Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • 83

mountain View Journal ON TAP The Estancia High boys and girls basketball teams host the Bean Valley Conference tournament today through 'Saturday. Television 3 Section Classified Leoals Manzano Players Rake in the Awards TIM MEN1CUTCH Mountain View Sports Running back Rodney Ferguson wins multiple honors, including Player of the Year By Ken Sickenger Journal Staff Writer A stellar season of rushing forced Rodney Ferguson to do quite a bit of walking at Mon day's State Farm Insurance All Metro High School Football Awards Banquet. The Manzano High School running back made one trip after another to the podium, picking up various awards as top high school players from the Albuquerque area were recognized at the Sheraton Uptown. Ferguson walked away with one of the night's top prizes, the bronze State Farm Bill Gentry Player of the Year trophy. A junior, Ferguson led Class 5A in rushing with more than 1,800 yards and was a State FarmJournal All-Metro first-team selection at running back.

"It's a big surprise to get Player of the Year," he said. "I'm real satisfied with the season I had, but I didn't expect this." Ferguson continued to smile even when faced with the inevitable question: How do you top this next season? "I guess I'll just have to repeat," he said. "I can still get bigger, faster and stronger and improve my numbers. But the big thing is to get to the playoffs next year. That's the most important thing." Other top honors at the banquet went to Highland's Bran don Fiaseu and Rio Grande coach Kelly Wilson.

Fiaseu was named StudentAthlete of the Year, while Wilson took the Ray Giannini Coach of the Year award. Several other Manzano and Moriarty players were selected to the All-Metro team, including first team picks Anthony Kilby, a 65, 285- See MANZANO on PAGE B2 This Season Is Downer the season to be jolly. 'Ti lis JL Or in my case, 'tis the season to Monairty9 Party Spoied. 'tit Y' 1 Lady Sundevils win Alice King tourney for third year in a row, but Pintos came close once agatff By Tim Menicutch Journal Staff Writer Talk about holiday party crashers. Espanola Valley High again ruined all the fun at Moriarty's annual girls basketball Christmas bash the Alice King Tournament.

Even though the Lady Pintos should be getting used to it by now the Lady Sundevils are queens of the King tourney for the third consecutive year this most recent setback in Saturday night's championship game was especially bitter. All set to toast a hard-earned tourney title, Moriarty instead spilled the bubbly when Espanola Valley scored five unanswered points in the final 33 seconds en route to a teeth-grinding 42-40 victory. Moriarty's personal December nemesis was relentless in the final seconds. All of the damage was done by Espano-la's Ms. Scrooge, forward Jamie Madrid, who buried a three-pointer with 23 seconds remaining and then drove baseline for the game-winning basket with only six ticks left on the clock.

All things considered, Moriarty coach Mike Trujillo took the maddening setback in good spirits. Trujillo was impressed by the way his squad battled back from a nine-point, early third-quarter deficit. He was encouraged that his team stepped up its game after barely squeaking by Class 2A foes Santa Rosa and Clayton in the tournament's first two rounds. "I'm not that upset about the loss," said Trujillo. "We haven't been playing that well.

See MORIARTY'S on PAGE B2 i -A cover high school basketball. So far, there haven't been enough good tidings on the local front to make me break out in a Santa Clausian belly laugh. In fact, in some cases the Estancia High boys basketball team comes to mind I'm developing a case of the holiday blues. One of the tournaments I truly look forward to each year is the Hope Christian Invitational. My colleagues would argue that's because it has the best darn hospitality room in the state.

Of course, I would never admit to such shallow indulgences OK, maybe I forced myself to taste-test the Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Quarters barbecue featured on Saturday's menu. I'm there to cover prep basketball, namely annual participant Estancia. After watching the Bears soundly whipped by an average McCurdy team in the consolation championship game Saturday, my hospitality room feast did I say feast? I meant snack was not sitting well. If McCurdy is average they were defeated 114-44 by Santa Rosa in an early-round game then what does that make Estancia? Estancia head coach Richard Walker summed up his team's performance over the weekend bluntly. "We played three horrible games." Hard to argue with Walker's assessment.

The Bears in a politically correct way were a below-average team. Expectations for Estancia this season were not out of this world. But they weren't -subterranean, either. The I Bears are athletic and fast. figured to give even top teams in the state fits with their pesky defensive pressure and a relentless running game.

But when a big, sldw McCurdy team was beating "them downcourt time after "time, it left onlookers scratching their heads. Walker, a rather mild- mannered and friendly coach, the scratching-stuff. He called timeout at one point in the game, gathering his 'team around him. He was absolutely livid. "I told them those big oafs 'were beating us down the floor ievery time," said Walker.

were slow, yet they were down ahead of us on the 'break. I told the team I was I told themyou're a much better team than Estancia, not blessed with a of sharpshooters or a dominating inside player, could still turn out to be a good team. There's no lack of desire from the Bears. "No doubt we played hard," said Walker. "But we didn't play smart." Estancia is capable of overcoming its basketball limitations through hustle, hard work and above all a strong team chemistry.

