Vegas Bowl or someplace else is anyone’s guess at this point. If they can gain an unlikely win against Boise State tomorrow, their chances would improve dramatically. If not, wins against very beatable UNLV and Fresno State would no doubt help.

By Steve Galindo III

What: Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III (For the WBO Welterweight title)
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
When: Saturday 6:00 p.m.

From the sold-out MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez will meet once again at a catch weight of 144 pounds.

   For Marquez, the wait for Superman is officially over:

After three years of playing the waiting game, Mexico’s most prominent fighter will finally get what he’s so desperately been seeking: A much deserved third fight with Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao

   For Juan Manuel Marquez, the long- awaited trilogy fight with his arch-rival Manny Pacquiao marks the culmination of year’s worth of patience and persistence which at times has seemed as somewhat of an obsession. How obsessed is Marquez with the notion of facing Manny Pacquiao? In his 1994 classic Gin and Juice, hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg rapped about his obsession with money when he famously flowed: “With my mind on my money, and my money on my mind.” If there were ever a Mexico City remix to Gin and Juice featuring the aforementioned Marquez, one would assume that his lyrics might sound a little like: “With my mind on Manny, and Manny on my mind.”

   Manny has been an incessant thought in Marquez’ mind since spring ‘04. In that year, the two formally met for the featherweight crown in an unforgettable battle staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was a highly anticipated match-up fueled by the fact that both warriors were universally recognized as the top two fighters in the featherweight division. In spite of the fact that Marquez was coming into the bout as both the WBA and IBF champion, Vegas odds makers favored Pacquiao by a 2-1 margin- due in part to his 11- round destruction of fellow Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera six months prior. In the early goings it seemed as though Marquez would meet the same bloody fate as his fellow compatriot Barrera. It took Pacquiao only 2 minutes and 17 seconds to send the champion to the canvas three times. The three knockdowns had left the Pro-Marquez crowd of 7,000 as stunned as their hero. Once boisterous Chants of Mar-Quez! Mar-Quez! - Quickly turned into sunken chants of Si-Se-Puede, Si-Se-Puede. In the face of adversity, battered and bloody, Marquez miraculously gained his composure and instead of saying no mas, he proceeded to mount one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport. A brutal back and forth slugfest ensued that saw the Mexican great prove his mettle by battling back to earn a draw.

   In March 2008, nearly four years to the date of their first epic encounter, the two met yet again this time at Jr. Lightweight. As in the first fight, Marquez would enter the bout as the champion and as a 2-1 underdog. This time the drama would unfold across the street from their first fight at the Mandalay Bay Event Center. The ambiance inside of the sold-out arena rivaled that of a World-Cup soccer matchup with both fighters’ countrymen making their presence felt. The fight, billed as “Unfinished Business” picked up where the first one left off with the two warriors standing toe-to-toe in the center of the ring exchanging jabs, hooks, and timely combinations-much to the delight of the 12,000 rabid fans in attendance. In round three, Pacquiao would go on to floor Marquez- but as in the first fight, the future hall of famer rallied back and at times seemed to have a bloodied Pacquiao on the ropes. Despite his best efforts, Marquez’ rally fell short as Pacquiao would go on to squeak his way to victory via a contentious split decision victory. When asked of the controversial decision Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach shrugged his shoulders and admitted that the fight “Could have gone either way.” When asked of his thoughts of a potential third fight with Marquez, Pacquiao declined stating that “the business is over.”

   Three years – three weight classes later and it would appear as if “the business” is anything but over. Tomorrow night from the sold-out MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez will meet once again at a catch weight of 144 pounds. In a vast contrast from their previous two outings, Marquez is now seen as a tremendous underdog, 8-1 according to Las Vegas sports books. “People can make bets if they like that is fine with me” said a defiant Marquez. “It has nothing to do with my fight. I have to go into the fight with a mentality that I have to win each round and if the opportunity comes I go for the knockout. I am not going to hesitate if the opportunity is there.”

   In a career that spans over 17 years the proud Mexican fighter has never faced such immense odds- not even in his fight versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. While many pundits are predicting an easy night’s work for Pacquiao, some would argue that Marquez’ style will continue to stymie Pacquiao, thus handing him his first defeat in over 6 years. In other words, where most see Pacquiao as boxing’s equivalent to a modern day superman, some see Marquez as his kryptonite.

