Who is the best team you've seen?

Chargers, Raiders, Rams file for relocation to Los Angeles area; NFL owners to meet next week

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams filed for relocation to the Los Angeles area on Monday night, trying not to be left out in the race to return the NFL to the nation's second-largest market after a 21-year absence.

The Chargers want to partner with the AFC West rival Raiders on a stadium in Carson.

Chargers chairman Dean Spanos has had the right to leave San Diego since 2008, but the team's long, contentious efforts to replace aging Qualcomm Stadium became more aggressive after Rams owner Stan Kroenke announced plans to build a stadium in Inglewood.

The NFL confirmed it received the applications to move for the 2016 season. They will be reviewed by league staff and three committees of owners that will meet in New York on Wednesday and Thursday. All owners will meet in Houston next week and are expected to vote on whether to allow any of the teams to move. A team wanting to move needs 24 of 32 votes.

Los Angeles has been without the NFL since after the 1994 season, when the Raiders moved back to Oakland and the Rams moved to St. Louis. The Rams had been in the L.A. area since 1946.

The Chargers and City Hall have been at odds since 2000, when team owner Alex Spanos said the team needed a new stadium. That was just three years after the stadium was expanded to accommodate the Chargers and Super Bowls.

The stadium saga turned nasty this year as Mark Fabiani, an attorney for Dean Spanos, attacked Mayor Kevin Faulconer and his proposals to keep the team.

In a video posted on the team's web site, Dean Spanos blamed "the inability of the city at the political level to get any kind of public funding or any kind of vote to help subsidize a stadium."

The Chargers' filing came hours after Spanos' son, John, the team's president of football operations, thanked fans for "your unwavering support and passion" in a statement in which he expressed support for beleaguered coach Mike McCoy and general manager Tom Telesco. McCoy will return despite the Chargers going 4-12, their worst record in 12 seasons. Telesco had his contract secretly renewed last summer.

The Raiders and Rams were both 7-9.

The Chargers walked away from negotiations with the city and county in mid-June.

In the three brief negotiating sessions between the Chargers and city and county officials, the team mostly focused on what it called a flawed environmental impact report for a new stadium. The team did not negotiate finances, but it has said in the past that it expects a public contribution of at least 60 percent.

Under the city and county's proposal, public funding would be capped at 32 percent, with the team being responsible for overruns.

The Chargers claim 25 percent of their fan base comes from north of San Diego County, although they've declined to offer proof.

Oakland has expressed interest in building a new stadium for the Raiders at the Coliseum site but has no funding plan as of yet.

The Rams currently have a year-to-year lease with the Edward Jones Dome.

Kroenke has ignored efforts by a St. Louis task force that is proposing a $1.1 billion stadium along the Mississippi River, not far from the Rams' current stadium built in 1995.

"I shared with the team today, I've been through this experience before," Fisher said earlier Monday. "We have to take the approach and with the assumption that everything's taking place here in St. Louis until we're told otherwise."

Safety T.J. McDonald's father, Tim McDonald, was a rookie defensive back on the Cardinals in 1987 in their final year in St. Louis before owner Bill Bidwill moved the franchise to Phoenix.

"That's kind of crazy," said T.J. McDonald, who's rehabbing from shoulder surgery. "He's told me a lot of stories, too many to try to remember."

Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said the demands of the season kept it from being too big of a distraction.

read more
http://news.yahoo.com/chargers-file-relocation-los-angeles-033543273.html

4-Point Play: 6A Questions and Lessons Learned
Joshua J. Grine

We've seen a handful of 6A teams play this season and we still are shocked by things we shouldn't be surprised about in 2015-2016. The parity is high and we shake down what we have seen. Agree, disagree or agree to disagree.

THE OCHO: TOP-8 TEAMS (NOT SEEDS BUT MAYBE SEEDS)

In our opinion these are the 8-best teams in 6A. Plenty could change before March but to this point this is who we like.

1. Valley (6-2)
2. Cleveland (8-4)
3. Onate (9-3)
4. Rio Rancho (9-3)
5. Cibola (7-1)
6. Rio Grande (6-2)
7. Carlsbad (9-3)
8. Albuquerque (5-3)

Questions and Lessons
1. Albuquerque High (5-3): This team was a tale of two stories in the contest against Rio Rancho High. First half they slowed it down too much in my opinion. In the second half they let Gabe Bump and shooting guard Allonzo Armijo loose and it was a different story. These two need the ball in their hands in order for them to stay in the Top-8.

