SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
Related Articles
Three new girls head basketball coaches, with Cindy Roybal and Santa Fe High opening at West Mesa, Martin Esquibel and St. Michael’s at Los Alamos, Darren Cassados and Capital at Taos
Tough task for Demonettes, Jaguars at 1-1, Lady Horsemen hope to avenge last year’s loss to Hilltoppers
By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today
Cindy Roybal couldn’t have picked a tougher opponent tonight for her initial game as head coach of the Santa Fe High girl’s basketball team. The problem is, she didn’t make this schedule.
The Demonettes are in 6A, so Roybal is aware it’s a tough go, but so is West Mesa, who if not to injuries to its prized backcourt, might have hoisted the state championship trophy won by Albuquerque Sandia last year.
The Mustangs went 25-2, the losses coming in game three against 4A defending champion Albuquerque Hope Christian, 52-47, and in the state tournament, 53-49 to Albuquerque Eldorado.
But they avenged the loss to the Huskies, 52-37, and had turned back Eldorado, 67-62, earlier in the season.
The losses that hurt most were to the team’s double-duo of then sophomore Esperansa Varog and then junior Maiah Rivas. First Rivas injured her back and then bounced back for the final three games. But Varog’s knee injury forced her to the sidelines.
Now they’re back, the 5-foot-6 guards who are equally adept at scoring and dishing out assists. They also play bigger than their size, are aggressive defenders, and provide the leadership. Not only this, but the West Mesa returns all of last year’s starting lineup.
Before last season, the Mustangs did not have a winning one in over a decade, if even then because there are no NMAA records before 2006-07.
So that’s what Santa Fe High will encounter under its new coach who won back-to-back state 3A titles while at Santa Fe Indian School, and was a constant winner at Espanola Valley.
Last year’s team compiled an 11-17 overall record and was 4-6 in district under Lanse Carter.
St. Michael’s also has a new head coach in Martin Esquibel, who assisted Martin Romero until the latter resigned after last season. The Horsemen play their opener at Los Alamos, which defeated them 39-36 in last year’s opener at home. But the Hilltoppers had a 6-21 campaign.
They return 5-11 sophomore Rebecca Green, 5-8 junior Mattie Ruminel and 6-foot sophomore Natalie Gonzales.
As for Equibel’s girls, their top player would be 5-9 senior Jodi Gormley, a guard, small forward, who might be playing more inside this time. She gives her all on the court, is tough underneath and can shoot from the outside.
The team also intends to count on 5-7 seniors Sydney Halford and Sabrina Orr, and hopeful that 5-8 junior Joelyn Fernandez can perform like her sister, Jocelyn, who graduated as a celebrated 5-sport athlete named best in the state.
There’s also state track champion Lauren Chafins, who is a 5-6 senior. The point guard is 5-3 returning junior Alicia Alvarez. She will probably handle the role with 5-6 sophomore Carisa Padilla.
Esquibel staff will include assistants Sonya Ruiz and Sara Baca.
Capital High, under new head coach Darren Casados, already has an opening loss at home to Pojoaque Valley and a win at Bernalillo, now and travels to Taos for the Tigers’ opener tonight.
No matter who coaches the Jaguars, it has been a losing situation since Lisa Villareal coached the team to a 21-7 record and into the state tournament back in 2006-07. Since then, only a 13-13 mark was close to a winning campaign. The last two were identical at 6-22, and in 2014 the team was winless in 24 starts.
But Casados, a former Jaguar basketball star, is hopeful. For size, he has 5-11 freshman Ethena Silva, 5-9 returning senior Ishara Sorensen and 5-8 junior Kyannah Cole, who might be the team’s best scorer. The team has three seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and one freshman.
