By Taylor Morrow of NMPreps.com
Today we continue our 2014/2015 New Mexico High School Basketball Preview of the 5A Girls Scene. Who will make a run this year?
St. Pius X (Albuquerque, NM) was upset by 6-seed Valencia (Los Lunas, NM) in the 4A quarterfinals last year. The Sartans will look to bounce back as possibly the best team in 5A, as they return junior point guard Natalie Zamora. Zamora averaged a team-high 20 points per game last season. St. Pius X also returns junior Juliana Gurule and senior Emily Dieterichs.
Los Lunas will miss 6-2 Teige Zeller (18.8 ppg and 12.8 rpg last season), but return junior standout Jordan Holland (8.2 ppg), senior Elise Tapia, and junior Cera Chavez. The Tigers should return another team capable of making a deep state championship run. Meanwhile, fellow District X foe and cross-town rival Valencia (Los Lunas, NM) lose three seniors to graduation.
They reached the 4A semifinals last year and will be looking for another deep state tournament run come March.
Gallup returns 6-1 junior Ni'asia McIntosh on a team that reached the state semifinals last season. McIntosh is one of the top players in the 5A classification. Coach Kamau Turner's squad will also return Rachelle Blackout and Cheyenne Livingston.
Espanola Valley will greatly miss Ashlynn Trujillo (20 ppg), who is transferring to Los Alamos as her father takes over the head coaching position in Los Alamos. The Sundevils will still provide a strong District 2 team behind sophomore Alexis Lovato (13.1 ppg) along with juniors Kaitlyn Romero and Kayla Salazar.
Roswell fell to Santa Fe High in the 4A quarterfinals, but return all but four players from last year's team. Priscilla Lucero, Gali Sanchez, and 5-10 Georgia Eldridge will look to step things up this season. New 5A and District 4 member Lovington (24-5 last season) will look to make strides in their new classification. The Wildcats return senior Kylee Cunningham and junior Kenzie White, who will look to challenge Roswell for a District 4 title immediately.
District Outlook
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District 1 - Four Corners/Gallup Areas
Piedra Vista (Farmington, NM) lose seven seniors from last year's squad, but they return 5-11 standout Sara Olsen. They could very likely earn a top ten seed this year…Farmington High lose Amber Herbert, but they will return several key juniors that played substantial minutes as sophomores last season. …Miyamura (Gallup, NM) lose Preseligh Smiley (18.2 ppg), and will look to seniors Amber Antez and Amanda Paywa for leadership this season…Aztec only won five games last season, but return 5-10 sophomore Kamrynn Phelps and 5-9 senior Mikayla Paxton…
District 2 - Northern NM/Albuquerque Area
Los Alamos will miss McKenzie Logan and Kiana Zerr. The Hilltoppers return a strong team with junior Jordan Duran, senior Amber Logan, and junior Makaela Jones returning. The big splash comes in landing Espanola Valley transfer, Ashlynn Trujillo (20 ppg), who is the daughter of first-year coach Nestor Trujillo …Capital (Santa Fe, NM) graduated Selena Gonzales, and will look to sophomore Gabby Ortiz and senior Julie Gandara for leadership this season…Bernalillo went 9-19 last season. The Spartans their top two leading scorers from last season in Alleah Candelaria (14.4 ppg) and Rachel Darnell (12.9 ppg) …Del Norte (Albuquerque, NM) lose three seniors, but return several key players from last season's 15-12 season. The Knights will to 5-11 sophomore Alicia Arms and 5-10 senior Vanessa Sandoval to provide some size…
District 3 - Los Lunas Area/Southern NM
Belen just missed being .500 last season, and will return standouts Mariah Ford and Kaylyn Gomez. Look for them to compete for a top ten seed this season.Centennial (Las Cruces, NM) lose S Hernandez (10.3 ppg), but return solid sophomore R Meloy, who averaged 9.9 points per game during her freshman campaign. They also return Ana Jaquez and Talia Jimenez. Last season's 10-seed will look to compete for a District 3 title and earn another playoff berth…Santa Theresa lose leading scorer C Herrick (10.5 ppg), but will return seniors Ashley Lake and Brittany Gonzales…Chaparral only won five games last season and lose leading scorers Daisy Ybarra (13.2 ppg) and Marilyn Monroy (11.5 ppg)…
District 4 - Eastern NM
Artesia lose three key players in Anna Gonzales (10.7 ppg), Alexis Aguirre (10.5 ppg), and Madison Willingham (10.2 ppg). The Bulldogs will look to senior Madison Houghtaling to lead the way this season…Goddard (Roswell, NM) was extremely young last season, as they only had two seniors on the roster. …
District 5 - Albuquerque Area/Grants
Albuquerque Academy had a rough 2013-14 season. They return junior Arynn Gallegos and 6-0 sophomore Sophie Long …Moriarty only lost one senior and returns several young players…Grants will miss Jami Stverak (10.2 ppg) and Brianna Fank (8.5 ppg. They will look to junior H Hall and sophomore Destiny Chavez along with seniors Shaundeen Cata and Eileen Kugler for scoring this season…
This post was edited on 11/18 8:07 AM by Kyle H
Today we continue our 2014/2015 New Mexico High School Basketball Preview of the 5A Girls Scene. Who will make a run this year?
