Thursday, Dec. 8
Basketball: Mesa Vista vs. Taos
The Lady Trojans (1-0) scheduled big this year, and their first major opportunity comes on Thursday. Taos, the defending 2-4A district champions and a state quarterfinalist, has an enrollment about eight times that of Mesa Vista, who already plays up to compete in 2A. The Lady Tigers (0-1) lost their first game of the year to West Las Vegas, and took a two week break before playing Gallup on Tuesday. The Lady Trojans have a big task in stopping the 6-foot Kiona Ely, but their speed and depth on the bench could make this a fair fight. If they win, it would point to Mesa Vista as already a top 2A team.
On the boys side, Taos (1-1) comes in as a 4A state favorite, currently ranked No. 6 in the coaches poll, while the Trojans (2-0) are just outside the top 10 in 2A. Taos boasts 6-foot-8-inch force Daemon Ely. Just keeping the game close would be a win.
Saturday, Dec. 10
Basketball: Coronado vs. Tse’ Yi’ Gai
The Coronado boys (0-2) are still looking for a win after losing their first two games by 56 and 67 points. After losing their top four scorers from a year ago, a new crop of players including Elias Trujillo is stepping up to fill the void. Facing a nearby(ish) geographic rival Dine Warriors (0-2), with similar enrollment numbers, the Leopards should have a good chance, though it will almost certainly not be the 50-point win they enjoyed a year ago.
The Coronado girls (1-2) are led by Ashlynn Jaramillo, who has scored an impressive 67 total points through three games, including 29 points to lead them to a win over Hozho Academy. The Lady Leopards have not played Tse’ Yi’ Gai (0-0) since 2019, and have lost their last four matchups, but they should have a chance against a team that finished the previous year 2-18, with their only wins coming via forfeit.
Thursday-Saturday Dec. 8-10
Boys Basketball: Al Armendariz Tournament
Española Valley (0-5) won this tournament a year ago, beating the hosts in an exciting final. But now, a more realistic goal is just to come away from the weekend with a win. Their first round opponent, Aztec (0-4) is also looking for their first win of the year, and hoping for their first win over the Sundevils in at least 15 years (as far back as Maxpreps game archives go). Española would face either Grants (1-1) or Pecos (2-0) in the second round. Capital is the only 5A school in the tournament.
Pojoaque Valley (3-1), on the other side of the bracket, is off to a strong start to the season, now with three straight wins, including a home win over Gallup (0-2). They get to face Kirtland Central (3-1) in the first round, which should be a good test, as a rematch of the final a year ago in the Ben Lujan Tournament, which the Broncos won 61-40. Pojoaque faces Tohatchi (4-1) or Capital (2-2) in the second round.
Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 8-10
Girls Basketball: Al Armendariz Tournament
The Española Sundevils (1-4) will face some tough competition over the weekend at the tournament; last year, they finished sixth, with a win over West Las Vegas sandwiched between two big losses. So far this year, Española has struggled to shoot the deep ball, but if their shots start falling in, they could be a dangerous team.
Española will start by playing Navajo Prep (4-0), a dangerous 3A team. They will also play against Pecos () or Capital () after those two play a first-round matchup between a 2A and a 5A team. And on day three, they could face two-time-defending state runner-up Hobbs (2-1), or a rematch of their 53-34 loss to Santa Fe Indian School (5-0).