Everybody on to the basketball court this week, but only the district champion will get an automatic berth for the state tournament, the rest will come via the NMAA seedings

Capital High girls strive for the runner-up spot or even first place in District 2-5A, while Santa Fe High in 2-6A and St. Michael’s in 2-4A will need a big, big finish

By Arnie Leshin 

The only thing known about the district tournaments is that each school in each district gets to play.

The season does not end this week. What it will do is set up each district regular-season standings, and so last place teams can perhaps spring some upsets. The team that finishes first won’t have to play until the district tournament final that it will host. Plus, that team will automatically receive a berth in the state tournament.

Other seeds will be known when the New Mexico Activities Association announces the field the weekend after the district tournaments wind up.

For the St. Michael’s and Santa Fe High girls, they can only make state if they win the district tournament. Capital has a much better chance of making state.

The Demonettes, on an 8-game losing streak and 0-8 in District 2-6A, will play in the tournament’s first game either last or next to last. That will be decided when they play host to Albuquerque Manzano tonight. The Monarchs are 1-7 in district and 5-17 overall.

But it doesn’t end there, for Santa Fe High (9-15) will then have to go against first place Albuquerque Eldorado (17-5, 8-0), also at its Toby Roybal Memorial gymnasium on Saturday night.

The teams above Manzano and Santa Fe High will make up the top four. Albuquerque La Cueva is 6-2 and 13-9, Albuquerque Cibola is 5-3 and 14-10, and Albuquerque Sandia is 4-4 and 8-14.

As for St. Michael’s in District 2-4A, it, too, is stuck in the basement at 1-6, and tied with Taos. These two will open the district tournament at whoever has the best finish. The Lady Horsemen are 9-15 overall, the Tigers are 7-17.

So St. Michael’s will have to get past West Las Vegas (15-8, 3-3) at home Saturday night. In the first game, they lost on the road to the Dons, 57-39.

But Taos will be going against first place Las Vegas Robertson Wednesday night and the Cardinals are rolling along at 6-0 and 21-3. Robertson, Pojoaque Valley and West Las Vegas will grab the first three spots.

Capital High has no worries about finishing last in 2-5A. It has put forth a quality season, is 12-12 overall and second in district at 4-2, a half-game ahead of Albuquerque Del Norte (11-12). Albuquerque Academy is still in there for one of the first three places at 3-4 in district and 6-18 overall.

Espanola is in first place, but barely, for at 5-1 it hasn’t clinched anything. The Sundevils are 12-11 overall.

The last place team here is Los Alamos at 5-19 overall, 0-6 in district, and having lost 9 in a row.

The Jaguars will be home to the Chargers tonight and at Los Alamos Friday night. Neither of these schools can be taken lightly. But if Capital can win over both, it will finish second and play host to the district semifinals, although it split with Espanola and can still finish first.