2011-2012 Hoops State Basketball Tournament

WHAT’S THE SECRET TO THE PIT’S PACKED CROWDS ANDTHE STATE TOURNAMENT’S FINANCIAL SUCCESS?

Northern New Mexico’s love of basketball

HOOPS

2011-12

STATE BASKETBALLAAAAAATETETETETETETOURNAMENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

2 • HOOPS STATE TOURNEY • MARCH 6, 2012

TIRE & AUTO CENTER

“A dealer for the people!” ®

St. Michael’sHigh School

Go HorsemenGood Luck

From your friends at:

MARCH 6, 2012 • HOOPS STATE TOURNEY • 3

The Santa Fe Indian School girls cel-ebrate their state title last year inThe Pit. NATALIE GUILLÉN/THE NEW MEXICAN

Editor and publisher Robin MartinAssociate publisher Ginny SohnManaging editor Rob Dean

E D I TO R I A L

Sports editor: James BarronContributors: Isaac Avilucea, Todd Bailey,Will WebberDesign and editing: Brian Barker, Jon LechelCover design: Brian BarkerDirector of photography: Clyde Mueller

ADV E RT I S I N GAdvertising director: Tamara Hand, 986-3007

Art Department: Scott Fowler, manager

Rick Artiaga, Dale Deforest, Elspeth Hilbert,Melyssa Holik

Advertising layout: Christine Huffman

Advertising sales: Michael Brendel, 995-3825;Gary Brouse, 995-3861; Mike Flores, 995-3840;Margaret Henkels, 995-3820; Belinda Hoschar,995-3844; Cristina Iverson, 995-3830;Stephanie Green, 995-3820; Jan Montoya,995-3838; Art Trujillo, 995-3820

SYS T EMSTechnology director: Michael Campbell

P RODUC T I O NOperations director: Al WaldronAsst. Production director: Tim CramerPrepress manager: Dan GomezPress manager: Larry QuintanaPackaging manager: Brian Schultz

T H E SAN TA F E N EW MEX I CANOffice: 202 E. Marcy St.Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-FridayAdvertising info: 505-986-3082Delivery: 505-984-0363, 800-873-3372For copies of this magazine, call 428-7645 oremail [email protected].

Last titles for area schools, if any:

BOYS

Santa Fe High: 1978head coach, Lenny RoybalCapital: 2004head coach, Ben GomezSt. Michael’s: 2007head coach, Ron GeyerSanta Fe Indian School: 1989head coach, Mike PartonDesert Academy: NoneSanta Fe Preparatory: NoneMonte del Sol: None

Pojoaque: 2008head coach, Joey TrujilloLos Alamos: 2000head coach, Terry HillerEspañola Valley: 2011head coach, Richard MartinezMcCurdy School: NoneMesa Vista: 1997head coach, Jerry VillarealPeñasco: 1981head coach, George MarquezQuesta: 1994head coach, James BranchMora: 2005head coach, Manuel M. Romero

West Las Vegas: NoneLas Vegas Robertson: NonePecos: 1966head coach, Jake MartinezDes Moines: 2006head coach, Dwyane KibbleSpringer: 2004head coach, Eloy BrazilCoronado: NoneEscalante: 1988head coach, Milnor Manzanares

GIRLS

Capital: None

Santa Fe High: 1988head coach, Mike WalkerSt. Michael’s: NoneMonte del Sol: NoneSanta Fe Indian School: 2011head coach, Cindy RoybalSanta Fe Preparatory: NonePojoaque: 2009head coach Lanse CarterLos Alamos: NoneEspañola Valley: NoneCoronado: 2003head coach, AntoinetteJaramillo

McCurdy: NonePeñasco: NoneMora: 1998head coach, Mark CassidyWest Las Vegas: NoneLas Vegas Robertson: NonePecos: NoneDes Moines: 2004head coach, Joey MontoyaCimarron: 2007head coach, Butch Whitten

Roy: 1998head coach, Richard Hazen

Desert Academy: None

LAST CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR NORTHERN NEW MEXICO TEAMS

FOR THE LATEST RESULTS DURING THE STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, GO TO WWW.SANTAFENEWMEXICAN.COM

—12COVER STORYNorthern NewMexico fans maketheir mark on The Pit, providinga passionate following for theirteams and a financial shot inthe arm for the NewMexicoActivities Association.

FEATURESClass AAAA boys preview 4Staff predictions 7Class AAA boys preview 8Class AAA girls preview 10Class AA boys preview 16Class AA girls preview 18Class B girls preview 20

BRACKETSClass AA boys 16Class AA girls 18Class B girls 21Class AAA 22Class AAAA 23

HOOPS

2011-12

STATE BASKETBALLAAAAAATETETETETETETOURNAMENT

Inside

6Española Valley nativeLisa Villareal has Albu-querque Volcano Vista inprime position for a title.


CLAS

SAA

AABO

YS

By James BarronThe New Mexican

For all the good the Capital boysbasketball players have accom-plished this season, they still hearthe whispers in the background.Whispers. The Jaguars don’t

hear them the sameway. They areas loud and clear as the cheers they hear inEdward A. Ortiz Memorial Gymnasium.They’re not as good as they think are.They’re out of shape.They’re lucky.They’re ripe to be upset.And upset the Jaguars are. Despite a 22-6

record and an eighth Class AAAA quarterfinalappearance in the last nine seasons, the slingsand arrows aimed at Capital (seeded third in

this year’s state tournament) have producedthe typical “us-vs.-the-world” mentality.But it’s one the Jaguars have embraced.“We don’t get any respect, but that just moti-

vates us,” Capital senior guard Bryan Vigil says.“We just go to practice and work hard everyday.”The lack of respectmight stem from the

nature of Capital’s wins this season. Sixteenof their 28 games have amargin of victory offewer than 10 points, and 11 of those have beendecided by four points or less. Despite the thrill-ing nature of their season, the Jaguars are 12-4 inclose games and 8-3 in really tight situations.That includes Saturday’s 47-43 win over

14th-seeded Deming in the opening round ofthe AAAA tournament, in which the Jaguarsovercame a 9-minute scoring drought and a26-17 deficit for the win.

Yet, there is an interesting quality Capitalacquired in its close games— an uncanny abil-ity to make big plays in key situations.“It is very unique,” Capital head coachMark

Senteney says. “These guys just find a way towin. I mean, 22 wins are a lot, and we haven’thad a season like that for a long time. I hopewe keep it going.”And the cast of heroes always seems to be

different. Against Deming, it was the shootingofMikey Lopez (15 points), and the bench playofMichael Sanders (14 points, 4-for-6 from thefree-throw line in the last 2:31) and John Ser-rano (eight points).Other times, it has been the feathery touch

of ChristianMartinez (a 16-for-17 performancefrom the line in the fourth quarter of a 78-74win over Bernalillo on Jan. 23), or a trappingdefense that ignited the Jaguars. That was the

Jaguars believe close finishes will help in tourney run

Capital’s Christian Martinez shakes off a Taos defender during a game in December. NATALIE GUILLÉN/THE NEW MEXICAN


case against Deming and against Grants(Capital rallied from a 19-point deficit in a60-56win Jan. 18).Another quality that has developed

from playing close games is a calmthat helps the Jaguars navigate choppywaters. There was no sense of panicwhen theWildcats were up nine early inthe third. After all, Capital had to comeback from a three-point deficit in the last90 seconds twice and a 19-point deficit.The latter two times were against

Los Alamos on Jan. 27, a 52-50 win, andagainst Bernalillo in the District 2AAAAchampionship on Feb. 25, a 49-46 win.Martinez says the team’s composure

has been a key element to its success.“We talk to each other a lot better

during practices and during games,”Martinez says. “That really helps usout. It doesn’t really mess us up duringgames, because we don’t get down oneach other.”

