Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely affected participation in Tucumcari's sports programs. Track and field is no different. When Tucumcari's track season begins at 9 a.m. Saturday with the Rattlers Relays at Rattler Stadium, coach Wayne Ferguson estimates he'll have only 15 boys and four girls participating. Spring sports were canceled last year because of the pandemic. With participation numbers down with the resumption of those sports this spring, Ferguson said he has no idea...
COVID-19 cases cut short the already abbreviated seasons for the Tucumcari and San Jon basketball programs last week. At Tucumcari, one case among a student forced the school district to send 52 students home who were in close contact to quarantine. As a result, the Rattlers’ final two games against New Mexico Military Institute and Dexter — the latter which already had been rescheduled due to a COVID-19 case there — were canceled. A Tucumcari baseball game scheduled at Robertson on Thursday also was canceled. And several district games for L...
The Tucumcari wrestling team salvaged an 18-18 tie against Moriarty on Saturday during a meet at Robertson despite the Rattlers missing five athletes due to a COVID-19 quarantine. Tucumcari coach Eddie Encinias was very pleased with his athletes’ performance. “They looked good,” he said. “To be able to take just seven guys and get a tie, that’s unusual. I called them afterwards ‘The Magnificent Seven’; they all did the job they were supposed to. Even in their losses, they didn’t get stuck (with a pin). That helps a lot.” Tucumcari coach E...
LOGAN - The Logan boys basketball team on Friday not only lost a chance to down undefeated and defending Class 1A champion Melrose, but it also lost a chance at its usual postseason berth. Melrose's Tate Sorgen sank two free throws with 31.2 seconds left to provide his team's decisive margin, and Garrett Bollinger's 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game missed during a 54-51 Buffaloes victory. COVID-19 outbreaks essentially prevented the Longhorns from claiming its usual...
LOGAN - COVID-19 outbreaks took away a sizable part of the Logan girls basketball team's schedule and its head coach on Friday. It also effectively took away its usual postseason berth after the Lady Longhorns lost to defending Class 1A champ Melrose 49-31. Logan head coach Glynna Strand was recovering after contracting the disease last month but didn't feel well enough to guide her team Friday. Assistant coaches Dustin Robertson and Robert Young guided the team instead. Playing their first...
The Tucumcari High School golf teams completed their first tournament of the season Friday at the Texico Tournament at Farwell Country Club in Farwell, Texas, with Dennis Birch finishing 11th overall. Also for the Rattlers, Ayden Otero finished 12th and Billy Otero was 14th. Alexis Miller also competed for Tucumcari, but girls scores were not posted. “They were nervous at first,” Tucumcari coach Donnie Garcia said of his players. “Neither of them have played competitively in high school. Overall, I think they recovered and finished stron...
The Tucumcari girls basketball team earned its first victory of the abbreviated season with a 38-36 district decision against East Mountain on Saturday. Alexus Lafferty scored 18 points to lead the Rattlers, and Caylee Benavidez scored six. “All but one player scored in this game, it was good to see others help with the scoring,” Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said. “This was the first game we pressed. Having practice time to work on things helped.” Hittson also credited Sariah Mardo and Mireya Estrada for making crucial steals and rebounds late...
The Tucumcari boys basketball team still was searching for its elusive first victory of the season after a 61-57 district loss Saturday to East Mountain. The Rattlers (0-10) fell behind 36-21 in the first half, and their second-half rally fell short. “Turnovers and free throw hurt us,” Tucumcari coach John Span said. “We missed more free throws than we lost by.” Tucumcari went 11-for-18 from the foul line. Andrew Henderson-Clark led the Rattlers with 21 points, and Dominick Jasper added 13. Beckett Dunleavy led East Mountain (2-4) with 18 poin...
SAN JON - After a slow start, the Grady boys basketball team's transition game came alive in a big way during a 59-19 district win Thursday over winless host San Jon. The Bronchos (2-6) led just 7-4 after one quarter but erupted for 24 points in the second period to take a 31-9 lead by intermission. Grady continually pushed the ball rapidly up the floor and kept finding easy shots for teammates against a young and inexperienced Coyotes team. Grady coach Jonathan Langan was happy to his team's...
SAN JON - Grady showed what one highly skilled player could do for a girls basketball team when the other squad lacks the same. Grady senior center Teryn Foote scored 19 points, including three 3-point shots, during a 39-27 district victory Thursday over a San Jon team still searching for its first victory of the abbreviated season. San Jon started strong, leading 8- 5 after one quarter and 11-5 early in the second period. Grady coach Alicia Rush admitted her team, which improved to 3-5...
Tucumcari High School softball coach CJ Oglesby admits he was ready to quit entirely when his promising team's season and other spring sports were canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But when practices began for his young and inexperienced squad in early April, much of the heartache from that lost season melted away. "I admit I was iffy after that season because I put so much heart into those girls," Oglesby said before practice last week. "To see it go down like that was...
The Tucumcari wrestling team opened its season belatedly Thursday but with a big triumph — three dual-meet victories over district opponents. The Rattlers defeated St. Michael’s 36-24, downed Newcomb 42-30 and defeated Pecos 42-15. Tucumcari coach Eddie Encinias wasn’t completely satisfied, though. “We did all right,” he said. “My expectations are a lot more than a lot of people’s. We’ve got a lot of improvement to do. I think we can be a lot better than we are. We have to get guys into different weight classes.” Encinias was reluctant to sing...
The Tucumcari baseball team looked OK in the early in its season-opening game last week. Then the dam broke in the fourth inning. West Las Vegas erupted for 17 runs during that frame en route to a 23-3 victory April 20 at Tucumcari that was shortened to five innings by the 10-run mercy rule. The Rattlers went through three pitchers in that inning - starter Johnathan Blea and relievers Joey Dysart and Luiso Molinas. The prolonged fourth featured a slew of singles, walks, a hit batter and a couple...
