Capital, SFHS face players of yesteryear
Saturday’s alumni game aims to boost rivalry, help raise funds for programs
For some of them, it’s been a while since they got on the court at Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium.
For others, it might seem like yesterday — because it was only a year or two ago.
Either way, a piece of history for Santa Fe High and Capital will be on display at 6 p.m. Saturday. This is not the first time Santa Fe High and Capital’s boys basketball programs have held alumni games, but this is believed to be the first time the long-time intracity rivals face off in an alumni game.
Demons head coach Zack Cole and Capital’s Ben Gomez talked about the idea of having a Demons-Jaguars alumni game since Cole took over in 2016 and talk turned into action this summer. Both schools conducted their own alumni games the past two years that pitted an alumni squad against the current crop of Jaguars.
“It was just both of the coaching staffs talked about it when we first got here, and we laughed about it,” Cole said. “Then this summer, we were like, ‘You know, this might not be a bad idea.’ ”
Cole said ticket and concession sales will be split evenly between the programs.
Classification and alignment had a role in this, since Capital and Santa Fe High both found themselves in Class 5A and District 5-5A foes. It rekindled a district rivalry that made the games intense from 1996-2000 and again from 2010-14.
“I think it makes the rivalry more exciting,” said Santa Fe High Principal Carl Marano, a 1989 Demons graduate and a part of the first games between the two schools. “And the rivalry is interesting because on the court, it’s intense, but off the court, there is a lot of respect between the two programs.”
Marano will be a part of a 25-player team for Santa Fe High. Cole said he anticipates the likes of Andrew Ells-
worth (2001 graduate), Jamie Bencomo (1997), Everett Robinson (2017) and Oscar Perez (2017) to suit up for the Demons. As for Capital, assistant coach Bryan Mirabal (2004 graduate) said he and his brother Terence Mirabal (2002), Steve Lovato (2004), Abel Lucero (2005), Luis Muñoz (2008) and Eric Coca (2016) are expected to play.
Bryan Mirabal said while it’s a fundraiser for both programs, that might get lost in the heat of play.
“I’m sure if it’s a close game, the competitiveness will come out of each team,” Bryan Mirabal said.
One person he knows will not show up is 2005 Jaguars graduate Mike Dominguez, who is an assistant coach with New Mexico Highlands University as the Cowboys play the University of Evansville.