And maybe this weekend might vin-dicate Capital’s overall résumé. Of theeight AAAA first-rounders, only twohad final margins in double digits. Eventop seed Roswell Goddard had to rallyfrom a nine-point deficit to beat No. 16Los Alamos 54-48.Senteney feels it shows the strength

of the AAAA field.“Deming, at one point, was only down

four with [1:30] left against Goddard,and they ended up losing [77-68 onDec. 8],” Senteney says. “I don’t thinkpeople appreciate what other teams aredoing in AAAA.”That approach should have Capi-

tal ready for its quarterfinal matchupagainst No. 11 Albuquerque Atrisco Her-itage, which upset No. 6 Grants 51-50.The also surnamed Jaguars are a dan-gerous lot, what with wins over Grantsand No. 4 seed and District 5AAAA foeSt. Pius X.“Well, l know right now that they are

not very big,” Senteney says. “But theyare streaky 3-point shooters. They aredangerous if you let them hang around.”Of course, the Capital Jaguars can

always rely on the whispers to keepthemselves motivated.They know they have something to

prove yet.

Capital’s Bryan Vigil goes after a loose ball while surrounded by Pojoaque defenders during a December matchup.The Jaguars have a 22-6 record and earned their eighth Class AAAA quarterfinal appearance in the last nine seasons.LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN

“These guys justfind a way to win. Imean, 22 wins are alot, and we haven’thad a season likethat for a long time.I hope we keep itgoing.”Capital head coachMark Senteney


You can take the girl out of “TheValley,” but “The Valley” willalways follow the girl wherevershe goes.

That’s how it is with Lisa Villareal.Her house might be in Albuquerqueand her teammight be the VolcanoVista Lady Hawks, but her home willalways be Española. And it will alwayssupport her, regardless of the colors shewears.In fact, some in the Villareal house-

hold would love to read more aboutthe happenings of their favorite coach

—mainly becausethey don’t regularlyread the Albuquer-que newspaper.“I might have

to start calling inscores,” Villarealsays about makingVolcano Vista a partof the prep roundupin TheNewMexi-can.It won’t be this

year.Friends and fam-

ily will make the trip to Rio Rancho onTuesday to watch Villareal coach thethird-seeded Lady Hawks when theyplay fellow District 1AAAAA rival andNo. 11 Cibola in a Class AAAAA quar-terfinal in the Santa Ana Star Center.They’ll be able to chart Villareal’s per-formance without the need of a news-paper or television.And they’ll see how far the girl

who used to wear Lady Sundevils col-ors —when she played for EspañolaValley in the 1990s and coached heralma mater from 2001-2003— hascome.Villareal admits that it’s a different

world in AAAAA, and she’s had toadapt to a different style of game sincetaking over at Volcano Vista in 2008after a two-year stint at Capital.“They are a lot more athletic and

competitive,” Villareal says. “Everyschool in the city is athletic, but someare not as consistent as some of theseother programs.”Consistent has been the buzzword

for Volcano Vista, which is 24-1 afterhammering No. 14 Valley 64-39 in theAAAAA first round at home. TheLady Hawks have beaten their last fouropponents by no fewer than 17 points.Their last loss was 13 games ago, a 47-37score to top seed Eldorado. The LadyEagles avenged their loss to Volcano

Vista in the APS Invitational in Decem-ber.And despite that glossy résumé, Vil-

lareal and her team felt the sting ofdisrespect when they received the thirdseed— behind a 24-3 Clovis team. “TheValley” roots showwhen reminded ofthat perceived slight.“A lot of people have Eldorado up

there in the top, and they are a goodteam,” Villareal says. “I will not takethat away from them and they deserveto be number one. … But I don’t knowhow the process works as far as [theNewMexico Activities Association]selecting Clovis, a three-loss team, tobe second.”That was the message the Lady

Hawks sent in their blowout of theLady Vikings.“They wanted to make a statement

[Friday] night,” Villareal says. “No dis-respect to Valley, but it could have beenworse. I wanted to get my eight, nine

and 10 girls [on the roster] some play-ing time.”Villareal’s experience at Volcano

Vista, a school that opened in 2008,was uncharted waters for her. She hadhoned girls basketball programs intoher image, but never created one. Vil-lareal’s challenge was to teach under-classmen to be leaders.“When we first started, I started

three freshmen and two sophomores,”Villareal said. “We had no upperclass-men leadership, so those are the rolesthose girls have grown into. This yearis the first year we do have that leader-ship.”She sees it in senior guard Hannah

Fenske, who has been with the programfrom the beginning, and fellow seniorSchylar Malone, who was with the pro-gram since her sophomore year.The pieces are in place for a special

run— and not just for the school. Villa-real’s family history with the state tour-

nament runs deep. She coached Capitalto consecutive AAAA quarterfinals in2006 and 2007 with her niece, StefaniDominguez, who transferred fromEspañola as a sophomore. Her brother,Ross Villareal, has been an assistantwith her since their stay at Capital.Lisa Villareal has a nephew inMike

Dominguez, who was a star guardat Capital and played collegiately atFlorida International andMesa State(now ColoradoMesa). He was on theJaguars’ 2004 title team and the 2005runner-up.She knows they will be there to cheer

her on, along with the rest of her family.She hopes to bring a second state titleinto the family fold.“I believe every coach is out there

trying to do it,” Villareal says. “It wouldbe dream come true to play for a statechampionship.”But that goes for anybody— not just

a girl from “The Valley.”

From ‘The Valley’ to Volcano

JamesBarron

Commentary

‘VALLEY’ GIRLVolcano Vista coach Lisa Villareal playedfor Española Valley in the 1990s and coachedher alma mater from 2001-2003.

Villareal’s experience at Volcano Vista, a school that opened in 2008, was uncharted watersfor her. She had honed girls basketball programs into her image, but never created one.


