Demons dismiss coaches after struggles in 6A
Softball, baseball lost all district games
When Anthony Martinez took over the Santa Fe High baseball program, it produced a four-win season in 2011.
The now former Demons head coach believes he leaves it in a better position than it was six years ago, although it will continue without him. Santa Fe Public Schools let Martinez and Santa Fe High head softball coach Randy Montoya go from their respective jobs just weeks after the season ended Monday.
Also dismissed was Capital head baseball coach Johnny Glaze after three seasons and a cumulative 7-66 mark. The Jaguars were 2-23 in 2017.
Martinez guided the baseball team to a 9-16 overall record in 2017, but an 0-10 mark in District 2-6A.
The Demonettes were 7-18 overall and 0-10 in 2-6A under Montoya as both programs played in a district that produced the state champion in their respective sport — Albuquerque La Cueva in both cases.
Martinez’s dismissal ended a six-year career at Santa Fe High that saw the Demons never win more than nine games, but spent the past three seasons in Class 6A. During that time, they played in a district — either 1-6A in 2015 and 2016 or 2-6A this season — in which one of its teams reached the state championship game.
Even though the Demons only managed one district
win since moving up to 6A, Martinez felt the program improved to the point where it was competing against solid competition.
“I thought we were really close,” Martinez said. “I really do. Saying that we couldn’t win is selling the kids short. La Cueva is ranked as high as 15th in the country [it finished the season ranked seventh in USA Today’s national computer rankings], and we played them three times. We lost to Carlsbad [the 2016 6A champion]. We challenged ourselves. The wins just didn’t come.”
In a season in which Martinez believed the Demons could compete for a district title and possibly a spot in the state tournament, the season was marred with close calls. After an 8-3 start to the season, Santa Fe High won just one game the rest of the way. The Demons lost at Clovis in the opening game of a doubleheader 5-4 on April 15, then had a 6-5 lead through four innings over Albuquerque Eldorado in the regular-season finale on May 1 before the Eagles came back to win, 11-6.
Martinez said one area he feels the school district needs to address is the facilities at the program’s disposal. Martinez characterized the field as “the worst in 6A” and said the fieldhouse the team uses is infested with mice. He added that it’s not big enough for the players to dressed in, and he’d like to see it expanded for that purpose.
“That was built by the parents when the program was going through that good period [from 2007-09], but it needs some work,” Martinez said. “You see APS [Albuquerque Public Schools], and every year, they take a different school and work on their field. We got a great track facility and the football stadium is great, too. I think if we can work on improving the facilities, I think more kids will want to come out.”
The program loses just three seniors to graduation, and Martinez believes he laid the groundwork for the next coach to be successful.
“The guy who inherits this job will find it better than when I got it,” Martinez said. “He or she is coming into a good position. It is a challenge, but they got great kids.”
In six seasons, the Demons went 48-103 under Martinez.
As for the softball program, Montoya had a 21-54 mark during his tenure with the Demonettes.