Ride ’em, cowboy Eunice teen bull rider competes for Team USA in Australia PETER STEIN/NEWS-SUN Tyson Acosta was only three years old when he first tried to ride a beast competitively, and stay on it. It was the Lea County Fairgrounds’ mutton-busting competition. Acosta was trying to stay on a sheep. And he did, covering it and making it back …

‘Youngsters of old men’ reunite at Heizer Junior High In Hobbs, basketball has become the identity RICH TROUT/NEWS-SUN Released in May 1988, “Nothin’ But a Good Time” by Poison is still here. The heavy metal hit may still be with the youngsters who played basketball for Heizer Junior High from 1985-88. Two months ago, the Heizer boys who graduated in …

Lacarthea Cooper, Carlie Makarawu to represent NMJC at Paris Olympics NMJC ATHLETICS Two New Mexico Junior College student-athletes are participating in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Sprinters Tapiwanashe (Carlie) Makarawu and Lacarthea Cooper represented their respective countries when the Olympic Opening Ceremonies kicked off Friday. Cooper will represent her home country of the Bahamas on the 4x400m relay team. The …

Coach Reeves retires from Hobbs Eagle basketball JASON FARMER/NEWS-SUN The Hobbs basketball arena might be named for former head coach Ralph Tasker, but Shelby Reeves is a name no basketball fans from Hobbs will soon forget. After more than 50 years in Hobbs, Reeves will be leaving town Monday, ready to start the next chapter of his life. “I am …

NMJC sports achieve national honors PETER STEIN/NEWS-SUN New Mexico Junior College has sports programs that are highly competitive, most that are championship caliber. The Thunderbird programs that seem to stand out are the men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s track & field teams. They are national heavyweights every year. And both have been recognized for a standout …

Texas two-step: Arreola becomes second Wildcat to leave for Lone Star state in a month PETER STEIN/NEWS-SUN Robert Arreola is a sports-minded guy, a football and baseball guy, it’s in his blood, his DNA. So if Arreola is involved in sports, particularly football and baseball, the where doesn’t really matter, only the what. Wherever he’s doing it, Arreola is doing …

Texas two-step: Arreola becomes second Wildcat to leave for Lone Star state in a month PETER STEIN/NEWS-SUN Robert Arreola is a sports-minded guy, a football and baseball guy, it’s in his blood, his DNA. So if Arreola is involved in sports, particularly football and baseball, the where doesn’t really matter, only the what. Wherever he’s doing it, Arreola is doing …

New era Ronald Ross hosts first basketball camp since taking over as Eagles head coach PETER STEIN/NEWS-SUN The torch was officially passed on Tuesday, as Ronald Ross began hosting his first summer basketball camp since taking over for Shelby Reeves as Hobbs boys head coach. So, Tuesday can be considered Day 1 of the Ronald Ross era, and what a …

Indians open semifinal series with loss to Stephenville PETER STEIN/NEWS-SUN SEMINOLE – There’s still time for the Seminole baseball team to save its season. But not a whole bunch. With Thursday’s 5-1 Regional Semifinal loss to Stephenville at Robert Ryan Field in Seminole, the Indians are a loss away from saying goodbye to their 2024 season. With sporadic hitting and …

Former Eagle now a Miami Dolphin JASON FARMER/NEWS-SUN He might not have been drafted like TCU’s Aubrey Linne (1961) or Texas Tech’s Timmy Smith (1987), but former Eagles quarterback Gavin Hardison is the third Hobbs graduate heading to the National Football League. Saturday night, after the conclusion of the 2024 NFL draft, Hardison signed with the Miami Dolphins as an …