STAF

FPI

CKS

JAMES BARRON

BOYS

Class AAAAA — Albuquerque EldoradoClass AAAA — Roswell GoddardClass AAA — St. Michael’sClass AA — Mesilla ValleyClass A — CliffClass B — Wagon Mound

GIRLS

Class AAAAA — Albuquerque Volcano VistaClass AAAA — Kirtland CentralClass AAA — Santa Fe indian SchoolClass AA — TexicoClass A — MelroseClass B — Elida

WILL WEBBER

BOYS

Class AAAAA — Albuquerque La CuevaClass AAAA — Roswell GoddardClass AAA — Albuquerque Hope ChristianClass AA — MoraClass A — CliffClass B — Hondo

GIRLS

Class AAAAA — Albuquerque Volcano VistaClass AAAA — GrantsClass AAA — Santa Fe Indian SchoolClass AA — TexicoClass A — CliffClass B — Elida

ISAAC AVILUCEA

BOYS

Class AAAAA — Albuquerque La CuevaClass AAAA — RoswellClass AAA —Albuquerque Hope ChristianClass AA — MoraClass A — CliffClass B — Wagon Mound

GIRLS

Class AAAAA — EldoradoClass AAAA — Kirtland CentralClass AAA — Santa Fe Indian SchoolClass AA — MoraClass A — CliffClass B — Corona

The New Mexican sports staff’s selections of which schools will win the state championship in their respective classes:


CLAS

SAA

ABO

YSLooking to crash Albuquerque Hope Christian’s party

By Will WebberThe New Mexican

Its official name is the 2012 U.S. BankClass AAA State Basketball Champion-ship presented by Farmers InsuranceGroup.What it really should go by is the

Albuquerque Hope Christian Invita-tional.Or more appropriately, the Huskies’ Cel-

ebration Party.Ever since head coach Joey Trujillo and his

Pojoaque Valley Elks were able to solve theHope mystery four long years ago in the statesemifinals in the Santa Ana Star Center, noone in AAA has found an answer for the big,bad Huskies.Not a single team in Triple-A has beaten

Hope sinceMarch 2008.Only a few have even come close.Two of them are St. Michael’s and Albu-

querque Sandia Preparatory, a pair of teamsseeded immediately behind the Huskies in thisweek’s tournament draw.

The Huskies needed a last-second shot fromPaul Seaton to take down the Horsemen in theregular season a year ago.They needed gutty performances to hold off

the Sundevils in tight games each of the lasttwo seasons.But it’s Pojoaque that gets the first shot at

the knuckle-dragging beast this time around.The Elks, seeded eighth, put their 10-19

record on the proverbial chopping block whenthey face the Huskies (27-1) inWednesday’squarterfinals in the Star Center.Beating Hope means more than minimizing

the damage of 6-foot-7 senior center ArrenWells, the school’s all-time leading scorer.Wells’ long reach and lean, muscular frame

make him a matchup nightmare at both endsof the floor, but it’s the play of others — likeguards Seaton andMicahMurphy, and for-wards Tommy Riley and Cameron Harjes thatmake life so difficult for opposing teams.No. 2 St. Michael’s (22-7) is led by AAA’s

best post player not namedWells. Junior MattBarela has a guard’s build but is asked to domost of his work in the paint because of his

team’s general lack of size.When he’s good for his usual 12 to 18 points

and playmaking guard Antonio Garcia is gen-erating points off the dribble, the team’s depthcomes into play as Geyer is able to go 10 deepin most situations.The Horsemen are paired against No. 7

Silver in the quarterfinals while Sandia Prep,seeded fourth behind No. 3 Shiprock, is sure toget a stiff test fromNo. 5 Taos (21-7).All four quarterfinal gamesWednesday have

a Northern NewMexico flavor.The late contest has No. 6 seed is Robertson

(19-9) facing Shiprock, one of the highest scor-ing teams in the state.The Cardinals have proven to be a danger-

ous, physical teamwhose best player, 6-3swing man Justin Bustos, has battled injuriesall season. If he’s healthy, the Redbirds couldbe poised for a run.Most observers will go on the record and

say everyone is playing for second place, thatbeating Hope seems a tall order. The Huskiesare, after all, 113-8 (that’s a gaudy .934 winningpercentage in case you’re scoring at home)

St. Michael’s post Jared Armijo, here playing Raton in January, and the second-seeded Horsemen beat No. 15 Thoreau in the first roundto set up a quarterfinal showdown against No. 7 Silver on Wednesday. NATALIE GUILLÉN/THE NEW MEXICAN


since that loss to Pojoaque.Along the way there have been a trio of double-digit

wins in the state title game and more than 50 winsagainst teams in AAAA and AAAAA.“Well, we’ve been here before but we knowwhat

kind of work we have to do to win it,” says Hope headcoach JimMurphy, a man whose 10 state champion-ships ranks second only to Ralph Tasker and whose649 wins (.783 winning percentage) place him sixth onthe state’s all-time list. “The key for us is maintainingfocus and knowing we need to get the work in. We’renot going to take anyone lightly.”While the mere mention of Hope might send shiv-

ers down a team’s collective spine, one team not about

to back down is St. Michael’s.The Horsemen have been a clear No. 2 to the Hus-

kies most of the season and came out of their loss inthe District 5AAA Tournament championship with aclearer understanding of what it takes to finally endHope’s run.It certainly doesn’t hurt to lean on a little history,

too.St. Michael’s felled arguably the best team in Hope’s

remarkable history in the 2007 AAA championshipby doing what very few teams have ever done— keepthe game close into the second half.Having made a habit of blowing teams out, there are

those out there who feel the secret to a Huskies upset

is making them feel the pressure of a tight game withthe clock winding down.Horsemen head coach Ron Geyer refuses to speak

about Hope until it happens to be the next game onthe schedule.For now, he sees a AAA field that is wide open with

quality teams near the top.“You look at what’s out there with Sandia Prep,

Shiprock, Robertson, Taos,” he says. “This is the statetournament. One bad game can kill you, and the teamthat knocks down the shots and cuts down onmis-takes can beat anyone. You can have the best team outthere but if you can’t hit your open looks, someone’sgoing to beat you.”

Pojoaque Valley sophomore Matthew Herrera, here playing against Socorro in December, and the eighth-seeded Elks knocked off No. 9 Lovington in the firstround to earn a shot at No. 1 Albuquerque Hope Christian in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN


CLAS

SAA

AGI

RLS By Will Webber

The New Mexican

One person’s confidence isanother’s arrogance.From Cindy Roybal’s

point of view, it’s clearlythe former when she talksabout her Santa Fe Indian

School girls basketball team.And truth be told, she doesn’t care if

anyone insists it’s the latter.The Lady Braves are gunning for

their third straight state championshipthis week, a feat not seen in Class AAAsince Kirtland Central won four in arow between 1993 and 1996.SFIS (23-6) is seeded second behind

District 5AAA nemesis Hope Christian.The Lady Huskies (24-4) have takentwo out of three meetings with theLady Braves this season, but it’s themost recent contest — a 50-39 SFIS winin Hope’s gym for the 5AAA tourna-ment championship— that has Roybalbrimming with, um, confidence.Maybe rightfully so.The Lady Braves have won four

straight since losing to Hope near theend of the regular season. Their 67.3scoring average has produced a marginof victory of 28 points.All signs point to SFIS hitting full

stride at just the right time.“There’s no doubt, no doubt, that

we’re the team to beat,” Roybal says.“We went down there and turned itinto a home game. Our fans, they knowwhat we have. The girls get fired upover that. We’ve been here before andwe knowwhat we will do.”Three of the tournament’s top four

seeds hail from 5AAA. That includesNo. 4 St. Michael’s (19-8), a talentedteam that has demonstrated maddeningbouts of inconsistency all season. Thefifth and sixth seeds were sent packingwith early upsets, leaving a top-heavybracket that appears to have Hope andSt. Michael’s squaring off in one semi-final and SFIS getting Portales in theother.For starters, St. Michael’s. The Lady