2. Carlsbad (9-3): The Cavemen suffered a big loss in McAlister out with the injury. They are struggling right now on the offensive side of the ball and him out might be the reason. Defensively they are one of the best but they lack the scorer they had in Smith last season. They are struggling and will struggle against quicker, guard orientated teams that can hit from the three.

3. Rio Rancho (9-3): We had to place them in here after seeing them three times. One thing that is certain is they have talent. The other thing is they are still a team growing with the season. They are young, start three juniors and two sophomores, and return three varsity experienced players from the Final Four last season. I wouldn't sell on this team.

FIRST ROUND

at Del Norte - Tuesday - January 5th
#1 Albuquerque High vs #16 Del Norte 5:30
#8 Hope vs #9 Eldorado 7:15

at Cibola - Tuesday - January 5th
#5 Rio Rancho vs #12 West Mesa 5:30
#4 Cibola vs #13 Atrisco Heritage Academy 7:15

at Rio Grande - Tuesday - January 5th
#3 Valley vs. #14 Manzano 5:30
#6 Rio Grande vs #11 Sandia 7:15

at La Cueva - Tuesday - January 5th
#7 Volcano Vista vs #10 La Cueva 5:30
#2 Cleveland vs #15 Highland 7:15

Week 8: What To Watch. Time to Make Separation
Joshua J. Grine

5 GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK

Game of the Week: No. 2 Onate vs No. 11 Carlsbad - You will find Carlsbad on this list twice but this might be the contest you want to see in a tough week for the Cavemen. Both play similar styles of basketball and could create a match up for the argument of No. 1 overall player in the state between Johnny McCants the athletic forward and Brenden Boatwright the skilled, back to the basket big man with nice footwork.

Top-25 Battle: No. 8 Roswell (8-1) vs No. 11 Carlsbad (9-3): This regional battle could be one of the bigger games to this point in the season as two of the best teams in the state will square off. It's a tale of two sides as the high-scoring Coyotes of Roswell take on the inside game of the Cavemen of Carlsbad. Roswell might struggle with the pace of the Cavemen but in return the Cavemen might find it difficult to handle the full court pressure lacking the guards.

Game We Are Intrigued with: No. 22 Atrisco Heritage (5-4) vs No. 3 Cibola (7-1) - The Jaguars dropped an earlier contest against Cibola but the Cougars who have been in the den for some time might have troubles with a hot Jaguars team this week. A win here could elevate some question marks on how good the Jaguars actually are along with how good Cibola is beating a team twice.

Testament Game: No. 13 Rio Grande (6-2) vs No. 16 Sandia (2-4): Both teams have some dust to knock off and one has some resume building to go. Sandia might struggle as they are having issues on the offensive side of the ball this season barely over 50 points per contest while Rio Grande is putting in nearly 67 a contest. However, Sandia might provide issues with the front court play, I just think Rio Grande's backcourt might deem to difficult for the Matadors.

Bubble Game: No. 17 Volcano Vista (4-3) vs No. 19 La Cueva (2-5): Both teams are likely going to avoid a bubble pop but this game could play into the seeding committees criteria. Either team could find itself on the outside if they fall in district and dropping a game like this might play into consideration later down the line. Neither playing well as La Cueva has dropped the last three and Volcano Vista losing it's last two.

Kirtland Central vs Laguna-Acoma, at LAHS, 4p.m: Monday: The Laguna-Acoma Hawks (9-3) are one of the top small school division teams and a program that has yet to lose a home game in years. The Kirtland Central Broncos (2-8) might be the flop 4A team this season and are needing any win to save their season and playoff hopes. Laguna-Acoma averaging 66.2 points per contest plays into the Broncos troubles as they are not putting up many points and allowing far too many at 63 per game.
The Line: Laguna-Acoma -12

OTHERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

Tuesday, Valencia vs Bernalilllo: 5A Bubble Game
Thursday, Sandia Prep vs. Kirtland Central: This could be the final straw for the Broncos.
Thursday, Ruidoso vs Santa Fe Indian: Who's in the 4A playoffs?
Thursday, Santa Fe vs Espanola Valley: Neither could truly afford a loss, especially Santa Fe High.
Thursday, Capital vs Moriarty: Trap game, maybe? Pintos height might play into this one.
Friday, Piedra Vista vs Bernalillo: Bubble Action in 5A, Bernalillo the second time this week.
Saturday, Hobbs vs Mayfield: Who's willing to miss the playoffs or is Hobbs okay?

