District Preview - District 3-5A
With district action kicking off tonight for the big district down south, here's a preview of what to watch for.
PREDICTED FINISH
1st - Mayfield
2nd - Centennial
T-3rd - Onate
T-3rd - Deming
T-5th - Alamogordo
T-5th - Las Cruces
7th Gadsden
MAYFIELD LADY TROJANS
Head Coach: George Maya (21st season)
Current Record: 9-5
Current Ranking: No. 8 in 5A (Week 7)
Notable Wins: Eldorado, Hope Christian, Cleveland, Rio Rancho
Tough Losses: Hobbs, La Cueva, West Mesa, Carlsbad, Los Lunas (all top four teams)
Key Players: Alize Ruiz (Senior), Brenda Prieto (Senior), Laila Flores (Junior), Alyssa Madrid (Senior)
Rundown: In my opinion, Mayfield is the favorite to win this district. They don’t quite have the size they’ve had in the past, or at least in a scoring sense, but their rotation is one of the best and deepest in 5A. They run guard heavy lineups and have the mobility and shooting to be able to compete with almost any team in the state. Great defensive quickness and basketball instincts, this team is a right in the mix to host a first round game.
Ceiling/Floor: First place finish overall/Slip and stumble back into second place
Predicted Finish: First Place overall
CENTENNIAL LADY HAWKS
Head Coach: Louie Laborin (2nd season)
Current Record: 7-7
Current Ranking: No. 11 in 5A (Week 7)
Notable Wins: Los Lunas, Piedra Vista
Tough Losses: Eldorado, Rio Rancho (twice), Cleveland
Key Players: Jessica Rios (Junior), Dianne Hefner (Senior), Andreana Armendariz (Junior), Larissa Laborin (Freshman)
Rundown: Centennial is the “almost” team this season. They almost beat Rio Rancho on both occasions, and almost beat Cleveland at Cleveland. They’re a quality competitive team that has shown they can outplay teams for at least a half. But some poor finishes have cost them a few games that should be in the win column. For now, they’ll have a shot at redemption. They’re a long team with not a lot of speed, but good pace and play that competes with at least the mid-tier of 5A. If they can manage turnovers, and maintain grips on leads, then they’re surely the team to beat in District 3-5A.
Ceiling/Floor: First place overall / Slip to mess at third place
Predicted Finish: Second place overall
ONATE LADY KNIGHTS
Head Coach: Evelyn Reyes (3rd season)
Current Record: 7-6
Current Ranking: No. 13 in 5A (Week 7)
Notable Wins: Silver, Las Cruces
Tough Losses: at Sandia, Cleveland, La Cueva, Rio Rancho
Key Players: Estrella Avalos (Senior), Sydney Hobbs (Sophomore), Angel Jones (Sophomore)
Rundown: Onate is young but showed some potential at Academy’s tournament. They don’t quite have the big win yet (besides against LC), but they’re showing they’re on the rise with the talents of Hobbs and Jones. The key for them is defense. Their roster is not very deep, and they need Jones and Avalos on the floor for the offense. If they can stay ahead of teams in transition and keep their turnovers low, they’ll be right in the mix for possibly second place in the district.
Ceiling/Floor: Tied for second place / Fall to fifth place
Predicted Finish: Tied for third place
ALAMOGORDO LADY TIGERS
Head Coach: Manny Vigil (3rd season)
Current Record: 10-2
Current Ranking: No. 14 in 5A (Week 7)
Notable Wins: Tularosa, Navajo Prep, at Belen
Tough Losses: Piedra Vista, Los Lunas, Cibola
Key Players: Faith Silva (Senior), Breyanna Bickham (Senior), Justyse Martin (Sophomore), Calysta Jacob (Senior)
Rundown: Alamogordo is right in the “so-so” pack of the middle tier group. They just recently picked up a “bad” loss after a dismal performance against Los Lunas, they drop another to low-end tier Cibola. Now the Lady Tigers can change all that with their tough district full of teams right in the playoff picture. A few key wins here and there and they’ll be back in the talks at a playoff run. They’ve got the size and stellar play behind guard Faith Silva to make a run in district play. But they’ll need more than Silva to contribute on the offensive end to keep slow-paced teams at bay.
Ceiling/Floor: Third Place overall / Sixth place overall
Predicted Finish: Tied for fifth place
DEMING WILDCATS
Head Coach: Kimberly Garcia (1st season)
Current Record: 11-2
Current Ranking: No. 15 in 5A (Week 7)
Notable Wins: Penasco, Silver, at Artesia
Tough Losses: at Artesia
Key Players: Harmanie Dominguez (Freshman), Adriana Giron (Senior), Vanessa Garcia (Senior)
Rundown: Deming is off to one of their best starts in their program’s history. They’re actually on pace to a winning record not seen since Jerome Sandoval’s tenure as head coach. But that’s if they can play well against one of the best districts in 5A. Deming has one of the tallest rosters in the state and that includes their latest freshman sensation in 5’10” Harmanie Dominguez. The Lady Wildcats have a lot to prove especially against traditional regional powers like Mayfield and Las Cruces, and rising ones like Onate and Centennial. If the Lady Wildcats can maintain their level of play and dig deep into their roster, they’ll be looking to steal some games this district season.
Ceiling/Floor: Tied for second place / Could fall into a tie for sixth place.
Predicted Finish: Tied for third place
LAS CRUCES LADY BULLDAWGS
Head Coach: Matt Abney (14th season)
Current Record: 6-8
Current Ranking: No. 19 (Week 7)
Notable Wins: Manzano, Clovis, Espanola Valley
Tough Losses: Sandia, Piedra Vista, Onate
Key Players: Christina Aguayo (Junior), Jaci Powers (Freshman), Destiny Ortega (Destiny Ortega), Shooty Molinar (Junior), Alexia Gonzalez (Senior)
Rundown: Las Cruces graduated a wealth of talent that included all five starters from last season’s team. Now they’re in a bit of a rebuild (or reload) with eight juniors. One of those juniors, Christina Aguayo, has been stellar in trying to lead the inexperienced roster through a tough half of the season. Despite not picking up an upset over a top ranked team yet, the Lady Bulldawgs are still in the hunt for a playoff spot with their district having a number of highly ranked teams in Mayfield and Centennial. It won’t be easy for Las Cruces, but if they can get contributions on defense and offense from more than Aguayo, the Lady Bulldawgs could been punching a ticket to the big dance in March.
Ceiling/Floor: Third place finish / Sixth place finish
Predicted Finish: Tied for fifth place
GADSDEN LADY PANTHERS
Head Coach: Ana Valtierra (3rd season)
Current Record: 1-9
Current Ranking: Unranked (Outside Top-20 of 5A)
Notable Wins: Faith Christian (EP-TX)
Tough Losses: at Roswell, at Silver, at Hatch Valley, at Artesia
Key Players: Anabel Soto (Senior), Brianna Ramos (Senior), Anahi Llanez (Senior)
Rundown: Gadsden has a tough hill to climb. Despite their record, they’re technically not out of playoff contention yet with the automatic bid granted to the team who wins the district tournament. Still, Gadsden is facing some tough competition in their district. If they’re looking for a win, it might outside of their district play.
Ceiling/Floor: Maybe tie for fifth place/Seventh place.
Predicted Finish: Seventh place overall.