"We're not going to get it done as five individuals," said Walker. "We're not good enough for that" The Bears still have the opportunity to bring some good cheer to the holiday season. They host the Bean Valley Conference Tournament starting today at the Estancia gym. Since I've already had my fill of doughnuts and barbecue, the thing I'm hungry for is some good basketball. A bright and merry Christmas cant be far behind.

Tim Meneuteh can be reacted by phone at 823-7104 or by unal at bailuuVJ9i(ourrtalxofTi. RANDY SINERFOR THE JOURNAL ALICE KING TOURNAMENT Championship game Esp. Val. 12 11 7 12 42 Moriarty 12 6 101440 Espanola Valley: Archuleta 0 0-0 0, Maestas 0 1-2 1, Martinez 8 4-4 20, Madrid 7 1-2 16, Serna 0 0-0 0, Berryhill 2 1-2 5. Totals: 17 7-10 42.

Moriarty: Elliott 4 4-6 12, Allen 1 00 i 2, Spradley 5 1-5 11, Tixier 3 0-0 6, Winning 3 2-2 9, Washington 0 0-0 0, McKenzie 0 0-0 0, Bailey 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 7-13 40. 3-pointers: Espanola Valley 1 (Madrid), Moriarty 1 (Winning). Total fouls: Espanola Valley 15, Moriarty 14. Fouled out: none.

i I I- II A BAD FEEUNQ: Moriarty's Danette Valdez, left, and Stella Armjo, right, can't seem to console teammate Sarah Allen after the Lady Plntos' heartbreaking 42-40 loss In the Alice King tourney championship game. SURROUNDED: Moriarty's Rosalyn Elliott (14) drives through heavy traffic to the basket as Espanola Valley defenders Rlchel Berryhlll, left, and Tiffany Maestas close In during Saturday's championship game. HMa I Monarchs Third In Invitational Lady Bears Tirn Game Around Estancia pounds Jemez Valley 50-34 after being pummeled by Coronado Moriarty Struggles To a Win Journal Staff Report The Moriarty High wrestling team had a bit more trouble than anticipated against host Espanola Valley in a dual match Dec. 11, but the Pintos prevailed 54-30. Moriarty, 2-0 in duals this season, returns to action Friday and Saturday against a strong field at the Highland Tournament in Albuquerque.

Moriarty's defending state champion John Dodson had no trouble in his 125-pound match against Espanola Valley's Michael Rodriguez. Dodson dominated from the opening whistle and needed only 45 seconds to post a pin. All of Moriarty's five mat victories were won by pin. Moriarty's 119-pound sophomore Stephan Lorenz was comfortably in command against Randy Salazar and held a 9-2 lead before ending the match with a third-round pin. "Stephan started out a bit See MOfBAKTY PAGE 12 Journal Staff Report The Manzano High boys basketball team edged Sandia 68-64 in overtime Saturday to take third place in the Duke City Invitational in Albuquerque.

The Monarchs, who evened their record at 3-3 after splitting their first two games of the tourney, squandered a 29-19 halftime lead before going on a 9-5 run in the extra period to sew up the victory. Manzano defeated Highland '54-41 in last Thursday's opener and lost 69-45 to eventual tournament runner-up La Cueva on Friday. In Saturday's victory, Manzano was led by East Mountains resident Nehemiah Thomas, who scored 25 points. Thomas was named to the all-tournament team. Rodney Ferguson added 16 points and Chris DeLong scored 14.

Manzano coach Greg Brown was frustrated by his team's lackluster effort in its second meeting of the season against La Cuera-The Bean knocked off the Monarchs 83-79 in a non-tournament game Dec. 7. "We had trouble with La Cueva's pressure defense," said Brown. The Monarchs turned the ball over 27 times. "We talked about the first game against (La Cueva) and how we're planning to improve against them this time," said Brown.

"The kids were excited to play them again. But we didn't perform' very well. We weren't mentally prepared for that game." Ferguson led the Monarchs with 19 points and Thomas added 18. The tourney opener against Highland was another rematch. The Monarchs opened the season Nov.

27 with a convincing 70-48 victory against the Hornets. "We didnt play very well except for the third quarter and part of the fourth," said Brown. "There was not a lot of energy on our part Highland played a lot better than the first time we saw them." Manzano trailed by eight in the opening moments but took the lead for good late in the Set MONAftCKS PAOC B2 RANDY SINERFOR THE JOURNAL RACE TOWARD THE HOOP: Eatancla'a Shayna Dunlap (22) drives to the basket as Coronado's Rlan-na Harris attempts to defend her during the Lady Bears' 69-35 defeat. Laguna-Acoma escaped with a 32-31 victory over Estancia on a buzzer beater field goal in Friday's second round action. "We're improving every game," said King.

"Our is getting better, and we're taking better care of the ball." Despite marked improvement Estancia found in last Thursday's first round See LADY tm PAGE B2 By Tim Menicltch Journal Staff Writer ALBUQUERQUE -There's good news for a team formerly known as the Bad News Bears. Under first-year head coach Larry King, the Estancia High girls basketball team already has as many wins as it had all last season after dismantling Jemez Valley 50-34 in Saturday's seventh-place game of the Hope Christian Invitational. The good news doesn't end there. The Lady Bears 2A) narrowly missed a berth in the tournament's consolation championship game when.