It’s time to reflect on the recently passed high school sports season.
There were many positives, not the least of which was the success enjoyed by the Española Valley boys basketball team this past winter. The excitement generated by this fine group of athletes was awesome to experience. The Sundevils captured the attention of fans across New Mexico as they marched toward a showdown with Roswell in the Class AAAA state championship game.
Española is famous, maybe a little infamous, for the support the community shows to its basketball team. It seems there are always some who will point to the bad behavior of a few fans while ignoring the large majority of well-behaved fans, like the ones who stood and gave their beloved Sundevils a standing ovation after the heartbreaking loss to Roswell.
Also during basketball season, I played a hunch and traveled to Grants to see the Española girls team play Pojoaque, who was then riding a 39-game winning streak. My hunch proved right, as the Lady Sundevils ended the Elkettes’ winning streak.
The Lady Sundevils played in the boys’ shadow all season, but were a terrific team that could have won it all if not for a bad first half in the state semifinals against Kirtland Central. Senior Nisa Duran fulfilled her promise under coach Ron Drake, who led the team to its best finish ever.
Another hunch was that Coronado would turn out to be the best small school in the area in boys basketball. That turned out to be a good bet, as the Leopards qualified for the state tournament by winning their district.
The Dulce girls basketball team pulled off the most surprising upset of the past season, knocking off Navajo Prep, the defending Class AA state champion. Coach Roland Bradford did an exemplary job with the Lady Hawks, who made it to the state tournament.
At the state basketball tournament, it was rewarding to see the Santa Fe Indian School Lady Braves win it all, especially since coach Cindy Roybal is a friend.
The highlight of the fall season was Pojoaque’s volleyball team winnning its first Class AAA volleyball state title. All season the Elkettes had to play under the pressure of being the team that everyone expected to win. They didn’t disappoint. What was impressive in the championship match against Portales was that Pojoaque took it on the chin in the second game, losing 25-14 and being dominated like I’d never seen before during the season. Rather than let doubt and uncertainty take over, Pojoaque bounced back and pounded Portales 25-8 in the next game on the way to the title.
There was heartbreak as well in the fall season, as the Pojoaque boys cross country team fell short of its goal of a state championship, instead finishing in second place. Despite the disappointment, the team who had worked so hard during the season stayed united, linking arms after the race and walking in unison off the Rio Rancho football field. Special mention should be made of senior James Viarreal, who emerged as a leader of the team.
The high school sports season concluded with a farewell to Española softball player Renee Roybal, who is one of the toughest competitors I’ve ever watched. I still remember her getting hit square in the chest with a line drive against Bernalillo in 2009. I don’t know how she got back up and finished that game.
Also moving on will be Pojoaque’s Miquella Lovato, a standout on the volleyball court and the softball field. She’s another athlete I’ve been watching since the eighth grade.
All in all, there are memories from this past season that will linger and new ones to look forward to next season.