Ben Lujan Tournament will go on. ...

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

“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.

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.

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

And you thought Santa Fe High's 38-game losing streak was bad ..

Try being La Salle-Peru High, which had never beaten rival Geneseo. It's a streak that began .... Well, you read the story. Suffice it to say, Woodrow Wilson never thought the streak would last this long.

A story that needs to be read .... Over and over.

This is more than uplifting. It really cannot be summed up in words, although Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi does a very admirable job of it. Shows you the buoyancy of the human spirit. Like Mia Hamm says in the story, Bree McMahon is my hero.

Here's the must-read link.

Washington football player dies after injury

Kind of a sad note, and if you google Drew Swank or go to CNN's Web site, you will see some live video of an interview with the family.
Makes you realize how dangerous a sport football can be.
RIP, Mr. Swank.

Story link: http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_092809WAB-high-school-football-player-dies-LJ.1c4770752.html

Pojoaque vanishes

Here's the funny thing about polls. They really are the highest form of human error, because they reflect opinions. Sometimes, those opinions ring true. Sometimes ... You scratch your head and wonder, "What the ... ???"
And so after yesterday's football poll, I have but one question for the fine football coaches who voted in the Class AAA prep football poll. Where's the love for Pojoaque? And, yes, Elks head coach Quevin Redding (Coach Q, to most people), I include you.
I went back comparing the voting list of head coaches from last week, when the Elks received 16 points to finish just outside the Top 10, and the list revealed the absence of two coaches in this week's poll.
So much to my shock - and yes, I will say dismay - the Elks went from 16 to a big fat ZERO in the poll. How is that possible? To go from the 11th most popular team to not even being on the list? I can understand Redding not voting for his team (although I would think he would want to celebrate his team's success), because there are a few coaches out ther who refuse to do that.
But how can a team beat a AAAA team (albeit a bad Taos team) 31-8 and yet get the shaft in the poll?
Of course, we are talking about prep polls that once had Bernalillo's and Santa Fe High girls basketball team earning votes despite having losing records. So it goes to figure that human beings are fallible.
Or forgettable.

Prep soccer poll 09/21-26

Here it is again, for your eyes, the nmsoccer.com prep poll for this week. Click on the hypelink if you want to see more of what's going on in the soccer scene. First-place votes are in parenthesis:

Boys
Class AAAAA
1. Alb. La Cueva (5) 66
2. Alb. Sandia (1) 55
3. Alb. Eldorado 38
4. Rio Rancho 35
5. Las Cruces 33
6. L.C. Mayfield 32
7. Gadsden (1) 25
8. L.C. Oñate 17
9. Alb. Highland 16
10. Alb. Cibola 14
Class AAAA
1. Alb. Academy (3) 39
2. Alb. St. Pius X (1) 36
3. Roswell 27
4. Los Alamos 26
5. Farmington 25
6. Capital 20
7. Piedra Vista 17
8. Grants 12
9. Belen 11
10. Roswell Goddard 4
Class A-AAA
1. Alb. Sandia Prep (1) 73
2. Bosque School (7) 70
3. Ruidoso 63
4. St. Michael's 49
5. Alb. Hope Christian 48
6. Bloomfield 33
7. Rehoboth 32
8. Santa Fe Prep 23
9. Socorro 21
10. Las Vegas Robertson 11
Girls
1. Alb. Sandia (7) 70
2. Alb. La Cueva 59
3. Alb. Eldorado 44
4. Alb. Cibola 43
5. Rio Rancho Cleveland 40
6. Las Cruces 35
7. Rio Rancho 30
8. Carlsbad 24
9. L.C. Mayfield 17
10. Albuquerque High 9
Class AAAA
1. Los Alamos (2) 41
2. Alb. Academy (1) 36
3. Volcano Vista 35
4. Alb. St. Pius X 33
5. Alb. Del Norte 25
6. Piedra Vista 19
7. Farmington 17
8. Kirtland Central 10
9. Aztec 9
10. Taos 6
Class A-AAA
1. Alb. Sandia Prep 60
2. Bosque School 53
3. St. Michael's 49
4. Socorro 39
5. Alb. Hope Christian 36
6. Rehoboth 25
7. Portales 23
8. Miyamura 14
9. East Mountain 10
10. Santa Fe Prep 8

Observations on the prep scene 9-18-09

We are rapidly approaching the one-month mark of the fall season, and trends are slowly establishing themselves as habits and teams are making their mark or beginning to see the glimmer of hope fade like a distant sunset.
It also gives me time to pause for a Friday (imagine that? An off Friday!) and to reflect on what we have seen around the North:

Soccer (OR .. "Yes, this is my beat this year, so football takes a back seat on this blog")
We came in expecting the St. Michael's girls to be a contender in Class A-AAA. While they are still a contender, they have not established themselves as the team to beat. Nope, that recognition belongs to Albuquerque Sandia Preparatory, which explains my appearance at a 10-0 rainy-day blowout at Santa Fe Prep Thursday.
I wanted to see the Lady Sun Devils ... Wait, make that, I needed to see them. You hear from other coaches about the talent and skill Sandia Prep possesses, but it doesn't hit you upon first glance. The Lady Sun Devils look like a good solid club in warm-ups, but it gives you very little indication of what happens when the entire soccer field opens up and they get to spread out over it. Sandia Prep is the best team in the class, and it's easy to see how it beat La Cueva, Rio Grande and Mayfield this season. Those three schools are AAAAA quality and Sandia Prep meets that standard.
The Lady Sun Devils aren't indestructible and they have been known to fall short when it matters - that is why they have three straight red runner-up trophies in as many years. Their problem might be that they are too good and they lack challenges to keep them focused and ready into November. It could very well strike them again when they have to play three straight days of quality soccer.
On the boys side, I didn't see Capital High being as good as it has been, but ... the Jaguars are. But in the competitive world of Class AAAA soccer, it's hard to tell where they stand. Los Alamos plays a traditionally tough schedule, but it finished seventh at the Albuquerque Academy Invite and then got 1-0'ed by the Chargers on Tuesday. That puts the Hilltoppers at 5-4 this season, compared to Capital's 7-1. Now, let's use a very simple math property here (because we know people use this ALL the time).
It's the logical property of equality: If A=B, and B=C, then A=C.
So ...
Capital lost to Piedra Vista 2-1 two weeks ago.
Los Alamos beat the Panthers 4-3 on Aug. 29.
So are we to presume that Los Alamos is one goal better than Capital at this point? The answer to that question will be answered Oct. 6 at Los Alamos, then re-examined on Oct. 24 at Capital.
Still, what can't be ignored is that Capital is on the cusp - at least this season - of being a AAAA contender. A win over Los Alamos bolsters that argument, but no one will know until the state tournament commences.
Until then, Capital will be the team that a city roots for as the David among soccer's Goliaths.

