Four Corners Sports December 2015 by Majestic Media

content Don Vaughan PuBlISHER

Cindy Cowan Thiele EDITOR

Rick Hoerner Tom Yost Dorothy Nobis Ben Brashear Debra Mayeux CONTRIBuTING WRITERS

Josh Bishop Curtis Ray Benally Ben Brashear CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Suzanne Thurman

| 4 | Winter sports preview Year two of the new district alignment and teams have made the adjustment to new and renewed district rivalries.

| 8 | Interactive mountain bike maps Bureau of land Management Director Neil Kornze attended one of the nation’s most important mountain bike events to introduce a new access tool for trail riders all across the country.

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Clint Alexander SAlES STAFF

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| 22 | Catching up

| 9 | 10 Questions

with the county

with Rick Hoerner

| 11 | Fishing Report

| 25 | NASCAR Sundays | 12 | Stephanie Jacquez Farmington High School Golf Coach Stephanie Jacquez ended the 2015 golf season tied for eighth place as the top women’s golfer in the state.

| 16 | Durango Double Majestic Media 100 W. Apache Street Farmington, NM 87401 505.516.1230 www.majesticmediausa.com Four Corners Sports magazine is published once a month by Majestic Media. Material herein may not be reprinted without expressed written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or Four Corners Sports magazine. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication. However the publisher cannot assume responsibility for errors or omissions. © 2015 Four Corners Sports magazine.

| 24 | Compete with class

It is the morning of the Durango Double running race and more than 200 runners are fighting off the cool autumn temperatures.

| 28 | Teresa Brevik Her father, Phil was a longtime member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

| 30 | The First Tee by Tom Yost

| 32 | NASCAR Nellie

| 20 | Editorial Columnist by Rick Hoerner

covercredit Curtis Ray Benally

DECEMBER 2015

Four Corners SPORTS

Winter

sports previeW Teams adjust to district alignment; Gallup takes over 1aaaaa basketball Story by Rick Hoerner Photos by Curtis Ray Benally Year two of the new district alignment and teams have made the adjustment to new and renewed district rivalries. The changes were most prevalent in basketball. With the Gallup schools joining 1aaaaa, the Gallup Bengals took over the basketball district. The girls were as dominant as always and the boys joined their female counterparts with both playing for the state championship. In wrestling, the more they changed the more they stayed the same. Piedra Vista was still dominant and the new additions did little to change the power structure. In District 1aaaa, the change renewed a classic rivalry between Shiprock and Kirtland Central. When both teams are good, there is not a more electric atmosphere for basketball in the state. last season the Chieftains remained strong and the Broncos seemed more at ease dropping a class, but the story of basketball in the district was Bloomfield. The Bobcats qualified both their teams for the state tournament. Devon Manning’s boys finished 21-8 and won the district tournament while Coach adair’s girls finished 15-13 and received a no. 10 seed. In wrestling it begins and ends with Bloomfield.

Girls Basketball

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DECEMBER 2015

Most of the dominant players in the district were underclassmen last year. So this year’s preview may look a little familiar. The consensus seems to be that Gallup will once again rise to the top. na’asia McIntosh and Deerae Torreza will lead the Bengals, but their first five is incredibly solid. Farmington returns both Meeya Yazzie and Shayna Crowell from a team that finished second in the district. Coach Danny Secrest likes the experience with which his team enters the

season. aztec surprised some by jumping over PV in last year’s district standings. Coach mcCaskill didn’t have to look far for some scoring for his Tigers. myra and makayla mcCaskill will lead the Tigers attack, but for Coach mcCaskill, the senior leadership of elena Kresl will make the difference for aztec. For joe Reed’s Piedra Vista Panthers, nikki Benally leads an interesting mix of young talent and veteran experience. Outside of mcintosh from Gallup, Benally may be the best player in the district. Last year four teams from this district made the state bracket. That should make for an interesting district where most teams have their best players back. While the expectations at shiprock and Kirtland Central are always high, Bloomfield has now joined the ranks of high expectations for District 1aaaa. Last year Coach adair’s team finished just behind the perennial favorites at 15-12 overall and a no. 10 seed at the state tournament. The Bobcats return 11 players from last year’s squad including all-district player Destiny Walter who led them in scoring at 16 points per game. Kirtland Central looked to their own hallways for their new head coach tabbing former boys coach john Zecca. Coach Zecca will have to merge a talented group who are now on their third coach since the tragic death of Kevin Holman less than two years ago. seniors Orquidea Reyes, Deiondra smith and shamika Benally will lead the Lady Broncos. shiprock returns a strong squad that finished 25-6 last year led by Tanisha Begay and Lacey Howe. Rainy Crisp and the navajo Prep eagles should again be right in the thick of it come state tournament time. The eagles and Texico have had a constant rivalry in basketball and volleyball and that could be the case again this season. We’ll see at the end of December when Prep travels to the TexjasmineCOLEMAN ico tournament and a showdown with the naVajO PReP eaGLes Rangers. again the Lady eagles will have a strong outside shooting presence and will lean on the overall strong play of jasmine Panthers have been dominated on the mats about as long as the Coleman. The 3a eagles play one of the toughest non-district schedObama administration has been in office. Last February the Panthers ules in the state playing 5a tournament participants Piedra Vista and made it five in a row and return with enough firepower to make anFarmington as well as state runners-up Gallup and Kirtand Central. other run. as on the softball field, the Panthers’ dominance has stepped up the competition state-wide as the gap has significantly Wrestling closed, but in the end the Panthers should once again be right there come tournament time. The 5a wrestling standings have to begin with Piedra Vista. The

DECEMBER 2015

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The Panthers look not to rebuild but just reload. Coach bejar sees fierce competion for the spots that have opened by the departure of a strong class of 2015. Wes rayburn, Dylan Greenhaus, nick rino, Taylor Atencio, and Alberto Marquez will lead this year’s team that always has high expectations. In Aztec, Coach Maxwell needs quick maturation from his young team that finished tenth in state last season with six eighth graders and two freshmen. Austin Littlefield returns after finishing third at state last year while Dominic Dufur came in fifth for the Tigers. Francisco Alvarez and Kameron schrock will pace Farmington. . While Kirtland Central is home to the only returning state champion in District 1AAAA in Aiden Cockrell, bloomfield again looks to be the team to beat. Coach shoemaker’s squad will have strong senior leadership and an experienced coaching staff. JD robinson, Levi Whitley, Avery scott, and David DeHerrera well need strong seasons for the bobcats to continue to excel at state. As with most teams, bloomfield looks to stay healthy and peak at the right time.

boys basketball Just as Gallup came in and dominated the girls’ district, the Gallup bengal boys were the top squad in last year’s district. The bengals reached the ﬁnals last year and return Colton Lowley. The bengals had a strong challenge last season from Farmington in the state quarterﬁnals where the scorpions let a lead slip away. Coach Corley likes who he has returning this season with 12 of the 14 players that suited up at the Pit last year returning. Farmington has a wealth of experience at the guard position led by Clayton Corley, berett bentley and

