Senior Mustangs have happy exit
Pius coach Segura wins in home finale
Saturday was a celebration of the outstanding careers of Maiah Rivas and Esperanza Varoz. It was also a reminder of how quickly time can pass, even for teenagers.
In the fall of 2015, West Mesa High School’s girls basketball program welcomed in a new class, headed by guards Varoz and Rivas. Nearly 3½ (brisk) years later, those two, along with teammate Jeniffer Martinez, played their final regular-season home game.
Rivas had five 3-pointers and 19 points, and Varoz added another 15 on Saturday afternoon as No. 3-ranked West Mesa beat No. 7 Farmington 69-53 and kept alive its hopes for a regular-season championship in District 2-5A.
“I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” Varoz said as she thought about the ceremony of the day. “I’m pretty sure after I go home, I’ll definitely start feeling it.”
West Mesa still has a couple of home games ahead — at least one in the district tournament and a certain firstround state tournament contest. But this was the beginning of their farewell.
“All three of us talk about it all the time,” Rivas said. “It goes by so fast.”
This phase of their send-off didn’t begin so well. To that end, the Lady Scorpions’ 9-0 start was, West Mesa coach Manny Otero said, indirectly related to the importance of the day in recognizing his outgoing seniors.
“We were playing emotionally, rather than with emotion,” Otero said after his team improved to 20-2 overall and 4-2 in league play.
Aside from the sluggish start, it was a typical West Mesa performance. The Mustangs finished with twice as many 3-pointers (12) as 2-point field goals (six), and it was Rivas who jump-started things.
With Farmington (19-6, 4-3) in front 17-8, Rivas caught fire with three 3s in a span of 1:14, followed by a 3 from Varoz. One of those trademark explosive West Mesa runs, this one 14-0, put West Mesa in front 22-17.
Varoz, Rivas and Cece Barela buried 3s in the early stages of the third quarter, the Mustangs were in control 38-22 and Farmington, despite the multiple defensive it showed West Mesa, didn’t have a response.
“Our guards did a great job of adjusting to whatever they threw at us,” Otero said.
Next month, West Mesa hopes to make a serious run at a state championship. The Mustangs still are hoping to force a tie for first place in 2-5A with Piedra Vista, but West Mesa will need wins over Eldorado and La Cueva next week, and some help from Farmington — in the form of a win over Piedra Vista on Friday — to achieve that.
But this group say they are more focused on the two weekends of the playoffs.
“I think we’re definitely not gonna take it for granted this year,” Martinez said. “Especially us three.”
Boys
ST. PIUS 54, ABQ. ACADEMY 49: On Saturday night at St. Pius, the Sartans (1310) gave outgoing head coach Damian Segura a wonderful sendoff in his final regularseason home game. He was honored before the game in a touching ceremony, and St. Pius put a bow on the evening by holding off the rival Chargers (6-17) as the private schools renewed their great rivalry.
“Especially against Academy,” Segura said. “To play those guys in the last home game was fun.”
Segura is stepping down after the season, his 16th and final campaign as St. Pius’ head coach. He has led the Sartans to four state titles. Associate head coach Ryan Myers has been announced as his successor.
Guard Jason Arnett, one of six seniors recognized prior to tipoff, had a marvelous game, scoring a career-high 30 points — on 10 of 16 shooting from the field — for St. Pius. That included a clutch 3 from the top of the key with 2:45 remaining that gave the Sartans a 50-46 lead.
“Shots were just falling for me,” Arnett said. “And everyone was just getting me open.”
His younger brother, Jonah, actually provided the final go-ahead basket for St. Pius, a short jumper in the lane midway through the final quarter.
There were 10 lead changes Saturday night — six of them in a tight fourth quarter.
Ryan Yassin had 17 points to lead the Chargers. Skyler Forman and Brady Forde each added a dozen points.
Only five players scored for St. Pius.