Football
Well, St. Michael's is the team to beat, and not just in District 2AAA. Forgive my differences with the coaches poll release on Wednesday, but St. Michael's is the second-best team in the state (Sorry, Raton). The Horsemen have a defense reminiscent of the championship 2007 team, and as we have seen over the years, it gets better as the seasons progresses. What needs to be watched carefully is the progression of junior quarterback Michael Wiegel. He is a good leader and a great competitor that the offense can rally around. But ... What St. Michael's needs is for Wiegel to air out the passing game and keep defenses honest. By being able to use the receiving talents of Giovanni Coppola, Justin Smith and Brian Baca, it makes the running threat of Russell Disch and George Dominguez that much tougher.
Of course, you have injuries that play a factor every year, and the rest of the season will be a test of the Horsemen luck and conditioning to see how they fare. But I will say it here first. The Horsemen will play for the Class AAA state title this season.
And if the opponent is Lovington, the city of Santa Fe will host another championship game.
The other story of the season belongs in Española, where the McCurdy Bobcats have scored 173 points, which has led to a 3-0 start. Tonight, they will get their biggest test of the season when they play the Foxes of Fort Sumner. In the last three meetings, Fort Sumner has dominated to the tune of 164-0 - including a 55-0 and 60-0 pasting last year. If the Bobcats make this matchup close, then McCurdy is that much closer to placing itself among the top two or three in the 10-team Class A.

Volleyball
Class AAA looks like a District 2AAA party: Las Vegas Robertson, Pojoaque Valley, St. Michael's, and Santa Fe Indian School dominate the top half of the coaches poll, and this will make the district race that much more interesting. Having said that, Pojoaque has dominated the district regular season - the Elkettes have been undefeated in league play for the past three seasons. If they pull off that feat this year, it truly should be a special acheivement. Don't count on it, not with Robertson adding Jazmine Harge, daughter of New Mexico Highlands head men's basketball coach Joe Harge. Robertson has size and and skill, and that is why the Lady Cardinals have been ranked No. 1 for most of the season.
Then there is St. Michael's, with Aimee Geyer up front, and SFIS and LeKeshia Padilla. It might an 8-2 or 7-3 record to gain the top seed in the district. Oh, and that would likely sew up the top seed for the state tournament.

nmsoccer.com weekly poll

Here is this week's rankings of the state's top soccer teams, as voted by coaches in each class. The information is provided by nmsoccer.com. First-place votes are in parenthesis:
Boys
Class AAAAA
1. Alb. La Cueva (4) 51
2. Alb. Sandia 45
3. (tie) Las Cruces (1) 41
3. (tie) L.C. Mayfield 41
5. Alb. Eldorado 33
6. Rio Rancho 32
7. Gadsden (1) 24
8. Alb. Cibola 19
9. LC. Oñate 12
10. Alb. Highland 11
Class AAAA
1. Alb. Academy (3) 57
2. Alb. St. Pius X (2) 47
3. Roswell (1) 34
4. Farmington 31
5. Piedra Vista 28
6. Capital 26
7. Los Alamos 24
8. Belen 12
9. Roswell Goddard 7
10. Grants 6
Class A-AAA
1. Bosque School (7) 79
2. Alb. Sandia Prep (1) 72
3. Ruidoso 62
4. Hope Christian 54
5. Rehoboth 44
6. Socorro 34
7. St. Michael's 28
8. Bloomfield 22
9. Santa Fe Prep 15
10. Hatch Valley 9

Girls
Class AAAAA
1. Alb. Sandia (8) 80
2. Alb. La Cueva 62
3. Rio Rancho Cleveland 61
4. Alb. Cibola 48
5. Las Cruces 45
6. Alb. Eldorado 33
7. (tie) Rio Rancho 28
7. (tie) Carlsbad 28
9. L.C. Mayfield 25
10. Los Lunas 14
Class AAAA
1. Alb. Academy (2) 29
2. Alb. St. Pius X 26
3. Los Alamos 23
4. Volcano Vista (1) 22
5. Alb. Del Norte 18
6. Piedra Vista 15
7. Farmington 14
8. Moriarty 8
9. (tie) Taos 4
9. (tie) Belen 4
Class A-AAA
1. Alb. Sandia Prep (5) 59
2. Bosque School (1) 54
3. St. Michael's 47
4. Socorro 42
5. Portales 28
6. Alb. Hope Christian 27
7. Rehoboth 21
8. East Mountain 16
9. (tie) Santa Fe Prep 10
9. (tie) Miyamura 10

Soccer rankings for Sept. 6-12

As per www.nmsoccer.com. First-place votes are in parenthesis:

Boys
Class AAAAA
1. Alb. Eldorado (4) 47
2. Las Cruces (1) 28
3. Alb. La Cueva 35
4. Rio Rancho 32
5. Alb. Sandia 28
6. Gadsden 27
7. L.C. Onate 20
8 Mayfield 11
9. Cibola 9
10. West Mesa 8
Class AAAA
1. Alb. Academy (4) 57
2. Alb. St. Pius X (2) 47
3. Roswell 34
4. Los Alamos 30
5. Piedra Vista 28
6. Capital 22
7. Belen 16
8. Roswell Goddard 13
9. Grants 11
10. Farmington 7
Class A-AAA
1. Bosque School (7) 70
2. Alb. Sandia Prep 63
3. Alb. Hope Christian 52
4. Ruidoso 44
5. Rehoboth 35
6. Socorro 29
7. Santa Fe Prep 26
8. Bloomfield 25
9. St. Michael's 17
10. Desert Academy 10

Girls
Class AAAAA
1. Alb. Sandia (5) 50
2. Las Cruces 39
3. Cibola 33
4. R. R. Cleveland 27
5. (tie) Rio Rancho 25
5. (tie) Alb. Eldorado 25
7. Alb. La Cueva 24
8. Carlsbad 19
9. L.C. Mayfield 8
10. Albuquerque High 7
Class AAAA
1. Alb. Academy (2) 29
2. Volcano Vista (1) 27
3. Alb. St. Pius X 25
4. Los Alamos 21
5. Farmington 15
6. Alb. Del Norte 12
7. Piedra Vista 11
8. Moriarty 10
9. (tie) Kirtland Central 4
9. (tie) Aztec 4
Class A-AAA
1. Alb. Sandia Prep (6) 60
2. Bosque School 52
3. St. Michael's 48
4. Socorro 42
5. Alb. Hope Christian 33
6. Rehoboth 25
7. Portales 24
8. Monte del Sol 12
9. East Mountain 10
10. Miyamura 9

End of 3rd quarter ...