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DECEMBER 2015

Tyren King. in the middle the Scorps have 6’7 david Riley. Piedra vista seems to be in a state of flux for the upcoming season. The Panthers have lost players to injury and transfer. Pv will need strong play from their athletic guards, Senior Keegan acosta and Sophomore Jarrett Graham. aztec starts the year with new coach Jeremy archuleta at the helm. aztec will be a bit of an unknown this season, but does return Preston daugherty who Coach archuleta calls, “the full package.” The Tigers will also need solid play from Lindsay Larabee and Canyon Goimerac. district 1aaaa was one of the toughest districts in the state last year with the highly improved Bloomfield squad, the recent dominant Shiprock Chieftains and a very strong Kirtland Central team that is loaded with returnees. Broncos were the regular season district champs and return senior point guard Ty Yellowman and shooting guard Bernel Miller as well as all-district players Riley Hamblin and Bryson dowdy. Bloomfield returns nearly all of their rotation from last year’s squad. The Bobcats will turn to adriano Stevenson and Malachi Pablo for the bulk of their scoring. Shiprock returns co-district player of the year andre Joe. Navajo Prep will start the year like they have in five of the previous six seasons, with another new head coach. The Eagles welcome back Nachae Nez who had to sit out last season with a knee injury, and return top scorer isaiah Chavez at shooting guard. if transfer dylan Begay can add some inside punch, this may be a strong year at Prep.

davidRILEY FaRMiNGTON HiGH SCHOOL

DECEMBER 2015

Four Corners SPORTS

InteractIve mountaIn bIke maps BLM Director unveils new maps outerbike 2015 Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze attended one of the nation’s most important mountain bike events to introduce a new access tool for trail riders all across the country. Developed by the BLM in partnership with the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) and the MtB project, the mobile-friendly online tool features interactive maps for 20 of the nation’s most popular trails on public lands. the maps are available at www.blm.gov/mountainbike. the new suite of online maps will improve a visitor’s experience by providing helpful information and eye-catching visual images of mountain biking recreation sites and trails. By making this information accessible to the public, the BLM aims to encourage more Americans to get outside and explore their public lands. through the BLM website, riders can also access more detailed trail data from IMBA and the MtB project. “the BLM is proud to manage some of the world’s best mountain bike trails,” said Director Kornze. “this new, mobile-friendly tool will help the public get a glimpse of these amazing places and plan their rides.” Director Kornze also noted that outdoor recreation also makes good economic sense. Based on figures from the outdoor Industry Foundation, outdoor recreation activities contribute approximately $730 billion to the nation’s economy and support nearly 6.5 million jobs. “BLM's willingness to connect with our product and share it with their communities shows the quality of our work and provides a model of what our organizations can accomplish together," said Leslie Kehmeier, Mapping Manager at IMBA. More than one million visitors used mountain bike trails located on BLM public lands last year. Now, for the first time, the mountain biking community will be able to pull information about specific BLM mountain biking areas through a centralized online tool while they’re on the go. this effort builds on the June release of the BLM’s recreation maps that provide interactive navigability for some of the nation's most beloved conservation areas. these maps can be accessed at www.blm.gov/conservationlandswo/st/en/prog/nlcs.html.

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DECEMBER 2015

rick Hoerner moved to Farmington out of college and spent the next 25 years of his life teaching and coaching in the Farmington Municipal School District. After a long career at Mesa Verde Elementary School, Farmington High School and piedra Vista High School, Hoerner had been enjoying his well- deserved retirement life when the opportunity to coach at Navajo prep came along

What are your favorite things to do in Farmington? Not that Farmington is the Mecca for nightlife, but I do like to go out with my wife for a quiet meal, and I love going to the movies.

What is the best trip you have ever taken and why? the politically correct answer would be my last family vacation to orlando for our 25th wedding anniversary, but my favorite trip would have to be to the Cardinals-Eagles NFC championship game in 2008. A great time with friends at a great event. It was impossible not to high ﬁve people you would normally cross the street to avoid

tell us something you miss about teaching. I miss the kids. Despite what the public thinks – those who are always empathetic to teachers – about the kids, it’s really the adults that are the hardest part to work with. For the most part, the kids are great, and being a part of athletics and activities allows you to see them at their very best.

What is the greatest aspect of retirement? Deﬁnitely the drop in my stress. the blood pressure drops, and the time to work on projects around the house – or just do nothing – is always a possibility.

HOERNER 7

Favorite Sports team?

I’m a sucker for hard luck cases. Been a kansas City Chiefs fan since 1969, mostly to aggravate my Bronco loving Dad. Love the phoenix Suns, Wyoming Cowboys and St. Louis Cardinals.

Favorite Basketball player of All time and why?

Julius Erving. As a kid growing up in Wyoming we got ABA games instead of NBA games, so I grew up with Erving, David thompson and Artis Gilmore and not the Lakers and Celtics. I loved Erving’s style and smooth game. My family bought me an autographed Nets jersey for Christmas last year, probably the best present I’ve gotten, maybe ever.

Who had the most inﬂuence on you as a basketball coach?

I’ve been really blessed to be around some great coaches. In high school I played for Wyoming Hall of Fame coach Jerry Dalton at Natrona County High in Casper, and was around Casper College head coach Swede Erickson, who at the time was 2nd in all-time wins in NJCAA as a young player and in college. then I had the honor of assisting Marv Sanders at Farmington High. Great coaches who get smarter every day.

Five things on your “Bucket List”? packers game at Lambeau Field below 32 degrees; DukeNorth Carolina basketball game at Cameron Indoor Arena; semester in Europe just getting around to see everything; visit every major league ballpark to catch a game; be totally debt free.

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Which “Bucket List” items will get accomplished in the next three years? Likely none, but I am putting a little pressure on a former player of mine, Josh rankin, who is a season ticket holder in Green Bay. Feel free to pressure him for me.

What is the biggest challenge as a coach in 2015?

Without a doubt it’s year ’round expectations of sport. With parents investing money for camps and team travel all year ’round, they want a return on the investment – meaning they expect wins and playing time. this has put an unrealistic expectation on sports in general. there is no honor in being a varsity athlete representing your school and community when there is now an expectation of pay to play.

DECEMBER 2015

Four Corners SportS

Fishing REPORT Fishing on the San Juan River below Navajo Lake has been very good. The current flows are 400cfs. Fishing has been best from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Most fish are being caught in the morning on nymphs with dry fly fishing picking up in the afternoon hours.

Here are a few hot dry ﬂies to try: Size 22 Grifﬁths knot Size 24 parachute Adams Size 22 CDC Baetis Fishing below the quality waters has been fair. Try using red salmon eggs and night crawlers.