NMPreps.com Mr. Basketball Eye Ball

McCants vs Boatwright: Carlsbad and Onate square off putting two players not only searching for the award but who is the best player in the state?

Daniel Amador, Roswell: Amador has been playing phenomenal lately and this could be his chance to solidify himself as a final candidate for the award.

Jake Flaming, Moriarty: A name we used to hear a lot but has since faded. He could have a welcome back party with a big showing against the second ranked Jaguars in 5A.

What are they?

For strength?

For Explosiveness?

For Speed?

For Agility?

For Weight Gain?

Which Current Seniors Should Have Offers That Don't?

4A Review: Hope Has Company
Joshua J. Grine

We continue our review of the 2015-2016 season up to this point into the season before we head into the new year.

Today, we take a look at 4A basketball, our prediction and what if...

THE FOUR IN 4A: FINAL FOUR PREDICTIONS

We look at our favorites for the Final Four in our mid-season locks. Most teams are 12-games in and half the way done.

Hope Christian (8-1): The Huskies of Hope looked like they might have taken a tiny step back opening the door for other contenders. Well, that assertion couldn't be more wrong. On our second view of Hope this team is like the others in program history - darn good. They handled 6A Albuquerque High and 5A Espanola Valley both Top-25 teams.

Robertson (7-2): The Cardinals of Robertson couldn't have had a better week after winning the 62nd Stu Clark Invite. The issue, and we use that loosely, is that they could get beat up or battle tested in arguably the top district in 4A basketball.

West Las Vegas (9-1): The Dons have the player we all know and one of the top coaches in 4A basketball. DJ Bustos, the junior, who is next level ready will have the Dons playing far into March this season. Same question as above as the Dons play in the same district as Robertson.

Silver (5-4): It was a difficult choice but what's not to like about the Colts? They have a coach who has built a winning program and the talent to make the run. Surely it all comes down to where they get placed by the committee but this team is coming off a win over 5A St. Pius X.

ODD TEAMS OUT: NEXT BEST TWO

Pojoaque Valley (9-3): The Elks have been an early favorite but maybe this Elks squad could have hit the top of the roller coaster, too early? I still really like this team and junior James Garcia but might be the third wheel on the date with West and Robertson. We say this all after down showing at the Village of Los Lunas Tournament going 1-2.

Portales (5-3): The Rams still have one of the best big men in 4A basketball - that argument with Hope big man (but we will get to that) - and one of the coaches who has put his own twist on this program. The Rams are well coached but unlike the Robertson, West question the Rams won't be battle tested in District play.

4A PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MID-SEASON): Jordan Leake, Hope Christian

Leake, is athletic, talented and has the tools to be a next level player and his 27-point performance was impressive against the Albuquerque High Bulldogs. It's hard to go against the grain and pick someone outside of the Hope program but right now he is the pick.

ALL-NMPreps.com 4A Team

Jordan Leake, Hope
DJ Bustos, West Las Vegas
Sebastian Gonzales, Robertson
Caleb Meyer-Hagen, Hope
James Garcia, Pojoaque Valley

3-POINTER: THREE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED

1. The Dynasty Is Stronger Than Ever... We questioned Hope early after our first eye ball test but they proved that wrong as they were just getting the engine started to another title bid season.

2. The Other Dynasty Is Might Be Down... The Huskies of Hope have battled St. Mike's for the past several years but after a 2-5 start to the season it might seem to be on the outside looking in once again. If we've learned one thing though, records don't mean s..anything when you have a hall of fame coach. Look at their schedule, its difficult with the likes of Espanola, Capital and Gadsden, all Top-25 teams. They could just be getting tested before the run.

3. Picking the Northwest Is Like Buying a Lottery Ticket... We initially picked Bloomfield, thought maybe Kirtland Central after the season they had in 2015 but now maybe the favorite is Wingate. However, can you ever count out the program Chester Atcitty has built at Shiprock? Maybe what we've learned is that we don't know what dark horse will come out of 1-4A.

RECORDS: DON'T PAINT THE PICTURE

St. Mike's (2-5): We hit on this above and stick to that statement, the Horsemen have played a difficult slate of games. This team will likely play for another District title and be playing into the Final Four come March. We won't see the full story until dates with other 4A programs.

