Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The New Mexico Activities Association’s board of directors last week approved a two-year classification and realignment proposal that dropped Tucumcari from Class 3A to 2A and placed most THS sports in a district that includes regional rivals Santa Rosa and Clayton.
Logan and San Jon remained in Class 1A with the new plan from mid-2024 to mid-2026, though rival Melrose was moved from its district to another in many sports.
Logan also dropped from eight-man football to six-man football for two years. The district’s board reluctantly approved the move last month.
The NMAA’s plan, ratified on Wednesday, wasn’t unexpected.
Tucumcari athletic director Wayne Ferguson told the school board in October that THS would drop from Class 3A to 2A based on its three-year enrollment average. He also said the NMAA likely would change Tucumcari’s district.
Tucumcari’s three-year enrollment average was 233 — barely within the new Class 2A criteria of 100 to 234 students.
For Tucumcari, its baseball, track, volleyball and basketball teams would be in a district that includes Santa Rosa, Clayton, Raton, Pecos and Estancia.
Tucumcari’s previous Class 3A district foes — Dexter, New Mexico Military Institute and Ruidoso — were kept together, with Tularosa added.
Patrick Benavidez, coach of the Tucumcari girls basketball team, said he thought the move to 2A would benefit the program because Tucumcari was the smallest school in Class 3A for years.
“With the exception of the trip to Raton, the travel distances will be a relief,” he said. “All the teams in the district are teams we already play and compete with, so that’s also a benefit.
“Hopefully, we can keep a few our the 3A schools on our schedule because it would benefit our strength of schedule, as well.”
Lady Rattlers volleyball coach Dana Benavidez also thought the district realignment was good because her team already played those foes during the regular season.
“I believe it will be a competitive district,” she said. “There will have to be some schedule adjustments because of having more teams in our district than we have had in previous years.”
Rattlers football was placed in a district that includes Capitan, Cloudcroft, Estancia, Legacy Academy, Raton and Santa Rosa. Legacy is making a jump from eight-man football to 11-man.
Tucumcari football coach Tarik Embrack said his team essentially was moved from one tough district to another.
“Honestly, it seems Tucumcari (football) can never seem to catch a break,” he said. “Hopefully (the TPS administration) can schedule some games to where the team can win. There has to be a balance; you can’t play the hardest out-of-district and in-district schedule.”
For Lady Rattlers softball, the team was placed in a Class 1A/2A district that includes Clayton, Estancia, Pecos, Raton, Santa Rosa and county rival Logan.
In dual-meet boys wrestling, THS would be in a district with Escalante, Pecos, Raton, Robertson, St. Michael’s and West Las Vegas.
For individual boys wrestling, Tucumcari would be in one of two regions that includes Aztec, Bloomfield, Escalante, Espanola Valley, Gallup, Hozho Academy, Kirtland Central, Los Alamos, Moriarty, Newcomb, Northwest, Pecos, Pojoaque, Raton, Shiprock, St. Michael’s, Taos, West Las Vegas and Wingate.
For girls wrestling, Tucumcari would be in one of two large regions that include Aztec, Bloomfield, Capital, Cibola, Cleveland, Eldorado, Escalante, Espanola Valley, Farmington, Gallup, Hozho Academy, Kirtland Central, La Cueva, Los Alamos, Manzano, Miyamura, Moriarty, Newcomb, Northwest, Pecos, Piedra Vista, Pojoaque, Raton, Rio Rancho, Robertson, Sandia, Santa Fe, Shiprock, St. Michael’s, Taos, Volcano Vista, West Las Vegas, West Mesa and Wingate.
Logan and San Jon saw longtime area rival Melrose removed from its district in several sports.
For basketball, track and volleyball, Logan and San Jon were placed in a district with Clovis Christian, Fort Sumner, Grady and San Jon. House also is in that district for track.
Melrose was moved in most sports to a district that includes Dora, Elida, Floyd and Gateway Christian.
With its move from eight-man to six-man football, Logan would be in a district with Dora, Elida, Floyd, Grady, New Mexico School for the Deaf, Roy-Mosquero and Springer.
In baseball, Logan would be in a district with Gateway Christian, Melrose, Floyd, Elida and Dora.