Hoehne girls, Springer boys continue winning streaks on the court
by Ruth Stodghill
With just a few short weeks remaining in the regular season, even another blast of winter weather couldn’t stop the action on the court and mat last week.
Girls Basketball
Hoehne
The 9-2 Hoehne Lady Farmers hosted the 1-10 Swallows Charter Academy Lady Trojans on Jan. 25. It was a 67-6 blowout win for the Lady Farmers, whose full-court press couldn’t be answered by the Lady Trojans. Senior Janae Ramos continued to lead her team with 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Braylee Foster was right on her heels with 11 points and seven rebounds of her own. Other top scorers included sophomore Isabella Chacon with nine points and junior Alessa Cantoria with seven.
With a 10-2 season record and 7-0 in conference play, the Lady Farmers are currently ranked first in the 3A/2A Santa Fe League and fifth in the state in Class 2A girls basketball.
HOEHNE -V- SWALLOWS CHARTER ACADEMY
Jan. 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
SCA 0 3 2 1 6
Hoehne 25 16 15 11 67
Trinidad
The 8-4 Trinidad Lady Miners had two games on the docket last week, starting on Jan. 25 with a matchup on the road against the 9-2 Las Animas Lady Trojans. Trinidad was able to match Las Animas’s momentum in the first half of the game, but fell behind in the second, leading to a 31-21 loss for the Lady Miners. Senior Layla Maes led Trinidad in scoring with 10 points, while freshman Maya Morales picked up 10 rebounds and two steals.
The Trinidad team finished out the week back on their home turf, hosting the 3-5 Crested Butte Lady Titans on Jan. 27. It was a tight game, with the Lady Miners up 27-26 at the end of the third quarter, but a push in the final quarter by the Lady Titans left Trinidad with a 37-34 loss.
TRINIDAD -V- LAS ANIMAS
Jan. 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Trinidad 8 2 5 6 21
Las Animas 8 4 9 10 31
TRINIDAD -V- CRESTED BUTTE
Jan. 27 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Crested Butte 10 8 8 11 37
Trinidad 9 8 10 7 34
Primero
It was a home game for the 5-6 Primero Lady Bulldogs on Jan. 25 when they hosted the 5-6 Holly Lady Wildcats. It was a nailbiter, with Primero up 30-26 at the half. A big push in the third quarter by Holly had the Lady Bulldogs scrambling to regain the lead in the fourth, but Primero came up short, falling 50-48. Despite the loss, sophomore Isabela Maldonado put on a strong performance with 19 points and 15 rebounds during the game. Freshman Aimee Mincic was good for another 11 points.
PRIMERO -V-HOLLY
Jan. 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Holly 12 14 17 7 50
Primero 13 17 7 11 48
Kim/Branson
It was a hectic week for the 5-4 Kim/Branson Lady Mustangs, who started the basketball action on Jan. 23 on the road with a matchup against the 5-4 Cheraw Lady Wolverines. Cheraw’s defense was strong, denying Kim/Branson any scoring opportunities in the second quarter, resulting in a 33-17 defeat for the Lady Mustangs.
On Jan. 26, the Lady Mustangs hosted the 2-8 Walsh Lady Eagles in a conference game. Walsh jumped to an early lead, but Kim/Branson battled back in the second quarter, leading 16-11 at the half. The Lady Eagles managed to tie up the game by the end of the third quarter, but the Lady Mustangs clawed their way back to a 28-24 victory.
The Kim/Branson team finished out the week on Jan. 27 when they traveled to play against the 8-4 Eads Lady Eagles. Eads dominated offensively, leaving Kim/Branson with a 38-21 loss.
