West Vegas loses appeal in game-taping ruling
The New Mexico Activities Association refused Wednesday to overturn a ruling that docked the West Las Vegas boys basketball team four games after a coach was caught videotaping a game between two rivals.
“I was really hoping that we wouldn’t hurt the kids any way for an adult error,” said West Las Vegas School superintendent Chris Gutierrez. “But it is how it is. They’re the final decision makers on the situation.”
An unnamed Dons assistant coach was caught recording a game between fellow District 2-4A teams St. Michael’s and Robertson last week. He was unaware of the prohibition against videotaping games in which his team was not a participant,
So West Las Vegas was forced to forfeit both games against both teams, which amounts to half of its district match-ups.
“We lose half our district season right off the bat,” Gutierrez said. “Maybe we can get third place at the highest out of the five teams in our district.”
The Dons, 11-4 before the verdict, are third in this week’s New Mexico Overtime Sports Center coaches’ rankings. St. Mike’s is sixth and Robertson seventh.
West Las Vegas has been the 4A runnerup the past two seasons, both times losing to Hope Christian in the finals.
The original sanctions issued Jan. 19 called for head coach David Bustos and the assistant coach to sit out games Jan. 20 and Jan. 31. But a day later, the NMAA amended
the ruling, “after further discussions with the offended schools,” imposing the forfeiture of the four games, Gutierrez said, but removing the coaching suspensions.
The sanctions, however, will not carry over into the district tournament or the state tournament, he said. — Glen Rosales ORTIZ MAKES CHOICE: On Wednesday, St. Pius’ dual-threat quarterback Drew Ortiz said he would play collegiately for Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill., about 50 miles south of Chicago.
Ortiz had offers to play for Eastern New Mexico, Western New Mexico and N.M. Highlands, and a preferred walk-on offer at the University of New Mexico.
RIO RANCHO FOOTBALL: The Rams today (1:25 p.m. in the main gym) will be presented with the Army National Guard national ranking trophy as part of the 12th annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions. Rio Rancho, last year’s Class 6A state champion, was rated No. 68 in the final rankings and is one of 50 schools being honored on this tour.
AMAYA BROWN UPDATE: The return of Cibola’s junior guard continues to be on hold; her injured knee, which has caused her to miss her entire season so far, will have to pass a strength and agility test before any kind of release date is determined, according to Brown’s mother, Catina Dunn.