MARFA — The last weekend in August means two things; the Marfa Lights Festival weekend is approaching and fall sports for the Shorthorns is already in full stride.
The Shorthorns cross country program returns all of its runners on the girls’ side, with sophomore Alyssa Hardin leading the charge. Hardin has shown impressive growth, posting multiple personal bests since her strong rookie track season last spring. She opened the season by capturing first place at the Pecos meet. Her finish set the pace for teammates Adeline Marquez, Ora Webb, Mikayla Bentley, Giselle Torres, and Zoey Salgado to equally push to close in on several opponents as they approached the finish line. Both the girls and boys squads competed on Wednesday at the Van Horn Red Rock Run.
The Lady Horns volleyball team has built momentum and chemistry heading into week four of the early season. At the Van Horn Classic, Marfa went undefeated in pool play with victories over Balmorhea, Iraan, Pecos JV, and Crane JV. Senior leaders Raven Martinez and Ava Flores carried the team as a dynamic one-two punch — Martinez dominating in kills, while Flores paced the squad with assists and blocks. Hitters Itzel Urrutia, Zoey Salgado, and freshman Adeline Marquez added depth to the attack with numerous kills and blocks of their own and Dariela Muñoz and Amaya Gomez chipped in with timely aces, while Madison Cash and Giselle Torres controlled the back row on defense with a strong effort in digs and saves.
On Tuesday night, the Lady Horns battled hard in a five-set nail-biter against the McCamey Badgers. Despite falling just short, the team showed grit and determination, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the very end. The JV team also put up a fight earlier in the evening, but ultimately fell to the Badgers as well.
The Lady Horns will host the Presidio Blue Devils this Friday. JV will hit the court at 4 p.m., followed by the Varsity matchup at 5 p.m.
The Shorthorns football team gave fans a preview of what’s to come during their Friday scrimmage against Fort Davis. Defensively, Marfa’s front line worked with strong effort and aggressiveness, holding the Indians to just one first down in a 15-play series. Ayden Alvarez and Asael Zubia clogged the gaps and shut down the run game with tackle after tackle. On offense, Austin McGary made his debut as QB1, while Alejandro Rodriguez and Alvarez produced several big gains. Abelardo Marquez highlighted the scrimmage with a 50-yard breakaway run, supported by strong blocking from JoSaul Baeza, Garry Webb, and Darren Campos.
Head Coach Kevin Pippen praised his squad’s progress, noting the leadership shown by the senior class and the promising impact of five incoming freshmen. “I am happy with what I saw Friday night as far as the team’s understanding of the offense, but the scrimmages also gave us an opportunity to note what areas need fixing,” Pippen said. “We’ll work to patch those things up as we head into week one.”
The Horns will officially kick off their season with a home opener against El Paso’s Da Vinci this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Martin Field in Marfa.
