SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Pecos in 2A, St. Michael’s in 3A, Albuquerque Academy in 4A and Rio Rancho Cleveland in 5A are currently their respective top of the heap boys teams as the stretch run winds down to the state tournament.
The Panthers, still with memories of four straight state championships, are 21-3 and ahead of the pack that includes district rival Santa Rosa (18-6), Academy of Technology and The Classics (18-6), Albuquerque Menaul (17-7), Escalante (16-7), Jal (16-8) Lordsburg (14-8), Tularosa (14-9) and Rehoboth (14-9).
That rounds out the top 10 in 2A, with six other teams above or at .500. That’s from a total of 29 teams in that class.
In 3A, red-hot St. Michael’s, riding a 15-game win streak, is at 20-4, with Navajo Prep (22-2) winners of 12 in a row.
What follows is Robertson (20-4), in second place in District 2 behind the Horsemen, Crownpoint (19-6), Santa Fe Indian School (16-8), Hot Springs (15-8), Tohatchi (16-9), which has won its last three, Ruidoso (12-9), Albuquerque Sandia Prep (13-10), winners of its last seven, and West Las Vegas (13-11).
That’s the present top 10 in 3A, a class of 28 teams, and with a bunch below .500 in trying to land the final spots.
In 4A, Albuquerque Academy is 21-3 and leads this class of 32 teams. Right behind is Albuquerque Highland (18-6), Albuquerque Hope Christian (16-9), Gallup (17-7), Kirtland Central (17-7), Albuquerque St. Pius X (15-8), Portales (15-9), Albuquerque Del Norte (13-10), Taos (14-10), and Deming (15-9).
That’s the current top 10 here. Others in quest of the remaining berths are Silver (14-9), Pojoaque Valley (14-10), Lovington (12-10), Albuquerque Valley (11-12), and Valencia (11-13).
In 5A, there’s Rio Rancho Cleveland ahead of the 30-team class at 14-1 and on a 5-game win streak. Also up there are Albuquerque Volcano Vista (15-2), Rio Rancho (15-3), Las Cruces (14-1), Alamogordo (10-2), Albuquerque Eldorado (10-2), Albuquerque Sandia (9-2), Albuquerque La Cueva (8-2), Roswell (10-3), and Los Lunas (11-2).
That’s the top 10 in 5A. On the bubble teams are Carlsbad, Hobbs, Mayfield, Albuquerque High, Capital and Santa Fe High.