Marquez: Right opponent at the right time

   The selection of Marquez was essentially a no brainer for Pacquiao promoter, Bob Arum. After drawing ire and criticism by both fans and media for the selection of Pacquiao’s last three opponents, Arum knew that he needed to find a suitable dance partner for the Filipino deity. Knowing that Floyd Mayweather Jr. would not be available for a fall showdown (and perhaps may never be available), Arum turned to Marquez. Aside from May-weather, financially, Marquez is the biggest fight out there for Pacquiao. The last time the two hooked up, the fight set a record by amassing 400,000 pay-per-view purchases- which at the time was a record for boxing’s lower weight classes. An amazing figure considering the fact that the economy was in much more dire straits at the time.

   For tomorrow night’s fight Arum should have no problem in tripling the pay-per-view totals of the ’08 fight as the rivalry between the two has grown to be more intense- thanks in part to a t-shirt that Marquez wore that read “Marquez beat Pacquiao twice.” The affable Marquez has turned into the guy that Filipino fans love to hate and in this business beef equates to bucks- just ask Floyd Mayweather Jr. (if you could find him).Needless to say, Top Rank Promotions didn’t need the services of a terrestrial network such as CBS to help sell this fight. The fight sells itself. For it is one that goes far beyond the ring- national bragging rights are at stake. Mexicans see Marquez as their last line of defense against a man that has been dubbed as the Mexicutioner for his dominance over Mexican born fighters. While Filipinos hope that their Manny could shut Marquez and his Mexican faithful up once and for all. Make no mistake about it, this is not a case of a fighter showing up to collect a check a la Mosley or Clottey- this is no third time a charm type scenario for Marquez- he is coming to leave it all in the ring which makes us fans the true winners.

Gran Predicción 

   Pacquiao will try to employ a similar tactic that he used in their first fight and come out with an all-out blitz on an unsuspecting Marquez. I see Marquez going down twice within the first six rounds, but as the two previous fights I see him rising up the canvas to dish out some punishment of his own. The question then becomes: Does Marquez have enough ‘Dinamita’ to defeat Pacquiao? My answer is no. The muscle mass gained by Marquez will do him more harm than good in this instance and will make him a more stationary opponent. Despite Pacquiao’s claims of this fight being more personal, I feel that he will show a bit of compassion towards his rival which will allow the fight to go the distance. – PACQUIAO by Unanimous Decision- Steve Galindo III

Fight Fans Weigh-In

   I believe that Marquez will put everything on the line and prove once and for all that he is the superior fighter. After two bad decisions Marquez will finally be vindicated with a win over his nemesis Pacquiao. This is Marquez’ time to shine. - MARQUEZ by TKO in round 10- Jaime Baro, 33, South East San Diego

   I believe Marquez’s style should give Pacquiao a challenge, but after it’s all said and done, Pacquiao’s speed and power will prove to be too much for Marquez. – PAC-QUIAO by K.O. in round 10- Robert Aguirre, 28, Torrance, CA.

   I think Marquez will out box Manny again and use his counter punching to wear Manny down. Marquez’ style and skill set is Manny’s kryptonite.- MARQUEZ by Unanimous Decision – Enrique Pimentel Jr., 29, Chula Vista.

Tijuana’s Juan Carlos Burgos to open up Pacquiao-Marquez telecast

   Super featherweight Juan Carlos Burgos (27-1, 19 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, who is set to engage 26-year-old Puerto Rican Luis Cruz (19-0, 15 KOs) this Saturday, November 12 in a ten- round battle as the HBO Pay-Per-View televised opener of the highly anticipated Pacquiao vs. Marquez rubber match, put the finishing touches before his departure to Las Vegas.

   The talented Burgos had this to say about the upcoming battle, “I am preparing very hard for this fight because I don’t want to have the problems I had last year when I fought Hozumi Hasegawa in Japan.  I feel that I started too late and it caused me the loss, I was able to hurt Hasegawa in the middle rounds but I would have been more effective if I put more pressure on him early on.  I don’t want to have any regrets after this fight so I am going to go all out.”

   Burgos continued, “I put in a lot of work training in both San Diego and my hometown of Tijuana.  The training was intense.  This is my first fight at 130 pounds and I feel very comfortable at this weight. I don’t think that it will diminish my footwork, I actually think it will add to my strength and open new opportunities since I will be able to fight as a featherweight or a super featherweight.”

Questions/Comments: Steve Galindo III can be reached @ stevegalindo3@gmail.com

Linebacker Miles Burris had another solid game against New Mexico

   It is hard to imagine not being satisfied with a 35-7 victory, but in the case of the SDSU Aztec Football Team and especially their fans, that seems to be the case following their latest victory. This win, their fifth on the year, came at the expense of the University of New Mexico Lobos. Heading into their Nov. 5 matchup at Qualcomm Stadium, the Lobos had the dubious distinction of being the lowest ranked Division I football team in the entire nation. In their three most recent outings leading up to last Saturday’s game, the Lobos were outscored 160-7. The Aztecs (5-3) were favored to win by a whopping 35 points so naturally, the Aztec faithful were expecting a walk in the park. That is not however, what they witnessed, at least not in the first half. 

