Prep sports roundup
Peñasco Panthers
The Peñasco boys basketball team participated in the 69th annual men’s Northern Río Grande (NRG) basketball tournament, but came away without a win during its weekend slate of games Jan. 5-7. Peñasco lost to the Questa Wildcats in the first round 60-45. This was the second meeting of the two Taos County teams and the second time the Wildcats came away with the win.
In the second round (consolation semifinals), the Panthers faced off with the Mesa Vista Trojans, losing in a close battle 56-54 Jan. 6. The loss put the Panthers in the seventh-place game against their former district rivals, the McCurdy Bobcats. In that contest, the shorthanded Panthers lost 65-43 Jan. 7.
The Panthers (4-7) will be in action again this week, as they take on the Foothill Falcons (Albuquerque) at home Jan. 12. The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
Questa Lady Cats
The outcome was a similar one for the Questa Lady Cats, who were unable to muster a win at the women’s NRG tournament. Questa lost to the Peñasco Lady Panthers in the first round Jan. 5 and to the McCurdy Lady Bobcats in the seventh-place game Jan. 7. Due to inclement weather, the Lady Cats decided against travel on icy roads and forfeited their second-round game against the Mesa Vista Lady Trojans Jan. 6.
Next up for the Lady Cats (2-8) is a home game against the Laguna-Acoma Lady Hawks Jan. 12. Game time is 4:30 p.m.
Taos Tigers go 2-1 in Ruidoso
The Taos Tigers won two games and lost one at the Ruidoso Mountain Madness Tournament Jan. 5-7.
Taos defeated Moriarty 53-40 Jan. 5, getting even with the Pintos after an eight-point loss in Moriarty Dec. 2. Down by six points in the first quarter, the Tigers were able to trim Moriarty’s lead to one point to end the half. Taos took the lead early in the third period and wouldn’t give it back, outscoring the Pintos 29-15 in the second half to secure the win.
In the second game of the tourney, Taos lost to the Laguna-Acoma Hawks 64-53 Jan. 6.
The Tigers rebounded from the loss to defeat the host team, the Ruidoso Warriors, by a score of 68-59 Jan. 7. The final game of the tournament saw Taos stave off a furious comeback by Ruidoso in the fourth quarter to hang on for the victory. The two wins for the Tigers are the first road wins of the 2016-17 season and push the Tigers’ overall record to 6-8.
Update: Taos beats LA
It was late-game heroics that blew the lid off Otero Gymnasium Jan. 10.
The Taos Tigers won another home game to remain unbeaten on their home court. The latest team to fall to the Tigers at "grandma's house" was the class 5A Los Alamos (LA) Hilltoppers, who came in with an 8-6 record and an impressive resume of regular-season wins against quality teams.
The night belonged to the Tigers, though, as Taos controlled the lead for most of the game and banged a three-point buzzer-beater at the end of regulation to beat LA in dramatic fashion, 49-46.
The Tigers will play in the Hope Christian Tournament in Albuquerque Jan. 12-14 in their third tournament of the season. Taos plays against Socorro in the first round — setting up a rematch with the Warriors on a neutral floor. The Tigers beat Socorro 56-48 in a home game Dec. 20. Game time is 10:30 a.m.
Ice Tigers win three in a row
The Taos Ice Tigers are on a three-game win streak to start the calendar year. Coach Mark Richert and his hockey squad visited the Genoveva Chavez Community Center rink in the City Different to take on the Santa Fe Blue Jackets to begin the second half of the New Mexico Interscholastic Ice Hockey League Jan. 6. The result was a 7-3 win for Taos.
In that match, Max Mount was credited with 21 saves (24 shots on goal) for the win. Scorers for Taos included Robbie Woolridge, who finished with two goals and one assist. He was joined by Justin “Juice” Lucero, who was credited with one goal and three assists. Rounding out the stats leaders were John Esquibel, who had two assists, and Jake Danemann, who had one goal on the night.
The Ice Tigers welcomed the Coronado T-Birds from El Paso, Texas, to the Taos Youth and Family Center rink Jan. 8, but were not very welcoming. Taos shut out the T-Birds 12-0 in the first game of a doubleheader off mass scoring from seven Taos players. Mount was credited with 20 saves (20 shots on goal) for the shutout win.
In the second game, the Ice Tigers outshot Coronado 47-29 and outscored their opponents as well — 5-4 off goals from Woolridge, Esquibel, Lucero, Danemann and Brandon Martinez. In the net, Mount teamed up with Skylar Spriggs for a combined 25 saves (29 shots on goal). Mount was credited with the win.
The Ice Tigers are now 6-2-2 on the season and will be in action again in Amarillo, Texas, to take on the Big Texan Bulls in back-to-back games Jan. 21-22. Game times are 10 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., respectively. All times are Central Standard Time (CST).
