Boys Basketball State Tournament begins with its first round Saturday

Monte del Sol and Santa Fe Waldorf are 16th seeds in their respective classes and the Dragons will travel to face top-seeded, unbeaten Texico in 3A, while the 1A Wolves journey to top-seed Melrose Boys begin first round Saturday, with Capital (5A), St. Michael’s (4A), and Pecos (3A) staying home while Santa Fe High (6A) plays at Albuquerque Atrisco Heritage

By Arnie Leshin 

Monte del Sol is just happy to land its first invitation to the state basketball tournament in a decade, and head coach Alfredo Lujan of the Dragon boys doesn’t care how far a No. 16 seed must travel, he’s just glad to accept the invite.

Yap, it’s been quite some time for the 3A school that last played at state as a 2A, so it doesn’t matter that it will take a 13-13 record to top-seeded Texico, the only undefeated team left as the state tournament bounces in Friday and Saturday. And thanks to the 16-school bracket still intact, Monte del Sol gets a chance to meet the 26-0 Wolverines Saturday.

The last time the schools met in the state tournament, it was 2008, and in a close contest of the quarterfinals, Texico prevailed 64-61.Ten years later, the Dragons return to Wolverine Country where both the girls and boys own state championships in all sports.

No problem. Lujan had a hunch that his team would get a bid this time despite it being on the bubble following six-straight setbacks and finishing tied for last place with Dulce in 2-3A.

No matter. Lujan had his team continuing to practice through the week with no idea of how the New Mexico Activities Association would decide in Sunday’s brackets and seeding decisions.

“I was comparing us to other schools,” he said, “and I thought our chances were pretty good. I knew if we got in we would be playing at Texico, Pecos or Estancia, the top three seeds. So we got Texico and we will be there. Right now, we’re just greatfull to be playing in the post-season.”

So is 1A Santa Fe Waldorf, a school with only 40 students, seven of which play on the varsity Wolves. And they haven’t had much luck. One player injured his knee and decided to end his career on the court. Another transferred to Colorado in January, and another was dismissed from the team.

Waldorf even had to forfeit a game because three 8th graders on the varsity were committed to playing in a middle school tournament.

“We’ve had to overcome many mountains,” said head coach Eugene Otero. “Just by luck, being such a small school, every player accounts for a lot, and for different reasons, we lost players.”

But the Wolves, too, grabbed the final berth, No. 16, and they will take their 12-14 record to top-seed Melrose (25-3) Saturday. Right there it brings a connection with Monte del Sol, as it, too, meets up with a top-seed.

Also in 1A is 5th seeded New Mexico School for the Deaf (20-4), and it plays host to 12th seeded Evangel Christian (12-16) Saturday.

In 3A, Santa Fe Prep (14-8) is the No. 9 seed and has to play at 8th seeded Dexter (16-9). But 3rd seeded Pecos (24-3), the defending state champion, is home to 14th seeded Rehoboth Christian (15-11). One of the Panthers’ three losses came against 2nd seeded Estancia (26-1).

St. Michael’s got a better deal in 4A. The Horsemen (13-15) got the 8th seed and that gets them a home court game against 9th seeded 9th seeded Albuquerque Sandia Prep (13-14). But 14th seeded Las Vegas Robertson (12-17) didn’t fare as well when it wound up heading to defending state champion Albuquerque Hope Christian (19-8), the 3rd seed.

Capital’s boys are 21-7, the 4th seed, and play host to 13th seeded Miyamura (15-13). In 6A, Santa Fe High comes in as the 14th seed and gets a tough draw in traveling to 3rd seeded Atrisco Heritage (22-3). In 4A, Santa Fe Indian School received the 12th seed and will take its 13-14 mark to red-hot Taos (17-10), the 5th seed on a 7-game win streak.