Capital has scored on two touchdowns to take a 19-12 lead

At the half of Moriarty-Capital ...

Pintos lead 12-6 on strength of 3-yard touchdown run by Kane Romp with 2:28 left in the half.

Friday night excitement coming right up!

Week 2 of the football season has a few games filled with intrigue -and one of vital importance. Read on ...

St. Michael's (1-0) at Los Alamos (0-2), 7 p.m.
The skinny: The Horsemen showed they are among the best in Class AAA, but to show they might be the team to beat, they HAVE to beat the Hilltoppers. And the Hilltoppers, while no pushovers, are probably at their weakest since the 2005 season, when they went 7-3. That year, they beat the Horsemen 16-7 on the strength of fullback Nick Nelson. In fact, size and strength has been a key asset to the Hilltoppers' dominance in this series the past five years. But the Horsemen have some size of their own this season, and they might have a few more horses in their stable as well.
Prediction: St. Michael's 21, Los Alamos 16.

Moriarty (0-1) at Capital (0-1), 7 p.m.
The skinny: Welcome to must-win territory, Jaguars. After a 59-6 thumping to Cleveland last week, they are staring an 0-3 start in the face if they can't get by the Pintos. The skill players performed like it was their first game and miscues piled up because of it. Moriarty is a stronger team than expected, but its hopes hinge on its health. When quarterback Mario Rodriguez hurt his ankle last week, the Sartans of Albuquerque St. Pius X scored 21 unanswered points in a 28-7 win.
Oh, and next up for Capital after this is St. Michael's.
Prediction: Moriarty 17, Capital 10

Lovington (0-1) at Las Vegas Robertson (0-1), 7 p.m.
The skinny: Robertson played an inspired game before losing 42-41 to reigning AAA champion Portales last week. Quarterback Daniel Martinez ran for 129 yards to lead the Cardinals' attack, but it will take more than that to upend the state's other top AAA contender in the Wildcats. If the Cardinals make a game out of this, then they just might be the sleeper team the rest of the state will need to awaken to.
Prediction: Lovington 40, Robertson 24

Raton (1-0) at Taos (1-0)
The skinny: The Tigers finally got that first win of the year to open the season for the first time since 2006, and for new head coach Mike Maldonado to get it against the school that fired him last year was the best kind of revenge. But now the Tigers of Raton are here, and they have own this series for the past four years. Raton also has a very talented quarterback in 6-foot-4 Dustin Walton, who threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-13 win over Trinidad (Colo.) last week.
Prediction: Raton 34, Taos 17

Saturday
Santa Fe High (0-1) at Albuquerque Rio Grande (0-1), 1:30 p.m.
The skinny: Both teams are coming off bad losses. The Ravens were pummeled 55-0 to the Bears of Albuquerque La Cueva (the second ranked team in Class AAAAA) and the Demons were blasted by AAAA Aztec (last year's state runner-up) 56-7. So it sounds like an even match on paper. Santa Fe High still clings to the hopes of getting a winning season and making the playoffs. Playoff teams beat Rio Grande. Guess what the Demons are?
Prediction: Rio Grande 24, Santa Fe High 14

Estancia (1-0) at West Las Vegas (0-1)
The skinny: OK, so the Mike Ulibarri Era got off to a rocky start. Things can get better against the AA Bears, right? Not so fast, my friends. Estancia is ranked fifth in an always competitive class. The Bears had a 33-0 lead over Escalante, the old stomping grounds of current head coach Dusty Giles, after one quarter last week. The Dons might show improvement after a game, but that won't be enough against a proven program like Estancia.
Prediction: Estancia 34, West Las Vegas 20.

Cross country rankings as well

The first cross country rankings are out for this season. Here they are, as compiled by Rio Rancho and former Pecos head cross country coach Sal Gonzales. First place votes in parenthesis:

Boys
Small Schools (Class A-AAA)
1. SFIS (8) 92
2. St. Michael's (1) 84
3. Navajo Pine 77
4. Zuni (1) 71
5. Hope 49
6. Pojoaque Valley 48
7. Jemez Valley 47
8. Pecos 46
9. Peñasco 17
10. Laguna Acoma 8
Also receiving votes: Wingate 6, Santa Fe Preparatory 2, Navajo Prep 2, Miyamura 1.

Big School (AAAA-AAAAA)
1. Alb. Academy (10) 108
2. Sandia (1) 93
3. Cibola 91
4. Los Alamos 74
5. Rio Rancho 70
6. Gallup 50
7. Clovis 37
8. Manzano 33
9. La Cueva 13
10. St. Pius X 7
Also receiving votes: Los Lunas 6, Eldorado 6, Grants 6, Hobbs 5, Artesia 2, Piedra Vista 1.

Girls
Small School
1. St. Michael's (6) 96
2. Zuni (2) 79
3. Miyamura (2) 76
4. Navajo Pine 71
5. SFIS 54
6. Santa Fe Preparatory 41
7. Navajo Prep 30
8. Pojoaque Valley 28
9. Hope Christian 27
10. Wingate 20
Also receiving votes: Laguna Acoma 14, West Las Vegas 12, Pecos 1, Cobre 1.
Big schools
1. Alb. Academy (10) 109
2. La Cueva 93
3. Rio Rancho 85
4. Gallup 64
5. Los Alamos (1) 62
6. Belen 54
7. Sandia 36
8. Eldorado 35
9. St. Pius X 27
10. Cibola 16
Also receiving votes: Albuquerque High 12, Los Lunas 6, Kirtland Central 2, Cleveland 1.

