First half of 2012 also saw the emergence of the Stars

Cleveland’s football program saw a change at the top while the wrestling team got to the top. Terrell Owens breezed through town for a few hours. Blake Swihart got his professional career underway in earnest.

Those were among the highlights to a very active first six months of the sports year in the Rio Rancho Journal area.

Cleveland’s 2011 football team, which went undefeated in its state championship season, was still making headlines early into 2012. In January, it even received national recognition.

The Storm finished No. 112 nationally for the 2011 season, according to MaxPreps, a California-based company that ranks more than 16,000 high school varsity football teams across the country.

MaxPreps chose Cleveland as one of 50 schools to be honored on its seventh annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions. Cleveland is the first New Mexico school to be honored in any sport on the tour.

But in April, the Storm were suddenly forced to change head coaches. Kirk Potter, 56, announced his retirement, saying he had lost his fire for the job. He was replaced by offensive coordinator Heath Ridenour, the architect of Cleveland’s high-powered offensive attack.

♦ Speaking of offense, the New Mexico Stars of the Indoor Football League made their debut at the Santa Ana Star Center in late February. The franchise’s first game was a success as the Stars beat the Colorado Ice 46-39 before a crowd of about 3,600.

New Mexico finished its inaugural season 2-12, and missed the playoffs. The team averaged about 3,000 fans.

In the Stars’ second home game, against the Allen Wranglers, Owens — who played in the NFL with a handful of teams, including Dallas — was in uniform. Local fans sold out the Star Center to get a glimpse of the mercurial wide receiver.

Owens caught five balls for 50 yards, including a touchdown, in 45-28 victory.

♦ Cleveland’s wrestling team in February won the Class 5A state championship, outlasting second-place Rio Grande and third-place Rio Rancho.

The Storm had a pair of individual champions in junior Paul Mascareñas at 113, and 170-pounder Jake King.

Rio Rancho had won the previous five, 5A titles. The Rams’ Jordan Lara, a sophomore, took the 160-pound division, and his victory put his team into third place.

Mascareñas and King later were named to New Mexico’s “Dream Team,” which is akin to an all-state selection. The Storm’s Corey Anderson was chosen as coach of the year.

♦ Wrestling was not the only blue trophy for Cleveland in the first half of the year.

The Storm swept the boys and girls state track and field meets at UNM in May, completing a rare double after Cleveland also swept state cross-country titles the previous fall.

Cleveland sprinter Romell Jordan, the state’s 100-meter champion, was the high-point individual at state. Luis Martinez was the 3,200-meter winner. (Martinez later was chosen the Gatorade athlete of the year in track and field for New Mexico.)

For the girls, Alex Winebark was the discus champion, Julissa Hunte won the 200, and Malia Gonzales dominated the distances with victories in the 1,600 and 3,200.

Hall of Fame talk

The Albuquerque/New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame’s annual awards in February were heavily populated with Cleveland representatives.

Storm quarterback Cole Gautsche, distance runner Martinez and baseball catcher Swihart shared High School Male Athlete of the Year award.

Sara Hattis, who starred in basketball and volleyball for the Storm, shared High School Female Athlete of the Year honors with Volcano Vista softball and basketball star Ashley Williams.

Potter shared High School Coach of the Year honors with Kenny Henry, the Storm’s cross-country coach.

The 13-0 Cleveland football team was named High School Team of the Year.

Reece White, who played football and ran track for the Storm, was one of 10 athletes recognized as multisport athletes.

♦ None of the area’s prep basketball teams made much noise at the state tournament. For the boys, Rio Rancho (Las Cruces) and Bernalillo (Kirtland Central) lost in the first round, while Cleveland did not qualify.

Cleveland’s girls authored the deepest run, reaching the 5A quarterfinals where it lost to Eldorado. Rio Rancho’s girls (Mayfield) and Bernalillo’s girls (Piedra Vista) were ousted in the first round.

Bernalillo’s girls were appearing at state for the first time in 20 years.

After the season, Bernalillo guard Brandon Saiz and Cleveland’s Hattis were first-team all-state selections in Class 5A.

