What happened at the Metro Tournament? A look back at how RRPS did

Volcano Vista survives another scare, wins another titleLike Hobbs and Rio Rancho before them this week, the Sandia Matadors pushed Volcano Vista to almost the very limit.

Saturday night at La Cueva, the second-ranked Matadors were within a point with 30 seconds left, and close to what would have been a significant tournament championship.

But a key call didn’t go the Matadors’ way late, and No. 1 Volcano Vista buried several free throws at the end for a tense and exciting 61-57 victory before a large and engaged crowd at La Cueva.

The win marked Volcano Vista’s fourth consecutive Albuquerque Metro Championships title.

“It’s special,” Hawks coach Greg Brown said. “It’s a credit to our guys, and our program and the hard work that we put in.”

Gad Harris, Thomas Adams, Mason Howell and Isaiah Brown all contributed offensively for Sandia, which got within a point (49-48) with just under five minutes remaining.

For Volcano Vista, Kenyon Aguino’s three-point play, and Hudson Brown’s 3-pointer, helped keep Sandia at bay for a bit, but the Matadors persisted.

Aguino led Volcano Vista with 22 points.

“We knew they were in the game the whole time,” Aguino said of Sandia. “And with their shooting ability, we were never in a comfortable lead.”

Harris scored a team-best 20 points for Sandia.

— James Yodice/

Albuquerque Journal

Hobbs girls’ team swarms Kirtland CentralThe Hobbs Eagles girls basketball team didn’t just win the Albuquerque Metro Championships on Saturday, they won the tournament in emphatic fashion, stomping one of New Mexico’s best teams to claim the metro’s humongous first-place trophy.

Hobbs, the No. 2-ranked team in Class 5A, steamrolled 4A No. 2 Kirtland Central 83-49 in front of a packed house at La Cueva.

Hobbs’ strong showing last week at metros had Carpenter saying this afterward:

“(If) we believe that (Sandia is No. 1), we’re gonna work every day to prove people wrong,” he said.

The Eagles have won 16 games in a row after losing to Sandia on opening day. They were the better, smoother, more well-rounded and experienced team Saturday.

Freshman Allyson Tsosie kept the Broncos (10-2) in this game for a quarter-plus; she had all of Kirtland’s 15 points in the first quarter, a period that ended with Hobbs scoring the final six for a 22-15 lead.

At 22-17, Hobbs went on a lengthy 15-0 run that ate up 4½ minutes of clock, a run that pretty much decided the game. Bhret Clay and Brynn Hargrove poured in 3-pointers to start the run, post Kyndle Cunningham hit two buckets, and Clay scored the final five of the run.

Clay was outstanding throughout. She led all scorers with 25 points.

Carpenter said every piston was firing.

“We were hitting shots, hitting the boards pretty good, and we were taking care of the ball,” he said. “I can’t complain.”

And now Hobbs gets ready to start district play, where the Eagles are an overwhelming favorite to run the table leading into March.

Tsosie’s 15 points led the Broncos.

— James Yodice/

Albuquerque Journal

Mayhem for Rio teams in the semifinalsALBUQUERQUE (Jan. 10, 2025) — It was a tough night at La Cueva for the RRPS boys basketball teams.

First up in the Bear Cave, Cleveland took on the vaunted Sandia Matadors in a physical match up of top-ranked teams. Despite a 23-point performance from Remy Albrecht, CHS took the 93-63 loss and were relegated to the following day’s third-place game.

“In a tournament format, you don’t have time to dwell on it. You got another good team tomorrow,” said head coach Zack Cole. “We told them coming in that there would be ups and downs. This is a down. But we can’t dwell on it.”

The Rio Rancho Rams boys hit the court next to take on the state’s top-ranked team, the volcano Vista Hawks.

The Rams battled the entire game and dominated the exhausted Hawks for much of the contest. RRHS won the first three quarters and entered the fourth up 50-48. Rams point guard Jordan McNeely was on fire and put up 24 points in the game.

Ultimately, the Hawks size was just too much to handle, and the final three minutes of the game were dominated by Volcano. The final 65-59 score said the game was decided by six points, but it was much closer than that.

“We play Volcano close a lot,” said head coach Wally Salata. “I’m proud of how they went out and fought. There’s no moral victories, but I wanted to see how we would compete against the #65 team in the country [Volcano Vista]. We showed a lot of grit and we’ll learn from it. But we have to rebound fast. We got Cleveland tomorrow.”

Regardless of the tenacity of both squads, the Rio and Cleveland boys were destined to play one another in the 3rd-place game the following day, also at La Cueva.

— Taylor Hood

Rio Rancho Observer

Rams beat Storm for third place in Metro ChampionshipALBUQUERQUE (Jan. 11, 2025) — The Storm squad stepped onto the court and stepped to center court. Waiting for them was their home town rivals, the Rio Rancho Rams. Both teams had fought hard in the APS Metro Championship Semifinals the night before, and both had been defeated. For one of these teams, it was time for vindication.

At the end of a night of physical, defensive and (at time) chippy basketball, the Rams came out on top, defeating their Rio Rancho frenemies 60-54.

This game hinged almost entirely on the third quarter.

The Storm were more than hanging with the Rams through the first half. RRHS looked tired and slow. Titus Sutton and Remy Albrecht threw the Rams for loops alternating between inside and perimeter attacks.

Then the third quarter hit, and Rams player Cayden Richardson exploded for 10 points in the first two minutes.

“I knew I had to do my part,” said Richardson. “I just knew if I came out with a lot of energy, a lot of intensity, then we would win.”

From there, Richardson took the game over and the Rams didn’t look back. At the end of the game, Richardson had 16 points (with only 4 in the first half), two blocks and two rebounds.

“I feel good. I’m just glad we got the win,” Richardson said after the game.

The Rams finished the Metro tournament in third place. The Storm finished in fourth.

“To play to caliber teams that we played in the last two days... it’s exhausting,” said head coach Wally Salata. “The biggest thing is that the game got close, but we didn’t give the game away.”

— Taylor Hood/

Rio Rancho Observer