Since football and volleyball rankings got their play ...

Here are the soccer rankings for this week, as produced by www.nmsoccer.com. A quick glance will show an unusual occurrence - Capital High is ranked ahead of Los Alamos. Seems that the boys on the South Side are garnering a lot of attention. First-place votes are in parenthesis

Boys
Class AAAAA
1. La Cueva (4) 67
2. Eldorado (2) 63
3. (tie) Mayfield (2) 53
3. (tie) Rio Rancho 53
5. Sandia 49
6. Las Cruces 38
7. Cibola 18
8. Gadsden 16
9. Los Lunas 15
10. Oñate 12

Class AAAA
1. Alb. Academy (3) 47
2. St. Pius X (2) 38
3. Roswell 32
4. Capital 23
5. Los Alamos 22
6. Piedra Vista 17
7. Grants 14
8. Belen 11
9. (tie) Taos 9
9. (tie) Farmington 9

Class A-AAA
1. Bosque School (3) 30
2. Sandia Prep 27
3. Ruidoso 22
4. Hope Christian 21
5. Rehoboth 15
6. (tie) Socorro 12
6. (tie) Santa Fe Preparatory 12
8. St. Michael's 10
9. Hatch Valley 8
10. Bloomfield 6

Girls
Class AAAAA
1. Sandia (6) 64
2. Las Cruces 61
3. La Cueva 49
4. Cibola 45
5. Rio Rancho 42
6. Eldorado 37
7. Cleveland 26
8. Carlsbad 25
9. Albuquerque High 12
10. Mayfield 11

Class AAAA
1. Alb. Academy (3) 39
2. Volcano Vista (1) 36
3. St. Pius X 32
4. Los Alamos 29
5. Farmington 21
6. Del Norte 20
7. Piedra Vista 17
8. Moriarty 9
9. Aztec 8
10. Belen 2

Class A-AAA
1. Sandia Prep (5) 58
2. Bosque School 53
3. St. Michael's (1) 51
4. Socorro 40
5. Hope Christian 36
6. East Mountain 17
7. Miyamura 15
8. Portales 14
9. Rehoboth 12
10. Bloomfield 11

Courage under fire ...

In the course of perusing the Internet today, I came across a very heroic deed by a high school student. And not just any high school student. Caleb Eulls, a football player from Yazoo County, Miss., saved a busload of students from an irate 14-year old girl with a gun.
I won't spoil the rest of the story, but here it is.
Oh, and Eulls will be going to Mississippi State on a scholarship

Horsemen took lead on Michael Wiegel's 41-yard TD pass to Mike Aranda with 5:44 to go in the 4th

JUST 31 SECONDS LEFT

St. Michael's leads 17-14

END OF 3RD QUARTER ...

Bloomfield takes the lead on a 5-plus minute drive that ends with a 14-yard TD run by Alex Garcia. 14-10, Bobcats

Halftime

Giovanni Coppola's 29-yard field goal at the halftime gun gives St. Michael's a 10-7 lead.

END of 1st ...

St. Michael's leads 7-0

TEN SECONDS IN ...

Joe Alvarez takes opening kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. Giovanni Coppola's extra point makes it 7-0, Horsemen

We have glitches already. Forgive the postings below. I'll keep it short and sweet tonight.

From days to hours to ....

Yes, we are less than an hour away from the excitement of the 2009 football season to being. I will be trying a new mobile blogging element for the St. Michael's-Bloomfield game tonight and hope that it works well. So, if you see a test posting, just know it is the product of me fixing the bugs out of the system.
And the clock says 6:13 p.m., so we are that much closer to kickoff.

Stay tuned.

The countdown to kickoff

Yes, soccer is on the pitch and the volleyball nets have been hoisted all across the high school scene in New Mexico, but the fall season doesn't really begin until football kicks off. We stand just a day away from the start of the 2009 season, and with that in mind, here are five important questions in Northern New Mexico that we will enthusiastically wait for the answers.

1. St. Michael's was just 24.6 seconds away from making the Class AAA state championship for the second year in a row before fate - and a Lovington touchdown - changed the course of the 2008 season. The young Horsemen will be among the favorites again, but who will emerge to challenge them?
Let's start with the season-opening opponent, Bloomfield. The Rams reached the AAA semifinals before losing to eventual AAA champion Portales. They finally broke the hex that District 1AAA has in the playoffs (only one postseason win), but can they take that next step to the championship game? A win over the Horsemen vaults them to favorite status.
Speaking of Portales, the Rams travel to Brother Abdon Field on Oct. 10. That in all likelihood will determine who the top seed is for the AAA state playoffs.
2. Can Bernalillo live up to the hype?
The Spartans made a dramatic upswing in District 2AAAA, coming only seven points away from an undefeated district season and its first ever district title be it at the AAA or AAAA level. Most of the players return from that squad, including Division I-A prospect Ivan Luna. But Bernalillo has to replace its quarterback, and the question remains about how well Alan Favela will do in place of Josh Galindo. Favela is a converted tight end who can run with the ball, but his passing skills are still suspect. That might limit the touches Luna gets as a split end and speedy wideout James Roy get. If the Spartans can throw the ball, look for them to make history.
3. How will the first year of the Ray Holladay Era - and the last year of Santa Fe High in Class AAAAA - be ?
Sadly, it will not be a triumphant arrival or departure for either subject. Holladay is slowing remolding the program in the image he wants, but it could be a good one in the years to come. That rationale comes from the Demons imminent reclassification to AAAA, and going into a district with Capital, Los Alamos and Bernalillo as the top teams. Still, those three programs have flourished for the most part over the last four seasons. Jumping into AAAA won't automatically guarantee that Santa Fe High will be contenders, but they will automatically jump ahead of Española Valley and Taos in the pecking order.
As for the Demons' final year in AAAAA? Look forward to that Oct. 24 matchup at Albuquerque High. It could be their last - and best - chance at a win against a AAAAA school.
4. Can McCurdy School exceed last year's Class A state semifinal appearance?
Since only nine schools occupy Class A, there aren't many teams the Bobcats have to contend with to achieve a similar finish this year. But, two teams that always are a factor are Clayton and Fort Sumner. Clayton has size and the four-time reigning A champion Foxes have the tradition. One knock against the Bobcats is their youth. It was great when the expectations weren't there and the Bobcats played better than some might have anticipated. It might prove to be a hindrance because of the trappings of success (an overinflated sense of one's ability, a lackadaisical attitude toward the work needed to improve). McCurdy has the tools to be a very good football team, but it has to match that skill with hard work and determination.
5. Who will be a surprise team in the North?
When Las Vegas Robertson regained defensive coordinator Leroy Gonzales from New Mexico Highlands University, it certainly raised the specter of a Cardinal return to glory. Then Estevan Vigil, the erstwhile No. 1 running back, decided he was a track athlete rather than a football player. There went the Cardinals' foundation on offense. Still, District 2AAA has two teams that could make a surprising run - The Dons of West Las Vegas and the Pojoaque Elks. The Elks returned their entire 16-man roster from last year, plus added as many players to the squad. Added depth means an easier load for everyone involved. West Las Vegas was on the way to rebuilding the football program under Mike Maldonado, but now the task belongs to former Dons defensive coordinator Mike Ulibarri. He has a track record of being able to build a program - which he did at Santa Fe High before leaving in the summer of 2008. Had he stayed, there is no doubt the Demons make the playoffs. At West Las Vegas, there is no doubt that he will get the Dons back to their winning ways of earlier in this decade.
It could be as soon as this season.
The next 11 weeks will tell that story.