Horsemen narrowly avoided a majorupset in the opening round by holdingoff No. 13 Thoreau, 51-50. It came onthe heels of three consecutive lossesat the end of the season; one to SFISat home, another to Hope on the roadand the last in the 5AAA tournament toPojoaque Valley.The Lady Horsemen face No. 12 Lov-

ington, a surprise winner over

Lady Braves hitting their stride in quest for 3-peat

Santa Fe Indian School’s MysteriJodie drives around Hope Christian’sMarissa Perry during a game inJanuary. Both Jodie and Perry arecoming off injuries.JANE PHILLIPS/THE NEW MEXICAN


No. 5 Shiprock in the opening round, inTuesday’s quarterfinals.Sandwiched between St. Michael’s

and SFIS is No. 3 Portales. The LadyRams (15-11) avoided their own upsetbid by pulling away from Pojoaque.Aside fromHope and SFIS, Portales

has played the most challenging sched-ule in AAA. The team’s most impres-sive stretch came in December, whenit beat Robertson, Cibola and Texico insuccession, then lost to AAAAA pow-erhouse Clovis on the road.Still, the frailty of a team’s postsea-

son life is underscored by all the nearmisses and upset losses of the teamsseeded outside the top two.“It takes one bad game,” says SFIS

senior Makayla Holiday. “Sometimesyour shots don’t go in or whatever, butit’s kind of scary because one lost gameand it’s over.”Hope will face No. 8Wingate in its

quarterfinal contest while Portales getsNo. 11 Ruidoso, a district rival. Hope’skey to winning it all could come downto guardMarissa Perry, one of the topbackcourt players in the state. She wasinjured in the district tournament lossto SFIS.Head coach Terry Heisey said a

fourth-quarter collision that sent Perrycrashing to the floor resulted in herheading to a local hospital. He saidthere was concern that she may haveruptured her spleen, but tests revealedthat she suffered no internal damage.

She is expected to suit up for the entiretournament.SFIS appears to have its own issues,

as well. GuardMysteri Jodie, a playerwhose time on the court has risen dra-matically as the season has worn on,went down with a right leg injury theopening round againstWest Las Vegas.It follows previous injuries to DanielleNelson and a few others.Roybal said everyone should be fine

once Tuesday’s game tips off.After all, it’s the state tournament. It’s

all hands on deck for a rare three-peat.All of which brings us back to that

confidence thing.Asked to explain how, over the last

two-plus seasons, the Lady Braveshave been able to sustain a measure ofdominance while others have risen andfallen without that same consistency,Roybal dove right in.“It’s coaching,” she says. “No brag,

just fact. No brag, just fact. Again,you’ve got to sell your program to yourkids. You have to believe in what you’redoing, then you take that to your play-ers and you make them believe in thesame thing. Every year they look at usand say we’ll be nobody if we lose thisplayer or that player. We lose them,and here we are again. You don’t like it?Beat us.”

ContactWillWebber at [email protected] or 986-3060.

Elizabeth Serrano of St. Michael’s goes up for a shot against Española Val-ley in December. The Lady Horsemen narrowly avoided a major upset in theopening round by holding off No. 13 Thoreau 51-50. NATALIE GUILLÉN/THE NEW MEXICAN

12 • HOOPS STATE TOURNEY • MARCH 6, 2012 MARCH 6, 2012 • HOOPS STATE TOURNEY • 13

Pojoaque girls basketball fans try todistract St. Michael’s Marissa Petersonfrom making a free throw during the ClassAAA state championship game in 2008.Northern New Mexico fans have helpedcreate a cash-generating machine for theNew Mexico Activities Association.KARL STOLLEIS/THE NEW MEXICAN

Not so. Far from it.The 2010 tournament was a classic example of what

kind of effect the North has on the week-long event.That year the NMAA raked in a net profit of $454,257,according to research done by NMAA associate direc-tor Robert Zayas.Last year’s tournament netted $320,857, thanks in

large part to some Northern clubs not making sus-tained playoff runs.“It’s all about matchups,” Zayas says. “If we get

certain games at certain times, we’re going to get bigcrowds. That year [2010] we had good crowds.”It did seem like a perfect storm, of sorts, in 2010. The

girls AAA tournament had Santa Fe Indian School,West Las Vegas and St. Michael’s all reaching the semi-finals in The Pit, and Pojoaque Valley advancing to thequarterfinals. SFIS beatWest in front of a huge crowdestimated by various media outlets of 11,000 to 13,000.Add to it the dreammatchup of Kirtland Central

and Shiprock in the AAAA title game and Kirtland’ssemifinal game against Española Valley the daybefore, Navajo Pine reaching the finals of AA, and anall-Albuquerque showdown between Eldorado andSandia in the big-school division. The girls bracketswere a cash-generating machine.The boys draw that year had Española Valley’s

memorable run to the finals (a loss to Roswell), Capi-tal and Los Alamos both in the quarterfinals and aAAA final four that included St. Michael’s and SFIS.Last year’s tournament was highlighted by Españo-

la’s memorable march to its first boys championship.The Sundevils practically packed the house threestraight days, culminating with a win over RoswellGoddard in the finals.What hurt the bottom line, however, was a dearth

of fan-friendly matchups in the smaller classifications.The best girls games in AA featured Pecos againstPeñasco and Navajo Prep against eventual championNavajo Pine, but those games were both on a Tuesday

BY WILL WEBBER THE NEW MEXICAN

his dry swath of high-desert terrain,beautifully sculpted with its arroyos,mountains and evergreen forests, isspecial for more than its cosmeticnarrative.Turns out this geographical way

station which, somemight say, is unceremoniouslysqueezed onto the map between theWest Coast andthe big ol’ heart of Texas, is the home to one of thiscountry’s best annual amateur sporting events. And at

the root of it is the area most of us call home.Northern NewMexico is the fuel that drives the

powerful financial engine that is the NewMexicoActivities Association’s high school state basketballtournament. Every year this area, which encompassesthe rabid fan bases of Pecos, Los Alamos, Mora, OjoCaliente, Taos, Española, Pojoaque, Tierra Amarilla,Las Vegas and Santa Fe, to name a few, provides theboost that makes the tournament the unique sportingevent that it is.“You know, I’ll travel the country and try to explain

our tournament at national meetings, and most of thetime people can’t believe it,” says NMAA executive

director Gary Tripp. “It’s almost unheard of to havea high school event succeed the way ours has, butto have it in NewMexico, a place that most peoplewould never expect — it’s amazing to see a person’sreaction to it.”Often held in Albuquerque and hosted by The

University of NewMexico during the same week thatthe beloved hometown Lobos are playing in their con-ference tournament, the state tournament has everyreason to fail. With the metro area’s basketball fanaticsdistracted by UNM’s exploits out of town, commonsense would dictate that ticket sales at the tournamentwould suffer.

