by Ruth Stodghill
Despite yet another round of wintry weather last week, local high school sports teams maintained an intense schedule of competition as the regular basketball and wrestling seasons wind down and athletes across the region gear up for postseason play.
Girls Basketball
Hoehne
The 10-2 Hoehne Lady Farmers had two games on the schedule last week, the first a league game on the road on Jan. 30 against the 7-6 Rocky Ford Lady Meloneers. The Lady Farmers dominated the matchup, easily cruising to a 52-20 win. The victory was a team effort, with senior Janelle Ramos, juniors Alessa Cantoria and Phoenix SanRoman, and freshman Braylee Foster all putting eight points on the board for the Lady Farmers.
Feb. 1, the Hoehne squad played in front of the home crowd as they hosted the 6-7 La Veta Lady Redhawks. A full court press early in the game put the Lady Farmers ahead 48-13 at the half, momentum that carried them to a 78-25 victory.
HOEHNE -V- ROCKY FORD
Jan. 30 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Hoehne 18 17 7 10 52
Rocky Ford 0 7 4 9 20
HOEHNE -V-LA VETA
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
La Veta 7 6 8 4 25
Hoehne 23 25 14 16 78
Trinidad
The 8-6 Trinidad Lady Miners had a pair of home games last week, the first being a matchup on Feb. 2 against the 7-5 Del Norte Lady Tigers. It was a close matchup, but the Lady Tigers managed to inch past the Lady Miners for the 30-25 win. Sophomore Danica Shipley made a strong performance for Trinidad with 12 points and two rebounds. Senior Jesse Gegelman put another 6 points on the scoreboard, while freshman Maya Morales picked up nine rebounds.
The Lady Miners then played host to the 10-4 Sanford Lady Mustangs on Feb. 3. It was a close game early on, but Sanford managed to pull away, defeating Trinidad 36-25.
TRINIDAD -V- DEL NORTE
Feb. 2 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Del Norte 6 5 9 10 30
Trinidad 5 2 4 14 25
TRINIDAD -V- SANFORD
Feb. 3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Sanford 8 9 7 12 36
Trinidad 8 4 4 9 25
Primero
It was nonstop basketball action for the 5-7 Primero Lady Bulldogs last week, with their first of four games being a league matchup on the road on Jan. 30 against the 5-7 La Veta Lady Redhawks. The Lady Bulldogs were strong offensively, but couldn’t keep the Lady Redhawks from the net, resulting in a 65-42 loss for Primero. Sophomore Isabela Maldonado led her team with 12 points and nine rebounds during the matchup, followed by freshman Aimee Mincic who posted another seven points and sophomore Jocelyn Rivera with five rebounds.
On Jan. 31, the Primero team played host to the 6-6 Kim/Branson Lady Mustangs. The Lady Bulldogs were up 17-16 at the half, but the Lady Mustangs rallied late in the game, handing Primero a 35-31 defeat.
It was another game in front of the home crowd on Feb. 2 when the Lady Bulldogs squared off against the 11-3 South Baca Lady Patriots. The Lady Bulldogs struggled to block the Lady Patriots’ drives, falling 49-38.
On Feb. 3, the Lady Bulldogs finished out the week on the road, traveling to Hanover to challenge the 6-5 Lady Hornets. It was the fourth straight loss in a row for Primero, who fell 38-24.
PRIMERO -V- LA VETA
Jan. 30 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Primero 12 7 7 16 42
La Veta 13 18 16 18 65
PRIMERO -V- KIM/BRANSON
Jan. 31 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Kim/Branson 8 8 7 12 35
Primero 8 9 4 10 31
PRIMERO -V- SOUTH BACA
Feb. 2Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
SB (CO-OP) 10 23 9 7 49
Primero 9 11 13 5 38
PRIMERO -V- HANOVER
Feb. 3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Primero 2 5 7 10 24
Hanover 6 8 6 18 38
Kim/Branson
The 6-6 Kim/Branson Lady Mustangs traveled to Primero to duke it out with the 5-8 Lady Bulldogs on Jan. 31. Primero had a narrow lead at the half, but a strong offense in the second half of the game gave Kim/Branson a 35-31 victory. Junior Gianna Shiveley led the Lady Mustangs with 12 points and three rebounds, while senior Ysabel Gonzalez scored seven more points and junior Lexi Winford and freshman Kennedy Cranson each made another eight rebounds.
On Feb. 1, the Lady Mustangs hosted the 6-4 Hanover Lady Hornets. Kim/Branson dominated the game defeating Hanover 32-20.
