Preview
by Adam Kedge, co-editor, Southwest Region
Los Alamos has lock on 4A, girls going for 10th title in 14 years. Gallup girls looking for 9th straight 5A title. Schedule:
9:30 1A-2A BOYS
10:00 3A BOYS
10:30 4A BOYS
11:00 5A BOYS
11:30 1A-2A GIRLS
12:00 3A GIRLS
12:30 4A GIRLS
1:00 5A GIRLS
Preview by division:
1A – 2A Girls: Navajo Prep (NM #9) was a distant 5th last fall. They have made the jump to being the team to beat in 1A – 2A come 2004. Jr. Kaydee McCray was 6th overall and looks to move up. No other team in this division has even recorded votes in the NMTCCCA State Top-10 Poll. Zuni and Pecos should contend.
1A – 2A Boys: 3 time defending champs Jemez Valley lost too much to graduation to be considered the favorites. Instead 2003 runner-up Zuni Thunderbirds (NM #7) is the new force in this classification. Defending champion Marvis Aragon of Laguna-Acoma is going to hard pressed to hold off a much improved Ben Fletcher of Santa Fe Prep.
3A Girls: 2003 state champ Irena Ossola of St. Michel’s (NM #4) in Santa Fe is better than ever. Her team has fared well against the larger classifications this fall and is the favorites to take the title from 2003 champs Robertson. Shiprock (NM #6) is always tough and could give St. Michael’s all they can handle.
3A Boys: The team title is anyone’s guess here. 3A looks to be wide open with Pojoaque, Wingate, and Shiprock all in the hunt for the title. Robert Roybal of Pojoaque is the top returnee in this division. He was runner up last fall. Obed Hernandez of Cobre will contend.
4A Girls: It has been over 3 full years since a team from within the state has beaten Los Alamos (NM #1, SW #1, US #3). Don’t look for it to happen this weekend. Los Alamos should secure their 10th title in the past 14 years. Kristen Hemphill leads two other Hilltoppers returning from last falls top-5. Lyndsay Harper of Albuquerque Academy looks to be the best of the rest of the 4A classification.
4A Boys: The Los Alamos Hilltopper (NM #1, SW #2, US #8) boys may be equally as strong as their girls. Repeating as state champs looks to be a near lock. Jr. Simon Gilna (3rd) is the top returnee from 2003. The Hilltoppers come off a recent home win against the other top team in this classification, Albuquerque Academy (NM #2, SW #5). After the loss Academy bounced back this past week with a perfect 15 points at their district but none of those teams were in the New Mexico’s top-10.
5A Girls: Gallup (NM #2) will be going for their 9th consecutive state title at their home course on the Red Rocks State Park grounds. The teams with the best chance to pull the upset will be La Ceuva (NM #5) and Rio Rancho (NM #8). Defending champion Jocelyn Calderon of Carlsbad may too have a team that will contend for a trophy.
5A Boys: Upstart Rio Rancho (NM #3) is the top ranked team in the state poll but not by much. However, the favorite may still be the defending champs Gallup (NM #4), beating Rio Rancho on Oct. 30th at districts. Gallup always seems to run well late in the season and have the talent to win state title #16 for their school. Other NM top-10 teams are #5 La Cueva, #6 Highland, #9 Eldorado, and #10 Del Norte. So. Philbert Brown of Gallup is the top returnee from last fall, he was runner up. Brown lost to Matt Tebo of Eldorado this past Saturday at the district meet and Tebo looks to be the class of 5A this fall.
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