Here are a few hot nymph rigs to try: Have fun and keep a tight line! Size 20 yellow egg pattern Size 22 red midge larvae Size 24 black and gray midge pupae Size 24 olive and black midge pupae Size 22 gray RS2

T.J. Massey San Juan River Outﬁtters www.sanjuanriveroutﬁtters.com 505.486.5347

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DECEMBER 2015

Four Corners SpORTS

STEPHANIE JACQUEZ ONE OF STATE’S TOP GOLFERS FHS golf coach wins SCAGA New Mexico-West Texas Mid-Amateur Championship Story by Debra Mayeux Farmington High School Golf Coach Stephanie Jacquez ended the 2015 golf season tied for eighth place as the top women’s golfer in the state. The ranking came from the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association, or SCAGA, which was

Four Corners SporTS

founded in 1976 as a representative of the United States Golf Association in New Mexico and West Texas. SCAGA’s purpose is to “promote mutual trust and friendly relationships among members by encouraging and promoting successful

DECEMBER 2015

golf operations,” according to its Website, www.suncountrygolf.org. It offers tournaments, educational programs, and a handicap system for members, and maintenance and care of courses and clubs.

DECEMBER 2015

Four Corners SportS

Jacquez, of Farmington, won first place in the SCAGA New MexicoWest Texas Mid-Amateur Championship Oct. 3-4 at Pinon Hills Golf Course. She took the championship by one stroke with a 12 handicap. Jacquez began playing golf 14 years ago. The former Farmington High School Softball star was aggressive on the ball field, but also was tired of beating herself up to play. A couple of her friends suggested she give golf a try, and the sport stuck. “I told the (softball) team I wasn’t planning on coming back, and I haven’t picked up a ball or bat since then,” Jacquez said. The FHS graduate is a member of Farmington High’s faculty as an English/language arts educator and the head coach for girl’s golf. She began coaching the split-season sport four years ago, and loves it. There were 16 boys and six girls on the team this year. “It’s hard to get girls,” Jacquez said. The numbers fluctuate. Golf, however, could be lucrative sport for young women willing to give it a try. Eighty percent of the golf scholarships for girls go unclaimed. “There’s free money out there. They just have to play,” Jacquez said. The National Collegiate Athletic Association offers thousands of scholarships to female golfers each year. Recruiters have a small field from which to select, because fewer girls are playing the game, according to Katharine Dyson, of travelgolf.com. In addition the possibility of being awarded money for college,

Four Corners SPORTS

DECEMBER 2015

Jacquez said the sport also provides them with skills they can use in their daily lives. “Golf teaches maturity,” Jacquez said. “You have to be self-disciplined and selfmotivated.” Golf helps with anger management, because golfers learn to control themselves. They also learn to play with people they might not actually like. “You play with different people all of the time,” Jacquez said. The coach is working on the social-emotional part of golf. “I have the mechanics down,” she said. At one time her handicap was 11.1, but currently it’s 13. Jacquez enjoys golf because it is a multi-layered sport that consists of the mind and body working together. “You get to know yourself through golf,” Jacquez said. The sport helps with patience and balance. Golfers also enjoy nature, because they are playing in it. “It’s a different course every time.” Jacquez feels most comfortable at Piñon Hills, where she plays up to 100 rounds of golf in a year. “I collect my golf cards like pennies,” she said. Jacquez added that golf has been a rewarding sport for her, and she would like to see more girls and women involved in the sport.

DECEMBER 2015

Four Corners SPorTS

The

Durango

Double:

Four Corners SportS

DECEMBER 2015

A running race, exemplary generosity Story and photos by Ben Brashear It is the morning of the Durango Double running race and more than 200 runners are ﬁghting off the cool autumn temperatures. A woman in running tights and arm warmers paces back and forth, her teeth chattering. Shaun Burke, a Durango runner clad only in American Flag running shorts, rocks back and forth as he hugs himself to keep warm. Other runners repeat wind sprints through the fallen leaves and stretch cold muscles with anticipa-

tion of the challenging 13 miles of trail running that lay ahead. The Durango Double, founded in 2012 as a charity beneﬁt for the Durango Women’s Resource Center, or WRC, has become much improved and with greater community appeal, according to several at the starting line. Race director Brendan Trimboli is in his sec-

ond year of organizing the event, which, in its latest iteration, is a two-day event — the ﬁrst day, a trail half marathon and the second day, a road half marathon. This year also saw the addition of the Gena Rych Memorial 5K race that honors the life of Gena Rych and serves to raise funds for the WRC. The WRC, under the direction of Liz Mora, is a non-proﬁt group serving to educate and

DECEMBER 2015

Four Corners SpORTS

the race, in conjunction with Animas Surgical Hospital and the Gena rych memorial 5K, raised $30,000 dollars for the center this year. trimboli said he owes much of the event’s success to the appeal of the challenging course, the strong community of runners, over 100 volunteers, and the beautiful views overlooking Durango.

the road race, too, is a fast winding course that makes its way around the Animas river trail paralleling the Animas river and the scenic changing leaves of the cottonwoods. It climbs its way toward Fort Lewis College and then returns back to the river trail for the finish at Animas Surgical Hospital. Anthony Kunkel of Golden, Colorado, ran the road course this year with a blinding pace of 1:16:09 for a first-place finish. Dakota Jones of Durango continues to hold the course record of 1:12:52 set in 2014.

participants of the Durango Double have the option to run both races – also known as running “the double” – or they can choose to run either the trail or the road race separately. the trail race follows along smooth ﬂowing and technical single-track through the Horse Gulch trail system.

It is 9 a.m. and trimboli calls the mass of anxious runners to the starting line of the trail race. runners begin to bounce in place and swing arms up overhead. the mass of bodies begins to surge and press forward, seemingly against an invisible wall that holds them back.

one runner, Brent Winebarger of Durango, said that he had focused his training on steep climbs and endurance, whereas with this race he contends that he should have focused more on his speed-work. “It was a really fast course. I wasn’t prepared to run at such a quick pace,” he said.

that is, they are held in place until trimboli yells “Go,” and the timer begins to count upward coaxing the runners into a fast pace as they sprint toward HWY 3 and the Horse Gulch trail network.

empower women through counseling, legal advice, and business grants in La plata County and the surrounding area.

Kunkel held a 7:41 pace for the win with a time of 1:40:48 and the overall win of the Double. For most runners, though, it was not the fast nature of the course that presented the greatest challenge but the very steep climb up pautsky’s point that lay roughly mid-way through the course. It is a steep technical climb up 500 feet of sandstone and loose “ball bearing pebbles.” Many racers described the section with a tongue in cheek manner as being “cruel” and “sadistic.” For Drew Gunn, an ultra marathon runner and course marshal at pautsky’s point, it was a great way to see how each runner deals with such a challenge. “It never gets old watching the look of determination or despair on people’s faces as they approach such a steep climb halfway through the trail race,” he said.

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DECEMBER 2015

Overall, the event was a hit, according to Trimboli. “As a runner myself, I ﬁrmly believe in giving back to the running community which has given me so much over the past decade. It was with the collective contribution of the community volunteers and over 25 supporting groups – including Animas Surgical Hospital, Ska Brewing, the Women’s Resource Center and the Durango Running Club – that made this event such a success,” he said.

DECEMBER 2015

Four Corners SpORTS

The sum of all fears Anything the media believes will scare us sells For the ﬁrst time this year there will be high school students who were not even born when September 11, 2001, happened. These students will never be part of a country that was not totally dominated by its fear, especially of the unknown.