KIM/BRANSON -V- PRIMERO
Jan. 31 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Kim/Branson 8 8 7 12 35
Primero 8 9 4 10 31
KIM/BRANSON -V- HANOVER
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Hanover 3 6 0 11 20
Kim/Branson 4 9 10 9 32
La Veta
The 5-7 La Veta Lady Redhawks started off the week at home on Jan. 30, hosting the 5-7 Primero Lady Bulldogs in a league game. It was a 65-42 win in front of the home crowd for the squad from La Veta. Junior Aspen Autry was unstoppable, putting 32 points on the board for the Lady Redhawks. Sophomore Zoe Reif was good for another 16, while sophomore Jaiden Goemmer made 14 rebounds.
On Feb. 1, the Lady Redhawks hit the road, traveling to Hoehne to take on the 11-2 Lady Farmers. La Veta wasn’t able to match Hoehne’s full court press, falling 78-25 to the Lady Farmers.
The La Veta team finished the week with a trek to Walsh on Feb. 2 to challenge the 2-10 Lady Eagles. With a strong fourth quarter, the Lady Redhawks cruised to a 50-37 victory.
LA VETA -V- PRIMERO
Jan. 30 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Primero 12 7 7 16 42
La Veta 13 18 16 18 65
LA VETA -V- HOEHNE
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
La Veta 7 6 8 4 25
Hoehne 23 25 14 16 78
LA VETA -V- WALSH
Feb. 2 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
La Veta 12 11 12 15 50
Walsh 11 12 8 6 37
Walsenburg
The 1-12 Walsenburg Lady Panthers had a full docket last week, first hosting the 1-12 Swallows Charter Academy Lady Spartans on Jan. 30. Walsenburg put up a strong fight, but fell 37-18.
On Feb. 1, the Lady Panthers hit the road, traveling to Las Animas to battle against the 10-3 Lady Trojans in a league game. The Lady Trojans established a strong early lead, leaving the Lady Panthers with a 53-18 loss.
WALSENBURG -V- LAS ANIMAS
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Las Animas 20 12 12 9 53
Walsenburg 2 2 9 5 18
Raton
The 0-16 Raton Lady Tigers trekked to Maxwell on Jan. 29 to face off against the 3-9 Lady Bears. Raton made a strong showing in the second half of the matchup, but the Lady Tigers couldn’t overcome the lead established by the Lady Bears in the first half, resulting in a 43-21 loss.
RATON -V- MAXWELL
Jan. 29 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Raton 6 2 10 3 21
Maxwell 16 12 8 7 43
Springer
It was a quiet week for the 10-7 Springer Lady Red Devils last week, with the sole game on the docket an away game on Feb. 3 against the 17-1 Roy/Mosquero Lady Blue. The Lady Blue continued to dominate on the court, handing the Lady Red Devils a 57-35 loss.
Cimarron
The 8-9 Cimarron Lady Rams had two games on the docket last week, the first being an away matchup against the 9-8 Des Moines Lady Demons on Feb. 1. It was a competitive game, but the Lady Demons bested the Lady Rams 47-34.
On Feb. 2, the Lady Rams played in front of the home crowd in a matchup against the 14-7 Logan Lady Longhorns. Logan dominated on the court, handing Cimarron a tough 60-36 defeat.
Boys Basketball
Hoehne
The 5-7 Hoehne Farmers started off the basketball action last week on the road, traveling to Rocky Ford on Jan. 30 to face off against the 1-12 Meloneers in a league game. It was a nailbiter, but the Farmers held on to a slim lead to take a 49-48 win. Junior Levon Bachicha led the Farmers with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while junior Nathan Zamora snagged another 10 points and sophomore Jason Guzzo made nine rebounds.
On Feb. 1, the Farmers hosted the 3-10 La Veta Redhawks. La Veta took an early lead, but the Farmers fought back in the second quarter, putting the Redhawks into a deficit they couldn’t climb back out of and leading to a 70-63 victory for Hoehne.
HOEHNE -V- LA VETA
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
La Veta 17 8 19 19 63
Hoehne 16 20 12 22 70
Trinidad
The 0-12 Trinidad Miners played back-to-back games last week, first squaring off against the 4-8 Del Norte Tigers at home in a league matchup on Feb. 2. The Tigers roared into a 20-5 lead in the first quarter and didn’t look back, beating the Miners 53-23.
On Feb. 3, the Miners were back in front of the home crowd as they hosted the 10-4 Sanford Mustangs in another league game. It was a tough one for Trinidad, who fell 56-22.
TRINIDAD -V- DEL NORTE
Feb. 2 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Del Norte 20 9 15 9 53
Trinidad 5 2 5 11 23
Primero
The 5-7 Primero Bulldogs were jumping last week, first traveling to La Veta on Jan. 30 for a league matchup against the 3-9 Redhawks. La Veta took an early lead, but Primero battled back and took a 57-46 victory.
