Good Luck Coyotes in the 2010 Season!

Tonight is the night.

It's a day this community has been waiting for since the team stepped off the football field at the conclusion of last season.

The players have been prepping for this night, for this season the same amount of time. It started months ago well before the sun began to bake the landscape. It started in home gyms. It started on the streets around town early in the morning.

In the last month, the intensity of preparation has been ratcheted up in organized practices. And that's where the bonds of team began to form. It's that cohesiveness and your strength as one unit that has allowed each player to endure the two-a-day practices on 100-plus degree days.

But for what?

This isn't about fame. This isn't about fortune.

This is about the guy next to you. The guy who you know has put in as much time and effort as you — blood, sweat, but no tears. This is the guy who you know, no matter what happens on that field, has your back on every snap of the ball.

This is about making your parents proud, making your community proud.

This is about love of the game we've all grown up watching since we were little kids.

This is your time to shine. Get out there and show the opponent your strengths. You have no weaknesses.

After you've given it your all for four quarters and the final seconds tick off the clock, always remember, no matter what the end result, you shake the opponent's hand and congratulate them. They've worked hard as well. They've earned your respect as you have theirs.

Go out there tonight and make Uvalde proud! We're behind you all the way in 2010!

2011 Dodge Durango debuts...sort of

Chrysler has finally given a clue as to what the new Dodge Durango is going to look like, if albeit through a few photos and a carefully crafted 3o-second video on YouTube.

While it's hard to get a full grasp on the appearance of the 2011 version of Durango, it's hard not to be impressed by the sleek lines of the vehicle, not to mention the grille and the black crosshair body surrounded by chrome.

Word has it that this new Durango will be built on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee platform, which has received rave reviews by the media and customers alike since its mid-summer introduction.

Here are a few photos and the link to the YouTube video.

The Ram Outdoorsman

The 21st Century’s first truck made by sportsmen and women, for sportsmen and women, is here: The Ram Outdoorsman.

If you hunt, fish, trek or just plain roam the outdoors, then the Outdoorsman is for you.

“We asked Ram Truck customers -- boaters, campers, fishing enthusiasts and hunters -- what features would they like to see in a truck,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “They answered ‘more capability, more room for my gear and ready to hit the trail. And make it affordable.'”

Ram Outdoorsman is available in 1500 (half-ton), 2500 HD (3/4-ton) and 3500 HD single rear wheel (1 ton), Regular Cab; Quad Cab, Crew Cab and Mega Cab; four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive; and short- and long-wheelbase models. Outdoorsman will replace the TRX4 trim level in the 2011 Ram Truck lineup. It will join the other Ram trim levels, which include: ST, SLT, Big Horn / Lone Star, Sport (1500 only) Laramie and Power Wagon (2500 only).

Prices for Ram Outdoorsman models start at $28,350, including destination charge. The Ram Outdoorsman models will go on sale third quarter 2010 (just in time for hunting season).

Appearance

• Two-tone paint with mineral gray lower
• Scratch-resistant steel bumpers
• Black door handles minimize glare
• Wheel lip moldings

Mopar RamBox Holster

Ram officials also unveiled a new factory-designed fishing rod and gun rack option for RamBox-equipped Ram 1500 trucks. The Mopar RamBox Holster is designed to fit within the Ram’s two unique locked, lighted and sealed exterior storage bins. The Mopar RamBox Holster gently, yet securely cradles two rifles or shotguns, or can be rotated 90 degrees to hold up to six fishing rods.

Towing

• Standard Class IV receiver hitch properly equips Outdoorsman for towing campers, boats, ATVs and other trailers rated to vehicle’s max
• Available integrated trailer brake controller with driver adjustability and easy-to-see instrument panel readout
• Trailer brake controller is standard on 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duties
• Standard lighted four- and seven-pin harness plugs -- a Ram exclusive -- offer multi-trailer adaptability and clean, above-the-bumper covered access any time of the day or night
  

Capability

Standard 17-inch wheels and "LT" tires: light-truck-rated tires handle bigger loads and offer stronger sidewalls to resist punctures when driving over sharp, rocky terrain; on/off-road tread pattern provides traction on all highway and trail surfaces (LT275/70R17C OWL on Ram 1500 models; LT265/70R17E on Ram HD models)

New commercials for 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

You've heard all about it since the beginning of the year. Now, we're finally seeing commercials hit the airwaves on the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Because we know are fans are active and out and about regularly and likely won't see all of these commercials during their run time on TV, we thought we'd round up a few of the latest commercials for you in our Blog, just so you can see how great the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee looks in action.

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Official Launch Commercial - Things We Make, Make Us

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In the Water

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Stronger

Thanks from Cecil Atkission family for supporting T.J. McKee

This past weekend, Cecil Atkission was involved in a fundraiser to benefit T.J. McKee, who has leukemia.

In this space, we wanted to stop and take the time to say thanks to all those who came out and supported this young man who is currently in a fight for his life.

We also wanted to include the advertisement in this past weekend's paper from T.J.'s family thanking the community and Cecil Atkission for its support. While we at Cecil Atkission were happy to help, it's this incredible community that made this particular benefit/fundraiser and others like it in this community a success.

Thanks to everyone who showed up and for supporting this young man and his family!

Jeep to undergo overhaul and redesign of vehicles

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't the only Jeep to go under the knife as Chrysler revamps the lineup--the iconic Wrangler will get a redesign of its own later this year. And that's not all--the Compass and Patriot will get minor styling updates that will hold those models over until they are replaced by one model in 2013 or thereabouts.

The 280 horsepower V-6 which made its debut in the Grand Cherokee will be available in the next Wrangler, along with body-colored hardtops.

Another product in Jeep's future is a compact crossover that should debut in 2013 and possibly be based on the Fiat Panda Cross. The Liberty will get a minor redesign for this year and be replaced by a Fiat-based crossover, likely in 2012.

Ram 1500 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) receives jolt from Canadian government

Many of you may have missed the news, but this past March the U.S. Dept. of Energy provided a grant for up to $48 million in order for a test fleet of 140 Ram 1500 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) to be produced in the United States.

These Ram 1500 PHEVs will be powered by a 5.7L V8, providing 390 horsepower, 407lb-ft of torque mated to a two-mode hybrid transmission and a 12KwHr lithium ion battery system.

This week, the developer of this battery system, Electrovaya, recently received a contribution of $5 million (CDN) by the Sustainable Development Technology Canada as part of the Canadian Government. This funding will support their further research and development needs in high energy density Lithium Ion SuperPolymer® battery systems that will be in this fleet.

The vehicle is expected to be able to drive up to 20 miles on pure electric power, resulting in zero emissions. Once the vehicles are completed, these extremely efficient Ram 1500 PHEVs will be utilized for a three-year test program throughout the United States showing how quickly this technology can be brought to market.

(Courtesy of Ram Zone)