Ranking Teams Based on Performance – Games I Attended 12/5-12/9
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Note: This is not a ranking of how good the teams are, simply how well they played in these specific games 12/5 – Highland vs Valley 12/7 – Albuquerque vs West Mesa 12/8 – Cleveland vs Santa Fe 12/9 –…
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Continue ReadingNote: This is not a ranking of how good the teams are, simply how well they played in these specific games
12/5 – Highland vs Valley
12/7 – Albuquerque vs West Mesa
12/8 – Cleveland vs Santa Fe
12/9 – Del Norte vs Manzano
12/9 – Cibola vs Sandia
1. Cleveland Storm – W 80-74 vs Santa Fe
Santa Fe is one of the premiere teams in the state, and Cleveland did their job to take this game in the final minutes. Daniel Steverson Daniel Steverson 6'2" | SG Cleveland | 2025 #315 Nation NM was a beast on both ends of the floor, and has shown his first flashes of his potential for GPOY.
2. Highland Hornets – W 70-57 vs Valley
In a potential 4A Final Four matchup, the Hornets came out firing on all cylinders against the Vikings. Jesus Licon Jesus Licon 6'0" | CG Highland | 2025 State NM led the offensive barrage, and Raul Stanford Raul Stanford 5'10" | CG Highland | 2024 State NM dished out the assists to lead Highland over a Vikings team hit with the injury-bug.
3. Albuquerque Bulldogs – W 53-47 vs West Mesa
This one was a tight game until the end, but the Bulldogs made their free throws in crunch time to put it away. Isaiah Maldonado Isaiah Maldonado 5'10" | CG Albuquerque | 2024 State NM was clutch late in the game, and scored over half of Albuquerque’s points to lead them to victory.
4. Sandia Matadors – W 66-52 vs Cibola
Sandia turned it around in the second half to complete a 14-point halftime comeback and secure the W against Cibola for the second time. Thomas Adams Thomas Adams 6'2" | SF Sandia | 2025 State NM showed his versatility and ability to take over a game in leading his team to the win.
5. Del Norte Knights – W 53-51 vs Manzano
Del Norte squeaked past the Monarchs in the final seconds with some clutch baskets from Julian Castillo Julian Castillo 5'10" | CG Del Norte | 2026 State NM in the last minute, and a solid shooting night from Francois Satchivi Francois Satchivi 6'1" | CG Del Norte | 2026 State NM which kept the Knights with the momentum in the first half.
6. Santa Fe Demons – L 74-80 vs Cleveland
The Demons nearly completed the upset against the highly-ranked Storm. They couldn’t pull it out in the end, but put up a valiant effort from tip-off. Lukas Turner Lukas Turner 6'2" | SG Santa Fe | 2024 State NM put on an offensive masterclass, showcasing his three-level scoring ability.
7. West Mesa Mustangs – L 47-53 vs Albuquerque
The Mustangs kept this one alive with their offensive rebounding and aggressive defense, though they couldn’t make the shots they needed to come away with a win. Julian Ramos-Hernandez Julian Ramos-Hernandez 6'1" | SG West Mesa | 2025 State NM almost ended with a double-double at the guard position in this one.
8. Manzano Monarchs – L 51-53 vs Del Norte
The Monarchs were 15 seconds away from winning this one, until they gave up a last second basket to lose by two in the end. Shane Erni Shane Erni 6'6" | PF Manzano | 2024 State NM and Joaquin Ramos Joaquin Ramos 6'3" | PF Manzano | 2024 State NM showed how dominant they can be on the glass, both coming away with double-digit rebounds.
9. Valley Vikings – L 57-70 vs Highland
The Vikings were shorthanded in this matchup, but regardless of their efforts, never looked in rhythm in this matchup. Julian Chavez Julian Chavez 6'2" | SG Valley | 2024 State NM and Diego Miscles-Rivera were able to show what they can do on the offensive end, with 13 points a piece.
10. Cibola Cougars – L 52-66 vs Sandia
Cibola’s first half looked impeccable, but their second half was a complete implosion. Their potential should’ve landed them higher on this list, but they couldn’t withstand Sandia’s pressure. Cole Baca Cole Baca 5'10" | PG Cibola | 2024 State NM led Cibola’s offensive attack both with his aggressiveness and passing ability.