2026-27 Team Preview: Valencia Jaguars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026-27 VALENCIA JAGUARS PREVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Valencia finished 15-14 last season and lost to Del Norte in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament. The Jaguars played well in the middle of the season, winning nine of 11 games between Dec. 29 and Jan. 22. But they lost eight of their last 10 games and earned the No. 13 seed for the state tournament. The good news is Valenca has a core of seven seniors returning in 2026-27.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We have a lot of experience,” Valencia head coach Jesse Hathoot told Prep Hoops New Mexico. “A couple of those guys had a lot of production. But we did lose two of our top three scorers. We're optimistic about what we can do this year. A lot depends on whether we can stay healthy and how we do in district play. Last season we lost some close games in district play that affected our seeding. We have a chance to be competitive with just about everyone in 4A.” &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='2283972' first='Carin' last='Bustillos'] (Sr., 6-2, G)</strong>: Valencia's second leading scorer (13.0 ppg) and top rebounder (7.2 rpg) and distributor (3.4 assists per game)in 2025-16. “Carin has taken his game to another level,” Hathoot said. “He's going to be a problem for most of our opponents. I don't think he gets the attention he deserves across the state. He does it all for us. He's a very talented player.” Played mainly point guard last season but will likely move to a new position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2882825' first='Markus' last='Medina'] (Sr., 5-8, G)</strong>: &nbsp;Averaged 5.4 points last season but will be counted on to boost his scoring production as a senior. Returning starter. Solid spring and summer has him trending in the right direction. “He's scoring the ball a lot more,” Hathoot said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3102200' first='Liam' last='Brogdon'] (So., 6-0, G):</strong> Moving to point guard. Appeared in all 29 varsity games as a freshman last season. Very skilled for a young player. Basketball junkie. Mature beyond his years. “Liam has the potential to be one of the better players in the 2029 class,” Hathoot said. “Moving him to the point will help us offensively. He's a gym rat.” &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2882826' first='Luke' last='Terrell'] (Sr., 5-11, G)</strong>: Averaged 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds as a junior in 2025-26. Battled injuries during the spring and summer. But is close to being 100 percent as the start of the season approaches. Started most of Valencia's games last season, appearing in 24. Excellent athleticism. “I think he's going to have a really good year,” Hathoot said. “He can score in flashes. We need him to add some punch to his offensive game, scoring-wise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2882830' first='Javin' last='Garcia'] (Sr., 5-6, G)</strong>: Described by his coach as an ‘energizer bunny.' Worked on his offensive game this off-season, Good defender. Excellent quickness in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Andres Lopez (Sr., 5-10, G)</strong>: Played mainly JV last season. Significantly improved over the spring and summer. Expected to play significant minutes in 2026-27. Good shooter and rebounder.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Daniel Tafoya (Sr., 6-0, F)</strong>: Also plays football. Limited action with the varsity last season. Mostly played JV. Good athleticism. Will be relied upon to provide rebounding and toughness.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEY NEWCOMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Malachi Monarrez (So.):</strong> Transfer from Los Lunas. Played on the Tigers' freshman team in 2025-26. Brings good size to the lineup. “He's fit in nicely so far,” Hathoot said. “He gives us a dimension we didn't have. We're happy to have him.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jordi Calderon (Sr.)</strong>: Returns to the Valencia program after not playing in 2025-26. Should be a nice role player off the bench. Southpaw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Valencia opens the 2026-27 season with a pair of Thanksgiving Week home games against Gallup and Espanola Valley. The following week, they travel to Albuquerque to face Manzano and St. Pius X. Then the Jaguars host Taos and Robertson and play at Deming and Goddard. Between Christmas and New Years, Valencia will compete in the Stu Clark Tournament in Las Vegas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Jaguars will compete in District 4A-6 along with Albuquerque Academy, Belen, Grants and Hope Christian. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/VHSJagHoops/status/2062566551178657810","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/VHSJagHoops/status/2062566551178657810 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->