   The Aztecs by design seemed determined to move the ball almost entirely on the ground and the Lobos defense did a pretty good job of stacking the line and containing San Diego’s primary ball carrier, Ronnie Hillman. Decimated by injuries, the overmatched Lobos put up a pretty good fight in the first half. Following two Aztec touchdowns on short runs by Walter Kazee, the Lobos cut the Aztec lead in half to 14-7 just before the intermission when Crusoe Gong-bay scored a rare Lobos touchdown from seven yards out. For the second week in a row the Aztec faithful expressed their displeasure with a chorus of boos as the teams trotted into the locker rooms.

   Aztecs Head Coach Rocky Long no doubt had some choice words for his charges at halftime. It may have been just the wakeup call that his players were needing. Whatever the reason, the Aztecs were much more effective on offense in the second half.

   Running back Walter Kazee started the ball rolling when he scored his personal best third touchdown with 9:56 left in the third quarter. That was followed by a one-yard Hillman run to make it 28-7 three minutes later. Fullback Chad Young finalized the scoring at 35-7 with 10:42 left in the game. To their credit, the defense limited the Lobos to just seven points, eight first downs and a paltry 162 yards of offense. Linebacker Miles Burris led the defensive charge with nine tackles. 

   Despite being keyed upon all night long Hillman added another 141 rushing yards to his impressive season totals and scored one of the five touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Lindley started poorly, but eventually warmed up to throw for 271 yards while completing 16 of his 24 passes.

   Tomorrow, the Aztecs visit Colorado State (3-5) in what appears on paper to be a very winnable game. The Rams are led by quarterback Pete Thomas who has completed over 62% of his passes.  Their defense, which is allowing 32 points per game offers an opportunity for Lindley and company to pad their statistics, provided of course, that they play up to their ability. A win here will put the Aztecs in good position for a bowl berth.

   Ruiz, who is the first and only Hispanic Heavyweight Champion of the World, wanted to tell his story; detailing the overwhelming odds he conquered to become world champion, in order to inspire children, particularly Hispanics, at an early age.

   Ruiz has lived by the credo, “Follow Your Dreams,” fighting his way out of a housing project in Chelsea, Massachusetts to capture one of the most prestigious individual awards in sports.

   “I wanted to give kids a sense that, if they believe in themselves, they can aim high and achieve their goals,” Ruiz explained. “I wanted to send this message in a way that fascinated kids. I first pitched this idea to Gladys Rosa, a personal friend who has worked in public relations with some of the biggest names in boxing for many years. I met Jose 10 years ago at a press conference and we’ve remained friends ever since. He has written several children’s books and is a sports fanatic.

   “We sent emails back and forth to each other about different scenarios until we came up with this version of Hooks & Jabs. I am Puerto Rican and have a large Hispanic following, which is I why I insisted that the book was published in a bilingual format. I wanted to reach kids from my culture. As a started researching publishing houses, I soon realized that it’s an over saturated process with a lot of red tape. I didn’t want to deal with publishing people who had different points of view about how my story had to be told, so I decided to self-publish my book, and I’m very glad I did. I’m very proud of this project because it’s 100-percent real. This is my story, my book, and I own all rights.”

   Ruiz has retired from the ring but remains tied to boxing as an owner/chief instructor of recently opened Quietman Sports Gym, inside of Gold’s Gym in Medford (4000 Mystic Valley Parkway), which is a suburb of Boston and only a few miles from where John grew-up in Chelsea.

   Quietman Sports Gym is a full-contact gym, featuring a boxing ring as well as a cage for MMA, wrestling, jiujitsu and Muay Thai fighting. The gym also offers boxing and full-contact fighting classes, personal and semi-private instruction, self defense classes, and white collar boxing.

   Future plans call for Quietman Sports Gym to become a sanctioned USA Boxing gym, where John plans to develop future Olympians. Ruiz also wants to become a boxing and MMA promoter – professional and amateur – and he has already started a boxing consulting agency, Quietman Sports, along with his longtime attorney and advisor, Boston Attorney Anthony M. Cardinale.

   The 39-year-old Ruiz, who lives in Las Vegas and Chelsea, retired with a professional record of 44-9-1 (30 KOs), including 12 world title fights.

