Cibola girls coach angry over bracket
Albuquerque High boys earn top seed
At least among those whose seasons are continuing, no prep soccer coach in New Mexico was probably more irate than Gary Zink was when the state tournament brackets were released Sunday afternoon.
“I’m pissed. I can’t tell you how pissed I am,” said the coach of Cibola High’s girls, the twotime defending Class 6A state champions.
The Cougars (14-4) were awarded a No. 5 seed by the New Mexico Activities Association, and will have to navigate their way through a brutally difficult road just to get back to the championship game, let alone win a third consecutive title.
“Really poor,” Zink said. “Absolutely poor.”
La Cueva, Cleveland, Hobbs and Volcano Vista were the top four seeds, and each gets a bye into the quarterfinals. Zink had no issue with Nos. 1, 2 or 4. It was the placement of 14-2-1 Hobbs — with no victories against any district champions, Zink pointed out — at No. 3 that had him in a volcanic mood Sunday.
“I had the hardest schedule in the state, and I beat four district champions … no way,” Zink said emphatically. “Absolutely disrespectful.”
Cibola opens against district rival Rio Rancho, the No. 12 seed, with Volcano Vista awaiting the winner. District 4 champion Albuquerque High, the 7 seed, faces No. 10 Eldorado in the first round next weekend. Sandia, the No. 9 seed, travels to No. 8 Carlsbad.
Albuquerque Academy is the No. 1 seed in Class 5A as the Chargers seek to repeat. Aztec, Farmington and Alamogordo also received byes. St. Pius and Los Lunas were the 6 and 7 seeds, respectively.
Santa Fe Prep, Bosque School, Sandia Prep and Socorro have the top four seeds in Class 1A-4A, which puts Bosque and defending state champ Sandia Prep, district rivals, in the bottom half together and slated to clash in the semifinals.
BOYS: Albuquerque High, looking to get into the state final for a fourth straight November, was seeded No. 1 in Class 6A. Then it was 2016 champ La Cueva, Mayfield and Cleveland.
It was a huge day for the Storm, which had never enjoyed a firstround bye until this season. It had been seeded 12, seven and five the previous three years.
“We just keep getting better and better, and the boys have bought in,” Cleveland coach Shaun Gill said. “The expectation was that we were already in the state tournament (before the season began); we were playing for seeding the whole year.”
There is an all-district affair in the first-rounder between No. 8 Highland and No. 9 Atrisco Heritage. The Hornets have enjoyed a fantastic season, finishing as runner-up to AHS in District 4-6A.
From District 1, Rio Rancho, at No. 5, and Volcano Vista, at No. 7, both earned first-round home games. The Rams face Las Cruces, the Hawks take on Gadsden.
Defending champ Academy is seeded No. 1 in Class 5A, with St. Pius at No. 3. Those two played to a scoreless draw on Saturday. Between them are the 15-win Alamogordo Tigers.
Hope and Sandia Prep are the top two seeds in Class 1A-4A; coach Jordan Allcorn’s Moriarty Pintos are seeded fourth.
All the first-round pairings can be viewed today on page B4. Days and times for those games should be finalized today. The quarterfinals begin Nov. 2 at the complex on the Santa Ana Pueblo.