Even with the snow inch count piling up, the boys and girls tournament is continuing at Ben Lujan Gymnasium on the Pojoaque Valley High School campus.
The big games tonight are the championships, which feature Española Valley's girls team against Socorro and Roxanne Silva.
The boys side will be Los Alamos and its 6-foot-11 center Alex Kirk goign against the running, gunning Elks of Pojoaque.
The girls game is at 7 p.m. , while the boys is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
The latest report on the roads in Northern NM - from www.nmroads.com - reports that Highway 85 between Santa Fe and Pojoaque is snow-packed and icy, but the roads are being salted and and cleaned up this afternoon.
Dec 23, 2009
Dec 18, 2009
NMAA attempts to slap down recruiting ... Gets slapped back
It's an interesting tale that is emerging from the Clovis High School boys basketball program.
Yesterday, Wildcats head coach J.D. Isler was suspended for the rest of the school year by the New Mexico Activities Association for what it claimed was "undue influence" on players ... Or what Clovis Schools superintendent Rhonda Seidenwurm called "recruiting."
The school district made a pre-emptive measure by suspending Isler from his coaching duties and informing he would be terminated by Jan. 12.
Twenty-four hours later, Isler responded by filing an injuction against the NMAA to prevent his suspension, which he just received.
The hubbub stems from the transfer on one Lathan Leib, a transfer from Dora who has yet to play a game for the Clovis varsity because of his uncertain eligibility status.
If you want to read more, here is a link of a Web story posted by the Clovis News-Journal earlier today:
Isler files for injuction
As for the result of his injunction, click this:
Isler can continue coaching ... for now
Oh, just for reference, the last time the NMAA tried to stamp out recruiting, it became embroiled in a mess with Albuquerque High head boys basketball coach Ron Garcia in 2006. The NMAA ended up putting the program on probation and hit it with sanctions plus fines, and it led to the firing of Garcia that summer. Garcia filed suit against the NMAA and APS, and by 2007, he was back at Albuquerque High, where he has been since.
Yesterday, Wildcats head coach J.D. Isler was suspended for the rest of the school year by the New Mexico Activities Association for what it claimed was "undue influence" on players ... Or what Clovis Schools superintendent Rhonda Seidenwurm called "recruiting."
The school district made a pre-emptive measure by suspending Isler from his coaching duties and informing he would be terminated by Jan. 12.
Twenty-four hours later, Isler responded by filing an injuction against the NMAA to prevent his suspension, which he just received.
The hubbub stems from the transfer on one Lathan Leib, a transfer from Dora who has yet to play a game for the Clovis varsity because of his uncertain eligibility status.
If you want to read more, here is a link of a Web story posted by the Clovis News-Journal earlier today:
Isler files for injuction
As for the result of his injunction, click this:
Isler can continue coaching ... for now
Oh, just for reference, the last time the NMAA tried to stamp out recruiting, it became embroiled in a mess with Albuquerque High head boys basketball coach Ron Garcia in 2006. The NMAA ended up putting the program on probation and hit it with sanctions plus fines, and it led to the firing of Garcia that summer. Garcia filed suit against the NMAA and APS, and by 2007, he was back at Albuquerque High, where he has been since.
Dec 17, 2009
Don't discount those might Elkettes just yet.
As I perused the first regular-season prep basketball polls, I was struck by the fact that Pojoaque Valley is ranked fifth in the Class AAA girls poll.
To be blunt, why?
Yes, the Elkettes have played close games in EVERY single game this year.
Yes, they lost to Española Valley in the championship of the Grants Invitational.
But ...
Pojoaque has yet to lose to a AAA team in 22 months. Not since Santa Fe Indian School beat them in the 2AAA semifinals in Feb. of 2008 have the Elkettes tasted defeat at the AAA level.
In fact, the Elkettes have played five AAAA schools so far this season, and they beat a 2AAA foe already in St. Michael's. What this tells me is that Pojoaque might not be as strong as last year's 31-0 gang, but no one at the AAA level has beat it yet.
