Zero Week

football games kick off

Aug. 22-23



By LLOYD ENGEN

SAN LUIS VALLEY — With boys’ golf already underway and the rest of the high school fall sports entering their first practice sessions next Monday, Aug. 11, it’s time to turn attention to the coming fall season.

As with everything else in the 2008 Leap Year calendar, the fall sports also are beginning earlier than last year, or for that matter, any non-Leap Year scheduling.

That includes the high school football “Zero Week” for schools that have not been able to schedule the required full slate of games during the regular season.

It means, as in the case of Monte Vista High School football, the Zero Week games will be played as early as Friday, Aug. 22. The Pirates are one of those teams, opening at home against the Ignacio Bobcats at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22.

Other early matchups in Zero Week have Falcon playing at Florence Aug. 22 with the Huskies now a 2A team after years of battling Alamosa in 3A.

Pagosa Springs goes to Bayfield for a non-league Zero Week game on Aug. 23, then heads for Alamosa the following week to take on the Mean Moose on Friday, Aug. 29, the same day Centauri travels to Igancio and Monte Vista hosts Erie.

All student-athletes must turn in their signed Colorado High School Activities Association forms and physicals before they can practice.

With everything coming at us earlier this time around, Valley Courier Sports asks that all Athletic Directors in the Valley’s 14 schools send us their fall sports schedules as soon as possible. Send the schedules via e-mail to sports@alamosanews.com or via FAX to 589-6573.

The Valley Courier Sports Dept. sincerely thanks all the Athletic Directors for their help and cooperation.

(Monte Vista High School Athletic Director Scott Wiedeman gets the first place nod — he was the first one to send in his fall schedules.)



New Sports E-mail



ALAMOSA — A new e-mail website for Valley Courier Sports has been set up at sports@alamosanews.com. Please send all sports announcements, stories, fall sports schedules, photographs and story ideas to this site that will be checked daily for the quickest possible response. Sports Editor Lloyd Engen can be reached by phone at 589-2553, Extension 103, or by cell phone at 588-1257.



SLV cross country coaches meet Friday at AHS



ALAMOSA — A mandatory Colorado High School Activities Association Cross Country Coaches Certification and Rules pre-season meeting for all high school cross country coaches in the San Luis Valley will be held at noon this coming Friday, Aug. 8, at Alamosa High School, with Julian Lopez conducting the meeting. For information, contact Alamosa High School cross country coach Larry Zaragoza at 274-5892.



Mean Moose 24-hour relay & car wash Friday



ALAMOSA — The Alamosa High School boys and girls cross country runners will hold a fundraiser continuous 24-hour relay type run and a car wash this Friday, Aug. 8, from 8 a.m. until 8 a.m. Saturday morning, at the track at Ortega Middle School. The fundraiser is being held to raise money that will be needed for the harriers’ trip to San Diego in mid-September for a national caliber cross country meet involving teams from throughout the country. The Alamosa runners already have come up with personal funds for their airfare. The additional funds are needed to cover the cost of motel rooms, meals and ground transportation in San Diego. Anyone wishing to make a pledge to the harriers’ relay efforts, or an individual runner, can contact head coach Larry Zaragoza at 274-5892. The car wash will take place in the area behind the football grandstand.



Centauri Fall Sports Parents’ Meeting tonight



LA JARA — Centauri High School will hold a Fall Sports Parents’ Meeting at 7 p.m. on tonight (Thursday, Aug. 7), at the Centauri High School gym. All parents of Centauri High School student-athletes are asked to attend the meeting in preparation for the 2008 fall sports season. Centauri sponsors fall season teams in football, volleyball, and boys & girls cross country. Centauri also had had several student-athletes over the years participate in soccer and golf for Alamosa High School.



Dunes Volleyball charity yard sale Aug. 9-10



ALAMOSA — The Dunes Volleyball Club is holding a charity yard sale this Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9-10, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, at the Alamosa Boys & Girls Club. The proceeds will go to local charities on behalf of Dunes Volleyball Club “Gold Level” sponsors, First Ford of Monte Vista and Community Banks. Anyone wishing to donate items for the yard sale can contact coach Amber Ullery at 580-3085, or bring the items to the Alamosa Boys & Girls Club Saturday morning.



Alamosa boys’ soccer starts Monday morning



ALAMOSA — All boys throughout the area interested in playing soccer for the Alamosa High School Mean Moose soccer team this fall are asked to report for practice at Carroll Park across the street from the high school this coming Monday, Aug. 11. The first practice session is from 6 to 8 a.m., and the second session from 4 to 6 p.m. All players must have CHSAA forms and physicals completed, signed and turned in before they can practice. Alamosa also has had soccer players from Centauri and Monte Vista high schools over the years, since neither of those schools offers the sport of soccer. Coaching the Mean Moose this year is Enriqué Guerrero.



Monte Vista opens fall practices Monday



MONTE VISTA — Official practices for the Monte Vista High School fall sports of football, volleyball and cross country begin this coming Monday, Aug. 11. All paperwork and physicals must be turned in to Athletic Director Scott Wiedeman before participation can begin. Contact Wiedeman at 588-1398 with any questions. Jim McAuliffe is coaching football, Amber Ullery is coaching volleyball, and Becky Tonso is coaching cross country. Monte Vista also has had several student-athletes over the years participate in boys’ soccer for Alamosa High School.



Monte Vista volleyball sets practice schedule



MONTE VISTA — The Monte Vista High School volleyball team will begin practices for the fall season this coming Monday, Aug. 11. Mandatory practices will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and also from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. All physicals must be turned in before participating in the practices. For information, contact coach Amber Ullery at 580-3085.



Del Norte Youth Volleyball Camp Aug. 14-16



DEL NORTE — A Youth Volleyball Camp for third through sixth grade girls will be held Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 14-16, from 4 to 6 p.m. each day, in the Del Norte Mini Gym, sponsored by Del Norte Recreation. The camp fee is $15. Contact Kiley Sanchez at 849-1927 or Debbie at 588-1223.