Shiprock (3-5): Only 8-games into the season the Chieftains could be another team like St. Mike's that we won't see the entire picture until District play. They missed out on three (difficult) games as the Clovis tournament was cancelled. Don't sell just yet on them, they have a solid program in the four corners.

BUBBLY: AFTER TEN WHO IS LEFT?

The Bubble is a little more clear in 4A, unlike 6A or 5A, but for argument sake let's take a view.

Locks Today (or Predicted Top-10): Hope, Robertson, West, Silver, Pojoaque, Portales, Wingate, Bloomfield, Taos, St. Mikes)

Seeds 11-16
11. Shiprock (3-5): I believe we have mentioned why a pair of times.
12. Sandia Prep (4-6): No way they miss the tournament in back-to-back years. Gaddis is too good.
13. Hatch Valley (6-6): Did lose to Socorro but the Bears are only getting their Jordans laced from their cleats.
14. Kirtland Central (2-8): Maybe should have been in the better than their record shows conversation. Being generous here (maybe). Can't afford anymore losses.
15. Santa Fe Indian (5-6): Need to get a win over top three in district, just one at home. They have a bubble win over Socorro that helps if the Warriors go to 3rd.
16. Ruidoso (2-7): Will this district get two teams in this season? They do have wins over Cobre and Hot Springs. Dates to look for: Hatch Valley (1/12), Santa Fe Indian (1/7), and maybe a quality showing against Pojoaque Valley (1/23).

Grant Hermanns a 6-foot-7, 265 pound offensive tackle out of Rio Rancho added offers from Air Force and Hawaii recently. He'll take an official visit to Hawaii on January 15th and will also take an official visit to Nevada on January 22nd. Hermanns will also be visiting TCU, Baylor, and Texas in mid-January.

Recruiting Profile
http://sports.yahoo.com/nmpreps/football/recruiting/player-Grant-Hermanns-173579

De-committed from Iowa State in December
https://nmpreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1834488

Full list of committed New Mexico Football Players
https://nmpreps.forums.rivals.com/threads/scholarship-offer-list-updated-december-29th-2015.8277/

Hudl
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Each week the team at NMPreps.com creates the All-NMPreps.com Team with the top performances of the past week. Please continue to post top performers right here on NMPreps.com!

1st Team

Kristyn Archuleta - Alamogordo - 30pts 13 rebounds vs Atrisco

Kaityln Romero - Espanola - Scored 24 against Robertson

Jayden Perez - Las Cruces - scored 23 against El Paso Coronado

Kambrey Blakley - Portales - Scored 21 against Tascosa TX

Grace Olson - Aztec - Scored 16 against Garden Grove CA

Clarissa Fite - Eunice - Scored 19, 13 boards, and 10 blocks against Estancia

Cassie Vikery - Tularosa - Scored 29 against Laguna


2nd Team

Myra McCaskill - Aztec - Scored 12 against Garden Grove CA

Teya Morris - Clovis - Scored 18 against Caprock TX

Destiny Williams - Atrisco Heritage - Scored 17 against Alamogordo

Jayce Gorzeman - Mayfield - Scored 19 against Centennial

Kendra Butler - Mayfield - Scored 15 against Centennial

Shania Gililland - Tularosa - 11 points, 6 reb, 6 assists against Laguna

Sarah Abney - Las Cruces - Scored 12 against Rio Rancho

The Los Luna's Tigers have also won a few tournaments and are very strong. They will dual Belen on Jan 6.
Looking forward to this great matchup.

Coaching: How Do You Teach Leadership?

Week 7: 13 Things We Learned in Week 7
Joshua J. Grine

Plenty of games were cancelled across the state of New Mexico during week seven but we still had several teams in action. We continue to try and make sense of the rankings and state of New Mexico.

1. Atrisco Heritage Making Their Case In a Crowded District

The Jaguars are making believers and catching our attention with their recently released Top-25 vote (NMPreps.com Top-25 Rankings for Week 8). However, many think we still need more to find out on the Jaguars. Right now they are 2-5 against current Top-25 teams (3-5 if you count Los Lunas who was ranked last week) and La Cueva is under .500 right now. The verdict is still out for the Jaguars and they could make it interesting in 5-6A with four teams in the Top-25 now. The Jaguars extend their win streak to 5-games as they prepare for a first round match-up with No. 3 Cibola in the Albuquerque Metro Championships.