Not that there aren't teams that can do it.
Lovington, the top-ranked team, is one of them.
So is 2AAA foe West Las Vegas, the No. 2 team in the state right now. The Lady Dons also have the confidence in knowing they took the Elkettes to the wire twice during last year's historic run.
No. 3 SFIS is deep enough in the post and has perhaps the state's best point guard in Jenine Coriz.
But those are all possibilities. It isn't until one of those teams - or any AAA team - beats Pojoaque before I'll consider putting any other team before the Elkettes.
They are the team to beat, until then.
Good luck, AAA.
To be blunt, why?
Yes, the Elkettes have played close games in EVERY single game this year.
Yes, they lost to Española Valley in the championship of the Grants Invitational.
But ...
Pojoaque has yet to lose to a AAA team in 22 months. Not since Santa Fe Indian School beat them in the 2AAA semifinals in Feb. of 2008 have the Elkettes tasted defeat at the AAA level.
In fact, the Elkettes have played five AAAA schools so far this season, and they beat a 2AAA foe already in St. Michael's. What this tells me is that Pojoaque might not be as strong as last year's 31-0 gang, but no one at the AAA level has beat it yet.
Not that there aren't teams that can do it.
Lovington, the top-ranked team, is one of them.
So is 2AAA foe West Las Vegas, the No. 2 team in the state right now. The Lady Dons also have the confidence in knowing they took the Elkettes to the wire twice during last year's historic run.
No. 3 SFIS is deep enough in the post and has perhaps the state's best point guard in Jenine Coriz.
But those are all possibilities. It isn't until one of those teams - or any AAA team - beats Pojoaque before I'll consider putting any other team before the Elkettes.
They are the team to beat, until then.
Good luck, AAA.
Dec 11, 2009
Apologies for the lengthy delay in posting ...
The holidays and a personal emergency prevented me from making a more regular contribution to my own blog. Now that all that is over and done with ...
I also have to continue my apologies to Capital head coach Marcos Gallegos, who I wold him during the football season (and he had the audacity to remember!!) that I would do a story on the Jaguar Invitational wrestling tournament, which began today and continues tomorrow in Edward A. Ortiz Memorial Gymnasium. The list of teams in the tournament include the host Jaguars, Santa Fe High, Espanola Valley, Los Alamos Las Vegas Robertson plus perhaps the top contender in Class AAAA - the Moriarty Pintos.
So if you want to see some good, competitive wrestling, I would highly recommend a trip to Capital.
Of course, Gallegos would have liked to have seen me there.
Sorry, bud. Next time.
I insist!
I also have to continue my apologies to Capital head coach Marcos Gallegos, who I wold him during the football season (and he had the audacity to remember!!) that I would do a story on the Jaguar Invitational wrestling tournament, which began today and continues tomorrow in Edward A. Ortiz Memorial Gymnasium. The list of teams in the tournament include the host Jaguars, Santa Fe High, Espanola Valley, Los Alamos Las Vegas Robertson plus perhaps the top contender in Class AAAA - the Moriarty Pintos.
So if you want to see some good, competitive wrestling, I would highly recommend a trip to Capital.
Of course, Gallegos would have liked to have seen me there.
Sorry, bud. Next time.
I insist!
Nov 17, 2009
Catching up with reality
Imagine my shock and sadness when I started some research on the Las Vegas Robertson football team.
As I checked out the Las Vegas Optic Web site, the lead of Robertson's 41-0 win over Cobre in the Class AAA football playoffs hit me like a cold splash of water.
As I checked out the Las Vegas Optic Web site, the lead of Robertson's 41-0 win over Cobre in the Class AAA football playoffs hit me like a cold splash of water.
“Benito would have been proud of you guys.”
That’s how a public address announcer at Cardinal Stadium congratulated the Robertson football team — 41-0 winners over Cobre — as it left the field Saturday afternoon.