KIM/BRANSON -V- CHERAW
Jan. 23 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Kim/Branson 4 0 6 7 17
Cheraw 8 12 10 3 33
KIM/BRANSON -V- WALSH
Jan. 26 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Walsh 11 0 10 3 24
Kim/Branson 7 9 5 7 28
KIM/BRANSON -V- EADS
Jan. 27 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Kim/Branson 2 7 5 7 21
Eads 5 14 10 9 38
La Veta
The 4-6 La Veta Lady Redhawks had back-to-back home games last week, first hosting the 1-11 Walsenburg Lady Panthers on Jan. 25. It was a good game for the La Veta squad, who bested the Panthers 53-19.
The Lady Redhawks again played in front of the home crowd on Jan. 27 when they hosted the 6-5 Springfield Lady Longhorns. The Lady Longhorns dominated in the paint, with the Lady Redhawks falling 55-22.
Walsenburg
The 1-10 Walsenburg Lady Panthers were busy last week, first hosting the 2-8 Sierra Grande Lady Panthers on Jan. 23. Walsenburg couldn’t bust through the Sierra Grande defense, failing to score in the second half of the game and resulting in a 54-8 loss for the Lady Panthers.
On Jan. 25, the Lady Panthers hit the road, traveling to La Veta to face off against the 4-6 Lady Redhawks. It was a tough loss for the Walsenburg team, who fell 53-19 to the La Veta squad.
WALSENBURG -V- SIERRA GRANDE
Jan. 23 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Sierra Grande 6 15 15 18 54
Walsenburg 4 4 0 0 8
Raton
The 0-15 Raton Lady Tigers only had one game on the docket last week–a home matchup against the 11-6 Clayton Lady Yellowjackets on Jan. 27. The Lady Yellowjackets’ strong press left the Lady Tigers with a 50-4 loss.
RATON -V- CLAYTON
Jan. 27 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Clayton 17 12 13 8 50
Raton 0 2 2 0 4
Springer
On Jan. 25, the 9-6 Springer Lady Red Devils trekked to Cimarron for a matchup against the 7-8 Lady Rams. It was a close matchup, but Springer came up just short of a win, falling 45-41.
The Lady Red Devils played in front of the home crowd on Jan. 27 when they hosted the 3-8 Maxwell Lady Bears. It was a win for Springer by a final score of 58-35.
Cimarron
The 7-8 Cimarron Lady Rams had two games on the docket last week, the first being a home matchup against the 9-6 Springer Lady Red Devils on Jan. 25. It was a nailbiter, with the Lady Rams pulling ahead for the 45-41 win.
Then the Cimarron squad traveled on Jan. 27 to face off against the 15-1 Roy/Mosquero Lady Blue. The Lady Blue landed another victory, beating the Lady Rams 57-25.
Boys Basketball
Hoehne
The 4-7 Hoehne Farmers started off the basketball action last week with a home game against the 2-9 Swallows Charter Academy Trojans on Jan. 25. It was a big win for the Farmers, who defeated the Trojans 72-41. Junior Nathan Zamora led the Hoehne charge, scoring 15 points during the game. Junior Levon Bachicha snagged another 10 points and 11 rebounds, while fellow junior Maurice Bachicha also scored 10 points.
Trinidad
The 0-10 Trinidad Miners Miners were on the road to play against the 6-5 Las Animas Trojans on Jan. 25. Trinidad found some success in the paint, but couldn’t overcome the Trojans, with the Miners falling 60-34.
Trinidad finished out the week back in front of the home crowd on Jan. 27 as they played host to the 8-2 Crested Butte Titans. A full court press in the first half of the game gave Crested Butte a sizable lead the Miners couldn’t match, resulting in a 61-27 loss for Trinidad.
TRINIDAD -V- LAS ANIMAS
Jan. 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Trinidad 3 14 5 12 34
Las Animas 12 14 14 20 60
TRINIDAD -V- CRESTED BUTTE
Jan. 27 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Crested Butte 15 28 16 2 61
Trinidad 6 6 12 3 27
Primero
The 5-6 Primero Bulldogs played host to the 8-3 Holly Wildcats on Feb. 25. Holly ran away with the game in the first quarter, and steadily built upon that lead throughout the game, handing Primero a 63-36 loss. Junior Brett Kendal led the Bulldogs with 16 points and three rebounds, while junior Xavier Garcia scored another nine points in the matchup.