St. Pius X (Albuquerque, NM) was upset by 6-seed Valencia (Los Lunas, NM) in the 4A quarterfinals last year. The Sartans will look to bounce back as possibly the best team in 5A, as they return junior point guard Natalie Zamora. Zamora averaged a team-high 20 points per game last season. St. Pius X also returns junior Juliana Gurule and senior Emily Dieterichs.
Los Lunas will miss 6-2 Teige Zeller (18.8 ppg and 12.8 rpg last season), but return junior standout Jordan Holland (8.2 ppg), senior Elise Tapia, and junior Cera Chavez. The Tigers should return another team capable of making a deep state championship run. Meanwhile, fellow District X foe and cross-town rival Valencia (Los Lunas, NM) lose three seniors to graduation.
They reached the 4A semifinals last year and will be looking for another deep state tournament run come March.
Gallup returns 6-1 junior Ni'asia McIntosh on a team that reached the state semifinals last season. McIntosh is one of the top players in the 5A classification. Coach Kamau Turner's squad will also return Rachelle Blackout and Cheyenne Livingston.
Espanola Valley will greatly miss Ashlynn Trujillo (20 ppg), who is transferring to Los Alamos as her father takes over the head coaching position in Los Alamos. The Sundevils will still provide a strong District 2 team behind sophomore Alexis Lovato (13.1 ppg) along with juniors Kaitlyn Romero and Kayla Salazar.
Roswell fell to Santa Fe High in the 4A quarterfinals, but return all but four players from last year's team. Priscilla Lucero, Gali Sanchez, and 5-10 Georgia Eldridge will look to step things up this season. New 5A and District 4 member Lovington (24-5 last season) will look to make strides in their new classification. The Wildcats return senior Kylee Cunningham and junior Kenzie White, who will look to challenge Roswell for a District 4 title immediately.
District Outlook
[/B]
District 1 - Four Corners/Gallup Areas
Piedra Vista (Farmington, NM) lose seven seniors from last year's squad, but they return 5-11 standout Sara Olsen. They could very likely earn a top ten seed this year…Farmington High lose Amber Herbert, but they will return several key juniors that played substantial minutes as sophomores last season. …Miyamura (Gallup, NM) lose Preseligh Smiley (18.2 ppg), and will look to seniors Amber Antez and Amanda Paywa for leadership this season…Aztec only won five games last season, but return 5-10 sophomore Kamrynn Phelps and 5-9 senior Mikayla Paxton…
District 2 - Northern NM/Albuquerque Area
Los Alamos will miss McKenzie Logan and Kiana Zerr. The Hilltoppers return a strong team with junior Jordan Duran, senior Amber Logan, and junior Makaela Jones returning. The big splash comes in landing Espanola Valley transfer, Ashlynn Trujillo (20 ppg), who is the daughter of first-year coach Nestor Trujillo …Capital (Santa Fe, NM) graduated Selena Gonzales, and will look to sophomore Gabby Ortiz and senior Julie Gandara for leadership this season…Bernalillo went 9-19 last season. The Spartans their top two leading scorers from last season in Alleah Candelaria (14.4 ppg) and Rachel Darnell (12.9 ppg) …Del Norte (Albuquerque, NM) lose three seniors, but return several key players from last season's 15-12 season. The Knights will to 5-11 sophomore Alicia Arms and 5-10 senior Vanessa Sandoval to provide some size…
District 3 - Los Lunas Area/Southern NM
Belen just missed being .500 last season, and will return standouts Mariah Ford and Kaylyn Gomez. Look for them to compete for a top ten seed this season.Centennial (Las Cruces, NM) lose S Hernandez (10.3 ppg), but return solid sophomore R Meloy, who averaged 9.9 points per game during her freshman campaign. They also return Ana Jaquez and Talia Jimenez. Last season's 10-seed will look to compete for a District 3 title and earn another playoff berth…Santa Theresa lose leading scorer C Herrick (10.5 ppg), but will return seniors Ashley Lake and Brittany Gonzales…Chaparral only won five games last season and lose leading scorers Daisy Ybarra (13.2 ppg) and Marilyn Monroy (11.5 ppg)…
District 4 - Eastern NM
Artesia lose three key players in Anna Gonzales (10.7 ppg), Alexis Aguirre (10.5 ppg), and Madison Willingham (10.2 ppg). The Bulldogs will look to senior Madison Houghtaling to lead the way this season…Goddard (Roswell, NM) was extremely young last season, as they only had two seniors on the roster. …
District 5 - Albuquerque Area/Grants
Albuquerque Academy had a rough 2013-14 season. They return junior Arynn Gallegos and 6-0 sophomore Sophie Long …Moriarty only lost one senior and returns several young players…Grants will miss Jami Stverak (10.2 ppg) and Brianna Fank (8.5 ppg. They will look to junior H Hall and sophomore Destiny Chavez along with seniors Shaundeen Cata and Eileen Kugler for scoring this season…
This post was edited on 11/18 8:07 AM by Kyle H
