The Class AAAA boys title game was an instant classic. Behind the strongest fan support in the state the Española Valley Sundevils almost dethroned the top-seeded Roswell Coyotes. In an atmosphere out of the movie, “Hoosiers,” Española battled with the heart of a champion and the players have nothing to feel bad about even though their season ended less romantically than that of the mythical Hickory High School.
However, coach Richard Martinez was not feeling like a generous loser after the game and he was wrong to focus so much on an official’s call and not more on the great atmosphere and the competition itself. That said, it’s also easy to understand his frustration after the Sundevils were once again denied in their quest for the state boys basketball title in school history.
Martinez has put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears building the Sundevil program into a state basketball powerhouse. He had to fight to keep his job after the 2004-2005 season, when then Española athletic director Lenny Roybal sought to replace him.
Martinez convinced me of his coaching ability that season. After a 1-6 start during which I had watched Española blow big leads, the Sundevils shocked a lot of people by winning the Jaguar Invitational. I figured a coach who could turn things around like that had to know what he was doing and how to motivate his team even in a negative atmosphere.
But Martinez’s success has not appeased many of the Sundevil faithful. Despite four consecutive trips to the state tournament, I still receive anonymous letters claiming Martinez has nothing to do with the team’s success and it’s all because he has good players. Letters have been slipped onto the front seat of my car through cracks in the window stating the same thing. There are also numerous blogs on the SUN’s website critical of Martinez.
This season, things took an ugly turn when someone set fire to the front door of Martinez’s mother’s house (A crime that is still not solved). Martinez has had to put up with a lot over the years and hasn’t let it keep him from making the Sundevils better and better.
Martinez has also not been afraid to put Española up against the other top teams in the state, regardless of class. You couldn’t help but notice that the Class AAAAA state championship game was between Las Cruces Mayfield, a team Española had beaten this season, and La Cueva, a team that had to go into overtime to eke out a 58-57 win over the Sundevils. The Sundevils took on and lost to Hope Christian, which won the Class AAA state title. Hobbs, Clovis, Gallup, Manzano, Rio Rancho and Albuquerque High were defeated by the Sundevils this season and all advanced to the Class AAAAA state tournament. Española proved itself against the best.
The victory that might have silenced his critics, vindicated Martinez and given Española fans the state championship they fervently desire slipped through the Sundevils’ fingers again. It’s understandable that Martinez would get angry over a rarely called palming the ball violation he feels denied the Sundevils that opportunity.
That still doesn’t make focusing on an official’s decision right. It takes away from Roswell, a deserving state champion that took every shot the Sundevils could throw.
The Coyotes had all the elements of a championship team. They had height, could shoot from the perimeter and had a guard who could penetrate and get to the basket. Roswell endured the pressure of being the defending state champion and the top-ranked team in the state throughout the season. The Coyotes handled the thunderous roars of the Española Valley fans in the Pit and shot the ball well (54-percent from the field) under enormous pressure in a game where every point was critical.
Roswell had to play without starting guard Deyton DeLaCerda, who suffered a rib injury early in the first half and had to leave the game after scoring five points in the first quarter. The Coyotes had reserve guards Robert Orona and Chris Lopez step up and perform under pressure. Roswell didn’t face as many top teams from New Mexico as the Sundevils, but they did take on some tough teams from surrounding states. Both of their losses came to teams from outside of New Mexico.
Instead of focusing on an official’s call in the postgame media session, that forum could have been better spent talking about some overlooked Sundevils. There were unsung heroes, such as senior Juan Trujillo who fell into Martinez’s doghouse midseason and was suspended for several games. He came up with big plays off the bench at state. His defensive play preserved a win over Grants in the quarterfinals and his three-pointer started Española’s come-from-behind rally against Roswell in the championship game. Antonio Romero came off the bench to score 10 points against Roswell, and Richie Mondragon contributed valuable minutes against the Coyotes.
Sometimes when writing about a loss like the Sundevils suffered, the word heartbreaking is used. After talking to the players, coaches and fans after the game, I don’t feel that word is appropriate. The heart of the Sundevils and the Valley is as strong as ever.