SANCHEZ, WHITE ARE ALL-STATE
For first time since 2000, Capital, Santa Fe High players named to big-school list
Call it the 20-year plan. For the first time since 2000, Capital and Santa Fe High both had players earn AllState distinctions at the big-school level, as Jaguars senior wing T.J. Sanchez and Demons junior post Fedonta “JB” White made the New Mexico High School Coaches Association’s Class 5A All-State squad Wednesday.
Sanchez was a first-team selection by 5A coaches, marking the fourth time in the past five years that happened for the program. Sanchez led the Jaguars with a 20-points-per-game average as they reached the Class 5A championship game earlier this month. The previous three first-teamers for Capital also came in 5A, but the state had six classes at that time. As for Santa Fe High, White’s second-team honor made it two straight seasons the Demons had a player make the list. Last year, senior guard Antonio Lovato also made the second team in 5A.
White missed out on the opportunity in the 2018-19 season when he dislocated his patella prior to the start of the District 5-5A play and was sidelined for the rest of the year.
Santa Fe High head coach Zack Cole said the selections were testaments to the quality of basketball played in the city this year.
“I kept seeing it all year, and really, it’s been that way for the last few years,” Cole said. “Santa Fe should be really proud of their basketball, which was demonstrated at a high level this year. It goes back to all the hard work each program is putting in and every kid in those programs are putting in.”
This was the first time both schools had All-State selections in the same class since the Demons’ David Stem and Capital’s Isaias Gallegos were both second-team selections in 2000. Both schools have competed in the big-school division at the same time in only six seasons since Capital opened its doors in 1988.
It was not just a red-letter day for Santa Fe’s public schools. Pecos dominated the 2A first team with three players — Ismael Villegas, Xavier Padilla and Anthony Armijo — as they helped the Panthers to a fourth straight state title. It was Padilla’s second consecutive first-team selection, while Villegas was a second-team honoree last March.
McCurdy’s Andres Martinez made the second team thanks to his 18.5 ppg and 10.2 rpg average.
Meanwhile, 3A was littered with Northern players on the first and second teams. Las Vegas Robertson sophomore guard Mathew Gonzales was a first-team selection as he led the team in scoring and to a three-way tie for first place in the District 2-3A regular-season standings along with West Las Vegas and St. Michael’s. He was joined by senior post Julius Vaughn, who was a part of three district players on the second team.
Also on the second team were West Las Vegas senior post John Balizan, who averaged 15.3 points and 6.8 boards per game, and Horsemen sophomore wing Devin Flores.
In 4A, Taos had Abdul Khweis earn second-team status as he led the team in scoring while the Tigers went 21-8 and reached the Class 4A State Tournament.