Postscript to Day 3

What a day it has been. And not just on the basketball court. First of all, I must apologize to the woman from Pojoaque who I rear-ended today - and then forgot her name. I am sooo full of fail today - before the Pojoaque-St. Michael's girls game. It has been an incident that has troubled me all day. In my 14 years as a driver, I had never been at fault in an accident. Now that I am, I am incredibly chagrined. What I will say to the rest of you out there is a subtle reminder we all need to hear while on the road: Be careful. I certainly was not. Thankfully, it was an accident at slow speed and no one was hurt - including Mr. Kyle Binder, who was the third car involved and who I made late for his lunch date with his father. I also apologize to you.
Too bad I missed the first quarter of the game, because it sounds like it was an awesome start for the Elkettes. Hopefully all will go well for everyone involved, including my red face.

And thanks to the Capital High coaches and to referee Leon Lopez for their concern with my well being. It's always nice that people are looking out for you. Of course, you could have stopped by the accident and said hi. Would have made me feel slightly better ...

With that out of the way, let's talk some basketball.
It was a day that started slow, but picked up steam to a fantastic finish. From Robertson's attempt at an upset, to Pojoaque's dismantling of the Lady Horsemen to one of the most thrilling games seen on The Pit floor in recent memory, this was a night to remember.
But only two days remain, and my stay at the state tournament could be short - Hell, it could be over by Friday night. So, Mesa Vista and St. Michael's, I look to you to give me something to write for on Saturday.
Here are my thoughts for today:
1. Española fans can be enthusiastic. They can be blindly supportive. They can be a wonderful cast of characters that add to the life of the state tournament.
But they also can turn mean and nasty. And malicious. Their act after their Sundevils lost in triple overtime was inexcusable. Be mad at head coach Richard Martinez. Be mad at the foul call that should have been a jump ball in the final minute of that overtime. But throw bottles onto the floor and at the referees? That's classless. And completely within the realm of what the rest of the state expects from Española fans. Want to know why the rest of the state mocks you and think so lowly of you? Well, you just hardened that stereotype of your behavior. Make all the excuses you want for those handful of people who let their rage cloud their judgment, but they are the ones who keep you down.
I hope the NMAA investigates this. It was unnecessary and potentially dangerous for the very people we come to see - the kids.
Shame on you.
As for your beef with Martinez's coaching? Well, that made for a wonderful postgame display. Sometimes, I wish games were played in an empty gym, because some people do not deserve to watch. They use moments like the end result of a well-played and hard-fought game to indulge their grudges.
2. I will say this: What Martinez did today was no different than what he has done at the end of other games. But those games ended differently. The strategy backfired this time, and he'll live with that for quite a long time. But it's easy to criticize now. It wasn't when it worked.
Live and learn.
What was it Damian Segura said in his St. Pius Sartans' loss on Wednesday?
"Only death is forever."
3. Pojoaque deserves a great challenge for its final game of a great season and a great team. Portales is not great. The Lady Rams are good, and they will test the Elkettes, especially on defense. If this game escapes the 30s, I would be surprised. If it gets into the 40s, Portales will surely lose by double digits. So the task for the state's best team in AAA is this: How patient can you be? The answer you supply will be rewarded justly.
4. Funny how one decision can make - or break - a season. For Martinez, it was going to their spread offense. For Robertson's Aunna Roanhaus, it was sitting Brooke Knezevich. For Martin Romero, it was focusing on Ellen Cruz and Jackie Bartleson. None of them provided the desired outcome, but all three decisions were the right ones.
Martinez did what he had always done - force teams to chase his talented guards. The Sundevils have broken down plenty of defenses doing that, getting to the free-throw line and picking up easy layups. The problem with Thursday's decision was that his players stopped being the aggressors. Instead of forcing the issue by attacking the basket, Española seemed to lose its edge and let the Bulldogs dictate the action, not the other way around. Too many times, you saw the Sundevils abort drives and pull the ball back out to near midcourt.
Roanhaus knew her best chance was to have Knezevich on the court. She pushed her luck once with leaving her 5-10 post out there with two fouls, but she didn't feel like it would last. The Lady Cardinals had a 21-16 lead and were just a few minutes from halftime. The rest of her teammates failed to protect their lead, and let the season crumble.
Romero had to pick his poison. Hope for off games from Marissa Romero, Janelle Roybal and Dionna Montoya, but don't let Cruz and Bartleson beat you. Cruz had two points, Bartleson had six. But when a team has five weapons at its disposal, how to you stop them all? He chose the path that he felt gave the Lady Horsemen a chance to win. Pojoaque is just that much better.
5. With that said, here are my predictions for today
Class AA semifinal
Mesa Vista 66, Santa Rosa 60. The Trojans get over that Lions hump.
Class AAA semifinal
St. Michael's 45, Portales 41. We all want a Hope Christian-St. Michael's final, right? Well, not if you're a Pojoaque fan.
Class AAA championship
Pojoaque 37, Portales 33. Great programs have to put their stamp on them. That gets done tonight.
Sweet dreams, my fellow New Mexicans.