12/18/08
The Mesa Vista boys basketball team met a familiar foe when it faced the Santa Rosa Lions Dec. 13 in the championship game of the Wildcat Invitational at Tularosa,
Santa Rosa had snuffed out Mesa Vista’s chances of a Class AA state title in March by defeating the Trojans in the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Santa Rosa would later lose to Mesilla Valley in the state semifinals.
The Lions broke the back of the Trojans once again last weekend by coming back from a 20-point deficit in the first quarter to defeat Mesa Vista 67-61. The loss prevented the Trojans from repeating as tournament champions.
“Had it been a 16-minute game, we would have won,” Mesa Vista coach Thomas Vigil said.
The Trojans led 25-10 at the end of the first quarter and 46-36 at halftime.
“Santa Rosa keeps coming at you, and you have to play for 32 minutes,” Vigil said.
The game fell apart for Mesa Vista in the third quarter when the Lions outscored the Trojans 23-3 to take control of the game.
“We didn’t hit a bump in the road, we hit a boulder,” Vigil said. “The momentum just swung the opposite way.”
The Trojans’ comeback in the fourth quarter fell short.
“We clawed our way back to within two points, but could never tie it up,” Vigil said.
Santa Rosa is better known for its football teams, which won the 2007 Class AA state championship. Coach Frank Ortiz coaches both the football and the basketball teams, and the Lions play basketball like they play football.
“They’re a very physical team,” Vigil said.
The Trojans had advanced to the championship game with a 77-69 victory over the previously unbeaten Mesilla Valley Son Blazers. It was the second consecutive season that the Trojans have beaten Mesilla Valley at the Wildcat Tournament.
Senior point guard Frankie Giron, who had sat out with a sore ankle in Mesa Vista’s 68-49 victory Dec. 11 over Lordsburg in the opening round of the tournament, led the Trojans with 27 points against Mesilla Valley.
“Against Lordsburg, we played pretty flat,” Vigil said. “Against Mesilla Valley, we came out a lot sharper and a lot quicker.”
Mesa Vista will take on Grants Thursday (12/18) in the opening round of the Ben Lujan Invitational in Pojoaque.
“We’re banged up,” Vigil said. “Frankie’s ankle is still sore, (center Kris Buzzard ) hurt his ankle against Mesilla Valley and Ramon (Trujillo) is going to see a chiropractor about a sore back.”