Schedule
Cleveland (12-1) at Atrisco Heritage (9-2), 7pm
Espanola Valley (10-3) at Del Norte (10-1), 7pm
Gallup (10-1) at Artesia (10-3), 6pm - Ruidoso HS
Melrose (13-0) vs Melrose (14-0) - 3:30pm - UNM The Pit
Las Cruces (13-0) at Roswell (10-2), 6pm
NMPreps.com's guide to the day in New Mexico high school basketball for the 2021 season. The season is down to three days, and for 1A hoops we have hit the final day. Nothing more I hate than the end of basketball.
No. 2 Melrose Buffaloes vs No. 1 Magdalena Steers
Skinny: If not for the Melrose Buffaloes taking on a juggernaut like Magdalena the storyline here would be the Buffaloes going for their fourth straight state championship. That's correct the Buffaloes and head coach Kevin Lackey are the current three-time state champ.
The attention however is on the overwhelming favorite in the Magdalena Steers. The Steers played for the 2A state championship last season before the reclassification placed them in 1A basketball. Magdalena has been blasting opponents this season by an average of 43 points.
Keep an eye today on junior Joren Mirabal who is currently averaging 29 points per game for the Magdalena Steers. This Steers team is likely to be back a year from now with the likes of D'Shaun VInyard and Kael Stephens sophomores are the only other Steers averaging double figures in scoring (13 & 12).
5A Final Four: Cleveland, Atrisco, Las Cruces, & Roswell
The northern Final Four between the top-ranked Cleveland Storm and Atrisco Heritage Jaguars (No. 4) will be one of the most-watched games of the week. This will be the third match-up between the teams who hail from district 1-5A. Cleveland took the first game 72-65 during the first week of April. Atrisco Heritage punched their ticket with a late run and 59-57 win over Cleveland last week.
What do we get tonight? The athleticism of 6-foot-3 Nathan Hasberry (2021) and 6-foot-6 Tre Watson (2021) with the sound play and shooting of Evan Gonzales (2021). All three are likely going to squeeze into the all-state, all-New Mexico, and all of our post-season awards lists.
Atrisco Heritage, the new guard high school or backcourt high, brings the sweet-shooting of Isaiah Brooks (2021) fresh off a 31-point showing in the opening round hitting 8-3pointers. However, any guard can go off and better watch for Javier Mendoza (2022), Chris Parra (2023), or Lorenzo Pacheco (2023). We are inclined to add that this year they also have an inside presence again with Colby Wade (2022) who is averaging around 12 points per contest.
Taking a quick look at the southern Final Four we have a first-time match-up between the 2-seed Roswell Coyotes playing host to the defending state champions and 3-seed Las Cruces Bulldawgs.
Who has the better duo? Roswell brings leading scorer Taymon Burrola (2021) into the contest after averaging 25 points per game and 4 assists. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard has only been getting better as of late scoring 95 points in the last three games (32 ppg). He partners up with Alonzo Acosta (2021) a 6-foot-2, three-year letterman, who leads the team in rebounds at 8.5 and a block a game.
On the other end, we have the Division-1 prospects, each holds an offer, in William Duece Benjamin (2022) and Isaiah Carr (2022). Benjamin is currently averaging 27 points per game and 6 assists per game. Carr, the 6-foot-11-forward, is a double-double guy with 15 points and 10 rebounds per contest along with 2.2 blocks.
4A Final Four: Espanola Valley, Del Norte, Gallup & Artesia
Taking place in Ruidoso, New Mexico is the Gallup Bengals (No. 4) taking the five-hour bus ride to take on the 2-seed Artesia Bulldogs. Gallup used a huge comeback during the opening round to overcome the Bernalillo Spartans.
Talented junior Joaquin Ortega led the surge for the Bengals. The Bengals played well on both ends of the ball as they forced turnovers in transition and also finished on the other end. The Artesia Bulldogs bring in their workhorse of a point guard in Johntae Rodriguez (2021) who had a great showing in the first round against Silver. This one will come in waves and the team that is able to knock down shots late in the game will come out with the dub.
Quitely this could be the game of the night. Del Norte is the 1-seed and brings super sophomore Shane Douma-Sanchez into the game. Douma-Sanchez is averaging 26 points per game and has consistently been one of the top players in the state. Espanola Valley proved doubters wrong in the first round with an opening-round 22 point win over Kirtland Central. The Sundevils are led behind Garrett May (2022) who is quietly climbing the charts.
