Sandoval News

From January 10, 2023 post.

Maybe not used to having the ball in his hands, namely because he;’s a linebacker in football season, Cleveland High’s Stratton Shufelt (21) is pestered by two Sandia Matadors in the Storm’s APS Metro semifinal loss last Friday evening at Albuquerque High. (Joe Grimando photo)

The city’s four varsity basketball teams and their coaches are probably happy the annual APS Metro Basketball Championships are over with for another year.

In the 16 games played altogether, Rio Rancho teams were 8-8.

The Cleveland High School boys team had the best finish, fifth, but were drubbed by 20 and 33 points in the semifinals and third-place game, respectively.

Here’s how the city’s teams fare, and what’s next for each:

Cleveland boys: The Storm (11-4) opened the four-games-in-five-days tourney with an 81-58 victory over Hope Christian, and followed that up with a 54-48 victory over Highland to qualify for the semifinals.

Then, on Friday evening at Albuquerque High, Sandia was en fuego, turning what had been a 15-14 lead at the end of the first quarter into a 36-26 lead at halftime.

The Storm were down by 19 after three quarters and trailed by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter.

“We just got run over,” coach Sean Jimenez said. “We probably had 20 turnovers at half, probably another 15 in the second half. You can’t win ballgames when you turn the ball over.”

Remy Albrecht and Nic Trujillo paced the Storm with 15 points apiece. The other three CHS starters combined for 8 points and just three field goals.

The Storm were drubbed 76-432 by West Mesa in the third-place game; it was their second loss of the season to the Mustangs, where former Storm player Elijah Brody now plays.

After a home game tonight (Jan. 10) vs. La Cueva, the Storm have a rematch with Sandia Thursday at 7 p.m. on the Matadors’ court in the Northeast Heights.

“We’ve just got to take care of the ball – that’s the biggest thing,” Jimenez said.

On Saturday, Hobbs – a 57-54 loser to Cleveland in Hobbs on Dec. 30 – visits the Thunderdome for a3:30 p.m. tipoff.

The Storm played the Metro without one of their top scorers, Daniel Steverson.

Jimenez said he didn’t expect Steverson to play this week, either, preferring to keep him sidelined with an ankle injury until the District 1-5A opener Jan. 17 vs. visiting Volcano Vista, the Metro champ.

Rio Rancho boys: The Rams (11-5) placed ninth at the Metro, deprived of any championship hopes after a 71-68 overtime loss to La Cueva in the first round, played on the Bears’ court.

Jayden Johnson hit a 3-pointer buzzer-beater to send the game into OT.

“La Cueva is a more-athletic team,” coach Wally Salata said. “We did jump out on them in the first quarter by seven, but then the second quarter, we got out-scored 22-9 because we got in foul trouble. … It came down to the free throw line.”

The Rams then beat Albuquerque High, 66-52, the next night, as Maddox Presser led them with 22 points and Jerry Archuleta and Johnson – 5 of 12 at the foul line – had 15 apiece.

In the consolation bracket, the Rams beat Hobbs, 86-78 – which they’d lost to, 43-42, on Dec. 1 at the City of Champions Classic in Artesia — to move into the ninth-place game, where they eked out a 51-49 victory over Hope.

The rams are home Friday evening at 6 to meet Roswell, then open District 1-5A action Jan. 19 at Atrisco Heritage Academy.

Cleveland girls: The Storm had any hopes of playing for a trophy dashed in the first round, when they fell to perennial Metro power West Mesa, 50-44. Aaliyah Ayanniyi led CHS with 13 points, and Savannah Madueno had 10.

Relegated to the consolation side of the bracket, the Storm then beat Santa Fe, 52-42 – their second win over the Demonettes this season – as Aubrey Jaramillo and Kindyll Sandoval shared scoring honors with 10 points each.

Then the Storm ran into district foe Cibola, which eked out a 43-42 win, with Madueno again top scorer for CHS with a dozen points.

That dropped the Storm into the 11th-place game, where they beat Highland handily, 64-37. Madueno scored 18 points, Ayanniyi had 16 and Sandoval added 11.

After a game at La Cueva this evening (Jan. 10), the Storm (11-6) tip off their District 1-5A slate Jan. 18 at defending champ Volcano Vista.

Rio Rancho girls: First-year coach Lori Mabrey’s Rams had the unenviable task of facing eventual winner Hobbs, a newcomer to the Metro event, in the first round at Cibola, and were dispatched into the consolation bracket after a 64-37 loss to the Eagles.

Back at Cibola the next night, they fell to Mabrey’s former team and 1-5A foe, the Cougars, 41-38.

Then, their third win over Santa Fe this season, this time 53-32, at La Cueva on Jan. 6, put the Rams (8-7) into the game to decide 13th place.

After a 49-47 loss to Hope Christian, the Rams settled for a 14th-place finish.

After road games at Roswell (Jan. 13) and Los Alamos (Jan. 17), RRHS opens District 1-5A play Jan. 20 when Atrisco Heritage Academy visits the RAC in a 7 p.m. tipoff.

Original source can be found here.