2nd-seeded Panthers home tonight in the quarterfinals against Hagerman

After being assistant boys basketball coach under Ira Harge and becoming accustomed to winning state champions, Arthur Gonzales now has a shot at winning the program’s sixth state title.

The talent they had, small but full of team play and confidence, brought four-straight hoisting of the blue trophy championship, one in 3A and three in 2A, Harge resigned after the 2019-2000 season, having to leave his gifted champions that filled the gymnasium at every home game only because his full-time job as a computer analyzes was no longer full time.

Thus, the popular Harge traded it as first the athletic director at Espanola Valley and now has the same role at Escalante.

So Gonzales is now in charge as 2nd-seeded Pecos sports a 22-6 overall record after cruising to a 6-0 District 6-2A mark, and has won 10 in a row as it plays host tonight against 7th-seeded Hagerman (20-3) in the quarterfinals.

A win will place the Panthers in the semifinals Friday versus the 6th-seeded Jal at 3rd-seeded Rehoboth Christian winner at the Rio Rancho Events Center. It’s a class that has advanced the top eight seeds to the quarters.

The other quarterfinals has 5th-seeded Albuquerque Menaul (20-4) at 4th-seeded Escalante and No. 1 seeded Tularosa (25-2) home to 8th-seeded Estancia (20-5).The finals are at the University of New Mexico Pit Saturday at 8 a.m.

Gonzales has slightly more size on his roster then the recent previous teams. He has 5-foot-11 junior guard Jodaiah Padilla, who was a key reserve on the teams that started his 6-2 brother Xavier. There’s also 6-1 junior forward Gabriel Montoya, 6-1 senior center Isaiah Sandoval, and 6-3 junior center Jonathan Lopez-Vialpanido,

At one point, Pecos lost four-straight, but followed that with the current win streak and victorious in 18 of its last 19 starts. The lineup has nine juniors, two seniors, two sophomores, and one freshman.

Hagerman didn’t play the tough schedule as the Panthers did, winning its first 12 starts against a soft slate, and playing at Pecos will already be a decided drawback.