PRIMERO-V- HOLLY
Jan. 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Holly 23 15 18 7 63
Primero 6 10 6 14 36
Kim/Branson
The 4-6 Kim/Branson Mustangs were busy last week, first traveling to Cheraw on Jan. 23 for a matchup against the 5-4 Wolverines. Cheraw came out of the gate with a full-court press, up 24-15 at the half. But Kim/Branson came out on the attack in the back half of the game, clawing their way back to a 42-38 victory. Senior Brock Doherty and junior Kolter Cranson both picked up 11 points in the game, with freshman Cameron Rosas on their heels with another 10.
The Mustangs then played in front of the home crowd on Jan. 26 when they hosted the 5-5 Walsh Eagles. It was an intense nailbiter; despite an attempt at a comeback in the final quarter by Walsh, Kim/Branson squeaked by with a 56-55 win.
The Mustangs were back on the road on Jan. 27 as they trekked to Eads to take on the 8-4 Eagles, who defeated the Kim/Branson squad 52-41.
KIM/BRANSON -V- CHERAW
Jan. 23 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Kim/Branson 6 9 14 13 42
Cheraw 13 11 6 8 38
KIM/BRANSON -V- WALSH
Jan. 26 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Walsh 7 15 14 19 55
Kim/Branson 11 13 17 15 56
La Veta
The 3-7 La Veta Redhawks enjoyed a pair of home games last week, first hosting the 8-4 Walsenburg Panthers on Jan. 25. It was a close first quarter, but the Redhawks couldn’t slow down the Panthers’ press in the second. Despite a strong team effort led by senior Trey Medina with 16 points, junior Isiah Rodriguez with 12, and junior Tristan Musgrave with 10, La Veta was defeated 63-48.
La Veta then played host to the 8-4 Springfield Longhorns on Jan. 26. Springfield’s offense was hard for La Veta to contain, leaving the Redhawks with a 68-51 loss.
LA VETA -V- WALSENBURG
Jan. 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Walsenburg 15 26 12 10 63
La Veta 13 12 8 15 48
LA VETA -V- SPRINGFIELD
Jan. 26 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Springfield 17 21 15 15 68
La Veta 11 10 20 10 51
Walsenburg
The 7-4 Walsenburg Panthers had a home game against the 8-2 Sierra Grande Panthers on Jan. 23. It was a competitive matchup, but the Panthers pulled ahead to a 53-48 win. Seniors Nino Cisneros and Gabe Barela led the Walsenburg squad with 14 points each, backed up by seniors Elton Chavez and Adrian Silva Jr. who each scored another 11.
On Jan. 25, the Panthers were on the road with a matchup against the 3-7 La Veta Redhawks. While La Veta was able to keep pace in the first quarter, Walsenburg’s dynamic press opened a wide lead in the second, with the Panthers walking away with a 63-48 victory.
WALSENBURG -V- WALSENBURG
Jan. 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Walsenburg 15 26 12 10 63
La Veta 13 12 8 15 48
Raton
The 7-7 Raton Tigers were busy last week, first taking on the 8-8 St. Michael’s Horsemen at home on Jan. 23. It was an intense back-and-forth, with the Horseman taking the lead with a strong second quarter performance, but the Tigers came from behind in the fourth to take a 61-56 win.
The Tigers then played host to the 12-4 West Las Vegas Dons on Jan. 26. The Dons took the early lead and held on to it, beating the Tigers 69-53.
Raton finished out the week back on their home court with a Jan. 27 matchup against the 8-11 Clayton Yellowjackets. It was a competitive game, but Raton fell 55-46.