Hot in the City ,,,

Rare is the opportunity when I can combine my two passions - sports and the weather - but today I will indulge myself.
The afternoon rumble of thunderstorms in Santa Fe is a welcome sight for the football teams practicing in the North today, especially since they all start strapping on the shoulder pads. For three straight days, the temperature gauge has cross into the 90-degree range early in the afternoon, which means the days are sweltering for the players.
But the thunderstorm today will ease the heat and the concerns of coaches paying attention to their players water intake.
The National Weather Service at the Santa Fe Municipal Airport read 90 at 3 p.m. today, but the coming storm no doubt dropped the reading a few degrees.
Even better is the news that thunderstorms are expected in the area for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.

The past vs. the present vs. the future

Friday was one of the more difficult phone calls I've had in a while. It had been more than a year since I talked with Diana Ronquillo, the new head volleyball coach at Santa Fe Preparatory. The circumstances of that discussion were less than pleasant.
Ronquillo, then running the program at Santa Fe High, was facing drunken driving charges and I was the one to write about that incident. We fumbled through three calls that day, and the last one left her in tears as she hung up. It was a punch in the gut for me, because of the kind of person Ronquillo is.
Friday's phone call re-affirmed a lot of those qualities about her. Again, she cried when we talked about the incident off the record. We talked about how the incident impacted her and the reasons for her departure at Santa Fe High. I hold her in high regard because of the actions she took subsequent to the story that ran in late May, which led to her voluntary resignation in June.
No one demanded that action.
She took it herself.
You see so many times nowadays where coaches, players and administrators fight unseemly incidents tooth and nail, and in many cases to their successful (on their part) conclusion. Ronquillo could have held firm and done the same.
Given that the case was ultimately dismissed, she would have moved on with her life and career with the incident but a blip on her radar screen.
Instead, she took a stand for what she felt was the right thing to do, and not just for her. It was her last act of grace toward the players at Santa Fe High. It was a stance that accountability is more important than saving face.
That as a role model, we have a higher standard to live by for those who are watching us.
It's a wake-up call to me.
And maybe for the rest of us in this crazy world.
I can't count the number of times I've gone behind the wheel after a few alcoholic beverages in my lifetime as a legal consumer of alcohol. That I haven't met the same fate as Ronquillo is merely luck. All it takes is the right set of circumstances for that to happen. And I get to meet my moment of truth.
Then I get to choose which path I take. I hope I have the courage to take the highway of accountability and humility that Ronquillo paved. Sometimes, it appears to be a deserted one.
I hope Ronquillo's two children, who both go to Prep, realize what a special mother they have. Doing the right thing is never easy. Nor is it fair.
But those are the moments that reveal the true nature of our character. Never let doubt linger about the character of Diana Ronquillo.
And I have no doubt the phone calls to - and from - her will be much easier to digest after this one.

So much for the summer vacation ...

Greetings, Northern New Mexico!
I am sure some of you have been wondering where I've been and why I've been so quiet. Well, even the best of us need a break ... so I took one from blogging (work is another matter altogether).

But now that we find ourselves just four days away from the first day of fall practice, it's time to get things in gear.

At Capital High on Tuesday, the Jaguars put an end to their summer with their "Night of Champions" weight lifting event. About 25 players took part in the action, with a crowd of about 40 bystanders.
These events are custom-made for grunts, primal screams, extreme feats of team bonding (mostly howls of encouragement) and in the end, trophy presentations.
And without further ado, here is how the evening went:

Bench press
Under 155 pounds division - Jesse Sanders, 225 pounds
155-185 pounds - Kevin Munks - 235 pounds
185 and above division - Brendon Bentz - 225 pounds
Squat
Under 155 - Sanders, 300 pounds
155-185 - Quinton Windham - 335 pounds
185 and above - To be determined
Power clean
Under 155 - Sanders - 185
155-185 Adrian Olivas - 200
185 and above - Bentz - 205

Pound for pound award - Windham

Tragedy in Iowa ...

Earlier today, an Iowa head football coach, Ed Thomas, was shot and killed by a former player while he supervised a summer workout session in the weight room. Thomas had been a head football coach for 37 years, with the last 34 coming at Aplington-Parkersburg High School. The coach, who was widely revered in the state, also suffered a hardship last year when his house was destroyed by an F-5 tornado that also turned the high school into rubble.

For more information on the coach and the incident, here is the link to the Cedar Rapids Gazette

http://www.gazetteonline.com/

The priorities at Santa Fe Public Schools

I had written a column a few years ago questioning whether the school district really cared about both of its high schools. I asserted that the priority list of SFPS, especially when it comes to athletics, is this:

1. Santa Fe High School
2. Santa Fe High School
3. See Nos. 1 and 2, then repeat.
4. Capital High School.

So yesterday, the district issues a release regarding the hiring of a new head girls basketball and girls soccer coach at Santa Fe High. About 10 days earlier, Capital High School hired a new head boys basketball coach. No release was issued (perhaps because the story was broken before it could be written, but that doesn't change the bottom line).
Perhaps I am being cynical here, but how does one pair of hirings get mentioned, but another not? Again, it could be because we broke the Capital High story, but if that hadn't happened, would SFPS have given it the same due consideration?
Just food for thought.

