Antelope Junior Wins Officer's Cup 8 Goal

The January 8 goal Coachella Valley Officer's Cup Tournament featured an entry of eight teams in a format that would see every team play every other team once with the top two advancing to the final. Over the course of the one month event, Grant Palmer and his Antelope Junior group (Palmer, Patrick Uretz 4, Carolyn Anier 1, Jimmy Wright 3) and Virgil Kyle and Ryan Robertson's Bush League foursome (Kyle, Robertson, Ulysses Escapite 4, Shane Rice 4) finished one and two respectively and would therefore meet in the Sunday January 28th final. Palmer and Co. defeated Bush League in their January 6th game by a final count of 12 - 7 and as such were considered the favorites to win again and grab the championship trophy.The contest was played on an unbelievably perfect desert afternoon presented by Bulleit Bourbon - in front of a huge crowd - with an above average high temperature of 85 degrees and nothing but sunshine. While the weather was flawless, the game, although entertaining at times, was restrained often by penalties.From the start, the younger Antelope group controlled most of the play and led after the first by a score of 3 - 2.In what would be the situation almost throughout, the - for the most part - younger Palmer group continued to hold the upper hand in the second period as well and led by three going to the third at 7 - 4.The country boys came back somewhat in the third to outscore the Juniors by one at 2 - 1 and the half was over with the Palmer group leading by two at 8 - 6.The fourth was Antelope Junior's as they outscored Bush League 3 - 1 and their lead was now four at 11 - 7 with two to go in regulation.The penultimate frame was a copy of the third chukker as the orange men grabbed a pair to just one for the young pronghorns and the count was now 12 - 9 with one period left.Bush League was able to stay with the Palmer group in the final stanza but it wouldn't be nearly enough and the final count would see Antelope Junior prevail by a final score of 13 - 10.Scoring for the winners was led by Uretz with eight (six fouls - two penalty fours), Wright with four, and Anier with one.The reply from Bush League was led by Rice grabbing eight goals (seven fouls - one penalty four) and Escapite with a pair (one foul).Because of his dominant and controlling style of play Uretz was chosen as the Most Valuable Player to his team.Black, owned and played by the veteran Anier in the fourth, was selected as the Best Playing Pony.Tony Gregg