RATON -V- ST. MIKE’S
Jan. 23 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
St. Michael’s 12 20 12 12 56
Raton 16 11 13 21 61
RATON -V- WEST LAS VEGAS
Jan. 26 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
West Las Vegas 22 15 11 21 69
Raton 11 11 14 17 53
Springer
The 7-8 Springer Red Devils traveled to Cimarron last week to face off against the 12-2 Rams on Jan. 25. The Red Devils put on a strong fight, but couldn’t break the Rams’ winning streak, falling 84-57.
On Jan. 27, the Red Devils hosted the 8-4 Maxwell Bears. It was close, but the Bears edged out the Red Devils 53-49.
Cimarron
The 12-2 Cimarron Rams had two games on the schedule last week, starting with a Jan. 25 home matchup against the 7-8 Springer Red Devils. This was the first league game of the season for the Rams, who cruised to an 84-57 victory and extended their winning streak to 10 straight games.
The Rams then hit the road on Jan. 27 to square off against the 8-8 Roy/Mosquero Blue. The Blue also found themselves unable to stop the Rams, who walked away with a 60-56 win.
Wagon Mound
The 1-3 Wagon Mound Trojans played in front of the home crowd on Jan. 25 when they hosted the 7-4 Maxwell Bears. Wagon Mound struggled to hold back Maxwell’s full-court press, losing the matchup 79-44.
On Jan. 27, the Trojans trekked to Des Moines to face off against the 14-3 Demons. Des Moines jumped to a 32-4 lead in the first quarter; while Wagon Mound continued to fight, the Trojans fell 66-27.
WAGON MOUND -V- MAXWELL
Jan. 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Maxwell 20 25 25 9 79
Wagon Mound 8 7 8 21 44
WAGON MOUND -V- DES MOINES
Jan. 27 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Wagon Mound 4 4 4 15 27
Des Moines 32 18 9 7 66
Wrestling
La Veta
The La Veta Redhawks battled it out at the Valley Classic Wrestling Tournament Jan. 26-27. Kaden Crovo went 2-2 in the 132-pound weight class, while fellow Redhawk Camron Cortez went 3-2 in the 138-pound weight division. In the 144-pound weight class, Jessey Montunnas went 3-2, defeating Carter Romack from Buena Vista in Consolation Round 3. Brayden Nix, currently ranked eighth among Class 2A 157-pound wrestlers, went 2-2.
Walsenburg
The Walsenburg Panthers hit the road on Jan. 27 to compete in the Butch Melton Invitational. It was a good day for the Panthers, with Silviano Gonzales taking 10th in the 138-pound weight class with a win over Dylan Dansie of Aztec and Matthew Dominguez placing eighth in the 113-pound weight division after defeating Andreas Thomas of Cedaredge. Taylor Torres placed third in the 126-pound weight class after winning the first three rounds. In the 144-pound weight class, Giovonni Aldretti was unstoppable, clinching a first-place win after defeating Cedaredge’s Wylee Lorimor. Aldretti is currently ranked third in the state for 144-pound Class 2A wrestlers. Overall, the Panthers placed ninth as a team with 57 points.
For the Walsenburg girls, the Lady Panthers competed in the Lamar, Liberal, and Walsenburg Tri on Jan. 23, where Cara Vialpando bested Lamar’s Heather Hancock in the 100-pound weight class and Ivey McAlhany beat Lamar’s Delorin Bellomy in the 125-pound weight division.
It was back on the mat on Jan. 24 when the Walsenburg team competed in the La Junta, Monte Vista, Walsenburg Tri, where Tavie Hunter, Vialpando, Eruka Peterson, and McAlhany all picked up wins.
The Lady Panthers then traveled to participate in the 4 Corners Women’s Championship on Jan. 27. Kyra Dominguez placed 6th in the 130-pound weight class, beating Azure Wallace of Olathe in the consolation bracket; Hunter also clinched a 6th-place finish in the 135-pound weight division. Peterson earned a third-place finish in the 120-pound weight class with a win over Bloomfield’s Harley Rightmire.
In the 100-pound weight class, Vialpando placed second with four wins, as did McAlhany in the 125-pound weight class. The Lady Panthers placed seventh overall with 59 points.