NorthStars discussion

The end of the school year might be upon us, but it isn't quite complete - in The New Mexican's eyes – until we've unveiled our athletes of the year selections in our NorthStars section, which will be done Saturday.
It's a year-long process as well, and something we discuss as much in earnest in November as well as in April and May. Now that our end-of-year section is available for public consumption, it's time for you to send us your feedback.
Happy with our selections? Feel that we overlooked a deserving candidate? Or that we chose poorly in a sport? Whatever your feelings are about the section, we would like to know what you think. So, step right up and tell us your feelings and give us your candidates for the 2008-09 school year.
We won't scrap it and do it over again, but at least you have this forum to express yourself. And we at The New Mexican look forward to hearing from you.

NMAA realignment proposal meets its deadline

Earlier today, the New Mexico Activities Association approved classification and alignment proposal, which covers a four-year block start with the 2010-2011 school year. The meeting today gave schools a last-ditch effort to appeal their placements, which the entire District 2AAA
schools did as a group. It is being split up with St. Michael's, Pojoaque and Santa Fe Indian School leaving for 4AAA, which will include Albuquerque schools Hope Christian and Sandia Preparatory.
The district was represented by the athletic directors from St. Michael's (Tom Manning), Pojoaque (Matt Martinez), West Las Vegas (Jose Medina) and Las Vegas Robertson (Mike Yara), and they argued that the breakup of the district would hurt the six member schools significantly in gate receipts that help fund the schools' athletic programs. Manning said whatever transportation savings that the three schools might realize will be offset by the loss of revenue for district games.
It did not change their fate, as the board kept that portion of the proposal intact.
So, there will be quite a few changes and moves that will affect northern schools, if you haven't heard already.
Here are the highlights:
*Santa Fe High will move from Class AAAAA to AAAA and takes residence in District 2AAAA along with Los Alamos, Capital, Bernalillo and Española Valley.
*Coincidentally, Taos High will move from AAAA to AAA and into 2AAA, where it will compete with Las Vegas Robertson, West Las Vegas and Raton.
*Santa Fe Indian School is scheduled to shed its independent status in football, but there are questions about whether it will continue to play the sport. Also, Albuquerque Academy will be in 4AAA for football.
*In AA, District 3AA and 4AA essentially will be merged into one, with Questa and McCurdy School (of 3AA) dropping into Class A. Mesa Vista, which also was scheduled to move down a class before electing to play up, gets shuffled into District 7AA with Cuba, Dulce and Jemez Valley. Also moving down is Coronado
*New Mexico School for the Deaf and Santa Fe Waldorf will participate in a new class - B - in volleyball and and basketball. They will be in District 2B.

Two weeks? It's been that long?

I blame the economy. It will be my standard answer until this darn recession is over.

Well, a lot has happened since May 6. I could spend some time recounting the ways, but if you've seen my bylines over the last week or so, you know where I've been. And I have a lovely tan to show for it.
But no T-shirts, never a T-shirt.

What I would like to do is spend some time again pleading with the Santa Fe Public Schools to not do two things:
- Get rid of middle school athletics in lieu of an intramural program.
- Get rid of your high school athletic managers.
Yes, I am biased when it comes to sports, but I will add this. I feel that every teenager needs to be involved in some sort of after-school activity. It doesn't matter if it is athletics or if it's band, drama, mock trial, chess, lacrosse, fencing or even choir. What matters is that these programs are there for kids. And not just for a select few - all students.
These programs do more than keep kids off the couch and away from trouble. They promote the general qualities all young people need to learn and acquire before they head out to the real world.
Such as:
- Learning to function within a group.
- Growing their social and networking skills.
- Giving them opportunities to develop interests that could lead them down the path of a viable career. Or even a good hobby.
- Instilling self-confidence.
- Learning how to adapt, drive and overcome obstacles.
- Dealing with failure and how to cope with it.
Those skills help produce not only better quality students, but also better quality human beings. So often, we complain about the things that people do or don't do, and many of them are simple things that we were taught growing up.
Like respect.
Or sympathy.
How about understanding?
And maybe even taking action?
We see so little of those qualities nowadays, and I blame the loss of those because of the sedentary and sometimes nomadic nature that teenagers have learned over the decades. And I believe it comes from the lack of interaction they have with their fellow peers and with adults who are there to help instill the core values of what a community should be about.

As for the athletic managers, my defense is simple.
If you've ever wondered why an event ever goes off smoothly - or not - look at the athletic manager/director.
If you've ever enjoyed an event - or didn't - regardless of the outcome on the field, look at the athletic manager/director.
If you've ever thought about all the little things it takes to make an athletic event function, talk to an athletic manager/director.
If you ever want to see who is the first person in the gym and the last one there at night, ask an athletic manager/director.
It may seem like a gift title where all you get to do is watch games, matches and meets, but so much more goes on than the naked eye.
I wish somebody would tell the school board about the long hours a good athletic manager log - perhaps Joe Moulton, who has been the rock of Gibraltar at Capital High. A good athletic program is the product of a good athletic department leader.
It might seem like the head coach and the players make the difference, but a coach can focus on his duties on the court or field because a good athletic manager takes care of the little things.
Like equipment.
Uniforms.
Transportation.
Scheduling.
Meal money.
Booster club management.
Financial accountability.
In short, an athletic manager - or director, or coordinator, or whatever the title - does the things that go unnoticed by the casual fan - or administrator - but are appreciated by those in the know.
Without them, athletic programs fall apart.
Without them, Capital and Santa Fe High are going to find out how.
It might be worth the savings now, but you'll pay more for it in a few years.
When everyone is laughing at how pathetic those two programs become.
You've been warned, SFPS.
You've been warned.