Every year aroundthis time, NorthernNew Mexico hoopsfans descend onThe Pit with adevotion to theirteams that’s hardto match anywhere,providing anessential financialpillar for the NewMexico ActivitiesAssociation


morning in Rio Rancho.The boys AA draw hadMesa Vista reaching the

semifinals, but early exits byMora and Peñascohurt potential big crowds down the line. In AAA,St. Michael’s was bounced in the semifinals on the boysside, but SFIS faced Shiprock in the girls title game.“Obviously we have to budget conservatively,”

Zayas says. “We can’t plan ahead assuming we’ll make[2010 money] every year.”Tripp says there was a time when Northern New

Mexico’s fan base accounted for approximately 60percent of all ticket sales. Even now, the revenue gen-erated from the state tournament accounts for at leasthalf of the NMAA’s annual operating budget.That money is then filtered down into other state

championship events that often struggle to break evenor fail to produce a net gain.The advent of social media in recent years hasn’t

had an adverse affect on the tournament attendance,either. In fact, it has probably helped.The NMAA has given broadcast rights to

ProViewNetworks.com to stream all playoff gamesonline. Those games can then be archived, giving fansa chance to watch history play itself out over and overagain.

One of the most-watched games in the site’s his-tory was the 2009 Class AAAA semifinal boys gamebetween Española Valley and Artesia, a game the Sun-devils lost in triple overtime. In the months and yearsthat followed, that game was repeatedly viewed in thesite’s archives.A look the list of championship teams over the

years doesn’t help explain the North’s remarkable faninterest. The basketball isn’t necessarily any betterthan it is in other parts of the state, but its communitysupport is often over the top.“This sounds extreme, maybe, but basketball is life

in a lot of ways to people around here,” says MarkCassidy, the head coach of the Mora girls program.“You get into these smaller towns and it gets intowinter, basketball is all you’ve got sometimes. Thenyou have a year where one of those teams gets hot,you wind up getting everyone whose ever been in that

town coming out to watch the games— especiallywhen it comes to state.”One person with perspective from both sides of the

state is St. Michael’s boys coach Ron Geyer. He ledthe Alamogordo boys to the big-school championshipgame five times between 1991 and 1998, winning itthree times, and has since taken the Horsemen to theAAA title game three times.Over the years he has seen the girls tournament

explode in popularity, thanks to the influence of theNative American schools from the northwest part ofthe state.“Those teams, in particular, have really fueled

the tournament for a long, long time,” Geyer says.“Then on the boys side, I believe the mileage factoris certainly something to consider. When I was inAlamogordo we, and places like Hobbs and even asmaller school like Tularosa, we would always bring a

Santa Fe Indian School fans cheer for the Lady Braves last year during the AAA state championship game vs. Shiprock in The Pit. NATALIE GUILLÉN/THE NEW MEXICAN

“I don’t care where you’re from, if your team makes it to The Pitand has a chance to play there in March, your fans are going tocome with you.” Santa Fe High head girls coach Elmer Chavez


significant amount of fans. But it’s not like it is around[Northern NewMexico]. You get into these communi-ties up here and it just means an awful lot. Taos, Mora,Pecos. Their proximity to Albuquerque helps, but Ithink the people around here would travel anywhereto see their kids play.”Santa Fe High head girls coach Elmer Chavez says

the mystique of reaching the state tournament is adriving force behind the fans’ interest.“I don’t care where you’re from, if your teammakes

it to The Pit and has a chance to play there in March,your fans are going to come with you,” he says. “I’veseen it around here. There’s something about playingin that building that gets everyone excited. And whenyou’re there, oh, you can’t really describe it.”Like most people who’ve been behind the scenes

at the tournament, Chavez says the most endearingmemory of being there is the run down the 150-footlong Pit ramp and playing a game in fabled UniversityArena.From a player’s perspective, the moment immedi-

ately before tipoff is something that cannot be forgot-ten. The only thing visible from the top of The Pitramp is the southeast corner of Bob King Court.Emanating from that opening is the sound of the

crowd, complete with spirit bands, cheerleaders andstudents with painted faces, some of whomwave tow-els and hand-crafted banners. The sound of fans num-bering in the thousands is impossible to comprehendfor a teenager.“That’s something I always wanted to experience,”

says SFIS girls basketball player Bridget Lee. “I came

here to see what it was like, and the first time I saw it…Wow. I can’t even explain. It gets so loud.”And then the moment comes. With nerves boiling

over, the team trots down the ramp. Above them is aceiling so low that a player can run his or her finger-tips along the glossy paint. To either side are walls soconstricting that it’s almost excusable to get a sense ofclaustrophobia.“You come out of that tunnel and hear the crowd,”

says SFIS girls basketball coach Cindy Roybal, “andyou feel alive. Those people make you feel more alivethan you’ve ever been.”It’s those people, the fans who have driven several

hours and spent a day’s wages to fund the road trip,who make the tournament what it is. When theirteams burst into sight, the roar is more than just sim-ple support for a team. It’s for a town, a communitywhose pride is placed on the line with the bouncing ofa big orange ball.“I’ve always said that there are pockets in the south

that remind me of Northern NewMexico,” Tripp says.“But for every pocket, that’s the way it is almost every-where up north. The way people grab onto football inmost places down there, especially the closer you gettoWest Texas, that’s what people do with basketball inthat end of the state. That support has been sustainedfor as long as I can remember.”Tripp is a graduate ofWest Las Vegas and was a

junior on the Dons team that lost to AlbuquerqueAcademy in the semifinals in 1978. That same tourna-ment saw the single biggest crowd in state tourna-ment history, as 18,300 tickets were sold for the AAAA

championship game between Lenny Roybal’s Santa FeHigh Demons and Jim Hulsman’s Albuquerque HighBulldogs.“Amazing,” Tripp recalls. “We had a historian come

through here a few years ago and he did researchinto the top crowds across the country. At the timehe found that it was the largest attendance for a statetournament game in theWestern United States. I’mnot sure if it still is. It might be because I was thereand I’ve never seen or heard of a crowd getting thatbig again.”Of course, that record is safe for the time being.

At least, the NewMexico version. Since the recentrenovation of The Pit, capacity has been reduced toroughly 15,400.That includes the luxury suites, which the NMAA is

renting fromUNM andmaking available to corporatesponsors for the first time this week.A quick glance of the brackets heading into tourna-

ment week shows a handful of possibilities for North-ern NewMexico to flex its proverbial fan muscle onceagain. On the boys side, St. Michael’s and Capital haveteams that could advance deep into the tournament.Same for the Mora boys and girls and, of course, thetwo-time defending champion SFIS girls.“I’ve seen a lot of these tournaments, and all I can

say is it’s special,” says Española Valley girls headcoach Ron Drake. “I coached back in New Jersey. Youcan’t even compare the two. The games here are good,but it’s the people whomake it what it is. The supportyou get from the people around you, that’s basketballup north. As a coach or a player, you have to love it.”

