Demons ready for breakout season under new coach

Season-opening shutout of St. Michael’s shows plenty of potential in young group

The rise to relevance for Santa Fe High’s girls soccer program hit full stride in the heat of the pandemic just a few months ago.

Playing with chips on their shoulders and a belief in what they were doing, the Demons finished spring’s truncated slate above .500 for just the second time in a decade, barely missing out on an at-large bid to the Class 5A state tournament.

Gone from that team are four seniors and strong-willed head coach sj Miller. Returning is a vital nucleus that includes a pair of two-sport stars and a new person at the top in respected club coach and former Monte del Sol head man Justin Najaka.

“I see the potential we have here and it’s exciting,” he said this week. “The idea isn’t to come in and make a bunch of drastic changes. There’s pieces already in place, so all I did was move a few things around.”

Hired in the middle of the summer after being approached by a handful of parents and others to apply for the job, he said he only had four weeks to put all those pieces in place before the season opener against defending Class 1A-3A state champion St. Michael’s.

“I probably needed three of those just to learn their names and have them get comfortable with me,” Najaka said.

The steep learning curve led to last week’s opener against the Lady Horsemen, a small-school rival that hadn’t lost to the Demons in at least a decade, a team that had a number of key components returning from last year’s title run, a team that (on paper) makes a strong case for a repeat run in 1A-3A.

None of that mattered as Santa Fe High rolled to a 4-0 win that screamed the potential of Najaka’s club.

Led by, among others, junior striker Jazzi Gonzalez, the Demons have a potent offense that can (and will) spread the wealth in the scoring column. Gonzalez led the team in goals last season, while the defense allowed just five goals in eight games thanks to the stellar play between the posts by goalkeeper Molly Wissman, another junior.

Coincidentally, it’s Gonzalez and Wissman who plan to split their time with the school’s football team, one serving as a placekicker and the other as a punter.

What damage they don’t do, expect plenty from the likes of Allison Segura-Maez, Sonia Goujon and Asha Smelser. Segura-Maez and Smelser will work in the midfield spots, opening up an offense that already had reams of potential — and attitude.

Having coached for years at the club level, Najaka said the fundamental difference between it and playing zat the high school level is the pride the players take in the name on the front of the jersey.

“When you’re playing for your school, there’s a sense of honor that comes with representing the people you spend your days with,” Najaka said. “It’s that feeling of representing a community that’s so strong in this team. They play as if they’re doing it for something more than themselves, and I really like that.”

Of course, the X-factor is the schedule. The Demons are used to change, having played for five coaches in the past 10 years. Najaka is the third coach in as many seasons.

A member of District 5-5A, Santa Fe’s path to the playoffs means a detour through Albuquerque High. The Bulldogs lost in the state finals in the spring, and it is them and Los Lunas who might provide the biggest challenges. Until those two appear on the schedule in late September, Santa Fe High will play schools entirely from the smaller ranks.

“I’m not sure how much that will matter because, with this team, I’m really impressed with the dedication, intensity and willingness to work hard,” Najaka said. “These kids are committed to getting better, no matter who they’re playing.”

AROUND THE HORN

The most exciting players you may not know about are Taos senior Selina Bayles and freshman Rowan Heflin. The pair gives the Tigers the potential to rattle some cages in 4A. That includes district rival Los Alamos, a senior-laden club that reached the playoffs in the spring. … St. Michael’s may not be the overwhelming favorite in 1A-3A this fall, but the Lady Horsemen are definitely in the discussion for a repeat of the spring’s championship coronation. They return the majority of last season’s team and, along with perennial powers Socorro and Sandia Prep, will likely be one of the last teams standing. Socorro is a team on a mission after losing to

St. Michael’s in last year’s finals. Expect breakout performances this fall from Lady Horsemen midfielders Grace Sandoval and Elsa Ranney Smith, not to mention junior Gabrielle Farrar. The team’s greatest strength is its experience and depth, factors that should make this another successful year. … Santa Fe Prep’s coaching tandem of Rennae Ross and Todd Kurth includes another familiar face, former Prep star player and later its head coach, Anika Amon. Those three offer a glimmer of hope that the Blue Griffins will return to prominence in the small-school ranks.