Thursday, Feb. 2
Boys Basketball: Escalante vs. McCurdy
The Bobcats’ (9-11, 3-1 in distPrict) annual midseason turnaround appears to be arriving right on schedule, as they ride a four-game win streak after losing to Mesa Vista in their first district game and starting at 5-11. But now their schedule really picks up against the top two teams in the district, a rematch with Mesa Vista (11-9, 4-0) on Saturday preceded by a home game against the Lobos (12-7, 3-1) who are on a bit of a hot stretch themselves. Led by Luka Torrez, Escalante has won 10 of their last 12 games after they started the year 2-5, a remarkable bounceback by a young team.
Prediction: McCurdy 64, Escalante 61
Friday, Feb. 3
Boys Basketball: Pojoaque Valley vs. Española Valley
When these two teams last met, they were headed in opposite directions, and the result completely changed both of them. The Elks (13-8, 1-2) started the year as one of the most exciting teams in the north, headed for their best season in years. But they hit a rough patch with five straight losses at a bad time, including their 42-37 loss at home to Española. The Sundevils (5-16, 3-0) were headed for their worst season in recent memory at 2-16, yet suddenly figured something out for district play, as they rattled off three straight wins.
Prediction: Pojoaque 75, Española 64
Girls Basketball: Dulce vs. Laguna-Acoma
Dulce (15-5, 1-0) will look to take control in district play against their toughest opponent, the other Hawks, who they could not find a way to beat last year. Laguna-Acoma (13-8, 2-0) certainly has the talent, evidenced by their dominant state championship in volleyball, but has been a bit up and down this season, including a recent loss to Pecos. Dulce will hope to continue its dream season, currently ranked No. 2 in the state, as they look to capture a district and possibly state title.
Prediction: Dulce 51, Laguna-Acoma 36
Friday-Saturday, February 3-4
Wrestling: District Duals (in Moriarty)
Districts looks a whole lot different than it used to. This year, A-3A is combined with 4A all under one classification. Here are the teams in District 2: Española Valley, Los Alamos, Moriarty, Pojoaque Valley, Robertson, St. Michael’s, Taos and West Las Vegas. Added to the competition are some of the toughest individuals and competition, with West Las Vegas a contender to take the title along with Moriarty and a resurgent Pojoaque team. The individual tournament is held as a regional tournament next week, with seven qualifiers each coming from two regions across the state.