Blue Griffins beat Dragons to advance
The Santa Fe Prep Blue Griffins are playing the role of the most dangerous team in District 2-3A.
Prep continued its hot finish to the season with a 54-49 win over Monte del Sol in the opening round of the 2-3A tournament in Prep Gymnasium on Tuesday night. The Blue Griffins advance to a 2-3A semifinal against McCurdy in Memorial Gymnasium at 6 p.m. Thursday.
It is the third win the last four games for Prep (9-17), and head coach Clyde Sanchez said his young team is learning the importance of control.
“One thing they’ve learned in the last few weeks is controlling tempo on both sides,” Sanchez said. “They’re not forcing it. They’re starting to learn that it’s easier to control the tempo instead of letting the other team control it.”
Prep led 15-13 after a quarter, then upped the margin to 31-24 at the half. The Dragons got within 41-36 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Blue Griffins maintained control of the game, thanks to 27 points from Sean Coles. The sophomore took advantage of Monte del Sol’s triangle-and-2 defense designed to stop Luc Simard-Halm and Dillon Abeyta.
Santi Archuleta led the Dragons (11-13) with 13 points.
POJOAQUE VALLEY 52, TAOS 44
In Jacona, the 2-4A Tournament got off to a rocky start as No. 5 seed Taos learned earlier in the day that it had to forfeit all but one of its games for using an ineligible player. That dropped the team’s record to 1-25 overall and 1-7 in district play.
The lone win came at home against St. Michael’s, a win that was upheld because the player in question reportedly didn’t play due to an illness. Every other game in which he appeared was subsequently ruled a forfeit, a report that was confirmed by district chairman Matt Martinez.
The Tigers then came out ice cold against Pojoaque, getting outscored 16-2 in the first quarter and trailing 29-11 at the half. They rallied to make a game of it in the second half, but the loss ended their season.
James Garcia led both teams with 17 points for the Elks while Andres Romero had seven and Isaac Roybal six.
Isaac Esquibel led Taos with 16. Abdul Khwels had 12.
Pojoaque (16-11) moves into Wednesday’s second round of the 2-4A draw, visiting No. 3 seed St. Michael’s in Perez-Shelley Memorial Gymnasium. The Elks swept the regular season series from the Horsemen.
Neither team benefited from Taos having to forfeit its games as Pojoaque swept the Tigers and the Horsemen won their game against them at home.
Martinez squelched any rumors that St. Michael’s was going to protest its loss, saying the matter had already been reported to the New Mexico Activities Association and that tournament’s bracket would remain as is. Had the Horsemen picked up a forfeit from Taos, they would have leapfrogged West Las Vegas and been given the No. 2 seed behind regular season champion Robertson and one spot before the Dons for the 2-seed.
West Las Vegas finished 4-4 and in a threeway tie with the Horsemen and Pojoaque for second place. All four of the Dons’ losses came via forfeit in games against Robertson and St. Michael’s.