♦ The first Wednesday in February was national signing day, and a handful of area athletes committed officially to Division I programs. Gautsche and Rio Rancho center Josh Baggett signed with the University of New Mexico.

The Cleveland High girls soccer program saw Courtney Dudley sign with Colorado, Emily Cubbage with St. John’s and Mikaela Haley with New Mexico State.

In the spring, Cleveland’s Kyle Quintana committed to play basketball at Division I Navy.

Sandia Prep’s Krista Armstead, who lives in Rio Rancho, signed a track scholarship with the University of Washington.

Other highlights

♦ Swihart, a first-round draft pick in 2011 by the Boston Red Sox after closing out his prep career at Cleveland, opened the 2012 season with the Greenville (S.C.) Drive of the Class A South Atlantic League. He was hitting .240 at the end of June.

♦ Rio Rancho baseball coach Ron Murphy won his 400th career game in 2012, with a victory over Santa Fe in March.

♦ While the Star Center gained a new tenant in the Stars, the building also lost one of its anchor tenants, as the New Mexico Mustangs ice hockey team — which attracted dismal crowds — was granted “inactive status” for the 2012-13 season.

♦ The baseball teams from Rio Rancho and Cleveland fell in the state quarterfinals. The Rams fell to Sandia, the Storm to eventual state champion Carlsbad. Bernalillo lost in the 4A first round.

Cleveland third baseman Matt Villalobos and Storm outfielder Natty Lucero were later chosen as first-team all-state selections, as was Rio Rancho utility player Grant Templin.

♦ Jason Montoya, an assistant pro at Twin Warriors Golf Club, became the first Pueblo Native American PGA club pro in the country. The 2003 Bernalillo graduate represents the Santa Ana Pueblo.

♦ Twin Warriors Golf Club once again hosted the area’s local U.S. Open qualifier. Kent Jones of Albuquerque was one of three players to advance to sectional qualifying.

♦ In softball, Cleveland and Rio Rancho won first-round games at state, then lost their next two. Bernalillo lost in the first round in 4A. Rams’ sophomore Nicole Pendley was a first-team all-state selection.

♦ Cleveland junior Levi Smith won the 1-meter diving title at the swimming and diving championships at the Albuquerque Academy Natatorium in February. The highest team finish from Cleveland or Rio Rancho was a fifth-place showing by Rio Rancho’s boys.

♦ The state golf tournaments yielded some decidedly positive news in May.

The Rio Rancho girls placed second, the Cleveland boys third at the 5A state meet in Las Cruces. For the Ram girls, it was the program’s first-ever state trophy.

Individual All-State honors went to Cleveland’s Dominique Galloway and Rio Rancho’s Sierra Campbell in 5A girls, Craig Garcia of Cleveland in 5A boys, and Shannelle Tafoya of Bernalillo in 4A girls.

♦ Rio Rancho High wrestler Miguel Barreras earned all-American status at the National High School Coaches Association National Championships in Virginia Beach, Va.

♦ Corrales resident C.J. Maestas in April helped the University of Illinois to win the NCAA Division I championship, the school’s first since 1989. Maestas, a member of the U.S. Senior National Team, tied for second in the all-around.

♦ The Rio Rancho High boys track team produced two individual state champions: Jason Fitzpatrick in the discus, and Alex Oluyitan in the shot put. Bernalillo’s Jacob Martin was the 4A state high jump champ.

♦ Nolan Novak of Valley High, who trains at Eagle Ridge Gymnastics in Rio Rancho, in April signed a national letter of intent to compete at Michigan.

♦ Cleveland’s Martinez, undefeated during 2011, in January was named the Gatorade Cross-Country Boys Athlete of the Year for New Mexico.

♦ The fifth annual New Mexico Stampede PRCA Rodeo was held in January at the Santa Ana Star Center. It is billed as the state’s largest rodeo.

♦ The Bernalillo girls basketball team qualified for state for the first time in 20 years.

♦ Cleveland High’s cheerleaders placed second in state to La Cueva, with Rio Rancho in third place.

♦ Bernalillo was not a factor in Class 4A wrestling, but junior Clayton Pankey took the 220-pound state title. Pankey is just the second state wrestling champion from the school.

♦ In tennis, Rio Rancho’s boys qualified for state.