5A Varsity State Semis Cleveland HS VS Atrisco Heritage Academy

<p>April 6, 2021, what a day of basketball and what a game against these two giants. After year after year of losing to Atrisco Heritage Academy, Cleveland High School wins with a big three pointer by one of their best snipers and a controversial foul call with 40 seconds left in the game. Here are the key players who stepped up big tonight.</p> <p><a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/evan-gonzales/"><span class="name-pointer">[player_tooltip player_id="1076622" first="Evan" last="Gonzales"]</span><span class="info-box"><span class="player-img"><img class=" ls-is-cached lazyloaded" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Evan-and-Nate-150x150.jpg" data-src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Evan-and-Nate-150x150.jpg" /></span></span></a> 6’0″ G, 2021, Cleveland High School: Ooops he did it again! [player_tooltip player_id="1076622" first="Evan" last="Gonzales"] has been clutch these last two games. He hit a three at the 1:20 mark of the 4rth quarter to change the landscape of the game giving Cleveland High School a very big win tonight. the same identical spot that he was clutch in the victory over Santa Fe High School.  He played great defense and was able to cause some turmoil on the floor. Evan is showing Colleges why he is a top athlete in the state of New Mexico. </p> <p><a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/nathan-hasberry/"><span class="name-pointer">[player_tooltip player_id="1076623" first="Nathan" last="Hasberry"]</span><span class="info-box"><span class="player-img"><img class=" ls-is-cached lazyloaded" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Nate-150x150.jpg" data-src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Nate-150x150.jpg" /></span></span></a> 6’4″ F, 2021, Cleveland High School: <a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/nathan-hasberry/"><span class="name-pointer">[player_tooltip player_id="1076623" first="Nathan" last="Hasberry"]</span><span class="info-box"><span class="player-img"><img class=" ls-is-cached lazyloaded" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Nate-150x150.jpg" data-src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Nate-150x150.jpg" /></span></span></a> once again put up big numbers against a very solid defense minded Atrisco Heritage Academy. Nate has been playing at the highest level I have ever seen him play. He has been defending extremely well and gets a ton of blocks when you try to go back door on him. He is very coachable and knows how to read defenses. He is also a major board crasher and is scrappy underneath. I can’t wait to see what kind of numbers Nate puts up against a very tough minded Las Cruces team in the State Championship. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1128606" first="Javier" last="Mendoza"] 6’2" G, 2022, Atrisco Heritage Academy: (Featured) With absence of [player_tooltip player_id="1076626" first="Isaiah" last="Brooks"] somebody had to step it up against Cleveland High School. Javier stepped it up in a huge way tonight. In the first half Atrisco Heritage Academy scored 29 points. Javier had 20 of those points shooting five threes and  in the first half alone. The kid was ice cold getting open lanes and killing Cleveland on the outside perimeter. He played great defense tonight causing turnovers and getting steals. He was able to control the tempo of the game calling out for screens and applying ball pressure. I have seen Javier play in multiple games, but tonight was different. He flipped that switch and did what he had to do. Even though Atrisco Heritage came up short [player_tooltip player_id="1128606" first="Javier" last="Mendoza"] showed why he should be on a lot of college coaches radars. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076722" first="Chris" last="Parra"] 5’11" G, 2023, Atrisco Heritage Academy: [player_tooltip player_id="1076722" first="Chris" last="Parra"] was an absolute difference maker tonight. He was making great defensive plays, diving on basketballs, fighting for rebounds and causing turnovers. He was the high energy guy tonight who brought the intensity that Atrisco Heritage Academy needed. He had 11 points tonight and hit a very big three pointer with 1 minute left in the game to put Atrisco within a basket. He spaces the floor very well and works very nice off brush screens. He knows his role and plays it very well. His intensity on defense was a gamechanger tonight. If he continues to play at the level he is playing he will be a star for Atrisco Hertitage Academy. Coaches keep your eye out for [player_tooltip player_id="1076722" first="Chris" last="Parra"]. </p> <p>Cleveland High School moves on to the State Championship against a very good offensive powerhouse...Las Cruces Bulldawgs!</p>