NMPreps Numbers
Cleveland 63, Atrisco Heritage 61
Magdalena 73, Melrose 64
Del Norte 68, Espanola 60
Las Cruces 66, Roswell 65
Gallup 55, Artesia 49
Cleveland (12-1) at Atrisco Heritage (9-2), 7pm
Espanola Valley (10-3) at Del Norte (10-1), 7pm
Gallup (10-1) at Artesia (10-3), 6pm - Ruidoso HS
Melrose (13-0) vs Melrose (14-0) - 3:30pm - UNM The Pit
Las Cruces (13-0) at Roswell (10-2), 6pm
NMPreps.com's guide to the day in New Mexico high school basketball for the 2021 season. The season is down to three days, and for 1A hoops we have hit the final day. Nothing more I hate than the end of basketball.
No. 2 Melrose Buffaloes vs No. 1 Magdalena Steers
Skinny: If not for the Melrose Buffaloes taking on a juggernaut like Magdalena the storyline here would be the Buffaloes going for their fourth straight state championship. That's correct the Buffaloes and head coach Kevin Lackey are the current three-time state champ.
The attention however is on the overwhelming favorite in the Magdalena Steers. The Steers played for the 2A state championship last season before the reclassification placed them in 1A basketball. Magdalena has been blasting opponents this season by an average of 43 points.
Keep an eye today on junior Joren Mirabal who is currently averaging 29 points per game for the Magdalena Steers. This Steers team is likely to be back a year from now with the likes of D'Shaun VInyard and Kael Stephens sophomores are the only other Steers averaging double figures in scoring (13 & 12).
5A Final Four: Cleveland, Atrisco, Las Cruces, & Roswell
The northern Final Four between the top-ranked Cleveland Storm and Atrisco Heritage Jaguars (No. 4) will be one of the most-watched games of the week. This will be the third match-up between the teams who hail from district 1-5A. Cleveland took the first game 72-65 during the first week of April. Atrisco Heritage punched their ticket with a late run and 59-57 win over Cleveland last week.
What do we get tonight? The athleticism of 6-foot-3 Nathan Hasberry (2021) and 6-foot-6 Tre Watson (2021) with the sound play and shooting of Evan Gonzales (2021). All three are likely going to squeeze into the all-state, all-New Mexico, and all of our post-season awards lists.
Atrisco Heritage, the new guard high school or backcourt high, brings the sweet-shooting of Isaiah Brooks (2021) fresh off a 31-point showing in the opening round hitting 8-3pointers. However, any guard can go off and better watch for Javier Mendoza (2022), Chris Parra (2023), or Lorenzo Pacheco (2023). We are inclined to add that this year they also have an inside presence again with Colby Wade (2022) who is averaging around 12 points per contest.
Taking a quick look at the southern Final Four we have a first-time match-up between the 2-seed Roswell Coyotes playing host to the defending state champions and 3-seed Las Cruces Bulldawgs.
Who has the better duo? Roswell brings leading scorer Taymon Burrola (2021) into the contest after averaging 25 points per game and 4 assists. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard has only been getting better as of late scoring 95 points in the last three games (32 ppg). He partners up with Alonzo Acosta (2021) a 6-foot-2, three-year letterman, who leads the team in rebounds at 8.5 and a block a game.
On the other end, we have the Division-1 prospects, each holds an offer, in William Duece Benjamin (2022) and Isaiah Carr (2022). Benjamin is currently averaging 27 points per game and 6 assists per game. Carr, the 6-foot-11-forward, is a double-double guy with 15 points and 10 rebounds per contest along with 2.2 blocks.
4A Final Four: Espanola Valley, Del Norte, Gallup & Artesia
Taking place in Ruidoso, New Mexico is the Gallup Bengals (No. 4) taking the five-hour bus ride to take on the 2-seed Artesia Bulldogs. Gallup used a huge comeback during the opening round to overcome the Bernalillo Spartans.
Talented junior Joaquin Ortega led the surge for the Bengals. The Bengals played well on both ends of the ball as they forced turnovers in transition and also finished on the other end. The Artesia Bulldogs bring in their workhorse of a point guard in Johntae Rodriguez (2021) who had a great showing in the first round against Silver. This one will come in waves and the team that is able to knock down shots late in the game will come out with the dub.
Quitely this could be the game of the night. Del Norte is the 1-seed and brings super sophomore Shane Douma-Sanchez into the game. Douma-Sanchez is averaging 26 points per game and has consistently been one of the top players in the state. Espanola Valley proved doubters wrong in the first round with an opening-round 22 point win over Kirtland Central. The Sundevils are led behind Garrett May (2022) who is quietly climbing the charts.
NMPreps Numbers
Cleveland 63, Atrisco Heritage 61
Magdalena 73, Melrose 64
Del Norte 68, Espanola 60
Las Cruces 66, Roswell 65
Gallup 55, Artesia 49
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