Sundevils Keep Winning
Española Valley boys (9-12, 3-0) continued their winning streak through district play, taking down Los Alamos (6-14, 1-2) 54-45 at home on Feb. 1.
Española led by four with three and a half minutes left, when Los Alamos missed two free throws and Jayden Duran scored in transition. Then, the Hilltoppers missed a 3-pointer, and the Sundevils responded by getting the ball to Irvin Primero in the post, who scored while drawing a foul.
Suddenly, the Sundevils were up nine with just over two minutes left, and the game was all but over.
Coach Joey Trujillo credited the team for playing smart basketball and hitting free throws in the last two minutes. He credited Miguel Orozco for playing strong defense throughout the game. And guards Jerek Duda and Jayden Duran scored well and, more importantly, passed well.
“As the kids say, dropping a dime,” Trujillo said.
Española travels to Taos (9-12, 2-1) after press deadline on Tuesday with a chance to take a two-game lead in the district. But every game is going to continue to be a challenge.
“It’s nerve-wracking for the coaches, but enjoyable for the spectators,” Trujillo said.
Lady Sundevils Score a Win
Española’s girls, meanwhile, went on the road and took down Los Alamos (11-10, 2-1) 55-42 on Jan. 30, with the Lady Sundevils (12-9, 2-1) taking over late to keep pace behind Pojoaque in the district.
A 14-6 fourth quarter helped the Sundevils pull away for a big win when the game was close through the first three quarters. Hailey Renteria scored 18 points for the Sundevils, and hit shots in big moments. Alyssa Garcia scored 12.
Española’s offense has picked up since being limited to 20 points in a loss to Pojoaque. In two games since, they have scored 62 and 55 points.
Their next game comes at home against Taos (5-16, 1-2) on Feb. 8.
Wrestling Teams Fall Short in Team Matches
Española Valley placed sixth and Pojoaque Valley seventh out of eight teams at the district duals boys wrestling tournament held at West Las Vegas.
West Las Vegas took the district championship.
Española Valley defeated Pojoaque in their dual as Cruz Sandoval defeated Ben Duran in the 139-pound match in overtime, which was the decider. The only other contested match was in 172 pounds, where Noah Maez pinned Roman Gonzales.
The Sundevils also defeated St. Michael’s, with Sandoval again delivering the decisive win in the only contested match. Both teams had to forfeit many categories due to the small size of the teams.
Pojoaque’s lone win came over St. Michael’s, with Duran, Gonzales and Ethyn Boyd delivering key wins via pin.
Española’s Sandoval had a great weekend going 6-0 in his matches with four pins. Gonzales went 6-1, and pinned six opponents.
Escalante Wins Cheer Competition
The Escalante Cheer Team won first place at the Spirit of Hope Challenge in Albuquerque on Jan. 3. They narrowly defeated McCurdy for first place in the 1A-2A category.
McCurdy took first place in the cheer with music category. Pojoaque Valley finished fourth in 4A.