All I could do was stare at that for a while. I knew who "Benito" was - former Cardinals lineman Benito Lemos. Sad to say, I did not know he was the victim of a shooting, and the suspect of the case, Richard Baca, claims self-defense. I'm not going to vouch for Lemos, but it saddens me to see a young man, who was an example of what athletics can do for you, not realize the potential he had.
I wrote a story about him when he was a senior on the team that won it all in 2005. It was a story that highlighted some of his struggles to become the person he was. Yes, he had his brushes with the law and the powers-that-be at Robertson, but he became a beacon of light because of how he turned himself around into a good student and an even better leader.
I can't imagine what it's like to be a teammate of his right now or to be a part of the Cardinals faithful right now. Given the unfortunate incidents over the last couple of years, you would think they could enjoy a moment when the program is righting itself and shedding the images of the last couple of years.
It's sad from a sports writer's perspective because you're not supposed to outlive high school student sources you cultivate.
I've already seen that with two people
Capital's Jessica Hines
And now Lemos.
Nov 11, 2009
Reflections of the state soccer tournament
OK, so maybe soccer isn't so bad as I used to think.
In past years, I cringed at the thought of spending 90 minutes - or two hours or even 2 1/2 hours - watching two teams chase and kick a ball around. What a worse way to spend an afternoon, or worse, an evening?
This year, I took a chance and opened my mind - and heart - to the sport. Maybe I just picked the right year, or maybe, just maybe, I've been blinded by my distaste for soccer.
But it grew on me this year.
In fact, I think I just might like it!
If anything, I've come to respect - and even enjoy - soccer.
With that said, I must admit this year's state soccer tournament was quite riveting. You had quite a few upsets (Albuquerque St. Pius boys lost?? An eight seed - Albuquerque Eldorado in Class AAAAA - winning it all?).
And of course, the North could lay claim to one title - belonging to St. Michael's, which overcame the constant attacks of top seeded Albuquerque Sandia Prep to win its second state title in three years.
Care to hear some more?
Best match of the tournament: It would be easy to say St. Michael's-Sandia Prep, but that would ignore two of the bigger surprises in the state. I am torn between Eldorado's shootout quarterfinal win over top seed Sandia, 4-3, and Piedra Vista's quarterfinal win over the Sartans.
Sorry, Lady Eagles, but the Panthers pulled off not only the upset of the tournament, but maybe in the history of state soccer. Consider:
- St. Pius was the seven-time defending state champion.
- It was the top seed in the tournament.
- Of its four losses, none came against AAAA teams and only two to state schools (California schools made up the other two)
- The last time the Sartans had not played in the state finals, half of Piedra Vista's roster had not been conceived yet.
So when Matt McKinney hit a streaking Devin Santillanes with a deep pass in the Sartans' zone and scored, the Panthers pulled off the impossible. Add the fact that St. Pius held a 2-0 lead after a half, and the Panthers needed a final minute goal to push the match into extra, and you have yourself a certified moment of a lifetime.
Oh, and the guarantee that the Sartans will win the AAAA crown in 2010.
Least likely goal: Yes, it has to be Griffin Cullen. While she had scored in a varsity match prior to 2009 season, Cullen had been shut out all season long. So when she wound up and connected on her 25-yard goal that went from right-to-left-to-pandemonium, she clinched this spot.
But it shouldn't be overlooked that Jamie Palermo saved her team's season with the free-kick goal in the 72nd minute when the moment - and the score - was on the Lady Sun Devils' side. It's incredible to see how quickly momentum can swing wildly from one side to the other, but that's what happened.
Biggest whiners: All the Albuquerque soccer coaches for complaining about the small fields at the APS Soccer Complex. Yes, athletic director Kenny Barreras might have made a mistake with the smallish dimensions of the field (107-by-63 yards) but speaking as an outsider, it made the soccer that much more exciting. The compact field leveled the playing field because teams had to work for their goals. Transition play became the crucial element because the ball could go from one side to the other in a split-second and the advantage belonged to the team that reacted more quickly.
