Postscript to Day 1

For those who might have been waiting for an update to Pojoaque-Socorro, I do apologize. But even the best of us finally hit a brick wall - even in our creativeness. So as I watch the work crews begin to clean up the mess that the thousands of fans left beginning well before 8 a.m. and continued to mount throughout the day, all I can say is that it's a pleasure to see Day One in the review-view mirror.
But before I shut the door on this day, a few thoughts:

1. The only team that can beat the Pojoaque Elkettes are ... the Pojoaque Elkettes. Not that other teams won't be able to keep the score close, but Pojoaque has an intangible that few other teams have. I saw it with Capital in 2004, Deming in 2005, St. Michael's in 2006 and Hobbs in 2008. There is simply a will that drives that team collectively to win. And the chemistry each displayed took them to another level that most good teams reach for a half, a game or even a week or two. yet they do it daily, weekly, monthly.
2. The AAA committee overestimated the strength in the other four districts. That's easy to say that now after seeing all five 2AAA teams make it to Albuquerque, and after three reached the semifinals. But I thought this after the seedings came out. In fact, I predicted all five would win. Sometimes, it's better to recognize dominance than to simply parcel out fairness for the sake of the rest of the class. If the bracket was played 10 times, I'd say 2AAA repeats its performance seven times.
3. It would be sad to see Mark Cassidy leave Mora, because he has built the program into one of the best in the state. He's hit some raw nerves with the community, but it's only because
of the usual petty jealousies that occur over playing time, starting spots or just personality conflicts. If not for him, Mora would be a second-class program hiding in the shadows of Peñasco, Pecos and McCurdy School. Hell, it would be a lot closer to Santa Fe Prep's status than it would be Pecos'.
4. Wednesday will provide some shockers. And here's what I see:
– Pojoaque will finally beat St. Michael's. Maybe it's the 12 hours holed up in The Pit, but at some point the breaks will finally go the Elks' way. And what better place in a new environment upon which the rivalry has not broken ground. Sorry, Horsemen fans.
– Oñate will advance past Highland. What?? Yes, I said it. Remember, this is Highland's first experience in The Pit. And that the first game in The Pit can be the hardest one because of the excitement and atmosphere that comes with it. It's sensory overload at its worst. And that just gives an underdog more of an advantage. It's why a school like Gallup two years ago could almost beat Hobbs when it was seeded No. 2. It's why Alamogordo and Valley managed to make spirited runs in 2006 and face each other in the least like semifinal matchup in seeding history (8-vs.-12). The teams that they beat to get there (No. 1 Mayfield for Valley, No. 4 Rio Rancho for Alamogordo) were making their first Pit encounter. Those factors just tell me that something like this will happen, and that matchup is ripe for the plucking.
– Española will end St. Pius X's reign. This was a hard one. It's hard to pick against the Sartans because of their knack for winning big games, but something tells me that the Sundevils, with their depth, just can't lose. At least not in this round. And maybe not even the semis. If they face Academy in the championship, it's a toss-up.
Hope to see some of you around The Pit tomorrow. And if you want to make fun of me for my pics, please do. Chances are I won't even realize it. The beginning of State Tournament Dementia (STD ... I know. It's contagious and can be spread in any form) has begun.
Cheers.