Welcome to SantaAnnaNews.com

In service to our country

You know sometimes it doesn't hit you until it is personal.

Clay Hubbard tells me that Allen Tucker is now in Iraq. I believe that Maricela (Marty) Siller is also in Iraq. Please pray for their safety and families while they are gone.

Please remember these Santa Anna folks that are serving our country in combat, training, or support: Maricela (Marty) Siller, Eddie Dawson, Ike Garza, Clay Hubbard, James Watson, Austin Voss, Randy Casey, Mike Montgomery II, Mark Rutherford, and Allen Tucker.

1124 American soldiers or sailors have died in Operation Enduring Freedom as reported by the Department of Defense and the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. Pray for our country, its' leaders, and our soldiers and sailors.

Many service men and women return home safely. Operation Tribute to Freedom Homecoming Photographs.

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?-- Darryl Worley country music singer/songwriter. I never will.. September 11, 2001. Where were you when the world stopped turning?-- Alan Jackson country music singer/songwriter. The September 11 Digital Archive will help you remember.

Santa Anna Mountaineer Football

The Mountaineers showed up in Richland Springs last Friday ready to play football but the Coyotes showed why they are ranked third in the state. I am really proud of these guys this year. The last couple of games they have played some great football.

Seniors Bryan Fellers and Running Back Matthew Vasquez have really shown some great leadership with Bryan leading the way in tackles on defense and Matthew leading the way on offense in passing and rushing. Junior tight end and kicker Patrick Kerr had a season best game against Richland Springs recieving and has done an all around good job in the kicking game.

One of the biggest factors in Friday's loss to RS was the loss of my man, Cody Harris, in Thursday's JV game when he received a broken upper arm. Cody usually makes sure that the team has the right game ball and plenty of water. I understand he wanted to keep playing because they only had six on the team and had to call the game without him. Only when they went to the ER did they find out he had a separated shoulder too! I am telling you this kid is tough, as good as they get, and he is going to be a major contributor next year. We hope that he has a speedy recovery.

Really the game was lost by poor field position and turnovers in the third quarter and that is the difference in us going to the playoffs and starting basketball early.

Coach Fields, Kerr, and Ramos have really made some headway with the team this year. I think we are still struggling with a bad reputation with some officials and maybe we are getting a short end on some calls. There is one thing that still concerns me every once in a while and that is the number of personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct calls, and game ejections. Sure you are going to have an occasional personal foul in the heat of battle but unsportsmanlike conduct and game ejections are inexcusable. These are not just a penalty to an individual, but to the whole team and they don't just stop when the clock expires they carry over for years to come. With that said I hope that we can look forward to basketball season and an even more exciting and successful year in football next year.

I have really enjoyed being on the sidelines with the team this year taking pictures and all. I am afraid that I don't have a lot of pictures of the game past the second quarter as I reached in the camera bag right before halftime and my spare battery was not charged. but I do have some Pep Rally and more game photos on the Sports page.

Lady Mountaineer Volleyball

The Varsity Lady Mountaineers traveled to Sterling City to play their last volleyball game of the year. Cindy and I made the trip and we had begun to think we were going to be in New Mexico before we found it. We made it in the Sterling City gym just in time to take a restroom break and sit down before the game started. It was looking like we were going to be the only Santa Anna parents there and in walked the Deans! We were sure glad to see them as we were way outnumbered and Roddie's voice sure has a way of breaking the loud silence of a gym.

Coach Libby's wife and family were at the game also along with a couple of the JV players. Mrs, Libby actually called the lines while some of the JV girls took care of the little Libbys. It was nice to see her there and I know it can be difficult to travel that far with small children especially on a week night.

