Peñasco was supposed to have started its season nine days earlier.
They were slated to play Santa Rosa on Nov. 25, and were going to have the game at Northern New Mexico College, coinciding with the Eagles’ home opener. But the day of the game, weather conditions forced a postponement.
“It was a blessing in disguise,” coach Mandy Montoya said.
Star point guard Rochelle Lopez, recovering from a volleyball knee injury, may not have played against Santa Rosa. By Monday, though, she was close to full strength.
In their real season opener, the Panthers (1-0) came out on top in their season opener over Dulce (1-4) with a 57-47 victory. Peñasco is looking for a strong season after losing to Dulce in the first round of the state tournament a year ago, and are now playing for a return to the championship.
“This is a very experienced group,” Montoya said. “So, they’re just getting their rhythm.”
Peñasco returns four starters from last year’s team that made the district final, twice beating Mesa Vista, and may have gotten further at state if it wasn’t for a tough non-district schedule leading to a 17-13 record and, ultimately, a No. 11 seed. Only one senior graduated from the team, while Sierra Atencio misses the year with a knee injury.
The Panthers started slow against a Dulce team already four games into their season. Mattison Vigil hit a 3-pointer for the Hawks on their first possession.
Dulce led early, but the Panthers found their gear, and ended the first quarter with a lead. Their defense picked up in the second quarter, and at halftime Peñasco led 28-21.
Dulce, after falling behind by 10 points early in the second half, came back with six straight points, and soon were behind by one point.
But in the fourth quarter, Peñasco pulled away, and finished with a 10-point win, avenging their 2023 state tournament loss.
“We just knew what we had to do, and we all work together,” senior Analise MacAuley said. “And came out with the win that we needed.”
MacAuley led Peñasco with 18 points and eight rebounds. Lopez had 10 points and five assists. Kelby Enjady-Vigil had a strong game for Dulce with 15 points.
MacAuley leads the team as a senior who averaged 12 points and nine rebounds last year while making all-state for the second straight year.
Montoya said MacAuley is focused on playing more like a guard (while also the tallest on the team). Her fellow senior leader, Charnelle Gonzales, adds more size and shooting ability to the team. The two are both in their fifth year on varsity (in their first season, Peñasco made the state final).
“They know the expectations that they set on themselves,” Montoya said.
And Lopez might be the best player of them all. A sophomore with huge amounts of experience (she was team manager as a seventh-grader), and now a mature team leader. She can make incredible passes or score while adding aggressive defense.
“She’s already a captain, and it’s just a big role for her,” MacAuley said.
Alyssa Atencio is one to potentially make a leap. Atencio is versatile and can play multiple position, a strength throughout the roster. They will slow the game down and look to speed their opponent down, too.
Montoya, in her dual role as athletic director, has yet again assigned a difficult schedule to her team. They have non-conference games against Española Valley, Taos and Los Alamos. And this weekend, they face Navajo Prep (3-1) in the first round of the Al Armendariz Tournament in Santa Fe.
“Navajo Prep’s in the state championship every year, since I’ve been in high school” Montoya said, half-jokingly. “We want to be battle tested.”