Postscript to Day 2

If the girls opening day was just a reminder in AAA which district is the best in 2009, the boys opener was about suspense and surprises. And it wasn't just in the games I covered in The Pit.
The night session in The Pit and in the Santa Ana Star Center were phenomenal, in terms of action and the crowds. If you missed it, I am sorry to hear that. For those who were there, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
And while the hour is late, I cannot refrain from my duty to put the postscript on the evening.
1. I admit it: I have a man-crunch on Damian Segura. If I could be somebody else for one day, I would choose to be Albuquerque St. Pius X's head boys basketball coach. The man exudes cool. I mean, if he sweated, they would bottle it and sell it as a self-help aid for those of us who lack what he's got (which is a lot). If he sweated. The greatest moment I have ever witnessed in my six-plus years of covering state tournaments happened with a little more than 2 minutes to go in the Sartans' Class AAAA quarterfinal with Española Valley.
As he paced the sideline, he paused for a moment and made eye contact with me (or maybe it was NMPrep's publisher Kyle Henderson?). And then he cracked a quick smile at me (or us) before turning back to the game. This, while his team is trying to make a gallant comeback and continue for a four-peat. How can you not love that? I ate it up, and will never, ever forget that memory.
2. Move over, Sundevil fans. For all the pride you take in being one of the most supportive - and vocal - fan bases in the state, you have to take a back seat to Bengal Nation. Maybe my eardrums were already shot from the previous game, but the roar for the AAAAA contest between Gallup and Las Cruces was almost deafening at times. I always knew about the passion of Gallup's fandom, but Thursday put it in a new perspective. The student body hoarded both student sections. and the rest of the crowd was just as boisterous. I wish the Bengals had won. It would have been an even greater experience to see the two fan bases go at it for a second day in a row.
3. Sorry, Elk fans. I really thought that this was the time your boys basketball team would break that nasty streak, which now ... well, for the sake of Joey Trujillo, I won't add to the pain. And I feel bad for him. The man won his state title last year and should have been able to bask in the glory of it. Instead, all he has heard is, "Yeah, but you didn't beat St. Michael's ... "
A state title is a state title and he is part of a select group of coaches. It sets him apart from most of his peers and shows that he is an accomplished and excellent coach. One rivalry should not take away from that. Congrats on a good season, coach. See you in November, if not sooner.
4. Las Vegas Robertson will beat Portales in Thursday morning's AAA girls semifinal. The Lady Cardinals are deep in the post with Kassandra Tapia and Brooke Knezevich. Daniella Montoya is a strong leader as a point guard. They have the talent to give Pojoaque, the top seed in AAA, fits. All of which should worry Lady Rams head coach Clay Stout.
5. St. Michael's will stay close to the Pojoaque Elkettes, but unless they are uncharacteristically out of sync or suffer from a poor shooting effort, the defending AAA champions will advance to the title game again. Don't blame head coach Martin Romero, Lady Horsemen faithful. The man has done a great job with a team that doesn't shoot very well, struggles with turning the ball over and, while a great collection of athletes, lacks the chemistry that Pojoaque does.
The Lady Horsemen wouldn't be here if not for Mr. Romero.
Enjoy Thursday.
Ciao.