2. Cardinals Contenders or Playing for Second?

The question has been asked - are they 'good' enough to beat the rulers of 4A basketball in Hope Christian? Well, that we will have to wait until March but right now why can't we say yes? The Cardinals have been impressive and on the rise for the last three years. They are ranked for the first time in program history (enter at No. 23 on the Week 8 NMPreps.com Rankings). They have veteran play, a transfer that has put them a leg ahead and could be the team we see at noon on that Saturday morning. Did anyone predict Pojoaque Valley to do the unthinkable in 2007?

3. H-mmm in 2A Hoops Right now.

So it could be a toss up in 2A hoops with the three M's making us go hmmm. Magdalena has the win streak at 39-games (8-0 this season), Mora has an impressive resume of their own and Melrose bringing their own roster loaded with talent. The three will make it interest come March and for good reason as this season it could create more excitement for the fans at the Star Center.

THE LEFTOVER AWARDS

4. Hall Pass (Impressive Player): Jeremy Anaya, Capital - The guard from Capital has played well as the Robin to Batman on Capital but it was his game to shine. As more teams focus on Eric Coca, Anaya will have his time to shine. He did outstanding putting in 22-points on the road at Lovington in a win.

5. Free Lunch Ticket (On the Rise Player): Estevan Martinez, Atrisco - Martinez has quietly been putting up big numbers or the streaking Jaguars and has them ranked in the Top-25 for the first time this season. 19-points in the win over Alamogordo for the Village of Los Lunas Championship.

6. Homework Pass (Consistently on the Rise): Juan Hurt, Rio Rancho - If he is not on top of the list already the junior had another impressive week capped off by a 24-point performance in the third place game against top ranked Albuquerque High.

7. Parking Spot (Top Coach): Paul Corley, Farmington - We started to reconsider on the early pick on the Scorpions but currently on a 5-game winning streak (10-2 on the season, the Scorpions are back on the rise. Ranked 21st in the state Farmington could be on their way to another solid season.

8. District Car (Coach on the Rise): Mike Kluk, Los Alamos - Los Alamos has been terrible for the last several years but Kluk will admit they have a way to go before they return to the state tournament but a win over a quality 4A program in Taos has our eye on the 4-5 Hilltoppers. In fact the 'Toppers have doubled their win total from a season ago.

EXTRA JUMPERS: QUESTIONS

9. Is Bernalillo tournament worthy after their second place finish at the Stu Clark and playing Gallup close? Might be premature at the moment as they struggled out the gate but as of late the Spartans seem to be improving greatly.

10. Should Centennial at 7-3 have more love for the Final Four? Trending toward another District title or favorites for that matter the Hawks do have a win over Roswell. This team has a four headed monster in the making.

11. Who can't afford anymore losses like that? St. Pius X has the wins on their resume but the stomping that they received from Roswell (72-43) might move them to a road game if they can't win their district.

12. Los Lunas remains a puzzle for the rankings and picking as a potential Final Four team. A couple weeks back I liked them in the Top-5 and hosting a home game for the state tournament. The 'junior' Tigers, leading players are juniors, have been soul searching going 1-2 over the week.

13. Prediction: Hope will play for the 4A Title. Not the "wow" factor as we all have this predicted but the Huskies are that good and Leake/Meyer-Hagen combo is impressive.

SUNDAY
The Week That Was - Week Recap

MONDAY
Weekly Rankings
Week Awards - Player of the Week, Coach of the Week
All-NMPreps.com Team

TUESDAY
What to Watch This Week: Top 10 Games
Top Prospects Report

WEDNESDAY
Recapping Tuesday
Tournament Watch

THURSDAY
Top Prospect Report
Feature - Grine Feature

FRIDAY
Recapping Thursday
Weekend Movement

SATURDAY
Recapping Friday

Who is on your Midseason All-State Team?

If you watched the Denver Bronco game yesterday you might have notice NM High School HC from Hobbs on the Denver Sidelines. One shot showed him standing next to Peyton Manning.

Does anybody have the bracket ?

Regardless of class?.

What you got?

Beat Rio Rancho 44-31

Very impressive!

Who has the most to prove in January?

Tuesday night

Goddard 75, Hobbs 73 final

Has Goddard ever won at Tasker before?

Praise God for on this day a savior is born!

Raul Diaz named head coach at Silver. Was interm when Branson stepped down.

Should home school students/athletes be allowed to participate in public schools sports programs?

Thoughts On Specializing in one sport?

What are both pros and cons?

What sports seem to be year round these days?