Demon, 2 from ATC highlight All-State rosters
Northern players Turner, Bernardino, Miller make lists
Santa Fe High got to celebrate another honor Monday in what is becoming a regular occurrence for the Santa Fe High boys basketball program.
Meanwhile, the Academy for Technology and the Classics saw more accolades as it wrapped up its run to history as the all-state selections were announced for the recently completed boys and girls basketball seasons.
Turner earned second-team All-State status on the Class 5A teams for the Demons, marking the fifth time in the past six seasons a player made the list. As for ATC, Julian Bernardino and Rocky Miller made the first team in Class 2A, a year after no Phoenix player made the team after reaching the 2A title game in its first postseason appearance.
For Turner, it was a sign of where his game graduated. While he remained Santa Fe High’s leading scorer, with 17.5 points per game, he was the team’s second-leading rebound (5.6 per contest) and led the team in assists at 4.2 per game. Turner credited his teammates for helping him look good.
It showed as the Demons went 23-8 and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals, making their first Pit appearance since 2019-20.
“Last year, I would find my guys open, but they just couldn’t hit a shot,” Turner said. “That was the main difference this year. I had to shoot a lot more because that’s what they needed from me.”
Demons head coach Cisco Rivera said Turner deserved the accolade.
“We challenged him this year and he responded,” Rivera said. “He’s just a great kid.”
Bernardino, a 6-foot-3 wing, and Miller, a 6-4 post, were the dominant duo in 2A, as they combined to average almost 34 points per game for a team that went 29-3 and gained a measure of revenge in the 2A title game against Pecos, a 63-37 win. For that, they both made the 2A first team. Joining them was Jordan Apodaca, who was an honorable mention selection.
Also on the 2A first team was Pecos senior wing Joshua Gonzales, while Escalante’s Luka Torrez was on the second. Mesa Vista sophomore forward Jordan Gallegos was an honorable mention selection.
The 3A team saw Robertson junior guard Jesse James Gonzales make the first team after averaging a team-best 14.6 points and 3.7 assists per game. Twin brother Nathaniel Gonzales was a second-team selection and Mateo Contreras was an honorable mention
Santa Fe Indian School had Kenyen Callado as a first-team member as he helped the Braves reach the 3A semifinals.
On the girls side, Mesa Vista had the guard combo of senior Isabella Boies and Tana Lopez earn first-team distinction after a 26-4 season and a run to the 2A semifinals. Lopez led the team with 20.8 points per game, while Boies was among the state’s leaders in assists at 7.2 per contest.
Joining them was Peñasco sophomore Rochelle Lopez, who was second on the team with 12.5 points per game on the 2A championship squad. Senior post Analise MacAuley was on the second team, as she led the team with 15.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Pecos junior Natalia Stout earned her second straight second-team honor as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.
In 3A, junior forward Emma Lewis of SFIS and West Las Vegas’ Alexis Pacheco made the first team, while St. Michael’s sophomore guard Mariella Ruiz was a second-team selection.
G.G. Romero of Los Alamos parlayed an 18.3-point, 5.2-rebound season as a junior into a first-team selection on the 4A squad.