On Feb. 2, the Bulldogs hosted the 7-6 South Baca Patriots. It was a nailbiter, but Primero couldn’t pull ahead, falling to South Baca 62-58. Despite the loss, junior Brett Kendal had a phenomenal game, scoring 23 points, followed by junior Xavier Garcia with 12, sophomore Jace Robinson with 11, and junior Matt Pachorek with 10.
Then it was back on the bus on Feb. 3 as the Primero squad traveled to Hanover to take on the 4-8 Hornets. The Bulldogs got off to a slow start but gained momentum throughout the matchup, walking away with a 50-29 victory over the Hornets.
PRIMERO-V- LA VETA
Jan. 30 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Primero 10 13 18 16 57
La Veta 11 10 14 11 46
PRIMERO-V- SOUTH BACA
Feb. 2 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
SB (CO-OP) 16 16 12 18 62
Primero 17 14 10 17 58
PRIMERO-V- HANOVER
Feb. 3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Primero 7 15 9 19 50
Hanover 12 2 7 8 29
Kim/Branson
The 6-7 Kim/Branson Mustangs had one home game on the docket last week, a Feb. 1 matchup against the 4-7 Hanover Hornets. It was an intense back-and-forth, but the Mustangs battled it out to a 57-46 win. Freshman Cameron Rosas led the Kim/Branson assault with 19 points, followed by freshman David Gamez with 16.
KIM/BRANSON -V- HANOVER
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Hanover 4 14 13 15 46
Kim/Branson 22 9 19 7 5
La Veta
The 3-9 La Veta Redhawks started their week on Jan. 30 with a home matchup against the 5-7 Primero Bulldogs in a league game. La Veta was up 11-10 at the end of the first quarter, but they couldn’t hold on to the lead, eventually falling 57-46. Senior Trey Medina led the Redhawks with 12 points, followed by junior Isiah Rodriguez with 11 and junior Lukas Ozzello with 10.
La Veta then traveled to Hoehne on Feb. 1 to square off against the 6-7 Farmers. The Redhawks jumped to an early lead but couldn’t hold on to it, falling to the Farmers 70-63.
LA VETA -V- PRIMERO
Jan. 30 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Primero 10 13 18 16 57
La Veta 11 10 14 11 46
LA VETA -V- HOEHNE
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
La Veta 17 8 19 19 63
Hoehne 16 20 12 22 70
Walsenburg
The 9-4 Walsenburg Panthers played host to the 2-10 Swallows Charter Academy Spartans on Jan. 30. Walsenburg took an early lead, but the Spartans battled back to tie up the game by the end of the fourth quarter. In overtime, the Panthers took a definitive lead, winning the contest 69-62. Senior Elton Chavez put a whopping 31 points and 21 rebounds on the board, followed by senior Gabe Barela with 18 points and senior Adrian Silva with another 10.
On Feb. 1, the Panthers played in front of the home crowd when they hosted the 7-5 Las Animas Trojans. It was another big win for Walsenburg as they defeated Las Animas 51-39.
Walsenburg then faced off against the 9-4 Holly Wildcats at home on Feb. 3, falling 69-51.
WALSENBURG -V- SWALLOWS CHARTER ACADEMY
Jan. 30 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT1 Final
SCA 11 17 16 16 2 62
‘Burg 22 13 12 13 9 69
WALSENBURG -V- LAS ANIMAS
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Las Animas 6 14 4 15 39
Walsenburg 14 15 11 11 51
Raton
The 8-9 Raton Tigers were on the road Jan. 30 to challenge the 9-8 Santa Fe Prep Blue Griffins in a league matchup. The Blue Griffins were a force of nature, taking down the Tigers 70-45.
On Feb. 3, the Tigers got back on the bus for another league game, this time against the 14-5 Santa Fe Indian Braves. It was a tough loss for Raton, who fell to the Braves 71-35.
Springer
The 7-10 Springer Red Devils traveled to Wagon Mound on Feb. 1 to challenge the 1-5 Trojans in a league game. The contest was tied 27-27 at the half, but with a strong second half the Red Devils handed the Trojans a 71-53 defeat.
On Feb. 3, the Red Devils traveled to face off against the 9-9 Roy/Mosquero Blue in another league matchup. The Blue were unstoppable on offense, leading to a 71-53 loss for the Red Devils.
SPRINGER -V- WAGON MOUND
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Springer 14 13 21 23 71
Wagon Mound 12 15 10 16 53
Cimarron
The 14-2 Cimarron Rams had three games on the schedule last week, starting with a Feb. 1 road game against the 15-3 Des Moines Demons. It was a tough loss for the Rams, who fell 70-59.