RickHOERNER Editorial columnist

They will most likely go through life always knowing airport screening and having their Fourth Amendment rights encroached upon without ever knowing what it was once like to have a near absolute preponderance of innocence. Of course for some just their demeanor or hue has always put that notion into question. The media that once was the most important part of attaining knowledge on world events gave way to selling product based on our fears after that momentous day. The proof is obvious. Anything the media believes will scare us sells and gives them the all-important ratings points. Watching the news one would believe crime is up, drugs are more prevalent than ever, abductions occur every day and iSiS is coming to get you. Politicians have fed on these fears for your votes. Businesses have fed on your fears for proﬁt, especially when it comes to your children. This is where the sports world is taking a hit, especially when it comes to football. Watching the news it seems as though we have an epidemic of high school football players dying during practices or games’ or afterwards trying to recover from massive hits. But is this really of epidemic proportions; or are we playing to our fears that our kids are involved in something dangerous that is out of our parental control? in reality there has been, on average, a dozen football deaths a year. Of course these incidents are tragic beyond belief for any parent, and they have my greatest empathy for a situation i cannot even begin to comprehend. Sports by nature have an inherent danger. And just like any other situation, the pros and

Four Corners SPORTS

cons have to be measured. Football is dangerous. it’s not a contact sport; it’s a collision sport. However, many sports have obvious inherent dangers and some that may not look so perilous, can be, as well. Obviously, boxing is intrinsically dangerous. The premise is two individuals literally trying to hit each other while using skill to avoid getting hit. Auto racing is another obvious one. Automobiles traveling that fast and that close obviously are a recipe for potential disaster. Bull riding, wrestling, hockey – even cheerleading – all are inherently dangerous. That’s right, cheerleading. According to a National center for catastrophic injuries report in 2011, cheerleading was second to football in what they deemed catastrophic injury, and was not that far behind. As a matter of fact, it is considered more dangerous, as falling to the ﬂoor after a stunt causes a greater force than getting hit in football. So why the focus on football? Simple. it’s the No. 1 watched sport in America. Football’s history has quite the violent past just like many sports mentioned above. in the early 1900s football seemed to be on its way out. The game had gotten to be little more than

DECEMBER 2015

an all out scrum containing as many as 25 players on the ﬁeld at one time, with essentially no rules. Plays like the wedge formation led to massive numbers of injury. in 1905, after a year that saw 18 deaths and 159 near fatal injuries, President Theodore Roosevelt was under pressure to end the game and was forced to intervene. The rough and tumble Roosevelt was a fan of the game, once telling an audience, “i believe in rough games and in rough, manly sports. i do not feel any particular sympathy for the person who gets battered about a good deal so long as it is not fatal.” But football was getting fatal. Roosevelt convinced colleges to issue statements of curbing the violence, keeping the game clean and “setting an example of fair play for the rest of the country.” He had far better luck mediating the Japanese-Russo War. At that time, 1905 was nearly as bad as the previous year as many schools abandoned their programs altogether. New rules – such as the forward pass, the line of scrimmage and the outlawing of massive formations – eventually cleaned up the game.

All things considered, football has made great strides. Helmets and equipment have gotten signiﬁcantly better, and so have the athletes playing the game. The issue shouldn’t be its safety. While the issue of safety should be paramount, a greater focus should be education of the risks involved, measuring those risks, and weighing the options of playing or not playing. Now here is where there is a problem. if the NFL or the NcAA is hiding the information, that changes the risk assessment, or if coaches are so hell bent on winning that they hide injuries or shame players who have them, the risk assessment drastically changes. i honestly believe that every sport tries to make it as safe as possible for its participants.

However, the higher in the ranks a player rises and the more pressure there is to perform at a high level and win games, the more likely the chance that the risk/reward assessment gets thrown out the window. Tragedy has often led to changes in sports. After Dale Earnhardt died, the drivers’ equipment changed. NASCAR responded with the mandatory use of the HANS head restraint device which most likely would have saved Earnhardt’s life, and probably saved the sport itself. In baseball, batting helmets were introduced. Hockey and football began adding more and more protection to the uniform. Even bull riding expects their riders to wear a helmet – grandfathered in, of course. Are sports more dangerous now? I would argue no. We have just become a more cautious and – I would argue –fearful society. It wasn’t long ago that playgrounds had slides and merry-go-rounds and other now dangerous apparatus. My child’s car seat was mom’s forearm across the chest. I rode a bike without a helmet and accepted that at times I would crash and burn. I’m in no way saying we should go back to no child seats or helmets or having school playgrounds that are lawsuits waiting to happen. Just because a generation lived through it doesn’t necessarily mean it was better – except when it comes to music.

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Generationally, we have always balanced risk vs. reward. But now the lawsuit has changed the risk and in some cases ended the reward. Those choices should still be individual ones.

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Yes, kids are getting hurt in sports, but not at the rate that a news broadcast would lead you to believe. And yes, it is incredibly tragic when sport takes someone’s life.

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However, it seems quite hypocritical that while there is constant babble about making football safer – which they can and should do – the rising spectator sport is two guys or gals getting into an octagonal arena to have a skilled, organized bar ﬁght which likely will be a pay per view bonanza. Fear, sometimes justiﬁably so, has crept into our daily lives and sport. Once a Roosevelt saved football from itself. Maybe it’s time another one saved us from ourselves. For perhaps “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”

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Catching Up with the County FOOTBALL 4A Bobcats, Navajo Prep end season on top In 4A, Bloomﬁeld and Kirtland competed for the district title with the Bobcats coming out on top. Navajo Prep won their 4th straight district title going undefeated in the district season.

VOLLEYBALL PV, Navajo Prep cruise to district titles Volleyball was once again dominated by Piedra Vista and Navajo Prep, both of whom cruised to their district titles.

BASKETBALL Games to Watch . . .

KC Royals’ hero Eric Hosmer played for Midland Redskins The 2015 World Series had a bit of a local ﬂair. Kansas City’s playoff hero Eric Hosmer played for the Midland Redskins in 2007-2008. If Hosmer keeps up the October heroics, another banner in the rafters will one day join the others in the Hall of Fame. Looking to join him will be fellow Midland Redskin Matt Harvey who played for Midland with Hosmer in 2007 and now will always be tied to Hosmer after returning to pitch in the 9th inning of Game No. 5 and giving up the double to Hosmer that got the Royals back in the game and onto a 4-1 Series win.

It’s all about tournaments in the early season with a few key non-district matchups sprinkled in. Here’s what to look for from the beginning of basketball to Christmas Break

Boys Basketball Navajo Prep Eagles Classic, December 3 through 5 Shiprock Invitational Tournament, December 3 through 5 Marv Sanders Invitational, December 10 through 12 at Farmington High School with Las Cruces, Piedra Vista, Durango, San Juan Blanding, Fabens, Texas, Kirtland Central, Cleveland and Farmington

Girls Basketball Piedra Vista at Navajo Prep on November 19, Opening night includes a matchup of two of the top players in the county in PV’s Nikki Benally and Prep’s Jasmine Coleman

Tourney to watch Shiprock Invitational Tournament December 3 through 5 Gallup at Kirtland Central on December 8 pits two of the most decorated programs in the state in a must-see matchup

WRESTLING Gallup Dual in the Dunes on December 5 includes Kirtland Central and Bloomﬁeld Panther Classic at Piedra Vista on December 19 features the best squads from all over the state

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FOOTBALL PV wins ďŹ rst district title since 2006 football season In football, Piedra Vista clinched its ďŹ rst district title in 2006. The Panthers had an undefeated district season and an impressive non-district win over perennial powerhouse Roswell Goddard.