And, hey, it was fun to watch! Sometimes bigger isn't better, and hopefully APS won't tinker with the fields. Now about those fence posts that suddenly are in play ... You might want to fix those.
In past years, I cringed at the thought of spending 90 minutes - or two hours or even 2 1/2 hours - watching two teams chase and kick a ball around. What a worse way to spend an afternoon, or worse, an evening?
This year, I took a chance and opened my mind - and heart - to the sport. Maybe I just picked the right year, or maybe, just maybe, I've been blinded by my distaste for soccer.
But it grew on me this year.
In fact, I think I just might like it!
If anything, I've come to respect - and even enjoy - soccer.
With that said, I must admit this year's state soccer tournament was quite riveting. You had quite a few upsets (Albuquerque St. Pius boys lost?? An eight seed - Albuquerque Eldorado in Class AAAAA - winning it all?).
And of course, the North could lay claim to one title - belonging to St. Michael's, which overcame the constant attacks of top seeded Albuquerque Sandia Prep to win its second state title in three years.
Care to hear some more?
Best match of the tournament: It would be easy to say St. Michael's-Sandia Prep, but that would ignore two of the bigger surprises in the state. I am torn between Eldorado's shootout quarterfinal win over top seed Sandia, 4-3, and Piedra Vista's quarterfinal win over the Sartans.
Sorry, Lady Eagles, but the Panthers pulled off not only the upset of the tournament, but maybe in the history of state soccer. Consider:
- St. Pius was the seven-time defending state champion.
- It was the top seed in the tournament.
- Of its four losses, none came against AAAA teams and only two to state schools (California schools made up the other two)
- The last time the Sartans had not played in the state finals, half of Piedra Vista's roster had not been conceived yet.
So when Matt McKinney hit a streaking Devin Santillanes with a deep pass in the Sartans' zone and scored, the Panthers pulled off the impossible. Add the fact that St. Pius held a 2-0 lead after a half, and the Panthers needed a final minute goal to push the match into extra, and you have yourself a certified moment of a lifetime.
Oh, and the guarantee that the Sartans will win the AAAA crown in 2010.
Least likely goal: Yes, it has to be Griffin Cullen. While she had scored in a varsity match prior to 2009 season, Cullen had been shut out all season long. So when she wound up and connected on her 25-yard goal that went from right-to-left-to-pandemonium, she clinched this spot.
But it shouldn't be overlooked that Jamie Palermo saved her team's season with the free-kick goal in the 72nd minute when the moment - and the score - was on the Lady Sun Devils' side. It's incredible to see how quickly momentum can swing wildly from one side to the other, but that's what happened.
Biggest whiners: All the Albuquerque soccer coaches for complaining about the small fields at the APS Soccer Complex. Yes, athletic director Kenny Barreras might have made a mistake with the smallish dimensions of the field (107-by-63 yards) but speaking as an outsider, it made the soccer that much more exciting. The compact field leveled the playing field because teams had to work for their goals. Transition play became the crucial element because the ball could go from one side to the other in a split-second and the advantage belonged to the team that reacted more quickly.
And, hey, it was fun to watch! Sometimes bigger isn't better, and hopefully APS won't tinker with the fields. Now about those fence posts that suddenly are in play ... You might want to fix those.
Oct 30, 2009
First round of the state soccer tournament begins today ...
The New Mexican will be out covering the Socorro-Santa Fe Prep match at 4 p.m. and we will also have a roundup of today's events.
Here is a quick handicap for today's boys events:
Class A-AAA
No. 10 Socorro at Prep, 4 p.m. - The Blue Griffins have played well after a 1-5 slide midway through the year. They have shown the ability to out shots on frame, but finishing has been a huge obstacle at times this year. They do have a 3-1 win over Socorro in September, and it was aided by two penalty kick. Expect Prep not to use the free kicks this time.
