St. Michael’s Has Talent To Repeat as 3A Champ
BOYS
The district that has produced the Class 3A state champion and state runnersup for the past four seasons again will be among the strongest in the state. While Hope Christian defeated St. Michael’s three times during the regular season, it was the Horsemen who emerged as the best in the class by beating the Huskies in the state title game. Look for Hope and St. Mike’s to pick up where they left off — but don’t count out Sandia Prep.
St. Michael’s Horsemen
HEAD COACH: Ron Geyer,
eighth year
LAST YEAR: 25-7, 5-3 in 5-3A; Class 3A state champions
RETURNING STARTERS: 3 KEY PLAYERS: Matthew Barela, Sr. (6-foot-2, Forward); Jeff Groenewold, Sr. (5-10, Guard); Kameron Romero, Sr. (5-11, G).
OUTLOOK: Senior Matthew Barela will again lead the defending champion St. Michael’s squad, which ranks among the favorites to win it all this season. While the 6-foot-2 senior takes care of things inside the paint, Jeff Groenewold and Kameron Romero serve as the anchors to the Horsemen’s traditionally strong backcourt. The pair proved last season that they can relied upon to create opportunities for Barela, as well as providing scoring when needed.
Santa Fe Indian School
HEAD COACH: Zack Cole,
first year
LAST YEAR: 0-27, 0-8 in 5-3A; no postseason RETURNING STARTERS: 3
KEY PLAYERS: Austin Nieto, Sr. (6-foot-1, Forward); Justin Aguino, Sr. (5-8, Guard); Leewayne Nieto, Jr. (6-2, Center); Derrick Phillips, Sr. (5-10, G).
OUTLOOK: Former Capital assistant coach Zack Cole has returned to Santa Fe after coaching at Northern New Mexico College, and already he has guided the Braves to their first win since the 2009-10 season, with a 54-42 victory over Mesa Vista this past Friday. While SFIS may still be a ways away from competing for a district title, if the program continues on its upward trajectory, expect the Braves to return to form as a perennial playoff team in the not-so-distant future.
Hope Christian Huskies
HEAD COACH: Jim Murphy,
31st year
LAST SEASON: 29-2, 8-0; lost in 3A championship game to St. Mike’s
KEY PLAYERS: Micah Murphy, Sr. (5-9, Guard); Austin Drake, Jr. (6-4, C); Zach Williams, Jr. (6-2, Forward); Zac Garcia, Sr. (5-8, G).
OUTLOOK: Hope Christian was hit hard by graduation, but long-time coach Jim Murphy has a half-dozen players moving up from an undefeated junior varsity squad. Micah Murphy and Tommy Riley are the veterans on this team, which remains a threat in 3A along with district rival St. Mike’s.
Sandia Prep Sundevils
HEAD COACH: Willie Owens, 19th year
LAST SEASON: 19-12; 5-3 in 5-3A; lost in 3A semifinals to Hope Christian
KEY PLAYERS: Tyler Dorner, Sr. (6-2, Forward); Zack Tenorio, Jr. (5-9, Guard); Jonny Doran, Sr. (5-9, G); Justin Gomez, Sr. (5-8, G).
OUTLOOK: Sandia Prep will be unusually small this season, but they’ve got some fine guards led by Jonny Doran, who led Sandia Prep in scoring last season. As a result, long-time Sundevils coach Willie Owens will have his lineup push the pace with a guard-heavy group on the floor. Sandia Prep is stuck in a brutal district with Hope and St. Mike’s, last season’s 3A state finalists.