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COMPETE WITH CLASS Piedra Vista volleyball team awarded for good sportsmanship This fall the Piedra Vista Lady Panthers volleyball team received the new Mexico activities association’s Compete with Class award for the month of September. This year the nMaa has implemented the Compete with Class program “with the purpose of restoring the placement of interscholastic activities in an educational perspective and providing our state with a sportsmanship program that would be embraced and called our own”. Compete with Class was developed through school administrators and athletic directors with coaches and local communities looking to promote and establish a culture of sportsmanship based on the values of the Pursuing Victory with honor program. Local lead volleyball official Cathy Chavez nominated the Lady Panthers for showing honest and integrity on two specific calls during the Piedra Vista Volleyball Tournament. In her nomination letter to the nMaa Chavez stated, “I wanted to make sure that the Piedra Vista volleyball team was recognized for the great example they set for younger players and fans in the stands by their honesty during the match. They showed true sportsmanship and did the right thing, even though it would have been easy to say nothing, and no one would have known. That’s how we define character, isn’t it? Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching, was very refreshing to see.” Three calls that went PV’s way were reversed by the official after the players were honest about which way the calls should have gone including one that swung the tournament championship in a pivotal moment against St. Michaels.

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Even some of the fans were against the Panthers being honest about the calls, but for head coach Ron Becker there was never a doubt about what his girls did. “It says a lot about the character of our girls. We would much rather win the match on points than a call that should have gone the other way.”

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PIEDRa VISTa hIGh SChOOL

any sports fan recognizes that it is a rare incident at any level that players take the time to admit the error of a call. Just watch any game on any weekend and watch how many players and coaches look for the ofﬁcial to give them

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an advantageous call, not always the right one. The Panthers will accepted their award at the state volleyball championships in Rio Rancho in november.

NASCAR SuNdAyS

Rising stars, a huge retirement and local talent keep area fans glued to their TVs Story by Dorothy Nobis At 21 years of age, sporting a sparse mustache to make him look older, Jeff Gordon drove onto the NASCAR track with a huge amount of talent, a youthful attitude and a desire to win championships. Hand-picked in 1992 by Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motor Sports, Gordon drove a car sponsored by DuPont that had a paint scheme with every color of the rainbow on it. Gordon’s success in the sport was assisted by his pit crew, known as the Rainbow Warriors. Now 44 years old and not needing the mustache to make him look older, Gordon is ending his career as a racecar driver. With four NASCAR championships to his credit, Gordon is retiring and will begin a new career with Fox Sports as a NASCAR analyst. Roger Sheak, DeeAnn Durbin, Julie Hank, and Sandy Chapman are longtime NASCAR fans. Sheak is a Farmington businessman, Durbin is an account executive with iHeartMedia in Farmington, Hank is a former Aztec resident who is now a nurse in Albuquerque, and Chapman is a former Bloomﬁeld Police Department dispatcher who currently lives in Long Lake, South Dekota. Gordon will leave a lasting legacy in the sport he helped deﬁne and make prime time television, the four fans believe. Sheak has been a Jeff Gordon fan for as long as he’s been a fan of NASCAR. “He’s a true gentleman, family man and professional at driving a race car,” Sheak said. “He has always put everything into the sport. He’s been very grateful to his family, his car owner and his team for giving him the support he needs.”

but a deep thinker. He shows respect to those he races against and in return, I think he expects it.” Chapman is a Jimmie Johnson fan, but enjoys Gordon’s excitement when he wins. “Every time Jeff Gordon wins a race, his surprise and excitement are over the top,” she said. “He’s very emotional and he’s like a kid on Christmas morning.” wins (this year) and being able to share it with his wife and his two adorable children.” “I’m excited that he is retiring to spend time with them and to enjoy the next part of their lives,” Durbin added. Hank was one of Gordon’s biggest fans when he started his career in NASCAR. “I can remember his ﬁrst race and I have a shirt I ordered out of a Wheaties box,” she said. “It says ‘The Kid and The Champ,’ and it has Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon on it.” Gordon will leave a strong legacy behind, Hank said. “I love how he prays before he races,” she said. “He was one of the ﬁrst to do that. I believe he will leave behind an era of greatness, one that even in all of his wins Jimmie Johnson (Gordon’s team mate at Hendrick Motor Sports) will never touch. Jeff’s not just a driver,

Chase Elliott, son of former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott, will take over Gordon’s 24 car in 2016. Following in the footsteps of a famous father isn’t easy, Hank said. “Much like Dale (Earnhardt) Junior, Chase has a lot to live up to,” Hank said. “I think the kid can drive. I think he’ll win a race in his ﬁrst year in the Cup Series. He’ll be a contender and I’m glad it will be Chase in the 24 (car), because he will do it justice.”

“We (NASCAR fans) have to remember Chase is not his father and should not be compared to him,” Hank added.

“Jeff Gordon is a world class talent and how can anyone think of classic NASCAR without remembering that classic rainbow car,” Durbin said. “I love seeing how happy he was with his

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Durbin, Chapman and Sheak all believe Chase Elliott has big racing shoes to ﬁll, but while Chapman doesn’t think he’ll achieve the success in NASCAR as Gordon has, Durbin and Sheak have faith in the young driver.

“Jimmie is also married to Chandra Janway Johnson, who is a cousin on my mother’s side,” she said proudly. Hank said her loyalty to Dale Earnhardt Jr. has nothing to do with the love him or hate him notoriety of his late father. “I don’t think he got his big break due to his name,” Hank said of Junior. “If anything, I believe his father, who I also admired and loved, made it much harder on him.”

“I feel Chase will start off as a backseat contender, but if he’s truly as dedicated as Jeff was he’ll become a top contender,” Sheak said. Durbin agreed. “Chase Elliott has some big shoes to ﬁll but I’m sure if he was picked by Rick Hendrick, he has what it takes to be great,” she said.

“Dale Jr. has so much class. He doesn’t go out and wreck the other drivers. He drives good ole fashioned racing. He has skill and drive and he is the most consistent driver in NASCAR,” Hank said. “He is awesome at the super speedways and endures the most criticism because of who he is.”

The 2015 season brought plenty of drama, including an incident during the NASCAR race at Martinsville, which is located in North Carolina. Former champion Matt Kenseth deliberately drove into the back of Joey Logano’s car, wrecking both cars. Kenseth was nine laps down at the time and Logano was ﬁghting to make it into the race for the championship.

“Of course my favorite driver is Dale Jr.,” Durbin said. “My family has been a NASCAR fan forever so we were Dale Sr. fans. We’ve watched Junior since he started, and his dad long before that. Dale Sr. was the best and I can’t wait for the day that Junior gets a championship of his own.”

