For the past three years, the state basketball selection show day was just another Sunday for anyone with Pojoaque girls basketball. They were never even close to making the bracket.
But as district champions, after a remarkable turnaround, they could relax knowing they were in the field. So, they snacked on hot dogs and nachos as they watched the show in Ben Lujan Gymnasium.
The Elkettes (15-13) earned the No. 13 seed, and will travel to face No. 4 Gallup (21-8) in a tough matchup in the state tournament first round. Nine other local boys and girls teams made the state tournament.
“I’ve been here for a long time,” said senior Araya Vigil. “It feels good that we finally worked as a team enough to get to where we deserve to be.”
Pojoaque Coach Cindy Roybal addressed the team after the selection show, and acknowledged that Gallup would be a tough matchup, and is an infamously difficult place to play. (Roybal said she has never before coached in Gallup, but has beaten them in Albuquerque.)
But Roybal told the team she was glad they did not have to take a longer bus ride down to Artesia, as some brackets projected.
“We’ve got nothing to lose,” Roybal said. “Nobody expects you to win.”
Roybal said that Gallup “will press you from the second you get off the bus until you get back on the bus.” But if Pojoaque can enter the game with confidence (and healed up from some nagging injuries), they have a chance to make it an exciting game.
“I’m a little nervous,” Vigil said. “But I know that if we work as a team, it’s definitely possible.”
At their selection show, the projector showed the ProView selection show, which lagged behind the official New Mexico Activities Association show in showing the brackets. So, the players already had seen and whispered about their matchup before it showed on the big screen. At which point, they hardly reacted.
Other Matchups
The Española Sundevils (12-16) had to worry about whether they would get in, especially after two upsets in district championships took up automatic bids. But they did, grabbing the No. 14 seed in boys 4A. They return to the state tournament after uncharacteristically missing last year.
They will face No. 3 Hope Christian (18-9), last year’s state runners-up. The Huskies competed well in a very strong conference that contained three of the state’s top four teams, and beat Española by 19 in December.
Meanwhile, the Lady Sundevils (15-13) got in as the No. 15 seed. They will travel to Albuquerque to play No. 2 St. Pius X (23-3). The Sartans enter on an 18-game win streak.
The Mesa Vista Lady Trojans (24-3) officially became the No. 1 seed in 2A. They will start their run at a state championship against No. 16 Capitan (10-17).
Also in girls 2A, Peñasco (17-11) got in as the No. 6 seed, and will play No. 11 Clayton (16-11). And Dulce (18-10) earned the No. 7 seed to host No. 10 Texico (12-15), the defending champions.
Finally, Escalante (10-18) entered the field despite a slow season as the No. 15 seed. They will have a long bus ride for a tough matchup against No. 2 Tatum (25-2).
The Mesa Vista boys (22-5) were awarded the No. 4 seed, and will host No. 13 Jal (14-13). Escalante (19-9) is No. 9, which means a trip down to No. 8 Santa Rosa (20-8). And McCurdy (15-13) is No. 14, and will seek an upset of No. 3 Tularosa (22-4).