Elkettes off to their best start in years
The rest of the teams in Class 4A might see the Pojoaque Valley Elkettes with a 6-1 record and see a team that could be a contender come March. Seledon Martinez isn’t getting caught up in the hype, instead focusing on the long road ahead for the Elkettes as opposed their chances of winning a state girls basketball championship.
“We’re OK with where we’re at,” Martinez said. “We still got lot of work to do.”
Martinez, the third-year Pojoaque head coach, still sees mistakes that might come back to haunt his team as well as a youthful team that is still maturing, but not quite close to its potential. So, it matters little that the Elkettes might be the favorite to win their own Ben Luján Tournament, which starts Thursday. game against Their Mesa openinground Vista is just another opportunity to get better.
With that said, Martinez concedes that a 6-1 start is a good way to start the season.
“Compared to the past, we’re right where we should be,” Martinez said.
Pojoaque is off to its best start since going 5-2 in 2013-14, but that season fell apart to a 15-14 mark and a first-round exit. What Martinez likes about the Elkettes is the unselfish nature they exhibit on the court. Ashten Martinez leads the team, averaging 12.4 points per game on a team that averages 58.1 points per game. Coach Martinez said the players have accepted their roles, understanding that they each play an important part to the team’s success.
“It helps that everybody understands what each one of them can bring to the table,” Seledon Martinez said. “We all can’t be the hero, so everybody has to take their own roles and do the best they can with it.”
The development of guards Michaela Martinez and Adrianna Quintana helped Pojoaque take better care of the ball, while senior Shania Thronas has come into her own in the post as both a scorer and a shotblocking presence. Add to that the still developing talent of Ashten Martinez, the 5-foot-11 sophomore post, and the Elkettes have a strong enough foundation that might be able to challenge in a competitive District 2-4A and beyond.
That Seledon Martinez already has scouted many of the top teams in 4A might
be the clearest sign yet that he feels Pojoaque might be in the conversation. What he’s discovered about 4A is that it won;’t be a cakewalk. While many coaches saw reigning state champion Shiprock, runner-up Albuquerque Hope Christian, Las Vegas Robertson and Portales as a part of the discussion, coach Martinez feels this might be the deepest he’s seen 4A in a while.
The Elkettes will get a chance to see one of those potential contenders in fellow district member West Las Vegas, which is on the opposite side of the bracket and facing McCurdy in the opening round.
“West is playing well,” Seledon Martinez said. “Socorro, I watched them play a couple of games, and Moriarty is tough, too. Silver’s got a big girl who’s pretty tough. The first 10 or 12 teams, if they get into the tournament, will have a chance to win. It’s a class where teams have some height and some youth and some older kids. Everybody has a good mix. It’s one of those years that come along every now and then.”