The crash was a payback from Kenseth to Logano, who wrecked Kenseth at the track in Kansas, taking Kenseth out of the championship race. Kenseth was suspended for an unprecedented two races and Logano missed the cut to move into the ﬁnal races for the 2015 championship.

If they have favorite drivers, they also have drivers they never, ever root for. Kyle Bush doesn’t win the loyalty of Durbin or Sheak because of his poor sportsmanship and his arrogance. Chapman will never cheer for Brad Keselowski because of “his arrogant attitude and the negativity he relays through the media.”

Our NASCAR fans are divided on whether the wreck was justiﬁed or not. “”Matt seems like the quiet type that you have to watch out for,” Durbin said. “Joey is showing his stripes more and more as a dirty driver. . . but it might be ‘just racing.’ I grew up watching The Intimidator (Dale Earnhardt Sr.), and he said ‘that’s just racing’ a lot!” “I think Joey deserved it,” Hank said. “I believe he should not have wrecked Matt in Kansas. I watched the replays of the races – the bumping, the rubbing – all of it. Matt had enough and put his foot down. I agree with Matt and I’m not a huge Matt fan.” “Intentional cheap shots at each other make me wonder how much they are paid to develop the love/hate relationships at races,” Chapman

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chimed in. “People love a good ﬁght, but personally, I think it shows a lack of professionalism in the sport.” Every NASCAR fan has a favorite driver, and Chapman, Sheak, Durbin and Hank aren’t exceptions. Sheak is a die-hard Jeff Gordon fan, Chapman roots for Jimmie Johnson, and Durbin and Hank are part of (Dale Earnhardt) Junior Nation. “Jimmie Johnson is a good driver,” Chapman said. “He knows how to talk to people. I love all he does for communities and kids.” There’s another reason Chapman roots for the Lowe’s driver, however.

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Hank is totally honest – she doesn’t like anyone who messes with Dale Earnhardt Jr. However, there is one driver who gets Hank riled. “I had the chance to meet Danica Patrick at the Kansas speedway,” she said. “There was a boy there about 11 years old, who had waited a long time to get her autograph. She turned the boy away (and wouldn’t give the autograph). And she whines a lot.” There are rising stars in NASCAR, however, and our NASCAR fans are excited about some of them. Sheak thinks Kyle Larson (who drives the number 42 Target car) will be a star. “He is young and is very impressive behind the wheel,” Sheak said. “He’s consistent and runs in the top 10 most weeks. He’s a true gentleman and isn’t out just to wreck someone. And he’s a new father and very much a family man.”

Hank agrees with Sheak about Larson – however, she thinks if Larson moved to the Richard Childress Racing team from the Roger Penske team, “he would be amazing!”

race, Kennedy started 35th and ﬁnished 28th.

Chapman is a fan of Joey Logano as the next big deal in NASCAR, but Hank thinks Chase Elliott will make news. “That kid can drive,” Hank said of Elliott. “In the Xﬁnity car (the Xﬁnity series is similar to the minor league in baseball), he amazes me. I think he’ll do great things in the Cup series.”

“Stay grounded and remember, it takes time to pay your dues in the sport,” Chapman said. “The camera is always on, watching your every move, on and off the track.”

And there’s one more rising star all four support and cheer for. Alex Kennedy is a 2010 graduate of Aztec High School and has competed in NASCAR races for several years. He made his first Sprint Cup series appearance in 2013, the first New Mexico native to compete in a Sprint Cup race since Al Unser Jr., of Albuquerque, qualified for the 1993 Daytona 500. Kennedy, the son of Michelle and Terry Kennedy, is currently ranked 40th in the Sprint Cup Series standings. He qualified for the November 1 race at Martinsville, where he started 43rd and finished 34th. In the Watkins Glen

Our NASCAR fans offered their support and advice for Kennedy.

“I don’t have any advice for Alex,” Durbin said. “I think he is doing great and I enjoy rooting for that 33 (car) in any race he’s in!” “My advice to Alex is to follow your dreams and make them yours. You are in control of your destiny and it’s yours to take,” Hank said “If racing is what you want, then don’t go in and do it with half your heart. Give it your all and succeed. If, at the end of the day, you can look back and say, ‘I gave it my all,’ then you know you have done just that.” Hank summed up what so many NASCAR fans feel about their favorite sport. “Racing is like family,” she said. “I grew up at Aztec Speedway. I was a trophy girl there. I watched my father, John Hank, win everything –

he had true talent and a lot of luck. Growing up at a dirt track, I watched NASCAR from the time I was ten. I remember Richard Petty, Cale Yarbrough and watching the Daytona 500. I loved it and always have.” “Racing is something that has to be in our blood and not everyone gets it. I often hear ‘You watch cars go round and round and I don’t get it.’ I just smile and tell them it’s in the blood,” Hank added. “My Sundays and some Saturdays are reserved for my racing. I’ve been to Kansas and Phoenix and the fans are nice. The drivers come up before the race and talk to the fans (unless you’re Danica Patrick). It’s a different type of sport that shows respect, integrity and good oldfashioned manners – most of the time.” “I’ll watch NASCAR until I can’t anymore.” NASCAR Sprint Cup fans will enjoy Champion’s Week in Las Vegas Dec. 2 to 4, when the 2015 champion will be ofﬁcially crowned and recognized. NASCAR will begin its 2016 season with the Daytona 500 – referred to as the Super Bowl of NASCAR – on February 21, 2016, at Daytona International Raceway.

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TERESA BREVIK TAKES NOTHING FOR GRANTED Beating cancer gave rodeo champ new sense of self worth Story by Dorothy Nobis | Courtesy photos Teresa Brevik was born on a horse. Her father, Phil, was a longtime member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the family often traveled with him when he competed. Awed by her dad and the talenthe had in the rodeo arena, Brevik wanted to do what her daddy did and – at the age of eight – she caught her first calf at her first rodeo. “I’ve been hooked ever since,” Brevik said with a laugh. Watching and learning from her dad, Brevik loved rodeo and all the work, time and talent it required. Her perfect world was shattered, however, when she learned she had cancer. At 16, Brevik was a healthy teen. A visit to a doctor when she was feeling ill left Brevik with a horrible reaction to amoxicillin. “They thought I had mono (mononucleosis),” Brevik said. “I went to seven different doctors, who were all looking at my thyroid. Finally, my mother took me to a surgeon and asked him to take out a lymph node.” A Positron Emission Tomography, or PET scan, showed Brevik had stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma. “I had no idea what they were talking about until I heard the doctor say the side effects included losing your hair,” Brevik said with a slight shake of her head. Brevik started her chemotherapy treatments, but felt her doctors weren’t treating her to live, but treating her cancer as life ending. “It was scary,” Brevik said of the diagno-

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sis and the treatment. “But I was saved during that journey. Everything happens for a reason. You look at life a little differently when you look at death in the face.” Four months later, on March 12, her birthday, Brevik was declared cancer free. “It was the best birthday present ever,” she said, adding, “there are people who believe in miracles and I’m one of them.” If the cancer and the treatment took some of the energy out of Brevik, they didn’t take away her love of rodeo. “I was in high school rodeo and I actually won a lot,” Brevik remembered. “Rodeo was a stress reliever for me. It made me feel like I was still normal and that I could still do what other high school kids did.”

