Both Ricky and Rhianna Padilla joined the Northern New Mexico College basketball teams almost by coincidence.
When men’s basketball coach Jesus Aragon had his catalytic convertor stolen, he went to a nearby recommended shop. The mechanic at the shop saw Aragon’s Northern logo, and asked what he did.
Aragon told the man he was a basketball coach, and the mechanic said he had two children who play basketball.
“They’re pretty good players,” he said. Aragon said to give them his phone number and get in touch.
Eventually, both of the mechanic’s children ended up on the Eagles for the upcoming season after great careers playing at Española Valley.
Ricky, a 2022 Española Valley graduate, played as a point guard. He was the sixth man for his junior season, and his defense was clutch in an overtime state semifinal loss. He rotated between starting point guard and sixth man his junior year.
Rhianna, a 2023 graduate, was part of a 2021 team that went to the state final game, though she was mostly on the bench as the team’s only sophomore. Though she was not as active a player, that remains her favorite memory. She took on a bigger role for the next two years, and was the unquestioned team leader as a senior, though the team never recaptured that success.
Rhianna was in contact with J.R. Giddens when he was the Northern women’s coach. When he left, Samantha Stukes took over and brought her in.
“Literally, she fell in our lap,” Stukes said.
Rhianna remains close with former teammate Miranda Salazar, the starting point guard on that 2021 team. Salazar put her in touch with Giddens, and started a process of trying to join the team.
She toured the school and signed that day. A few days later she was at the school’s signing day in Albuquerque, along with Ricky.
“I want to see myself progress and get better,” Rhianna said. “I know these girls are on just a different level, competitive, stronger. Going to help me get better.”
Rhianna said that Ricky would “beat me at pretty much everything,” which made her stronger and more competitive. They have had disagreements, she said, but they are excited to play at the same school.
“He’s going to really push himself,” she said. “And me being there to support him, him being there to support me, it’s going to be really good.”
At Española, especially her senior year, the team had to rely on Rhianna to do pretty much everything. She is a strong 3-point shooter, but at about 5-foot-7 she had to play the post as someone taller for high school. In college, though, she’ll adjust to largely being a shooting guard against taller forwards.
“She’s a good sized shooting guard,” Stukes said. “She has some toughness that she brings to the floor. She just has a lot of grit that we really like.”
When Stukes told Aragon she was recruiting the local athlete, he thought back to the mechanic, whose last name was Padilla, but did not think much of it.
Aragon then got a call from a student who was then at Lincoln Tech in Denver, asking for a tryout for the basketball team, and he turned out to be Rhianna’s older brother. After an individual workout, Aragon also spoke with former Española coach Gabe Martinez, who recommended that Aragon sign Ricky Padilla.
“I’ve always wanted to play college basketball,” Ricky said. “It’s always been like a dream to live it.”
Ricky, in his time with the Sundevils, seemed to exemplify Española basketball. A quick point guard, he thrived off of selflessness and toughness. He seemed just as happy playing defense as he did having the ball in his hands.
Now, Aragon finds Ricky in the gym every day. He’s seemingly always there.
Both of the Padillas plan to study business, and do not know where the future lies.
After Aragon’s van was fixed, he went to pick it up from the mechanic.
“Coach, thank you so much,” the mechanic said to him. “You’ve given a scholarship to both of my children.”
Aragon had considered, but not fully realized that both Ricky and Rhianna were his children.
And now, Aragon knows who to recommend to anyone who needs a mechanic.