Española Valley’s Richie Mondragon celebrates in the tunnel at The Pit after the Sundevils’ state title win over Roswell Goddard last year. NATALIE GUILLÉN/THE NEWMEXICAN

“You come out of that tunnel and hear the crowd, and you feel alive. Those people make you feelmore alive than you’ve ever been.” SFIS girls basketball coach Cindy Roybal


CLAS

SAA

BOYS

Blue Griffins hope to continue ‘historic’ run vs. Mora

BOYSCLASS AA

The Pit (UNM),Albuquerque,Saturday,8 a.m.

WED., 6:30 P.M., SANTA ANA STAR

1 LAGUNA-ACOMA

9 TEXICO

WED., 8 A.M., SANTA ANA STAR

5 PECOS

4 TULAROSA

WED., 3 P.M., SANTA ANA STAR

3 MORA

6 SANTA FE PREP

WED., 11:30 A.M., SANTA ANA STAR

10 DEXTER

2 MESILLA VALLEY

THUR., 3 P.M., SANTA ANA STAR

THUR., 1:15 P.M., SANTA ANA STAR

CHAMPION

By Isaac AviluceaThe New Mexican

To a lot of people, 2012 representmyriad things.If you believe the crazies, it’s

doomsday.Chinese astrology has it as the

year of the dragon. It just so hap-pens that 2012 is a leap year.But head coach Dennis Casados and his

Santa Fe Preparatory boys basketball team arehoping 2012 turns into something much more.They’re hoping it’s the year of the Blue Grif-

fins.So when they broke through for a 65-57 win

over No. 11 Magdalena in the first round of theClass AA State Basketball Tournament, Casa-dos couldn’t understate the significance ofNo. 6 seed Prep’s win, calling it the “biggestwin this school has had in ages.”And to a degree, he was right.The win propelled the Blue Griffins to

the Santa Ana Star Center for a quarterfinalmatchup, a place they’ve only been twice inprogram history— in 1983 and 1994, athleticdirector Todd Kurth said.That was Saturday.ByWednesday, the Blue Griffins could

outdo themselves.Enter the Mora Rangers, a team that has

been a spur in Prep’s collective hide.For one, seniors Dan Van Essen, Ryan Evald-

son, Joey Lambert and RobWeiner had nevertasted victory over the Rangers until this year,when they finally pulled it off in the District2AA Tournament championship, no less.For the longest time, the Rangers had a psy-

chological edge over the Blue Griffins, whohadn’t beatenMora since 1995.So, it’s evident just how elusive these types

of seasons have been for Prep.For the last 17 years, the Blue Griffins have

been a footnote in prep basketball, not havingowned a district title since 1995.“It’s been pretty historic,” guard Lambert

says about the Blue Griffins’ season. “We got agood thing going here.”AddsWill Lenfestey: “This has been a fun

journey for us.”And quite a journey for Casados, who had

been out of coaching for 17 years. He ended asix-year tour of duty at Capital in 1994 beforetaking over for Chris Chakeres in July 2011.On some level, the Casados-Prep marriage

was peculiar, and Kurth knew as much.The school grinded through a three-month

coaching search to replace Chakeres, who hadjust led the team to a 14-8 record, its first win-ning season in his eight years at the school.It was clear, though, Kurth had his reserva-

tions, admitting back in June that “It was not aslam dunk to pick a Dennis Casados.”It was more like an alley-oop, in the sense

that it required a seamless passing of the torchfrom Chakeres to Casados and an equallyflawless reception on the part of the players.“I had a basketball program that had finally

matured, and I didn’t want to take that lightlyon a bad leadership choice that could haveerased the progress it had made,” Kurth says.There was no telling whether the Blue Grif-

fins could sustain the momentum they built.And in truth, there was no telling whetherCasados’ coaching acumen was still intactafter such a lengthy sabbatical.

But it was a leap of faith Kurth was willingto make.“A good coach doesn’t get rusty with age,”

Kurth says. “It would not be accurate at all tosay that I was rolling the dice. I had absolutefaith that I had made the right hire. And theresults bear that out.”Unmistakably.And now before the Blue Griffins is an even

bigger opportunity.In a year of breakthroughs, can they do it

one more time against the Rangers?Rangers head coach James Branch says

there is a band of players down inMora hop-ing to end the Prep relevancy parade, espe-cially after losing to the Blue Griffins.“I knowwe’ve got some incentive going in,”

Branch says. “That was a hard pill to swallow.That night the boys watched them raise a ban-ner. But it might be a blessing in disguise. Onething about my guys is they’re really resilient.They come back with a whale of an effort afterevery loss.”There’s no secret what Prep is up against.This is the proverbial high-stakes game of

the hunter vs. the hunted, contrasting Mora’spostseason know-howwith that of Prep’s rela-tive postseason naiveté.This is tradition vs. a fledging program.“I think the teams we play have a greater

history with basketball,” Kurth says, alludingto Mora’s past. “Their players grow up spend-ing more time in the gym. They have playedtogether since they were kids. They have a dif-ferent approach to the game. It doesn’t comeeasy to our guys.”But nothing that’s worthwhile does.That’s what has made Prep’s run so remark-

able.A first-year head coach essentially leading a

team on its maiden voyage.“I wont lie to you,” Kurth says. “It’s been

pretty enjoyable.”

“It’s been prettyhistoric. We got a goodthing going here.”Santa Fe Prep guardJoey Lambert on the season



CLAS

SAA

GIRL

S Northern district schools could surprise field, Texico

GIRLSCLASS AA

The Pit (UNM),Albuquerque,Friday,6 p.m.

TUE., 8 A.M., SANTA ANA STAR

1 TEXICO

8 PEÑASCO

TUE., 11:30 A.M., SANTA ANA STAR

5 MAGDALENA

4 NAVAJO PREP

TUE., 6:30 P.M., SANTA ANA STAR

3 LAGUNA-ACOMA

6 NAVAJO PINE

TUE., 3 P.M., SANTA ANA STAR

7 CLAYTON

2 MORA

THUR., 9:45 A.M., SANTA ANA STAR

THUR., 11:30 A.M., SANTA ANA STAR

CHAMPION

By Isaac AviluceaThe New Mexican

Dynamics, dynamics, dynamics.Looking at the remaining field

of the Class AA State BasketballTournament, it’s clear head-ing into quarterfinals week thedynamics are dynamo.

