2024-25 Team Preview: Highland Hornets

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024-25 TEAM PREVIEW: HIGHLAND HORNETS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After capturing its second Class 4A state championship in three years last March at The Pit, Highland was expected to compete again for a championship in 2024-25. However, the Hornets' hopes of going back-to-back hit a speed bump in the spring when leading scorer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687821' first='Jesus' last='Licon']</strong>, arguably the state's top 3-point shooter, suffered a serious knee injury and will miss most or all of the upcoming campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Licon could return in February and be available for the stretch run of the regular season and the playoffs, eighth-year Highland head coach Justin Woody told Prep Hoops New Mexico. Licon averaged 28.8 points per game last season and attempted a staggering 388 3-pointers, connecting on 37.6 percent of his shots from behind the arc (146-of-388). He also made 86.5 percent of his free throws.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It's a devastating loss for us, but at least we had all summer and fall to play without him and give the other guys an opportunity to step up and have bigger roles,” Woody said. “Jesus has done a great job as a leader. He's been a player-coach on the sidelines. I've been proud of him and the leadership he's shown in our workouts. He's shooting for a return in February when we're in district play. We're going to be careful, though, because he has opportunities to play at the next level.” ” &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As great an offensive player as he is, Licon is just one of nine seniors on this season's roster, so the Hornets are extremely experienced as they look to fill the void.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We're an experienced team,” Woody said. “We've had a lot of success. But we're not satisfied. We realize every year is a new year. Our guys know what it feels like to lose in the Pit and they know what it feels like to win in the Pit.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2143685' first='Sebastian' last='Hernandez'] (G, Sr., 6-0)</strong>: Hernandez is an outstanding all-around player. He was fourth on the Hornets in scoring (7.8 ppg), led the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and was second in assists (3.6 apg). Also an excellent defender. He's typically assigned the task of guarding the opponent's top scorer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1176304' first='Isai' last='Herrera'] (G/F, Sr., 6-3)</strong>: Expected to take on a larger role offensively after finishing last season as Highland's third leading scorer (9.2) and second leading rebounder (6.0). Attempted 192 3-pointers, so he's fearless from behind the arc. Second-team All-District in 2023-24. His third year on the varsity, so he has plenty of experience. Just concluded a successful football season on both sides of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2293837' first='Owen' last='Cheng'] (F, Sr., 6-2)</strong>: Valuable player coming off the bench last season. Finest moment came in the state championship game against Valley when he scored six points in the fourth quarter. Expected to become a starter this upcoming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2681022' first='DJ' last='Spruell'] (G, Sr., 5-9)</strong>: Expected to replace the graduated Raul Stanford as Highland's starting point guard. High energy player. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2693635' first='Juan' last='Limas'] (G, Jr.)</strong>: Excelled on the JV team as a sophomore last season. Great potential as a scorer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2402829' first='Jerry' last='Moody'] (F, So, 6-7)</strong>: Brings great height. Still raw, though, as this will be just his fourth season playing organized basketball. Has improved significantly over the past year, and that trajectory should continue as he adds weight to his slender frame. Could be the first or second player off the bench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>William Hood (F, Sr., 5-11)</strong>: Saw time with the varsity last season, appearing in 29 games. Good rebounder and defender. Capable of making open shots. <strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2553912' first='Treavon' last='Carter'] (G, So., 5-9)</strong>: Saw action with the varsity as a freshman in 2023-24. Will be part of the rotation in 2024-25 coming off the bench. Floated between JV and varsity last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lenyn French (F, Jr., 6-2)</strong>: Expected to contribute off the bench in 2024-25 after seeing limited time with the varsity last season. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEY NEWCOMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Juan Campuzano (G, Sr.): </strong>Will battle for playing time after playing JV last season. Southpaw shooter. Very athletic. Should be a key contributor off the bench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1589413' first='Gaucin' last='Garcia'] (G, Sr.)</strong>: Another lefthander. Very quick. Good shooter. Handles the basketball well. <strong> </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Success is expected at Highland, so despite the loss of Licon, the Hornets believe they'll still win a lot of games. Highland has won five district championship and two 4A state championships in Woody's first seven years at the helm.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We've built a culture of competing every day,” Woody said. “And that's not just on the basketball court, but in the weight room, strength and conditioning and in the classroom. We push each other to be great, no matter what we're doing. My seniors over the last several years have all bought into that. You're always better when you have a player-led team compared to a coach-led team.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even with the loss of Licon, Highland plans to do what they did last season – attempt plenty of 3-pointers. That's because they will still be a fairly undersized team except for [player_tooltip player_id='2402829' first='Jerry' last='Moody']. All five starters and most of the reserves will be 6-3 or under.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Last year we didn't have anybody over 6-2 on the state championship team,” Woody said. “This year, we're again going to rely on defense and outside shooting. Those will be staples for the Hornets.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highland opens the 2024-25 schedule on Nov. 26 with a showdown against 5A Sandia. The Hornets compete in the rugged District 4A-5 with Belen, Grants, St. Pius X and Valencia. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidMontes77?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DavidMontes77</a> for another outstanding media night and all you do for <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSHornetHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHSHornetHoops</a>. Can't wait to tip-off my 8th season with another group of outstanding student-athletes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoHornets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoHornets</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherAsOne?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherAsOne</a> <a href="https://t.co/BVFq87uNvf">pic.twitter.com/BVFq87uNvf</a></p>&mdash; Justin Woody (@CoachJWoody) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachJWoody/status/1856539413712646259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It&#039;s time.... <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachJWoody?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachJWoody</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSHornetHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHSHornetHoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachBarnhill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachBarnhill</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/athletics_aps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@athletics_aps</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_NMAA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RussellGurule?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RussellGurule</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SAHQbasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAHQbasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jesuslicon_0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jesuslicon_0</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sebashdez099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sebashdez099</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Hhsathleticsalb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hhsathleticsalb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/herbiethehornet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@herbiethehornet</a> @ <a href="https://t.co/CEZhIpw5Fe">pic.twitter.com/CEZhIpw5Fe</a></p>&mdash; David Montes Photography (@DavidMontes77) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidMontes77/status/1858509823765328243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Finished our summer at <a href="https://twitter.com/enmubasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@enmubasketball</a> Team Camp this weekend. Proud of the progress that our student-athletes made this summer. Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachVo11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachVo11</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Timothy_Bowlen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Timothy_Bowlen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_CamParker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_CamParker</a> for your time and dedication in making this a fantastic camp. <a href="https://t.co/ODhAOpXr0o">pic.twitter.com/ODhAOpXr0o</a></p>&mdash; Justin Woody (@CoachJWoody) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachJWoody/status/1807517966558474503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highland Boys Basketball starts a new season with the same confidence <a href="https://t.co/KoU8EUooZw">https://t.co/KoU8EUooZw</a></p>&mdash; KRQE News 13 (@krqe) <a href="https://twitter.com/krqe/status/1858720637826572720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->