Sports

The Fort Stockton Panthers took the field Saturday morning for their annual Blue & White Scrimmage, giving fans an early preview of the 2025 squad before official scrimmages and the regular season kick off. The intrasquad matchup brought a lively crowd to Panther Stadium, with players on both sides showing grit, energy, and the benefits of a long summer of preparation.

Fort Stockton native Jorge Castaneda continues to raise the bar in the world of competitive powerlifting. Castaneda, a 1989 graduate of Fort Stockton High School and former Panther football player, recently won gold in the bench press at the USA Powerlifting National Championships held in Philadelphia. Competing in the 110-kilogram weight class in the Masters 2 division, Castaneda pressed an impressive 212.5 kilograms—approximately 468 pounds—to claim the national title.

The Fort Stockton Inter-governmental Recreation Board appointed Elizabeth (Liz) Mata as interim Recreation Director during a special meeting held August 4, at City Hall. The appointment, approved unanimously by the board, will see Mata serve in the position for up to six months while the board works toward filling the role permanently.

The Alpine Cowboys’ 2025 season came to a close last Thursday evening after falling in two straight games to the Pecos Bills in the opening round of the Pecos League playoffs. Despite entering the postseason red-hot and with home-field advantage, the Cowboys couldn’t hold off the surging Bills, who took both games at Kokernot Field to advance in the Mountain Division semifinal series.

The inaugural Trooper Kevin Ramirez-Vasquez Blue Valor Fitness Challenge brought together first responders, families, and community members on Saturday for a morning of friendly competition, fitness, and remembrance. Held from 8 a.m.

The Alpine Cowboys made a strong statement last week, sweeping the visiting Roswell Invaders in three straight games at Kokernot Field to improve to 25-22 on the season and surge back above .500 just in time for the final stretch.

After a summer of long drives, late-night practices, and relentless commitment, Fort Stockton’s own Landon Bernal is now a national champion. Bernal and her teammates from the Texas Bombers Gold National 12U fastpitch softball team captured the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS) 12U Tier 2 National Title on July 21 in Kokomo and Westfield, Indiana.

With football season on the horizon, community members have raised questions about the state of construction at Panther Stadium and the impact on this year’s home games. Despite widespread concerns that all games would be played away, Fort Stockton ISD has confirmed that home games will, in fact, be played here in Fort Stockton.

In 2022, Fort Stockton’s own Hector Jimenez stood among an elite group of just 2,000 athletes invited to compete in the Spartan Trifecta World Championship in Greece. Held in November across the historic and rugged terrain of ancient Sparta, the three-day event challenged athletes with increasing levels of difficulty.

The Alpine Cowboys battled through a rollercoaster six-game series against the Pecos Bills last week, splitting the action 3-3 in a string of thrilling matchups that featured powerful bats, standout pitching performances, and some clutch late-inning drama. The action kicked off Tuesday at historic Kokernot Field, where the Cowboys edged out the Bills 12-11 in a high-scoring thriller.