Top to bottom, the bracket is peppered withstorylines in a year one coach said might bethe most equitable in recent memory.First, there is the whole districts-vying-for-

supremacy tidbit.District 1, 2 and 3AAmake up six of the final

eight teams, and of that figure, 25 percent hailfromNorthern NewMexico. By the time thefield is whittled, 1AA or 3AA could be gone.The two teams from each district are set

up in quarterfinals on opposite sides of thebracket.Representing 1AA are No. 6 seed Navajo

Pine, which draws No. 3 Laguna Acoma, andNo. 4 Navajo Prep, which has No. 5 Magda-lena.The second-seededMora Rangerettes, from

2AA, face No. 7 Clayton, while at the top of theprep pyramid, No. 8 Peñasco is trying to knocka powerhouse of its perch.“I don’t think you can take anything away

from the other programs,” saysWally Sanchez,Magdalena head coach. “I don’t know if anydistrict, including ours, has been the mostdominant this year.”No one would dispute giving the “domi-

nant” label to Texico, though.Owners of three of the last five state cham-

pionships, the top-seeded LadyWolverinesare essentially a Fortune 500 venture whenit comes to girls prep basketball. But if everthere was a year for a team to sneak up on theLadyWolverines, this is it.Texico underwent a facelift midseason.The face of the program for the last three

years, Keith Durham, unexpectedly steppeddown as head girls basketball coach, send-ing the administration scrambling to find areplacement.They went with a familiar face.Richard Luscombe, a coaching staple with

boys basketball for 22 years, was handpickedto lead the team. At the time, he was an assis-tant on the boys team.He said Durham’s departure came as a

shock to him and the community, so his firstgoal was to stabilize the program after assum-ing the position following Christmas.But this is Texico basketball we’re talking

about.It’s arguably shock-proof, and the after-

shocks of Durham’s sudden change-of-heartwere subtle, if at all tangible.The LadyWolverines roared to a 22-6

record and the top seed in AA.Part of that has to do with the fact that there

wasn’t a huge philosophy shift when Lus-combe took over. He changed little of Texico’sbrand of basketball, preferring for continuityin scheme.And it helps that Texico still possesses that

overbearing presence that gives it a palpableadvantage over teams before they even takethe floor.“I’m not sure if I’d call it an ‘intimidation

factor’,” Luscombe says. “Almost seems likeit’s a ‘motivation factor’ for other teams. Everyteamwe play comes out ready to face us. So Itell them every day that if you’re not ready toplay, every one of these teams will be.”Count Peñasco among them.Yet count Lady Panthers head coach David

Sanchez out when it comes to questions ofTexico’s vulnerability.Sanchez said Texico has turned what could

have been a turbulent season into another tri-umphant one.“It’s never really a surprise with Texico,” he

says. “Their tradition is just so great. I always

feel like they’re just expected to do well. Acoaching change isn’t going to change the waythey think about the game.”So is there anything Peñasco can exploit?“I don’t know if they have a weakness, to tell

you the truth,” Sanchez says. “It’s going to takea lot of perfect basketball. I think it’s goingto come down to us doing all the little thingsperfectly.“I know a lot of teams walk in knowing what

type of team they are. You have to realize thatit’s basketball and anything can happen. Thenyou have to hope the rim gets a little bit smallfor them.”Sanchez said Texico’s half-court game is

phenomenal, which doesn’t lend itself favor-ably to the Lady Panthers, being that half-court basketball is what they do best.So it could be in Peñasco’s best interest to

abandon that style. And if it leads to a win,Sanchez said he has no reservation about theLady Panthers stepping out of their comfortzone.“These girls are able to change the game

plan mid-game,” he says. “I have to feel andthey have to feel like we can out-execute them,and if we don’t we’ve already lost.”If there’s someone who knows a little some-

thing about Texico, it’s Magdalena head coachWally Sanchez.Last year, his Steers lost to the LadyWolver-

ines in the quarterfinals.But when it comes to this year’s tourna-

ment, Sanchez has tunnel vision. He isn’t look-ing forward to a potential semifinals rematchbetween the programs. His glare is squarelyon Navajo Prep, an unfamiliar draw for theSteers.From this point, Sanchez said, seedings are

going to be rendered utterly meaningless.“Navajo Prep sends shivers up my spine,”

he says. “We can’t afford to look past NavajoPrep. And if we get by in that one, then we’lllook at Texico.”


Not just for State Employees.www.secunm.orgSanta Fe 505-983-7328Rodeo Rd. 505-983-7328

Abq. 505-884-0128Belen 505-864-0335

Las Vegas 505-454-1111Los Lunas 505-565-8400

Federally insured by NCUA up to $250,000.

Serving the Families ofNew Mexico Since 1958.

FREECHEC-KING

Open your accountonline any timeof the day or

make a friend and meet with your own servicerepresentative at any of our branches.

Take Your PickReward CheckingWith a 2.55%APY this account willactually make you money every month.

Young & Free CheckingShopping online is even better whenyou save money. That’s exactly whatthis account is designed to do.

www.secunm.org

Get National ReachAccess over 4,400 branches and30,000 ATMs fee-free acrossthe nation through our SharedBranching network.


CLAS

SB

GIRL

S Season of firsts leads Lady Wolves to state tourneyBy Todd BaileyFor The New Mexican

First came patience.Then frustration.Now excitement.Santa FeWaldorf head basket-

ball coach Daniel Wendland hasgone through a list of emotions

during his eight-year journey at the school.When he was hired to teach in 2004, he was

also asked to build an athletic program.In his second stint as the LadyWolves

coach, Wendland led his young pups to Dis-trict 1B regular season and tournament crownsand to the Class B State Basketball Tourna-ment.All three accomplishments are firsts for the

program.The eighth-seeded LadyWolves (13-12) face

No. 1 Elida in the Tuesday’s quarterfinal atBernalillo High School.It’s been a long eight years forWendland

with this program. He realized early on that tobuild it correctly, it had to start with a group ofeighth-graders and freshmen willing to put inthe time and effort to learn the sport.“We thought we had it planned out cor-

rectly,” he says. “We’d patiently build it fromthe ground up and have just a middle school-type program. As the kids got older, we wouldeventually have a varsity program.”But it didn’t happen that way.While some

players still loved basketball, their ideals on aproper education changed. They transferredto different schools once they got into highschool, ready and willing to play for anotherteam.“I looked at a team picture once and saw

that only two of 12 girls were still on ourteam,”Wendland says. “It was frustrating, butit wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just how thechips fell. Some kids transferred to differentschools, others had families who packed upand moved away.”One player who stayed is now a junior and

the team’s oldest and best player. Sophia Rich-ard scored 14 points to lead her team in thedistrict title game— a feat she’s used to doingthis season.“She’s a heck of an athlete,”Wendland says.

“She puts so much heart and soul into every-thing she does athletically. She has seen a lotof her classmates leave, yet through it all, shestayed.”Technically, Wendland left too. After coach-

ing the LadyWolves for three seasons, he leftin 2010 for a needed break. In addition to histeaching duties, he also coaches volleyball andtrack and is the school’s athletics director. Itwas just a matter of time before somethinghad to give.“I needed a timeout to maintain some

sanity,” he says. “Also, I wanted to make theathletics program sustainable. I wanted to getsome good people in place and not have to doeverything.”Anthony Gonzalez was hired in 2010. He

coached last season and up to January of thisyear before being asked to step down.“It just wasn’t a good fit,” saysWendland,

who stepped in as coach on an interim basis.

