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Traveling will be long for the girls of Santa Fe High, Pojoaque Valley and Clayton for Friday’s first round of the state basketball tournament
Demonettes, Elkettes, Yellowjackets all head for sites near the Texas border, not so for St. Michael’s
By ARNIE LESHIN
It will be some long and winding roads and hours and hours of traveling for some girls teams in Friday’s opening round of the state basketball tournament.
But sightseeing is the last thing on their minds. This is all business. Enjoy the traveling, but be prepared to play hoops,
Eunice (24-3) is the top seed in 3A and sits in the southeast corner of the state, about a six-hour journey for 16th seed Clayton (8-15). Just north of it is Hobbs (27-1), the top seed in 6A and about five hours away from where 16th seeded Santa Fe High (11-16) boards its bus.
Pojoaque Valley (12-14), the 13th seed in 4A, also has a long way to go when it takes to the road to play at 4th seeded Portales (16-10), which is way east, and like Eunice and Hobbs, close by the Texas border and about four hours from Pojoaque.
Santa Fe Indian (11-16), the 15th seed in 4A, won’t be going as far, but it’s still close to at least a 2-hour ride to get to 2nd seeded Shiprock (21-5).
Others have to travel, but not to the distances of Eunice, Hobbs, Portales and Shiprock.
St. Michael’s (13-14), the 14th seed in 4A, only has to travel roundtrip on I-25 to District 2 rival Las Vegas Robertson, the 3rd seed at 20-6, and the winner here will not have to go all that far to play the 11th seed Socorro (16-12) at 6th seeded West Las Vegas (19-8) survivor at the WisePies Arena, alias the UNM Pit, in the quarterfinals.
In 5A, where 3rd seeded Espanola Valley (19-6) is home to 14th seed Aztec (15-13) the quarters will also be played the UNM Pit, but not so for the other classes. In 6A, the same round will be contested at Rio Rancho’s Santa Ana Star Center, as well as in 3A. For 2A, the quarterfinals will be at Bernalillo High.
Ron Drake’s Pecos district champions (20-7) get to open at home Friday night as the 7th seed hosting 10th seed Loving (15-13) in 3A. And in 2A, head coach Elmer Chavez, who was previously in the same role when SFHS was in 4A, has his 4th seeded Mescalero Apache (23-6) home to 13th seed Pine Hill (16-7).
One hundred and 55 schools in the state, 96 playing in the state tournament.
Happy trails to all, home and away.
Note: A look at opening day of state schedule:
6A: (16) Santa Fe High (11-16) at (1) Hobbs (25-3), 6 p.m.
5A: (14) Aztec (13-14) at (3) Espanola Valley (20-6), 7 p.m.
4A: (14) St. Michael’s (13-14) at (3) Robertson (20-6), 6 p.m.
(15) Santa Fe Indian School (16-7) at (2) Shiprock (21-5), 6 p.m.
(13) Pojoaque Valley (12-14) at (4) Portales (16-10), 6 p.m.
(16) Taos (12-15) at (1) Hope Christian (25-3), 6 p.m.
3A: (10) Loving (15-13) at (7) Pecos (20-7), 6 p.m.
(12) McCurdy (14-11) at (5) Laguna-Acoma (21-5), 6:30 p.m.
(16) Clayton (8-15) at (1) Eunice (24-3), 6 p.m.
2A: (13) Pine Hill (16-7) at (4) Mescalero Apache (23-6), 6 p.m.
(9) Mora (15-13) at (8) Ramah (21-7), 6 p.m.
(11) Penasco (18-9) at (6) Escalante (19-7), 6 p.m.
(16) Mesa Vista (12-15) at (1) Tatum (22-5), 3 p.m.
A: (11) Vaughn (13-9) at (6) Coronado (15-10), 5 p.m.
