Happy New Year for all as the Capital High boys get a visit tonight from Los Lunas in a non district basketball game between two of 5A’s better teams

The Jaguar girls take to the road tonight to meet up with non district opponent Grants, and undefeated Moriarty plays at West Las Vegas in another non district contest

By Arnie Leshin

It’s a new year and the Capital High boys basketball team rings it in with a interesting visit tonight against non district opponent Los Lunas.

Both are ranked in the top third of 5A behind undefeated Espanola Valley (12-0), the Jaguars’ yearly rival in District 2 who they meet up with on Jan. 23 at the Sundevils’ court.

At 13-2 overall and the state’s highest scoring team with 1,148 points, Capital will greet the Tigers and their 10-2 mark in a 7 o’clock scheduled tip-off.

Los Lunas has only two seniors and has had at least three close games that could have gone either way. It defeated 6A Rio Rancho Cleveland by 3, Albuquerque Del Norte by 1, and Gadsden by 4. The losses came against Gallup by 12, and to Las Cruces by 5, after it won its first eight games.

The Tigers have a trio of 6-3 players, and Augie Oliver is the senior. The other two are junior Al Garcia and freshman Tyler Hiehne. The other senior is 5-7 guard Joshua Ortiz, and he usually runs the offense.

Capital has been led by the threesome of 6-3 junior Matt Smith, 5-9 senior guard Tyler Alarid, and 6-1 swing man Seth Arroyos. It’s a team that plays aggressive defense, turns turnovers into points, and moves the ball quickly up court.

The Jags’ two setbacks came by seven to Pecos, the defending state 3A champion, and by 13 to St. Michael’s.

It should be a tough task for both teams.
Up at Los Alamos (6-5), it’s a visit from non district rival Pojoaque Valley (3-5) and at Robertson (4-8), it’s a non district go versus Portales (7-3).

In girl’s play, Capital (6-7) travels to Grants (4-6) for non district play, and West Las Vegas (7-2) is home to undefeated Moriarty (10-0) in a non district contest.

Thursday, the girls have the Albuquerque Sandia Prep Sundevils Invitational. St. Michael’s (6-7) goes against Hatch Valley (6-4) in the 2 p.m. opener, Albuquerque Academy (1-6) faces Robertson (9-2) at 5:15, and at 7 it’s the host school, Sandia Prep (2-7), meeting up with Monte del Sol (0-5).