   Last weekend Aztec running back Ronnie Hillman had another career night at the “Q”. The sensational sophomore confounded the Wyoming Cowboys (5-2, 2-0) for a combined 309 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t enough however, as the Aztecs fell to the Cowboys 30-27 in what was thus far the most frustrating loss of the season. The loss dropped SDSU’s record to (4-3, 1-2) and seriously impaired their chances of gaining a second consecutive postseason bowl bid. Favored by two touchdowns, the loss should have never happened.

   In the first half, the Aztec defense played as if it had never previously been on a football field. The Cowboys, behind true freshman quarterback, Brett Smith sliced through the porous Aztec defense like a hot knife through butter. Smith passed for two first half touchdowns and ran for two more as the Cowboys took a 30-13 half-time lead into the locker room. Over and over again the Cowboys killed the Aztecs with screen passes that they turned into long gains. Smith kept the Wyoming offense on the field for what seemed like the entire first half by continually converting third down situations with the aforementioned screens or his own timely running. Throughout the first half the Aztecs looked completely off-balance and confused on defense.

   The Aztecs did post 13 first quarter points and did it on two outstanding plays. On the first, tight end Gavin Escobar, playing with a broken left hand hauled in a Ryan Lindley pass and rumbled 44 yards to open the scoring. With about four minutes left in the first quarter, Hillman latched on to a Lindley pass and took it 71 yards for a score and the temporary 13-7 lead. Abelardo Perez botched the extra point on what turned out to be his nightmare before Halloween night.

   The game was lost during a stretch that began late in the first quarter and continued throughout the second. The leaky Aztec defense failed to hold the Cowboys on four consecutive drives to make the halftime score 30-13. They we cascaded by boos on their way to the locker room.

   The Aztecs staged a brilliant third quarter comeback thanks to two Hillman touchdowns. The first was an Aztecs record-setting 99-yard run. Hillman’s second was a three-yard touchdown jaunt. It drew the Aztecs to within three at 30-27. At the same time, the Aztec defense that looked so clueless in the first half came alive and pitched a shutout in the second.

   The Aztecs drove down the field twice to get within easy field goal range, but Perez couldn’t find the range and the Aztecs came up short.

   On November 5, help is on the way in the form of the winless New Mexico Lobos (0-8). The putrid Lobos have given new meaning to the word futility. They have lost their last three games by a combined score of 160-7. Kickoff at the “Q” is set for 5:00 p.m.

Ronnie Hillman. Photo by Ernie Anderson

   Two weeks ago, the San Diego State Aztecs (4-2, 1-1) kept their postseason bowl plans on track with an impressive 41-27 road victory over Air Force. That game, however, was a lot closer than the score would indicate. The teams were locked in a 20-20 stalemate until late in the third quarter. After a key Air Force fumble put the Aztecs in excellent field position, SDSU quarterback Ryan Lindley connected with Colin Lockett for a 27-20 lead. From that point on, the Aztecs offense, behind some crisp blocking and the masterful running of Ronnie Hillman took charge. 

   Prior to that point, the Air Force defense had done a reasonably good job of bottling up the Aztecs talented sophomore running back. But in the fourth quarter, Hillman sprang to life torching the tired Air Force defense on touchdown runs of 22 and 57 yards. Air Force added a touchdown late in the game to close the gap to 41-27, but the combination of Hillman’s  running and Lindley’s passing was too much for the (3-4, 0-2) Falcons to overcome.

   Following last weekend’s bye, the Aztecs will return to action tomorrow night at Qualcomm Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. match-up against the University of Wyoming Cowboys (4-2, 1-0).

   Last year, the Cowboys staged an incredible 30-27 come from behind victory when they visited the Aztecs. The Cowboys, with the help of some shoddy Aztec defense, managed to overcome a 21-point fourth quarter deficit in what was the low point of the Aztecs 2010 season. The Aztecs are determined to not allow history to repeat itself this time around.

   The Cowboys offense is averaging about 30 points per game behind the passing of Brett Smith (123 of 208 with nine TDs) and the running of Ghaali Muhammad (316 yds.), Alvester Alexander (333 yds.) and Brandon Miller (253 yds.) Smith, a running quarterback, has added 211 yards on the ground.

   Smith’s targets in the Cowboys aerial game include Robert Herron (30 receptions for 267 yards and three TDs), Chris McNeill (20 for 227 yards and one TD) and Mazi Ogbonna (19 for 195 yards and two TDs). Smith likes to move the ball around and has seven additional players with multiple receptions. Tomorrow’s game should be a good test for the Aztecs. A win would advance them to 5-2. After tomorrow, four of their five remaining opponents have losing records. If they can avoid catastrophic injuries and play to their ability the Aztecs have an excellent chance of playing in their second consecutive bowl game. They might even improve upon last year’s 8-4 regular season record.

