Demons nigh unstoppable
Santa Fe High routs Española, continuing program’s best start in over 20 years
Don’t close that scouting report on the Santa Fe High Demons just yet. They have a few more tricks up their sleeve.
Tuesday night was the perfect time to unveil sophomore wing Cody Garcia to opposing boys basketball coaches, and a depleted Española Valley was the unwitting victim. Garcia scored 14 straight points to end the first quarter and finished with 17 on the strength of five 3-pointers as the Demons improved to 7-0 with an 89-57 win in Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium.
It is the best start to a season by Santa Fe High in more than two decades, and Demons head coach Zack Cole can’t help but beam at the growing confidence his team is showing.
“This is unfamiliar territory for us,” Cole said. “I love their energy and their body language. Their confidence is growing every single game, and it grew tonight. We did some things that we haven’t done in other games, and I think it is just settling in on what they are capable of doing.”
Utilizing Garcia’s shooting stroke was an example of something new. When he checked onto the court for the final 2 minutes of the opening quarter, Cole’s intent was to help him find openings in Española’s 2-3 zone defense. The first time he touched the ball, he was open from just to the right of the top of the key, and he splashed in his shot for a 14-8 lead.
After Fedonta “J.B.” White came up with a steal on the Sundevils’ next possession, the Demons again found Garcia open, this time from the right wing and he knocked the three down with 1:28 left in the quarter. The next possession was almost a carbon copy of the previous, except he was on the left wing and dropped in a 3 for a 20-8 lead with 1:08 left. Española head coach James Branch called a timeout.
And the well-kept secret was exposed.
“They’ve just been keeping me on the bench, doing my role as a shooter, and if I can get to the rim, I can do that,” Garcia said.
He showed that on Santa Fe High’s ensuing possession, when he dropped a floater in the lane with 57 seconds left. Garcia finished the display with a corner 3 with 19 ticks left in the quarter, and the Demons finished with a 14-2 run to build a 25-10 lead that was never challenged.
That was mostly because the Demons’ defense frustrated the short-handed Sundevils, who were without Ryan Trujillo (illness) and Zach Mascareñas (unknown) for the game. Without its top two scorers, Española (4-3) struggled to match the Demons point-for-point, especially when it was turning the ball over and giving up secondchance points.
Santa Fe High forced nine first-half turnovers and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. The only downside was that the Demons only managed to convert the extra opportunities into eight points. Still, the lead was 47-25 at
the half thanks to back-to-back dunks by the 6-foot-6 White. It didn’t seem to matter what lineup the Demons used, it was efficient and effective.
“Whenever he puts us in, he tells us to play our hearts out,” Garcia said. “Our chemistry is really good. Pretty much whoever [Cole] puts in there will do good.”
As great as the start has been, the question that is arising around the state is, “How good is Santa Fe High?” Depending on the rankings, it leaves that question unanswered. In the latest New Mexico Overtime Sports coaches poll released on Monday, the Demons were ranked No. 6. In the MaxPreps.com Freeman rankings, they top the entire state.
A better answer should be revealed on Friday night when the Rio Rancho Rams come to town. They are 2-1 on the season, and coming off a 62-53 loss to Los Lunas in the championship game of the Artesia Tournament over the weekend.
Rio Rancho is considered a solid 5A program — one with the size and athleticism to match up with the Demons. Cole concedes that the Demons are still an unknown quantity, but he feels his team is ready to take on the challenge.
“We know where we’re at,” Cole said. “We know that. We talk about that with our guys and we have tons of respect for Rio Rancho. And it is a measuringstick game for us to prove something. We’re hungry and we know we’re going to have a tough challenge.”
Just don’t be surprised if another addendum pops up for future scouting reports.