Her determination to survive cancer and her love of rodeo brought Brevik many wins in the arena. the cancer also changed her, she admitted. “It made me my own person,” she said. “I wasn’t just a daughter or a sister or another Brevik. I was teresa Brevik and I had a story. It gave me my own perspective on life.” Brevik’s story continues today. At 28, she is a champion in the rodeo arena and rodeo continues to be her passion. the dollars won in the arena often equal the dollars spent to get there. However, “rodeo granted me tuition for college,” Brevik said with pride. For seven months out of each year, most weekends find Brevik behind the wheel of her truck, towing a horse trailer with her horses, headed to a rodeo. “Some weekends, I’ll compete in three rodeos a day – and they’re different rodeos in different places.” While Brevik puts many miles on her truck and money into the tank, as well as entry fees and food her horse trailer has sleeping quarters, she said it’s the joy of winning that keeps her in the saddle and behind the wheel. “rodeo is a great family sport,” she said. “Your rodeo family is more than blood – it’s help when you need it, wherever you are. there’s a camaraderie that makes you cheer the very person you just competed against. You want everyone to do well.” “Doing well” is something Brevik has down pat. recently she was named All Around Cowgirl and 2015 Breakaway roper Champion by the New Mexico rodeo Association. While Brevik excels at many rodeo events, she especially loves breakaway. partly, she admitted, “because I’m good at it,” she said with a laugh. “It’s an individual sport, but it’s also a team effort.” Breakaway does not require the rider to get off the horse and tie a calf down. A piece of nylon string ties the end of the rope to the saddle horn. When the calf is caught, it breaks the rope from the saddle horn, declaring a time. And that’s how the event got its name, Brevik explained. “It’s a very fast event,” she added. “I once had a time of 1.9 seconds.” Brevik is good enough to win at most rodeos in which she competes in. However, it is her “real” job that allows her to enjoy the sport she loves. “I work to play,” she said of her position as Special projects Manager at the city of Bloomfield. “I have to work to afford my bad habit. I’d have a lot more money if I didn’t rodeo, but I wouldn’t have nearly as many stories or friends.” While rodeo is her primary passion, Brevik is also an advanced open water scuba diver. “I’m pretty proud of that,” she admitted. rodeo cowgirl, scuba diver, project manager and good friend – all of those were instrumental in making teresa Brevik the woman she is today. “I don’t take things for granted anymore,” Brevik said. “And I know God is very real.”

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OFFSEASON TRAINING Keeping golf-speciﬁc muscle groups in shape during the winter months The offseason is officially upon us with cool (and getting colder) days and sub-freezing nights to ease us into the winter months. I know most of you have traded in golf clubs for ski poles, which is a fantastic way to keep in shape for the upcoming golf season (legs, butt muscles, rotational movements that are all in sequence with your golf swing). I would highly encourage golfers to stay in shape this winter so that you will be ready to go when the weather breaks in early 2016. offseason conditioning is a wonderful way to keep golf-specific muscle groups in shape during the winter months. As most of us stay indoors this winter, with massive “food and beverage” holiday oppor-

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TomYOST The First Tee

tunities, the tendency is to become lethargic and to pack on a few pounds. Then when the weather breaks, we try to catch up with our conditioning and weight loss before the golf season is upon us. It is a great time to start the pro-active nature of golf-specific conditioning before old man Winter influences your behavior. As a golfer you want to work large muscle

DECEMBER 2015

groupings that include: gluteal muscles (butt), legs, core, and back. It is also important to note that when working these large golf-specific areas, to add in flexibility as well as rotational exercises to keep your body in the best “golf-shape” possible in the offseason. multi-movement exercises are a wonderful way for golfers to work different muscle groups while gaining flexibility and stability. A great example of this would be a forward lunge with a turn, which not only works the large muscle groups discussed above, but also adds rotation, stability and flexibility to a standard movement. It is not well known to many golfers, but physical inadequacies are the number one

factor hindering your ability to play better golf. That is why a physical assessment by a trained professional might be one of the best investments you could make for your golf game this offseason. Players who are unable to perform squats, touch their toes, rotate their torso and shoulders adequately – or even balance on one leg – are most likely not able to maximize their performance on the golf course. A golf professional can give you golf instruction, but if your body is unable to perform that instruction, you will never get any better. The Titleist Performance Institute has partnered with physical trainers, sports medicine doctors and golf professionals to develop a physical assessment form for golfers of all abilities. This physical assessment is performed to create a baseline for the athlete/golfer. Numerous studies and cases have been performed at all levels proving that improvements in these physical assessment areas lead golfers to be able to maximize their golf swing ability. TPI is gaining popularity throughout the country and comes highly recommended by this golf professional, who has participated in their Level 1 training. So the message I leave you with in 2015 is this: Enjoy the holiday season with family and friends and keep active this winter so you are ready to go as soon as Mother Nature gives you a break from the monotony of winter.

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NELLIE PONDERS BEST, WORST DRIVERS Will put her money on Dale Earnhardt Jr. in last race of the season As NASCAR Nellie is writing this, with one ﬁnal race left in the season, she ﬁnds herself pondering all the crazy nutso things that have happened since last February.

half of his fire suit woulda brought a pretty penny and some glorious dollars to NN on Cbay. But nooooo – those NASCAR officials thought it would be “fun” to have the “final” race with just four drivers, none of whom NN was able to save a fire suit from a “suspicious” fire. Whatever.

Generally, when NN “ponders” it’s because her parole officer, judge, law enforcement officer, a security guard and someone’s mother are convinced NN should “ponder” her actions, her words, and/or her past – and they really truly think, bless their hearts, that if NN “ponders” enough, she’ll emerge from her “pondering” a changed woman. NN, herownself, doesn’t think she’s the one who needs the pondering or the changing. NN thinks if the security guard would mind his own business, if the law enforcement officer went after someone who would make said officer a star like Columbo or Barney Fife or Wonder Woman, if the judge would take that gavel and hit someone else on the head with it, if the parole officer would – just once – look the other way when NN crosses the state line into a state that has a NASCAR race and not notify all the law enforcement people and judges and parole officers in said new state, everyone would be a lot happier, especially NN. For reals. Anyway, NN has “pondered” this season of NASCAR and has tried to figure out who were the good drivers and who were the bad drivers, who should have been in the final four and why couldn’t it have been the final 7, so Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sports most popular driver could have taken the championship and made the bottom part of his fire suit that NN “found” after a race in Vegas one year after she just “happened” to wander into his motor home and discovered an entire fire suit actually on fire and she saved it, only to have half of it ripped out of her saving hands by some dude who looked like Guido the Great and called NN some not-nice names when she threw her hooker heel at him, which hit him right in the

