Thursday, Feb. 22
Girls Basketball: Mesa Vista vs. Peñasco
As we reach the end of the regular season, several local districts are still up for grabs. The Lady Trojans are seeking to sew up a district title against their rival, who might be one of the state’s toughest teams. Tana Lopez remains on a tear, averaging 21 points this season for Mesa Vista. The Lady Trojans will have to stay out of foul trouble and slow down Peñasco’s bigs. Analise MacAuley has 15.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for Peñasco. The last time these teams met, Peñasco led most of the way, but the Trojans took over to win in the final quarter.
Friday, Feb. 23
Boys Basketball: Taos vs. Española
After falling to Los Alamos, Española is on its back foot, but can still win the district. They will have to beat Taos, and then win a district tiebreak game. The Tigers are playing well after a slow start to the season, winning six of their last seven games. Noah Washington has led Taos with 11.4 points per game. But Taos does not have the size it has in recent years, with nobody on the roster taller than 6 feet, 3 inches. Española’s smaller physical centers, Irvin Primero and Kevin Coffeen, will look to take over the game on the glass.
Saturday, Feb. 24
Girls Basketball: Los Alamos vs. Pojoaque Valley
A district championship will likely be on the line on Saturday. The Elkettes have been a different team since Monique Arrieta’s return from injury, with the freshman averaging a team-high 11.1 points per game. But the last time they met, Los Alamos had the advantage in an 8-point win. Hilltopper star GG Romero had 23 points in that game, and averages 18.8 on the season. Pojoaque’s defense will need to step up and find a way to slow her down.
Fri.-Sat., Feb. 23-24
Wrestling: State Tournament
The Sundevils have been so close but shut out of any state championships in recent years. Cruz Sandoval will look to break that streak after finishing second last year and dominating this year’s regionals. Noah Maez will also compete for the Sundevils and look to improve on his last two years of sixth-place finishes. Pojoaque will bring freshman Ben Duran, who was fourth a year ago. And on the girls side, Natalie Romero finished third in the regional and will compete at state for the first time.