The Rams then hosted the 19-2 Logan Longhorns on Feb. 2. It was an intense nailbiter, with Cimarron falling just a hair short with a 75-73 defeat.
Cimarron was back in front of the home crowd on Feb. 3 when they played host to the 1-5 Wagon Mound Trojans. It was a good game for the Rams, who earned an 83-45 victory.
CIMARRON -V- WAGON MOUND
Feb. 3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Wagon Mound 17 4 18 6 45
Cimarron 15 35 12 21 83
Wagon Mound
The 1-5 Wagon Mound Trojans played in front of the home crowd on Feb. 1 when they hosted the 7-10 Springer Red Devils in a league matchup. The Trojans paced the Red Devils the first half of the game, but fell behind in the second, leading to a 71-53 loss for Wagon Mound.
On Feb. 3, the Trojans trekked to Cimarron to square off against the 14-4 Rams in a league game. The Rams continued to dominate on the court, leaving the Trojans with an 83-45 defeat.
WAGON MOUND -V- SPRINGER
Feb. 1 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Springer 14 13 21 23 71
Wagon Mound 12 15 10 16 53
WAGON MOUND -V- CIMARRON
Feb. 3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Wagon Mound 17 4 18 6 45
Cimarron 15 35 12 21 83
Wrestling
Primero
On Feb. 2-3, the Primero Bulldog wrestling team competed in the Sierra Grande Panther Invitational. The Bulldog team was strong, led by DeShawn Sanchez who went 5-0 at the meet, taking first place in the 138-pound weight class with a win by decision over Jaycian Sierra from Sargent. Johnny Dochter-Rivera took second in the 285-pound weight class, and Kevin Acuna placed third in the 157-pound weight class. Kyler Spleen earned a third place finish in the 126-pound weight division and went 5-2 at the meet, while Aedin Borja placed fourth in the 165-pound weight class. Rounding this out for the Bulldogs, Matthias Aragon finished fifth in the 120-pound weight class and Marcus Hahn finished seventh in the 144-pound weight division. Overall, the Bulldogs earned 73 points and placed sixth as a team.
Trinidad
The Trinidad Miners also competed at the Sierra Grande Panther Invite on Feb. 2-3. Eddie Bowman continued to dominate the 132-pound weight class, taking first with a win by technical fall over Sargent’s Matthew Voss. Cisco Duran also took first in the 215-pound weight class, taking down Monte Vista’s Jose Zamarripa in a tie-breaker. Connor Knezel placed second in the 190-pound weight division, as did AJ Lopez in the 120-pound weight class with a win by fall over Antonito’s Dean Ruybal. Santino Sanchez placed third in the 106-pound weight class with a win by decision over Eulogio Garcia of Mountain Valley. Jose Garcia placed fourth in the 113-pound weight class, as did Dominic Edwards in the 144-pound weight class. Joaquin Hurtado placed fifth in the 113-pound weight division, and Nicole Wheeler placed sixth. Overall, the Trinidad team earned 81.5 points, placing third in the tournament.
La Veta
The La Veta Redhawks duked it out at the Sierra Grande Panther Invite on Feb. 2. Brayden Nix led his team with a second place finish in the 157-pound weight class after beating Primero’s Kevin Acuna. Jessey Montunnas took third in the 144-pound weight class by defeating Dominic Edwards of Trinidad, while Kaydyn Kent placed fourth in the 150-pound weight division. Mauricio Tafoya placed fifth in the 165-pound weight class, as did Camron Cortez in the 138-pound weight division and Kaden Crovo in the 132-pound weight division. Logan Cortez picked up a seventh-place finish in the 138-pound weight class. The Redhawks earned 65 points as a team, placing seventh at the competition.
Walsenburg
The Walsenburg Panthers hit the road on Feb. 3 to compete in the 2024 Panther Duals. Taylor Torres, Silviano Gonzales, and Giovonni Aldretti all picked up Match 1 Round 2 wins versus Fowler. In Match 2 Round 3 against Pueblo, Torres, Aldretti, and Matthew Dominguez all earned wins.
The Walsenburg girls competed in the 2024 Lady Panther Invitational on Feb. 2. Cara Vialpando placed third in the 100-pound weight class with a win by fall over Heather Hancock from Lamar. Eruka Peterson also placed third in the 120-pound weight class, defeating Lamar’s Delorin Bellomy. Ivey McAlhany picked up a fifth-place finish in the 125-pound weight class by taking down Palmer Ridge’s Claire Shin by fall. The Lady Panthers earned a collective 55 points and placed ninth overall.
