Hello to 2026: Top Performers On New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New Year's Eve and New Year's day was filled with high school hoops around the state, including the championship games of four major tournaments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The most exciting game – and perhaps the game of the year so far in the state – occurred in the title matchup of the Rio Rancho Holiday Tournament. Rams 6-foot-5 senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2694572' first='Cayden' last='Richardson']</strong>, ignoring an ankle injury suffered Tuesday, went coast-to-coast for the game-winning layup off the glass with five seconds left to lift Rio Rancho to a 68-67 victory over Volcano Vista.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Richardson scored a team-high 18 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Volcano Vista star <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2111977' first='David' last='Lunn']</strong> gave the Hawks a 67-66 lead with 13.3 seconds left when he banked home a short shot in the lane. Lunn scored 36 points and again showed why he's a high D1 prospect. Rio Rancho called timeout and got the ball to Richardson, who maneuvered his way down the court&nbsp; into the lane. His shot off the glass from close range went in. All Volcano Vista could do was inbound the ball and throw up a 40-foot desperation shot at the buzzer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The contest was close throughout. Rio Rancho led, 35-34, at halftime. In all, there were nine lead changes and six ties. Free throw shooting was the difference as the Rams made 26-of-30, including 11-of-12 in the fourth quarter. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unbeaten Rio Rancho (8-0) travels to Santa Fe Friday for a 1 p.m. matinee matchup with Capital. It will be the final tuneup for the Rams before next week's 16-team Albuquerque Metro Tournament. Rio Rancho squares off with West Mesa Tuesday &nbsp;in the first round. Volcano Vista faces Rio Grande in the first round of the Metro Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In other tournaments, Hobbs won its own tournament with a hard-fought 41-36 win over Albuquerque High in the title game. Valencia won the Stu Clark Invitational in Las Vegas with a 45-40 win over Pecos in the championship game. Amarillo (TX) Palo Duro won the Poe Corn Invitational by beating Organ Mountain in the championship game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LAST SECOND FANTASTIC FINISH! Rio Rancho improved to 8-0 with a 68-67 win over Volcano Vista on Wednesday. Check out the final seconds of the game. (video courtesy NFHS network) <a href="https://t.co/AuIjp49QVh">pic.twitter.com/AuIjp49QVh</a></p>&mdash; NMAA (@_NMAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA/status/2006824277493096762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Here are some other top performers from New Year's Eve and New Year's Day</strong>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2833906' first='Brody' last='Brazil'], Mountainair</strong>: Scored 18 points and grabbed 4 rebounds as Mountainair edged Grady on Wednesday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2714567' first='Isaiah' last='Brown'], Sandia</strong>: The sophomore scored 21 points, including the 1,000^th of his career, and grabbed 12 rebounds with 6 assists and 7 steals as the Matadors beat Navajo Prep in the 3^rd place game at the Rio Rancho Holiday Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1846065' first='Charlie' last='Campbell'], Artesia</strong>: Scored a team-high 16 points in Artesia's win over Amarillo (TX) Holy Cross Catholic Academy Wednesday in the 3^rd place game at the Hobbs Holiday Tournament. Teammate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1717327' first='Braylon' last='Vega']</strong> scored 15 points, including the 1,000^th of his career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2706546' first='Elijah' last='Cooks'], Bloomfield</strong>: Scored 22 points on perfect 8-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 FT, grabbed 7 rebounds and handed out 3 assists in the Bobcats' close win over Manzano Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2216707' first='Nathan' last='Gonzales'], Robertson</strong>: Scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked 8 shots in the Cardinals' win over crosstown rival West Las Vegas at the Stu Clark Invitational at NMHU.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Zander Griego Farmington</strong>: Scored 18 points as Farmington beat Mayfield Wednesday in the Hobbs Holiday Tournament</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aaron Herrera, Alamogordo</strong>: Scored 26 points to lead the Tigers past Lovington at the Poe Corn Tournament in Roswell. Alamogordo is 8-3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NEW YEAR'S DAY SCOREBOARD (Jan. 1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eldorado 58, St. Pius X 52</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Mesa 58, Grants 46</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bloomfield 55, Manzano 53</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fort Sumner/House 57, Magdalena 33</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mesilla Valley Christian 74, Dora 38</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bernalillo 51, Monte Del Sol 12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cottonwood Classical 42, Legacy Academy 39</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Finishing 2025 with a trophy! On to 2026! <a href="https://t.co/49ixHKfYVD">pic.twitter.com/49ixHKfYVD</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Jaguar Boys Basketball (@VHSJagHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/VHSJagHoops/status/2006626514138444077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thanks for the film fam.<br>36pts, 7rbs <br>More work to do. <a href="https://t.co/6RSVpRHDAV">pic.twitter.com/6RSVpRHDAV</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='2111977' first='David' last='Lunn'], III (@lunn_iii) <a href="https://twitter.com/lunn_iii/status/2007169552619319328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">All Glory to God!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/1000PointClub?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#1000PointClub</a> <a href="https://t.co/hNTSKyYiI5">pic.twitter.com/hNTSKyYiI5</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1717327' first='Braylon' last='Vega'] (@BraylonVega2026) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraylonVega2026/status/2006505088467218872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I'm incredibly thankful for reaching this milestone on hitting 1,000 points! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sophmore2028?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sophmore2028</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/allforpapa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#allforpapa</a><a href="https://twitter.com/SebastianNoel47?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SebastianNoel47</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamDiehl15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AdamDiehl15</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_NM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepHoops_NM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesDYodice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JamesDYodice</a> <a href="https://t.co/cVyHKdsxyf">pic.twitter.com/cVyHKdsxyf</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='2714567' first='Isaiah' last='Brown'] (@zay32brown) <a href="https://twitter.com/zay32brown/status/2006535370939523256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->