La capitana, Martha Revuelta finalizó con seis unidades.

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco. — México jugó uno de sus mejores sets en los Juegos Pana-mericanos cuando intentaba regresar en el tercer set ante Estados Unidos, escuadra que ganó a la postre encuentro 3-0 y de paso el grupo B dentro de la competencia.

   Las norteamericanas se impusieron por parciales de 25-14, 25-16 y 31-29 al equipo anfitrión, que sin embargo mostró una actitud de lucha constante al cierre del encuentro, con el apoyo de los aficionados que colmaron el Complejo de la Unidad Manuel Ávila Camacho.

   Alexandra Klineman registró 14 puntos, mientras que Cinthya Barboza, Lauren Gibbemeyer y Regan Hood concluyeron con 10, cada una. Por México Samantha Bricio y Andrea Rangel finalizaron con  8 y 7 puntos cada una. La capitana, Martha Revuelta finalizó con seis unidades.

   Cuando parecía que el tercer set se consumiría, el cuadro mexicano sacó fuerzas para prolongar el partido, lo que encendió a los aficionados. “Estamos tristes porque perdimos, pero creo que luchamos hasta el final. No supimos contrarrestar la altura de Estados Unidos”, mencionó Revuelta. “Lamenta-blemente el último set lo teníamos y creo que hubiera cambiado las cosas. Pero con el score tan apretado es un volado. Ahora fue al revés empezamos mal y acabamos bien”.

   La capitana de Estados Unidos, Cinthya Barboza, resaltó la entrega del tricolor en este encuentro donde también, reconoció que tuvieron como fuerte rival al público. 

   “México se presentó jugando de manera diferente en cada partido. Nos hizo sacar lo mejor de nosotros y nosotros les hicimos sacar lo mejor de ellas”, dijo la jugadora californiana. “De esto es de lo que se trata el voleibol. Son un equipo aguerrido, con mucho corazón”, agregó.

   El entrenador mexicano Mario Herrera indicó que a pesar de estos resultados, esperan conseguir la primera victoria en la ronda clasificatoria que se desarrollará paralela a las semifinales y finales para definir a los equipos de los lugares 5 a 8 del torneo.

   “Fue una pena que no pudiéramos cerrar el último set. Estados Unidos hizo los ajustes correctos y se nos fue la oportunidad”, dijo el dirigente mexicano. “Nosotros continuamos con la siguiente ronda con posibilidad de acceder en quinto, sexto o séptimo lugar.  Es un grato aprendizaje estar en este tipo de competencias”.

   Para este martes se jugarán los cuartos de final. República Dominicana se medirá a Puerto Rico, mientras que Perú lo hará ante Cuba.

   The San Diego Sockers announced the signing of veteran midfielder Eduardo Velez to a one-year free agent deal. Terms of the signing were not announced.

   Velez, 29, is making his second tour of duty with the Sockers, having played with the 2004-2005 MISL team that folded under previous ownership on December 30th, 2004. A member of the Mexican National Indoor Soccer Team and the founder/director of operations of Revolucion Tijuana, Velez played the past two seasons for Revolucion.

   Last year, in Revolucion’s first season as a full-fledged member of the PASL-Pro, Velez led the league in scoring with 52 points (30 goals, 22 assists) in 14 games.

   “We are ecstatic to bring a player of Eduardo’s caliber to the San Diego Sockers,” said Sockers general manager John Kentera, “Velez is not only a tremendous soccer player, he’s a great leader and a great person.  He’s a family man whose numbers speak for themselves in the indoor game.”

   “Eddie”, a Tijuana native, rose through the amateur ranks of the outdoor game, eventually earning selection to the Nacional Tijuana first-division team. After his Sockers career was cut short, Velez concentrated on the indoor game to great effect, earning promotion to the Mexican National Indoor Soccer Team in 2006 and the World United Futsal Team. Eduardo transitioned to the MISL with the California Cougars, playing in the 2006 MISL All-Star Game and suiting up with the team through the 2007-2008 season. At this time Velez returned home to Tijuana to help found Revolucion Tijuana, which has since moved up to full inclusion in the PASL-Pro.

   “We’re happy to have Eddie on our side this year,” said Sockers owner/head coach Phil Salvagio, “He was one of the toughest players for our team to defend last year and I expect him to play at a very high level and to fit right in with the Sockers.”

   Velez already joined the Sockers this summer to help the team take down the COOP Beach Soccer Championship in Oceanside. Eduardo is married with two children.