High school hoops bounces in

High school basketball anybody?

For Santa Fe High’s boys it was the season opener dominating visiting Espanola Valley, 57-35, Saturday, with Demons’ guard Cody Garcia tossing in the game-high 29 points.

Garcia was the offensive star for the home team, and its defense stymied the Sundevils. In the third quarter, a Garcia basket from beyond the arch brought a 46-26 lead heading into the final quarter. And while Espanola had no answer for the Demons D that forced 15 turnovers in three quarters. At halftime, Santa Fe held a 29-19 lead and began the second half on a 7-3 run that handily put the game away.

In a game at Robertson, the Cardinals won a tight one against Pojoaque Valley, 47-43, in the opener for both. It was sophomore guard leading the way for the home side with a team-high 13 points and senior forward Matt Valdez added six. Meanwhile, the Elks missed six free throws in a third quarter in which they scored only two points.

In West Las Vegas, the Dons opened with a 80-61 setback to Taos. The Tigers only led 35-32 at the half, but their offense went into gear after that with 10 3s, and Anthony Padilla tallied 17 of his team-high in the second half, with 14 coming in the final eight minutes as Taos opened a 58-46 lead and increased it until the final buzzer, but Dons’ D.J. Byron had the game-high 30 points, 18 in the first half.