Dulce High School fans claim they were the victims of a scheme in which Escalante High School at first prevented some fans from buying tickets to the schools’ District 2AA boys basketball game Feb. 26 in Tierra Amarilla and then sold the tickets for as much as $20 each to the same fans.
“Some of our fans went down at about 1 p.m. to get there early, and they were literally chased off campus and told not to come back until 4 p.m.,” Dulce athletic director and boys basketball coach Isaac Royston said. “At 4 p.m. Dulce and Escalante fans go to the ticket window and as soon as they get there they’re told that they were sold out. (Escalante) had sold the tickets during the school day to students, and there were no tickets available.”
Letters sent to Dulce administrators echo Royston’s side of the story. The fans were told they could not wait on the school grounds by school personnel, including Escalante Mid-High School athletic director Paulino “Sonny” Villegas, and told they should come back at 4 p.m.
“I dropped my family off to get in line but, when we got by the ticket door the school announced they were sold out,” Dulce fan Tanya Gonzales stated. “Everyone there was upset because we were wondering how they could have sold out in seconds prior to the door opening at 4:00.”
Scott Flury, of KZRM-FM radio in Chama, confirmed that his station had been instructed by Villegas to broadcast that tickets would go on sale at 4 p.m. and that the station was flooded with calls from fans of both teams complaining that tickets were sold out.
“I felt like the radio station was used,” Flury said.
Dulce fans turned to alternative methods of obtaining tickets once they realized they were sold out.
“Right after this went on students started to scalp tickets to the Dulce fans in the amount ranging from $5-$20 a ticket,” Shannon Cassador, of Dulce, stated in a letter to Royston.
Royston said he reported the incident and ticket scalping to the New Mexico Activities Association,
“Tickets were getting scalped on campus — some were even paying $20,” Royston said. “That’s illegal.”
The Association confirmed that the incident had been reported to them and they were conducting an investigation.
“The problem was compounded because of the (small) size of Escalante’s gym,” Association Associate Director Mario Martinez said.
No Chama administrators returned calls for comment, but two School Board members said they would look into the matter.
“It’s a concern to myself and other members,” Chama School Board member Tommy Ray Rivas said. “I’ve spoken to another board member and we plan to get together with (Chama Superintendent Manuel) Mr. Valdez.”