In the space of a single day Thursday, Tucumcari’s wrestling team was put through an emotional wringer when New Mexico suspended the sport, then reinstated it hours later. The whipsaw event also served notice to many schools that all prep sports were in a precarious position because of rising coronavirus cases there. The Rattler wrestlers had just boarded the bus Thursday morning to go to their season-opening district match at St. Michael’s in Santa Fe when athletic director Wayne Ferguson informed them the match — and season — were off. “T...
The Tucumcari boys basketball team missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer that would have given the Rattlers a district victory over Dexter and their first of the season overall. Instead, Dexter's Tyler Briscoe became the hero when he sank two free throws seconds earlier to give his team the deciding 51-49 margin on April 13 at the Snake Pit. The Rattlers' loss spoiled a big game for Andrew Henderson-Clark, who scored a game-high 19 points. Dominick Jasper added 14 points for Tucumcari, and Curtis...
A shooting slump in the second half proved fatal to the Tucumcari girls basketball team during a 34-23 district loss Thursday to New Mexico Military Institute. The Lady Colts led just 14-11 at intermission but seized control with an 18-6 scoring run in the third and part of the fourth quarters when the Lady Rattlers could hardly buy a field goal. "We couldn't throw the ball into the ocean tonight," Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said. "Offensively, we just stood around." The loss left the young...
Tucumcari baseball was scheduled to resume Tuesday after nearly the entire 2020 season was wiped out by COVID-19. The Rattlers played only two games last year before the state shut down schools and canceled spring sports because of the pandemic. On Tuesday, coach Dennis Dysart's young team was scheduled to open the 2021 season at home with one varsity game and one junior-varsity game against West Las Vegas, weather permitting. (The games were after the Quay County Sun's deadlines.) Dysart said...
The Logan boys basketball team mauled San Jon 86-33 during a district game April 13 before the Longhorns’ season was paused later that week because of at least one COVID-19 case in the school district. Logan raced to a 28-8 lead in the first quarter and held a 48-12 lead by intermission. Kaden Riggs totaled 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Longhorns, and Dante Sanchez added 21 points. Logan improved to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in district play. James Lacayo led the Coyotes with 16 points. San Jon coach Chad Watson said his team was “outgunned,...
The Logan girls basketball team handled San Jon 68-29 during a district game April 13 before the Lady Longhorns’ season was paused later that week due to at least one coronavirus case in the district. The Lady Longhorns, which totaled 49 points by intermission, improved to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in District 6. Kyra Conway led Logan with 18 points, while Kambry Burns added 16. Karlee Cantrell and Rilee Nials each added 11 points. Logan is scheduled to return to action with a home game April 30 against arch-rival Melrose. Melrose 54, San Jon 16 D...
Logan's basketball team found its shooting touch, and Tucumcari is trying to find its primary point guard. That summarizes the Longhorns' 71-36 victory Thursday night over the Rattlers in Tucumcari's home opener at the Snake Pit. Without someone stepping up to run the offense, the Rattlers fell behind by a double digits in the first quarter and trailed 39-15 at intermission. Tucumcari showed life offensively with 18 points in the fourth quarter, but they came primarily against Logan's...
A shooting slump by the Logan girls basketball proved fatal during a 43-30 district loss Saturday at Fort Sumner. “We went dry in the second half,” Logan coach Glynna Strand said. “Couldn’t buy a bucket.” Karli Cantrell led the Lady Longhorns with 11 points. Logan fell to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the district. The Vixens improved to 2-0. Logan 52, Grady 50 The Lady Longhorns fended off a stiff challenge April 6 from district foe Grady during a 52-50 victory. Grady seized a 14-3 lead early, but Logan clawed back to make it close the rest of the wa...
One thing is for sure: The Tucumcari girls basketball team will gain a lot of experience against full-court presses this season. The Lady Rattlers got another bitter taste of that defense Thursday during a 60-14 loss against area rival Logan during Tucumcari's home opener at the Snake Pit. Tucumcari fell behind 15-0 in the first quarter and trailed by more than 20 midway through the second period. The Lady Rattlers committed scores of turnovers and struggled to move the ball past the halfcourt l...
Staff report The Logan boys basketball team came from behind to pick up a key district victory Saturday with a 71-69 decision at Fort Sumner. The Longhorns trailed 39-30 at intermission and were down 43-30 in the third quarter. Logan made three 3-pointers and eight free throws in the final period to seal the victory. Dante Sanchez led the Longhorns (3-1) with 21 points. Jordan Evans added 16 points, Kaden Riggs 15 and Brock Burns 12 for Logan. “I was proud of the way the boys fought all night,” Logan coach Kyle Griffiths said. “We got down...
Tucumcari has another talented wrestling team getting ready to belatedly begin its season, but there will be a greater sense of urgency with each match this year. That's because of the condensed schedule and a tougher qualification standards for the state tournament. Tucumcari's Eddie Encinias, a Hall of Fame coach in his 20th year of leading the Rattlers, said the New Mexico Activities Association is considering as few as eight and maybe six wrestlers statewide per weight class qualifying for...
Three Tucumcari volleyball players earned all-district honors in Class 3A's District 4. Senior outside hitter Felicity Lopez, junior outside hitter Amber Owen and sophomore libero Alexus Lafferty received the recognition after the Lady Rattlers' 2-9 season. Lopez was the Lady Rattlers' top attacker, with 89 kills during the season. She had an 84.2% success rate with serving attempts, with eight aces. Owen made 54 kills during the season and logged an 86.2% accuracy rate on serves, with 14 aces....