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This season had more story lines than are included in NN’s “file” the FBI, IRS, and Mickey Mouse Club consider “hot.” Jeff Gordon is retiring after this final race, giving up his 24 car to that cute Chase Elliott (who NN has an eye on for the bottom half of his fire suit some day after Guido the Great forgets what NN looks like. left nostril and he hadda have it surgically removed. Whatever. NN was just trying to do the right thing by taking said fire suit outside and into her very own vehicle so other people in the ‘nother motor homes would not be in danger. And when Guido the Great yelled at NN when she took off in her very own vehicle, leaving him with a hooker heel in his left nostril, and a flock of vehicles that looked like a National Guard SWAT team took after NN, she was forced to ditch her very own vehicle and her one hooker heel and run like a gazelle into the Vegas crowd, where everyone looks like they’re running from a parole officer. If Junior had won the championship this year, that bottom

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It’s not hard to recognize GtG – the surgery to remove the hooker heel from his left nostril left him with just half a nose – and it wasn’t his “good” half, just so’s ya know). Jeff is trading in his very own ﬁre suit (all of it, not just the bottom half) for a tie, a makeup artist and a hairdresser to he can be in “the booth” and “call” races next year. At every single track Gordon has raced at this year, he has been honored and gloriﬁed

let me wake up and find this season is a horrible, awful, miserable nightmare” years. JJ managed to win some races, but NN thinks the bromance between JJ and his crew chief Chad Knaus is losing its bloom. CK married a former Miss Sprint in August and JJ isn’t the most important person in CK’s life anymore. There was bickering on the radio between JJ and CK and the magic just didn’t seem to work this season. JJ has won NASCAR’s big prize six times and while NN guesses the trophy and the gazillion dollars that come with it don’t ever get old, she also suspects that at some point, CK wanted to kiss and hug on something that had an actual beating heart and didn’t come with sponsor obligations. Anyway, NN is certain Six Time JJ and newlywed CK will bounce back next year and Lowe’s will give both of ‘em all the paint and hand tools they need to build an addition to their six million dollar homes. And Martin Truex Jr., whose girlfriend has been fighting cancer, is driving for a single car team outta Denver. MTJr is in the Race Chase and is the “dark horse” to take the championship, the money, the trophy back to Rocky Mountain High in Colorado (which is prob’ly a lot higher now than it usetabe on accounta marijuana is served as a first course at most fast food restaurants). NN hopes MTJr wins the final race in Homestead. NN likes MTJr, who is a BFF of Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sports most popular driver. and gifted with nice presents. Not that JG needs any more nice presents (except for the two ponies that have been house trained so they can be house pets for his cute kids), on accounta NN is pretty sure Jeff and his family have just about every present they might ever want and need, but the gifts have been lovely and Jeff has been gracious and grateful about all of ‘em and acted like each gift was the very best one he ever received. NN is happy for JG and since he’s in the final four to win another championship, NN will root for him on accounta one of NN’s BFFs, Roger Sheak, LOVES Jeff and waited 87 hours in the rain in Phoenix so he could cheer JG on. RS is a die-hard JG fan and NN is a little worried about who he’ll root for next year, but she’s pretty certain it will be Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sports most popular driver. Then there was Kyle Busch, who broke a leg during the first Xfinity race and hadda sit out eleventeen Cup races, which convinced everyone he was a loser and wouldn’t make the Final Four in the Chase for the Championship. NN has never been a huge KB fan, on accounta he stole the M&M sponsorship from NN’s Sweet Baboo Elliott Sadler, which made ES dump NN for some cute young thing on accounta he thought he wasn’t good enough for NN.

However, even NN recognizes talent and good looks and it’s a good thing KB has talent. Just sayin. . . . . So KB managed to win races and kick butt and have his cute little wife and even cuter little baby boy at almost every race, which emphasized the “family” part of NASCAR and that fame and money trumps good looks almost every time. KB deserves to be in the ﬁnal four, NN admits, although she will not root for him. NN carries her NASCAR grudges for a very long time. Then there’s the “incident” between Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano, when MK took out Little Joey Logano at Martinsville. MK, still mad at LJL for wrecking him during the Kansas race, smacked the back end of LJL’s car, sending it into the wall and MK to the NASCAR hauler after the race. It was pretty exciting to watch and when MK got outta his car after the wreck, he enjoyed being the sports most popular driver for a coupla hours. MK got suspended for two races and LJL lost like a gazillion points, pretty much taking him outta the Race Chase. MK showed no remorse for his actions and LJL no longer sends tweets or LOL’s or I Heart You to MK’s cell phone. Whatever. Jimmie Johnson had one of those “please

Junior won the race at Phoenix, where it never rains on Sunday – or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday – and it was a deserved win. Junior Nation survived a six hour rain delay, ate soggy hot dogs and watered down beer, and stood shoulder to shoulder in triumph when Junior accepted the checkered flag in Victory Lane, after the race was finally called when the rain decided to stay for the winter. Junior Nation recognizes its general, in spite of the fact that, in Phoenix, they discovered Junior doesn’t actually walk on water. Whatever. The bookies who accept bets (although not NN’s anymore on accounta she was unable to fulfill her obligation to pay her bookie a coupla times in Vegas. When NN discovered the bookies wouldn’t take her Safeway card or her library card or her faux diamond studded hooker heels or her Monopoly money instead of the 60-thou they said she owed ‘em, she hadda borrow Elvis’s pink Caddy to get out of town, which made the people at “Elvis Lives and Loves at the Hound Dog Chapel” a little cranky. Whatever, they are putting their money on Harvick to win at Homestead. NN, herownself,

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will put her money on Junior, who will leave all those Race Chasers in the dust.

buds. Jeff Gordon was one of the ﬁrst people to congratulate KB, which NN loved, on accounta JG really, really wanted that championship since it was his last race and his last opportunity to win another gawdy trophy.

For reals. ‘K -- So Junior didn't win the chase, even though, technically, he really wasn't IN the race. Just don't tell that to Junior Nation, who believes its General wins every race, no matter where he ﬁnishes.

The season is over and NN will probably remodel her camp trailer ﬁve times before Daytona kicks off the 2016 season.

JN is loyal to its general and the gazillion of us who belong to Junior Nation will always consider Junior the best driver as well as the sports most popular driver. Having said that, Kyle Busch beat out Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Junior for the trophy, which is really nothing compared to the mirror ball trophy the winners of Dancing With the Stars take home. Whatever. To his credit, KB (who NN has forever called Boo-hoo Busch but can't anymore on accounta he doesn't boo hoo because he has a lovely little wife and a cute little baby. We can all be thankful the

NN’s camp trailer has to be remodeled on a regular basis to avoid being “spotted” and “under surveillance” and "tailed" by those law enforcement people and Guido the Not-so-Great, who think NN is a “threat” and a “hazard” and a “ne’er do well” to any and all NASCAR drivers. baby got more of his mother’s genes than he did his dad’s. KB is a phenomenal NASCAR driver, but he shouldn't give up his day/night job for a career that depends on good looks. Just sayin . . . KB deserved the win because

he's one heckofadriver and NN wasn't totally sorry to see him win, although NN truly believed Junior should win that big ole trophy or at least Martin Truex Junior should win. Those “Juniors”stick with each other and EJr. and TJr. are like best

Well not all of ‘em. NN has no interest whatsoever in Joey Logano or Brad Keselowski or anyone/everyone not named Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sports most popular driver AND the 2016 Champion. Just sayin. . . .

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Four Corners SpoRTS

DECEMBER 2015

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