“It was time to move the program in a differ-ent direction.”WhenWendland returned, he brought with

him some freshmen from the volleyball team,which was another improving program. If theylose on Tuesday, the LadyWolves will finish at13-13, a program best.Baby steps.“I believe we are at a turning point with our

program,”Wendland said. “This year has beenphenomenal. It’s exciting. The girls are believ-ing in themselves and we hope the experienceof playing at state will continue our progress.”With a roster full of freshmen, every Lady

Wolf should return next season. They might

still be in this season, but they are thinkingabout next season as well. And that starts withan offseason full of skills and team camps builtto help create team unity. That’s months away,however, after the state tournament.“[Playing well at state] will be a matter

of calming our nerves and focusing on ourstrengths,”Wendland says. “We have size,and we have scorers. We just need to takeadvantage, and it will serve us well. It will beintense for the girls, but we earned the right tobe here.”Intensity.Add that to this growing list of emotions

that isWaldorf LadyWolves basketball.

Santa Fe Waldorf guard Rosemary Damianov, here playing Evangel Christian Academy inJanuary, and the eighth-seeded Lady Wolves face No. 1 Elida in the first round of the ClassB State Basketball Tournament. LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN


THE BRACKETS

GIRLSCLASS B


TUE., 1:15 P.M., BERNALILLO HIGH

1 ELIDA

8 SANTA FE WALDORF

TUE., 11:30 A.M., BERNALILLO HIGH

4 RESERVE

5 CLOVIS CHRISTIAN

TUE., 9:45 A.M., BERNALILLO HIGH

3 CORONA

6 ROY/MOSQUERO

TUE., 8 A.M., BERNALILLO HIGH

7 HONDO

2 GRADY

THUR., 11:30 A.M., BERNALILLO HIGH

THUR., 8 A.M., BERNALILLO HIGH

CHAMPION

GOING TOTHE GAMES

Bernalillo High School(Class A Quarterfinals)$5 students/seniors$8 adultsSanta Ana Star Centerin Rio Rancho$5 students/seniors$10 adults

The Pit: Tickets on saleat UNM Tickets.com$5 Students/Seniors(general admission)$10 Adults(general admission)$15 reserved chairback

PARKING

The University of NewMexico will be charging $5for parking for all cars withfewer than four people. Thereis no charge for parking atRio Rancho’s Santa Ana StarCenter and Bernalillo HighSchool.

TICKET INFORMATION

982-95911219 Cerrillos Rd., Santa Fe

www.northerninsurance.com

PJ Wolff

Specializing in:

Business InsuranceHome InsuranceAuto Insurance

Health InsuranceLife Insurance

Local, Affordable Coveragesince 1972


GIRLSCLASS AAA


(81) 1 HOPE CHRIST.

(55) 16 RATON

(70) 8WINGATE

(51) 9 TAOS

(42) 5 SHIPROCK

(46) 12 LOVINGTON

(51) 4 ST. MICHAEL’S

(50) 13 THOREAU

(47) 3 PORTALES

(25) 14 POJOAQUE

(56) 6 HATCH VALLEY

(59) 11 RUIDOSO

(55) 7 ROBERTSON

(50) 10 HOT SPRINGS

(46) 15W. LAS VEGAS

(75) 2 INDIANSCHOOL

TUE., 3 P.M., THE PIT (UNM)

1 HOPE CHRISTIAN

8WINGATE

TUE., 11:30 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

12 LOVINGTON

4 ST. MICHAEL’S

TUE., 8 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

3 PORTALES

11 RUIDOSO

TUE., 6:30 P.M., THE PIT (UNM)

7 L.V. ROBERTSON

2 S.F. INDIAN SCHOOL

THUR., 8 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

THUR., 11:30 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

CHAMPION

BOYSCLASS AAA

The Pit (UNM),Albuquerque,Saturday,10 a.m.

1 HOPE CHRIST. (80)

16 RATON (29)

8 POJOAQUE (53)

9 LOVINGTON (46)

5 TAOS (67)

12 HOT SPRINGS (50)

4 SANDIA PREP (75)

13 RUIDOSO (33)


1 HOPE CHRISTIAN

8 POJOAQUE VALLEY

WED., 9:45 A.M., SANTA ANA STAR

5 TAOS

4 SANDIA PREP

FRI., 8 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

CHAMPION

3 SHIPROCK (75)

14 PORTALES (60)

6 L.V. ROBERTSON (53)

11 SOCORRO (40)

7 SILVER (40)

10 WINGATE (25)

2 ST. MICHAEL’S (71)

15 THOREAU (23)


3 SHIPROCK

6 L.V. ROBERTSON


7 SILVER

2 ST. MICHAEL’S

FRI., 9:45 AM., THE PIT (UNM)

THE BRACKETS


GIRLSCLASS AAAA


(62) 1 GRANTS

(44) 16 LOS ALAMOS

(64) 8 ARTESIA

(38) 9 SANTA FE HIGH

(36) 5 ESPAÑOLA

(45) 12 MIYAMURA

(50) 4 KIRTLAND CENT.

(38) 13 DEL NORTE

(31) 3 PIEDRA VISTA

(29) 14 BERNALILLO

(58) 6 GALLUP

(49) 11 FARMINGTON

(44) 7 VALENCIA

(40) 10 ST. PIUS X

(44) 15 DEMING

(79) 2 ROSWELL


1 GRANTS

8 ARTESIA


12 MIYAMURA

4 KIRTLAND CENTRAL


3 PIEDRA VISTA

6 GALLUP

TUE., 9:45 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

7 VALENCIA

2 ROSWELL

THUR., 1:15 P.M., THE PIT (UNM)

THUR., 9:45 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

CHAMPION

BOYSCLASS AAAA

The Pit (UNM),Albuquerque,Saturday,2 p.m.

1 GODDARD (54)

16 LOS ALAMOS (48)

8 BERNALILLO (58)

9 KIRT. CENTRAL (59)

5 GALLUP (60)

12 FARMINGTON (51)

4 ST. PIUS X (45)

13 VALENCIA (40)

WED., 11:30 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

1 GODDARD

9 KIRTLAND CENTRAL

WED., 3 P.M., THE PIT (UNM)

5 GALLUP

4 ST. PIUS X

THUR., 3 P.M., THE PIT (UNM)

CHAMPION

3 CAPITAL (47)

14 DEMING (43)

6 GRANTS (50)

11 ATRISCO (51)

7 SANTA TERESA (61)

10 LOS LUNAS (44)

15 PIEDRA VISTA (34)

2 ROSWELL (71)

WED., 6:30 P.M., THE PIT (UNM)

3 CAPITAL

11 ATRISCO HERITAGE

WED., 8 A.M., THE PIT (UNM)

7 SANTA TERESA

2 ROSWELL

THUR., 6:30 P.M., THE PIT (UNM)

THE BRACKETS


Good LuckSanta Fe

Prep

TIRE & AUTO CENTER

“A dealer for the people!” ®

FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT:

Documents

2011-2012 Hoops State Basketball Tournament