High school basketball is ‘getting real’
Eldorado had a great regular season, now it’s time for state
And away we go. The New Mexico Activities Association on Sunday night announced the brackets for the boys and girls state basketball tournaments, with the postseason tipping off next weekend with a total of 96 games in the first round. Friday is for the girls, Saturday for the boys. Each of the 12 brackets can be viewed in today’s Journal on page B4.
BOYS: Eldorado coach Roy Sanchez already has taken the burnt orange to three blue trophies in his career, and now he’s favored to do so for a fourth time. The Eagles’ postseason road begins with Piedra Vista.
“(All a No. 1 seed) means is that you have had a great regular season,” Sanchez said. “Now it’s getting real.”
Two of the metro’s best and most heated regular-season rivalries — Valley-Albuquerque High and Rio Rancho-Cleveland — are going to be renewed in the first round, with the Vikings
and Storm hosting their district rivals on Saturday.
La Cueva’s late-season district loss to Clovis proved costly, as the Bears now find themselves a 10 seed and headed to Ralph Tasker Arena in Hobbs.
Las Cruces, Atrisco Heritage and defending state champ Volcano Vista were slotted right behind Eldorado in 6A; the Bulldawgs (27-1), who lost in the state final a year ago, had their undefeated season shattered Saturday in the District 3-6A tournament final by Hobbs.
Manzano’s boys went from two victories last season to 15 wins and a No. 9 seed this year. That got the Monarchs a first-round appointment with eighth-seeded West Mesa, a team that has beaten Manzano twice already this season.
Española Valley and Los Lunas are on a possible collision course in Class 5A with the Sundevils and Tigers getting the top two seeds. No. 3 seed Belen — which on Saturday claimed its first regular season or district tournament title since 1975 — is in Los Lunas’ bottom half of the draw, as is Del Norte.
St. Pius and Valencia are in the top half with Española Valley.
Bernalillo is after its first state title since 2005, and the Spartans (26-1) are the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A bracket. Hope Christian, looking for a sixth consecutive championship, was seeded third and is in the opposite (bottom) side of the draw.
Ninth-seeded Sandia Prep is at St. Michael’s in the first round.
Texico (3A), Magdalena (2A) and Melrose (1A) are the other No. 1 seeds.
In 2A, Menaul has a 5 seed, putting the Panthers in the top half with district foe, and nemesis, Magdalena. Evangel Christian from Albuquerque is a 12 seed in Class 1A.
GIRLS: Cibola has the No. 1 seed in 6A; in each of the seasons in which senior guard Amaya Brown has been healthy, the Cougars reached the state final — and she is plenty healthy and motivated to lead Cibola to a second blue trophy before her glorious career ends next month.
Hobbs, West Mesa and Carlsbad were next in the seedings. The Mustangs and their stable of excellent guards — this is the most dangerous perimeter team in the field — are hoping to win their first championship in this sport.
There are only two first-round games with an all-metro tint — Cibola-Cleveland and No. 11 La Cueva against No. 6 Rio Rancho. The Rams are coming off an excellent defensive weekend, which keyed wins over Piedra Vista and Cibola.
“This thing is wide open,” Rio Rancho coach Scott Peterson said.
The 8-9 matchup is fascinating, with Piedra Vista playing host to Highland, and it’s the only first-rounder that pairs two teams each with at least 20 victories. Highland’s 20 wins were most at the school in 35 years.
Defending champ Sandia did not quality this season.
Los Lunas is the top seed in 5A, and No. 4 seed St. Pius also resides in that top half as well.
Bosque School’s girls are the No. 16 seed in 4A; this is the first postseason bid in 10 years for the Bobcats. Hope, last year’s state runner-up, is the 8 seed, and Moriarty earned a No. 3 seed, also in 4A.
The remaining No. 1 seeds are Texico (3A, completing a sweep with the boys at the top), Logan (2A) and Elida (1A). Elida has won state in each of the last seven seasons.