Prep notes: COVID pause will make playoff qualifying tough for Eldorado
Apr. 14—Eldorado High School going to remote learning for two weeks is going to leave the Eagles boys and girls basketball teams — the boys more than the girls — precious little time coming out of the shutdown to become state tournament eligible.
Eldorado, in the wake of a small handful of positive COVID-19 cases, has had to suspend all athletics — including practices and competitions — for the same two weeks, and it won't be until April 28 that all students can return to campus or games can resume.
The boys basketball team has only played three games, the girls four. Both are going to have to play over 50 percent (minimum six) of their District 2-5A contests in order to be state tournament eligible.
Which means Eldorado's boys have to find a way to play three games between Wednesday, April 28, and Saturday, May 1. Two already are on the schedule, and the Eagles will need another on top of those two, Eldorado athletic director Roy Sanchez said.
"We're gonna do everything we can to make that happen," said Albuquerque Public Schools district athletic director Kenny Barreras, whose office handles basketball scheduling.
"Basketball will be tough. It's such a tight window," said Sanchez, who also is the Eagles coach.
The Eldorado girls only have one game scheduled between April 28 and May 1, so they only have to add one more game in order to have a chance to participate at state.
"It was tough," Eldorado girls senior guard Cece Barela said of the news of the shutdown of Eldorado's campus. "The chemistry was starting to build, more than it already had been."
Said Sanchez, "We didn't do anything wrong; none of my guys tested positive. ... We talk a lot about mental tough ness, and now they're challenged mentally."
The spring sports at Eldorado will also be impacted, but to a lesser degree as most seasons don't even begin until next week.
MORE COVID: Eldorado is the latest public high school in the city to encounter schedule disruptions because of the pandemic.
West Mesa's boys basketball team had to delay the start of their season, which included a pair of games, because of a positive test inside their program. The Albuquerque High girls had a game against Santa Fe last weekend called off because of a positive test within the Demonettes program. And the Sandia boys traveled all the way to Farmington to play Piedra Vista last Saturday, but a Panthers' COVID issue forced the Matadors to basically turn around and come right back home without playing the game, Sandia coach Danny Brown said.
SISNEROS HONORED: Eldorado's Laurynn Sisneros, fresh off her victory at the Class 5A state meet a couple of weeks ago, is the Gatorade girls cross country athlete of the year in New Mexico.
Sisneros has verbally committed to the United States Military Academy, where she will run cross country and track.
BACK IN THE SWING: The Albuquerque Academy boys (327) and girls (367) golf teams won respective team titles in the Shootout in the Desert at the Canyon Club on Monday.
Piedra Vista's Quinn Yost won the boys individual title after tying with Albuquerque Academy's Neil Parasher and Belen's Grady Cox at 74.
The playoff was determined by scorecard.
Socorro's Harley Richardson (76) won the girls individual title. Piedra Vista's Shandiin Harper (78), who recently signed to compete at Western New Mexico, was second.
The field of teams was limited due to the pandemic.
THIS AND THAT: Two La Cueva athletes are going to sign national letters of intent on Wednesday: Lindsay Eckelman (volleyball; Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota) and Ryan Holloway (tennis; Laterno University in Longview, Texas). ... La Cueva is the preseason No. 9 in the Rocky Mountain Region as chosen by Baseball America; Rio Rancho was No. 9 and Sandia No. 11 in Perfect Game's Southwest Region preseason baseball ranking.
