Loboes Down The Yellowjackets With 56-40 Win
    By Staff Writers ~~ The Monahans News, December 22, 2006

The Monahans Loboes got their missing starters back on Tuesday and got back into the win column in Kermit, as they picked up their second victory of the season over the Yellowjackets, this time by a 56-40 final score.

The win moved the Loboes to within a game of .500, which they can reach before Christmas with a win on Friday afternoon, at home against Seminole.

Monahans, which came off a 58-35 loss on Saturday against Fort Stockton in the finals of the Panthers' tournament, was minus starters Arnold Rodriguez and Clayton Hires in that game.  Both returned Tuesday, but coach Thomas Clay said it was forward Sean Merrick who gave the Loboes the biggest lift, after Kermit came out hot in the first quarter.

"Sean Merrick blew up.  He was hitting from everywhere," Clay said.  "He also got a couple off steals.  We hadn't been pressing much this year, but we did last night."

Merrick finished with 24 points, half of that coming in the second period , as part of a 20-10 run that allowed Monahans to turn a nine-point deficit after on period into a 27-26 half-time lead. They widened that to seven after three periods, then outscored Kermit 17-8 in the final period.

"Kermit came out on fire against us.  They scored the first 10 of the game and were up 16-7 after the quarter," Clay said, adding that Lane Hill gave the Loboes the most trouble.

"No. 1 (Hill) was the one we started worrying about.  He had three 3s on us in the first half, so he was the one we had to find," the Loboes' coach said.

Hill ended up with 13 on the night to lead Kermit, while Albert Pando was the only other Jackets player in double figures, with 11. Tyler Williams, who scored 20 last month for Kermit in their 60-5- loss at Monahans, was held to just three points this time, and Clay said he expected his Defense to do a better job the second time around.

"The first time we played them we weren't big, because we didn't have our football players and he got a lot of baskets inside, but this time, we didn't give him those shots," he said.

Rodriguez, with 10 points, was the only other Lobo in double figures, but eight players had at least two points for Monahans.  "We kind of got scoring from everybody.  It was a good game," Clay said.

Friday's match-up against their former district rival will be the first for the Loboes this season against Seminole, who they'll play again next month on the Indians' home court.  Play will start with the freshmen game at 1:30, followed by the Junior varsity at 3 and the varsity at 4:30 p.m.  Monahans will then have six days off, before returning to action on Dec. 28 at the Reagan County Tournament.

Monahans also won Tuesday's JV game, by a 72-51 score. Arik Sotelo and Jake Wallace Led the Loboes with 12 points.

Keyed by Chance Helmers, Junior