A home loss to New Mexico School for the Deaf was a low point for the Leopards.
In response, the team rallied, determined to finish their season strong.
“NMSD really humbled us in our own house,” said team coach Andre Cordova. “That next day after practice, we really had a heart to heart with them. The intensity in practice picked up. And they responded in a positive way. The intensity’s on another level.”
On the road on Wednesday, Coronado (8-13, 3-6 in district) avenged their loss with a 76-43 victory over the shorthanded Roadrunners (11-7, 2-6). The Leopards hit 10 3-pointers in an offensive explosion, setting a season-high for points, and scored 46 points in the second half.
“We were snipers from out there,” said junior Zack Aragon.
Cordova took the blame for their home loss, saying that he tried to make the team too aggressive against their zone defense. He corrected that strategy for this game.
“Before the game, I told them — if there was ever a time I was going to give you guys a green light to let it fly, it’s going to be tonight,” Cordova said. “They’re going to sit back comfortably in their zone, and we’ve got to shoot them out of it.”
NMSD was hampered by injuries coming into the day, and only had five players available for the game. They were stretched thin by the end of the game, with all five players having to play all 32 minutes.
Aragon led the Leopards with a 20-point output. Freshman Conner Davis added 15 points while making a start.
“(Aragon) got open shots because he was willing to pass the ball, and trust that his teammates were going to find him when he was open,” Cordova said. “I’ve gotten on him to not be forcing shots. And I don’t think he forced too many shots tonight.”
Cordova also credited the defense of senior Mossi Gutierrez.
Coronado quickly went up 9-0 in the first quarter, though a slow stretch had them up three after one. In the second quarter, Cordova picked up a technical foul, but their offense picked up with strong playmaking, and they entered the half up 30-17.
With the Roadrunners continuing to wear down, Coronado scored 25 points in the third quarter to build a big lead, and ultimately won by 33.
“They’re starting to believe in each other, they’re starting to trust each other,” Cordova said. “They’ve gotten the confidence in each other to pull out the wins against these teams.”
The Leopards next play Thursday evening at Evangel Christian/Oak Grove (14-9, 6-1), and finish their season Saturday against Hozho (10-5). Then, it’s on to the district tournament.
“We really need to get to that third place at least in districts,” Aragon said. “We’re the underdogs … Coronado, we’re rivals with anybody.”
Lady Leopards Win by 50
Coronado’s girls team (6-14, 3-4) had no trouble with the Roadrunners (6-8, 0-7) in a 57-7 win for their second-straight victory.
Within 2.5 minutes, Coronado was off to a 10-0 start with their press forcing turnovers and easy baskets. They led 20-4 after one quarter and 39-7 at halftime. In the second half, the Leopards outscored NMSD 18-0.
Ashlynn Jaramillo led the team with 28 points, 24 of those coming in the first half as she spent most of the second half looking to get teammates more involved. That helped sophomore Naomi Velasquez finish with a career-high 12 points, and eighth-grader Mia Gallegos also had a career high with eight.
The Lady Leopards finish regular-season district play on Thursday against Evangel Christian/Oak Grove (7-13, 2-3), then face Hozho (6-11) on Saturday.
Despite a slow start to district play, the Lady Leopards still believe they can win it all at the district tournament. That would almost certainly require a win over Jemez Valley (20-4, 7-0), a top team that has beaten them by 40 and 43 this season.
Next season will be an easier one for both the Leopards and Lady Leopards, with three schools from their district moving up to 2A in realignment. Their new district will include NMSD, Chesterton and Evangel Christian (no longer in a co-op with Oak Grove).