Santa Fe’s Farha is hoping to do well in the annual MAYB National Basketball Championships

The Trujillos, Daniel, Jr., and Daniel, Sr, are the coaches for a team that carries only six players as pool play starts Friday for some 300 teams from across the country

By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today

WICHITA, Kan. – Daniel Trujillo is hoping his young players don’t get lost in the crowd.

He’s head coach of the Santa Fe Farha, and they are here among about 70 other youth teams for the annual MAYB National Basketball Championships that begin Friday morning.

Trujillo is assisted by his dad, Daniel, Sr., and drove the 10 hours for the division of 5th graders. The 70 other teams are in the same division, with a grand total of approximately 300 teams in divisions that range from 1st graders to those of high school age.

The games are set up at other sites in the state, with Santa Fe playing at the Wichita Sports Arena. The girls are in the same tournament, but their games are being held in Oklahoma.

Six players are all the father and son duo were able to place on the roster.

“We had one other player,” said Daniel, Jr., who played at Santa Fe High under then head coach Carl Morano, now the school principal, “but his family decided at the last minute it had other plans, and so we lost a player.”Trujillo said his roster is slim, while others carry up to 10-11 kids.

“We drove here in one large SUV and another smaller SUV,” he said, “and arrived here Wednesday afternoon. The actual name of the tournament is the Mid American Youth Basketball.”

His team plays pool play Friday, with games scheduled at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.

“Every team in pool plays advances to the brackets,” said the younger Trujillo, “and then it becomes double elimination. For us to finish first, we need to win nine times.”

The team has two sets of uniforms, one red, the other white. They will be worn by the Trujillo brothers, Isaac and Isaiah, Teyo Brewer, Samuel Sovzarene, Nicholas Monzeranes, and Andres Caranzzza.

“Hopefully, said Trujillo, “we don’t get into foul trouble.

There’s a ton of people on hand, which is why the head coaches are keeping a close watch on their half-dozen players.