I must say that I have been pretty disappointed in the attendance at home and away games for these girls with a couple of exceptions. The last time we played Sterling City was the Saturday after homecoming and we actually had to get the Sterling City folks to run our clock! At some away games the opponents have had some pretty vocal crowds. I am pretty pleased with the girls though, both JV and Varsity made it an exciting season to watch. They really have put on some great efforts this year. I think the JV girls had a winning percentage of games this year. I am not sure how many games the Varsity lost by less than 5 points but I would bet it is over half and if you haven't seen girls volleyball in the last couple of years you don't know what you are missing. And the volleyball district we are in is one of the toughest with Bronte(1976, 81, 84, 87, 91) and Water Valley(1986) being former State Champions. The UIL history of State Champion Volleyball shows Round Top-Carmine(1995, 96, 2003) and Windthorst (1992, 93, 94, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 01, 02) have both been in the Championship game the last several years and one or the other for the last 15 or so years.

The girls and coaches struggled early in the season with change but started playing much better as a team later in the season. I know Coach Libby does not mention individual stats for the sake of the team and I don't have them but there are some performances that shouldn't go without mention: The net work and blocking of Jesse Hensley and Amanda Moreno has been really good this year. Amanda struggled with net contact earlier in the season but really came around in the last half. The sister setting team of Mayra and Bianca Dean has been phenomenal this year. The off the bench Varsity and JV setting of Krystle Deleon has been great too. Chelsea Guerrero is another one of those JV girls that is going to be a great setter as well. The spiking of Chaplin DelaRosa, Jessica Pelton, and Jesse Hensley can't go with out mention. Tasha Zarate, Micah Pritchard, and Raelee Watson did a nice job of passing. Bianca Dean and Jessica Pelton really came to the service line on more than one occasion this year. I recall at least two matches, maybe three, were Jessica served for at least ten in row.. not that I am just a little proud.

Of course none of these girls could have played without their teammates and these girls have been playing together for a long time, particularly the Junior girls, which makes me really excited about next years opportunities. I believe that next year will be a District Championship and playoff year for the Lady Mountaineers. For now we get to start basketball and I am really excited about that too! Brrrrr it feels like basketball weather if there ever was such a thing!

Coach Herrod has done a great job with the JV team this year and quite a few of those girls are going to provide some depth for next year's team. It sure was good to see her folks, Randy and Elaine Brown, in the stands in Santa Anna the other night.

I am afraid that I may not be able to take as many pictures of basketball as I have volleyball though because I get into basketball just a little more. I have been taking a couple hundred pictures per game and I like to think they are getting better but at the same time it is getting harder for me to choose which ones to use.

Between the last home JV and Varsity Volleyball games was Parents' Night recognizing all the players and their parents.

A special "Thanks!" to Stephanie Lykins for taking these pictures for us and for helping out the girls and coaches this year. Stephanie I believe played a little college volleyball and she is also mine and Cindy's Mid-Tex Cellular Representative. Her In laws own Coleman Communications on Commercial Avenue in Coleman.. I think she works on Tuesdays only so go by and be sure and tell them SantaAnnaNews.com sent ya!

JV and Varsity Volleyball game pictures are posted for Sterling City, Water Valley, and Miles on the Sportspage.

Halloween and the Great Pumpkin Patch

Halloween kind of got rained out this year in Santa Anna. I had hoped to have some photos of Trick or Treaters for you but had some camera/operator malfunction on Saturday (and Friday.. more about this later). Halloween was celebrated by most on Saturday night and we did have a few come by before it started raining and it was probably a good thing because most of Sunday it rained also. I remember when we used to celebrate Halloween on the last day of October.. Oh well I guess it is OK.. and probably more practical but this is what I call the Walmartization of holidays!

Mrs. Lotspiech's Pre-K class went to the Great Pumpkin Patch at Sliger's Produce in Brownwood the other day and my daughter Jennifer went along and took a few pictures.

For most of these kids probably their first bus ride	Too many pumpkins and kids to count!
Most of these pumpkins are bigger than the kids	Mrs. Lotspiech wants that one..
This one has bumps on it	Watching in wonder
Jayden Rambo shows off his baby pumpkin	Not too easy to play on
Jayden sits by the Giant Peanut (squash) a friend of the Great Pumpkin and a Pterodactyl egg..	Funs almost over