Demons, Jaguars to battle for top spot
The intensity was there, but not the significance the last time Santa Fe High and Capital met on the hardwood in December.
When the two teams tip off at about 7 p.m. Thursday in Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium, they will be playing for something more than pride and bragging rights. The top spot in the District 5-5A standings will be up for grabs as the only two teams that are still undefeated in district play face off for the third time this season.
Oh, and there is this little thing called the seeding and selection process for the Class 5A State Tournament, and to the winner goes the upper hand in securing a high seed come March.
Regardless of what’s at stake, both teams know that the atmosphere will be electric and the intensity level will pick up where it left off when Capital (17-2 overall, 3-0 in 5-5A) held off its crosstown rival, 53-50, to win its own Al Armendariz Tournament on Dec. 14. That came a week after the Demons (15-3, 3-0) needed overtime to beat the Jaguars, 48-45, to win the Bobby Rodriguez Capital City Invite crown in Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium.
“It’s a good feeling, knowing they are all watching you,” Demons senior forward Carlos Dassaro said. “It’s kinda crazy to know that the spotlight is on you.”
The consensus coming into 5-5A play was that it would be a Santa Fe showdown for the regular-season and district tournament titles. However, what Demons head coach Zack Cole feels gets overlooked is that the other district teams are not the pushovers their records indicate.
While the Albuquerque quartet of Sandia, Albuquerque High, Rio Grande and Manzano are a combined 19-49 (compared to the Santa Fe schools’ cumulative 32-5 mark), the Matadors and Bulldogs have the two highest strength-of-schedule ratings, according to MaxPreps.com’s Freeman rankings, while the Monarchs are No. 5.
What they are missing are wins. Albuquerque High narrowly lost to Volcano Vista, which is ranked third in 5A, by a 57-55 count in the APS Tournament. Manzano lost by seven to Las Cruces (No. 2), while Sandia lost to Eldorado (No. 4) by nine in December.
“Our district is tough,” Cole said. “One of them [Albuquerque High] has the toughest schedule in the state, and the other two are not behind, so they’re battle-tested. As a coach, we want a few more wins, but as far being battle-tested and playing tough teams, they’ve all shown that.”
That was clear in the opening week for the Demons, as they outworked the Bulldogs for a 62-59 win Jan. 22 and Sandia
only fell by a 59-52 count two days later. Capital needed a third-quarter run to pull away from Albuquerque High in its 58-47 win on Jan. 24, and Sandia cut a 21-6 lead to 43-34 heading into the fourth before the Jaguars pulled away on Tuesday.
Chano Herrera, Capital’s senior forward, said the district slate has kept both teams on their toes because of the caliber of talent those teams have.
“It helps us prepare mentally because we know what we’re expecting,” Herrera said. “We’re expecting hard games and physical games, and we get that with Albuquerque teams — every team we play.”
If anything, the more physical style of play the Albuquerque schools bring has helped the Demons and Jaguars understand how to play at that level, especially when the state tournament rolls around. The foul calls generally are fewer, and the play gets a little more chippy considering what’s at stake for teams.
“The refs are more strict,” Jaguars senior wing Seth Arroyos said. “They won’t call all the fouls that we normally get.”
It was something Capital struggled with last year, and it wasn’t until late in the season when the team adjusted. This season, the Jaguars have made a point of being the more physical, aggressive team. That has been the case on the defensive side, as Capital is averaging more than 17 steals per game, which is almost seven more than last year. That has fed their transition game, and the Jaguars are averaging 67.2 points per game.
“There is always room for improvement, but we’re playing good physically,” Herrera said. “That’s what we’re trying to get to — to be the best you can be.”
However, the key to this matchup might be who keeps their cool. Given what is at stake and the large crowd expected for the game, players from both sides acknowledge some of them might get caught up in the excitement and make mistakes. The key will be to play like it is just another basketball game.
Even if it’s not.
“We can’t let the crowd and the pressure get to you,” Dassaro said. “It’s tough sometimes, but if some guys are too hyped, other players will try to settle them down and vice versa.”