Contenders await state draw
Tourney seeds to be announced today
La Cueva boys soccer coach Easy Jimenez says it’s ... well, easy.
La Cueva. Albuquerque High. Cleveland. Hobbs.
Those, he said Saturday as the Bears closed out the 2018 regular season, should be the top four seeds when the Class 5A state tournament bracket is announced this afternoon.
Trying to pinpoint a favorite? That’s less clear, though Jimenez’s Bears, who beat AHS and Cleveland, but lost to the Bulldogs and Hobbs, might be the one.
“We should be a 1 seed,” Jimenez said after La Cueva (162, 8-0 in 2-5A) edged West Mesa 2-1 at the APS Complex on second-half goals from Will Stewart and Roland Zhang. “(But) I think going in, we knew that this was the toughest (state) tournament I’ve seen in my 17 years. The margin is razor thin.”
The Bears had clinched the 2-5A title earlier in the week when the Mustangs fell to Eldorado.
Alamogordo, last year’s 5A state champ (this season’s equivalent of 4A) put together a 16-win regular season, and the Tigers expect a solid seed today in their new division.
First-round games are Friday and Saturday. The top four seeds in each of the three classes (5A, 4A, 1A-3A) have byes into the quarterfinals, which are Nov. 7 at the complex on the Santa Ana Pueblo.
GIRLS: The last major metroarea district that had yet to be decided before the weekend was District 1-5A. Cleveland’s 2-2 draw Friday with Volcano Vista was enough to earn the Storm first place.
While there seems to be clarity on the teams that will get first-round byes in 5A boys, the picture is somewhat muddier with the ladies.
“It’s a tough call this year,” said Sandia coach Jay Sheraden. His Matadors (14-4 overall) on Saturday completed a 10-0 run through District 5-5A with a narrow 2-1 win over AHS at the APS Complex. “In past years, it’s been cut and dried.”
Who will be the top four seeds in 5A today?
Three district champions — Cleveland, unbeaten Centennial and Eldorado — would seem to be locks for top-four seeds. Cibola may have the inside track to the other top-four slot based on a 1-0-1 head-to-head record this year against La Cueva. The Cougars and Bears both have 15-2-1 overall records, and both were runners-up in their districts.
The Cougars on Saturday leapfrogged Volcano Vista for second place in 1-5A with a 2-1 win at the APS Complex, a win that may get Cibola some extra time off.
This year, the second week of state runs Nov. 7-9, Wednesday through Friday.