Blue Griffins 2, Warriors 0
No. 12 Desert Academy at No. 5 Hope Christian - The Wildcats are looking to make some noise this year, as opposed to being happy to be a part of the A-AAA bracket. Desert Academy's strength is its offense, but the defense has been generous at times. The Huskies area bit stingier in protecting their goal, and they do have the benefit of playing No. 1 Sandia Prep and No. 2 Bosque School in their district. That they have a pair of 1-0 losses to Bosque Scchool shows they can play with the top teams in the state.
Huskies 2, Wildcats 0
No. 9 Bloomfield at No. 8 Las Vegas Robertson - Perhaps the most even matchup of the tournament, which is not a surprise when it comes to 8-9 contests. The difference might be in the 4-hour drive for the Bobcats. Or how about the competition each has faced? Bloomfield has district champion Rehoboth (the No. 6 seed) in its district, with whom it split. Robertson had 10-10 Pojoaque, which didn't even make the state tournament.
Bobcats 3, Cardinals 1
Class AAAA
No. 9 Capital at No. 8 Piedra Vista - The Jaguars were 10 minutes away from a big win over a tough AAAA foe on Sept. 3, but then the Panthers scored to tie the match and won in a shootout. Piedra Vista has played competitively against Farmington, the No. 4 seed in the bracket, while Capital looked disorganized and intimidated against Los Alamos (the five-seed). But Capital also feels a bit disrespected about falling to a 9 seed, and that could be all the motivation needed to advance to Albuquerque.
Jaguars 2, Panthers 1
No. 12 Roswell Goddard at No. 5 Los Alamos - Here was how the Rockets' Saturday went: Oh no, we have to play Los Alamos.
Here's how today will go: Oh hey! Look at the snow!
Too bad they can't take it with them.
Hilltoppers 4, Rockets 1
Here is a quick handicap for today's boys events:
Class A-AAA
No. 10 Socorro at Prep, 4 p.m. - The Blue Griffins have played well after a 1-5 slide midway through the year. They have shown the ability to out shots on frame, but finishing has been a huge obstacle at times this year. They do have a 3-1 win over Socorro in September, and it was aided by two penalty kick. Expect Prep not to use the free kicks this time.
Blue Griffins 2, Warriors 0
No. 12 Desert Academy at No. 5 Hope Christian - The Wildcats are looking to make some noise this year, as opposed to being happy to be a part of the A-AAA bracket. Desert Academy's strength is its offense, but the defense has been generous at times. The Huskies area bit stingier in protecting their goal, and they do have the benefit of playing No. 1 Sandia Prep and No. 2 Bosque School in their district. That they have a pair of 1-0 losses to Bosque Scchool shows they can play with the top teams in the state.
Huskies 2, Wildcats 0
No. 9 Bloomfield at No. 8 Las Vegas Robertson - Perhaps the most even matchup of the tournament, which is not a surprise when it comes to 8-9 contests. The difference might be in the 4-hour drive for the Bobcats. Or how about the competition each has faced? Bloomfield has district champion Rehoboth (the No. 6 seed) in its district, with whom it split. Robertson had 10-10 Pojoaque, which didn't even make the state tournament.
Bobcats 3, Cardinals 1
Class AAAA
No. 9 Capital at No. 8 Piedra Vista - The Jaguars were 10 minutes away from a big win over a tough AAAA foe on Sept. 3, but then the Panthers scored to tie the match and won in a shootout. Piedra Vista has played competitively against Farmington, the No. 4 seed in the bracket, while Capital looked disorganized and intimidated against Los Alamos (the five-seed). But Capital also feels a bit disrespected about falling to a 9 seed, and that could be all the motivation needed to advance to Albuquerque.
Jaguars 2, Panthers 1
No. 12 Roswell Goddard at No. 5 Los Alamos - Here was how the Rockets' Saturday went: Oh no, we have to play Los Alamos.
Here's how today will go: Oh hey! Look at the snow!
Too bad they can't take it with them.
Hilltoppers 4, Rockets 1
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