Stop reading if you're already heard but ...

athletics around the state resumed activity Wednesday. It occurred after the 15 schools that were closed due to concerns over the swine flu epidemic were given clearance to re-open.
Here is a story from the Associated Press regarding the decision.
The New Mexican will have a story on the impact it will have in Santa Fe and the north.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NM_SWINE_FLU_NMAA_NMOL-?SITE=NMSAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Athletic activities canceled for this week

In response to new cases of the Swine flu breaking out in the Socorro, Lordsbug, Carlsbad and Deming areas, those school districts have canceled school for a week. The New Mexico Activities Association responded by suspending athletic events for the coming week.
So the small-school track meets, team tennis, and the first round of state baseball will be delayed at least by a week. Regular season golf, softball and big school track and field also will cease competition.
Also, schools will not be allowed to practice during this time. I will have a story on local reaction to the cancellation in Monday's New Mexican.

The trouble with athletics and Santa Fe Public Schools

To say that Santa Fe Public Schools has been mismanaged is like saying the Titanic should have seen that iceberg coming. It's apparent to everyone.
There are no easy answers for SFPS when facing a huge budget crunch. But if there is a way to preserve a component of middle school athletics - and activities, for that matter - please do it. While coaches and administrators are wringing their hands over the prospect of seeing middle school programs altered (perhaps forever?), let's hope they do not lose sight that athletics are not gone.
Just in a different format. Plenty of question exists about how a middle school intramural system (How would it be structured? Where would coaches and officials come from, especially if it's done on a volunteer basis? How would the kids - and it's always about the kids, right? - get to those events? How would the cost of maintaining fields and courts and having them available be paid?) But the most important part is that it's still there.
The alternative can be viewed just 55 miles to the south in Albuquerque, where middle school sports' demise came in 1981. Since then, only middle school basketball has been funded by Albuquerque Public Schools, but district athletic director Ken Barreras has seen its effect.
There is no school spirit or a connection between the feeder middle schools and their high school parents.
Students struggle to maintain interest in school, especially those who lack the ability to pay to play in the Young American Football League, or AAU basketball, or club soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball.
Truancy rates have risen.
The athletes who do participate often lack fundamental skills and spend the first couple of years trying to catch up.
That could be the future of Santa Fe Public Schools if it's not careful.
If it's going to do intramurals, it has to be done right.
Or else ...

More inclement weather

As if you couldn't figure it out from looking out your window, snow has blanketed Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico.That means another day lost to weather. The Gene Templeton tennis tournament was postponed, and Saturday's action could face the same fate.
The would put a halt to the Capital City Invitational and a key softball matchup between Santa Fe High and Albuquerque Valley, which lost to Albuquerque La Cueva on Wednesday. The forecast from the National Weather Service is predicting intermittent rain in the morning and afternoon and partly cloudy skies by the evening. So there might be a chance to get games in.
Only two weeks remain to the regular season for most sports, and that means there will be some tired athletes by the time the state championships are decided.

No-hit mastery

Patrick Schuster's fame has shot right through the roof in the last 48 hours, no thanks to his prowess on the pitcher's mound. The senior at J.W. Mitchell High School in Trinity, Fla., (just northwest of Tampa) fired his third straight no-hitter this past week and is flirting with the national high school record of six straight no-nos. He made an appearance on ESPN2's morning program "First Take" this morning and his fame has done more than just become a national story.

Here is a link to a story from the Tampa Tribune on the phenom:

When not reading the rulebook goes wrong ...

Jim Gabella might be a minor-league manager, but he made an major-league blunder that costed his son, Cody, his eligibility.
Here is the story from The Associated Press. Moral of the story is: Ignorance of the rules is no excuse.


BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — What was supposed to be a great day at the ballpark for Cody Gabella and his father has wound up costing the youngster his junior season.
Gabella, a junior infielder at Notre Dame High in Burlington, has been suspended for the upcoming prep season after making two plate appearances with the Class A Burlington Bees — who are managed by his father, Jim Gabella — in an exhibition against a local community college.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association ruled that Cody Gabella violated a rule that prohibits prep athletes from playing with or against collegians in their own sport.
The Bees, a Kansas City Royals affiliate from the Midwest League, played an exhibition game against Southeastern Community College on Tuesday. Jim Gabella said he cleared it with Southeastern’s coach and the Royals to allow Cody an at-bat late in the game if possible.
Jim Gabella told The Associated Press on Saturday that he had no idea the rule was on the books and would have never jeopardized his son’s eligibility if he did.
Jim Gabella said an appeal is in the works, and he’s hoping that the high school association will factor in his lack of knowledge of the rule.
“He wants to play at the next level, and it was an idea of having him play against a junior college who is recruiting him and have a chance to see him play myself,” Jim Gabella said of Cody. “It didn’t work out the way we planned.”
It wasn’t all bad for Cody Gabella, though. He ripped a single up the middle and finished 1-for-2.

So much for Saturday's action ...

If there was an event that took place today, it's news to me.
All of Saturday's action was canceled because of a storm that passed through the state late Friday night and continues to do so today.
The only make-up date I have available is the Pojoaque Invite track and field meet will be held on April 22.
Any other updates surely will be appreciated.

The dog days of ... spring??

Yes, it seems that the spring season has hit a bit of a lull here in early April, but – as it always is - it is merely the calm before the sprint to the end of the prep season.
Saturday will provide a taste of what's to come. Big games will pop up in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. With that said, here's a quick look at what's on tap:
Saturday
Baseball
Santa Fe at Albuquerque La Cueva, doubleheader, 11 a.m./1 p.m. - The Demons are in a 1-2 District 2AAAAA hole that is tough enough to get out of without having to face the state's top team in the Bears. After losing its season opener, La Cueva has reeled off 15 straight wins. In that time, the Bears have scored no fewer than seven runs and reached double figures in 11 games. The latest victims were the Sandia Matadors, who swept a doubleheader at Santa Fe last week. It might take an offensive explosion for the Demons to avoid a 1-4 district start.
Las Vegas Robertson at St. Michael's, doubleheader, 11 a.m./1 p.m. - The Horsemen, who stand at 2-2 in 2AAA, are trying to fight their way back into the district race. The Cardinals, at 4-2, are trying to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the district. St. Michael's has struggled with its pitching and defense, but it's more of a cause-and-effect relationship: The errors lead to the pitching struggles.
Softball
Las Vegas Robertson at St. Michael's, doubleheader, 11 a.m./1 p.m. - St. Michael's can continue its domination of 2AAA with a sweep of the Lady Cardinals. A 5-0 start give the Lady Horsemen a one-game lead on the rest of the district.
Albuquerque La Cueva at Santa Fe High, doubleheader 11 a.m./1 p.m. - Another Santa Fe High team that has its back to the wall. The Demonettes are winless at 0-3 in 2AAAAA, and desperately need a win to get back the momentum from a 12-2 start. The Lady Bears aren't as strong as in years' past, so this might be the perfect opportunity for Santa Fe High to get back into the district chase.

Commentary: Fans, parents need to get over themselves

Yeah, I just wrote that. And I mean it.
I base my claim on what has been written over the past month or so on the forums for the stories that we write. One - on the Santa Fe High's girls basketball program - was created by a reader (or someone who frequents our site, at the very least).
The conversations, while stimulating for many, are vitriolic for the most part. They turn into whines and moans about the shortcomings of coaches or the programs themselves (And for some reason, Española becomes a topic in just about every one of them. I can't figure it out).
In short, this is what the topics boil down to:
- St. Michael's head girls basketball coach Martin Romero should be fired. He's a bad coach.
- Española Valley head boys basketball coach Richard Martinez should be fired for stalling in the AAAA semifinal. He'll never win a state title while he's there.
- Capital head boys basketball coach Ben Gomez deserved to be fired. He was mean to players, cold to parents and prevented the Jaguars from reaching their full potential.
- St. Michael's head softball coach Ron Noedel should be fired. He can't coach his way out of paper bag with all the talent he's had. He should have won state titles the last three years.
So, who the community wants gone are:
A coach whose led his program to three straight Class AAA semifinal appearances in girls basketball and a title game in 2008. He also saved the program when parents forced out the previous coach and got a team seeded 12th (That's a 1 followed by a 2, not a 1 or a 2) just seconds away from a AAA title game. (This would be Romero).
A coach who has led a program to its most sustained success ... EVER! Two straight AAAA appearances and a top seed the last two years. This for a program that had enjoyed The Pit venue once before he took over (Mr. Martinez, for those scoring at home).
A coach who guided a program to a Class AAAA state title, two runner-up finishes and a trip to Albuquerque in March for the last five years until this year. (Ben Gomez).
A coach who has gotten his team to the AAA softball title game twice in the last three years and is consistently a contender in one of the toughest districts in the state. (That's how bad of a coach Ron Noedel is)
For those who want to complain and stir the pot, I have a suggestion for you: Go coach.
For five years.
Open yourself to questioning from the fans at least once a week, if not more.
Open your practices for everyone to see - parents, students, media, stray dogs, etc.
Then write what you have written over the past month again.
I guarantee you never will, because then you'll know how hard of a job coaching is.
Because if you ever had to deal with parents and fans who write - and act - like you, you'd hate them as much as what I see almost every morning in those forums after a story that appears in The New Mexican.
Because the biggest problem with those programs aren't the coaches.
It's you.

St. Michael's softball to get some TV time

The Lady Horsemen will enjoy a weekend off by heading to Albuquerque to be the showcase team on KOB-TV's "New Mexico GameDay" show on Friday. St. Michael's head coach Ron Noedel said the show's host, J.P. Murrieta, has extended the offer before, but the team always had a Saturday morning game that conflicted with an appearance. This was the only hole in the schedule for the team to make an appearance.
The Lady Horsemen will be in the studio for the 10:30 p.m. show, which will be on Channel 4.

The morning after ...

Only those within the administrative offices at Capital High School saw the end of the Ben Gomez Era coming. Looking back, those who follow the program closely probably saw serious problems with the program that had been festering for the last couple of years.
In hindsight, the breakup between Gomez and assistant coach Mark Senteney might have been the biggest blow to the program. Both had been together for six years and it had been a very productive relationship until the last couple. It's no surprise that the 2007-08 and the 2008-09 seasons were underwhelming years for the program as a rift slowly ripped the program apart.
I've witnesses the pre- and post-game talks with the coaching staff and the players, and a lot of times they were very frank discussions.
Yes, Gomez can be very demanding and his demeanor can be intimidating to the players. Sometimes that seeped onto the court. At the same time, the player only occasionally showed the mental strength to battle back from adversity. Often times, they looked scared and unsure of themselves, and that is something the players have to confront.
Despite the problems, practices, especially at the end of the year, were as intense as they had been. It didn't seem like the program was buckling under the strain.
Perhaps what has not been talked about enough is the talent level with the program.
It wasn't to the level of the state championship teams in 2004 and the runners-up in 2005 and 2007. It was a team that struggled to shoot from the field in general and was either very good or very bad. There was no in between. Now you can make the argument that the kids were scared or intimidated into playing poorly, but the truth of the matter is that they had to play at an optimum level just to be competitive.
There was no go-to player on the team, and the one who tried to be – Reese Goodman – was maddeningly inconsistent at best.
The players need a year of working on their shooting skills, hitting the weight room and simply playing without fear, which was something that they showed against more talented teams (especially Española Valley).
The new coach who steps in will have to recognize that its a program that is going through a slump right now and will need to have patience to get the program back to the level it enjoyed just a few years ago.
As for who that will be, that's a good question.
Could it be Senteney, who also guided the programs at Mesa Vista and Española Valley before coming to Capital? Maybe, but how awkward would it be for him to be at the same school with some of the same coaches he was a part of when he was let go? Is that the kind of situation to walk into?
How about junior varsity coach Zack Cole? While a good coach, he has yet to get his head coaching chops. If anything, he needs a few years as a top assistant or a head-coaching gig at a smaller school (AA or AAA) before he could take that leap of taking over a larger and very respected program.
Another name to perhaps throw out is Farmington head coach Rick Holman. In talking to him, he has a lot of respect for what Capital High has built at the school and the intense nature that high school basketball has in the North.
What about another Lenny Roybal protege? Maybe Gordon Betancourt? Tony Gallegos? How about Matt Pribble, who has resurfaced at East Mountain recently? Maybe Rick Apodaca, the former Taoos High coach who is at St. Michael's now? Former Santa Fe High head coach David Rodrigue is still around and he did go after the Demons job that he lost a few years earlier in 2005.
Of course, this is all speculation. I have nothing to go on other than my (still) limited knowledge of coaching names in the North. Certainly, there will be quite a few who will apply for the job because of what Capital has done over the years and – let's face it – the respect coach Gomez has among the coaching ranks around the state.