PREP BASKETBALL
3A girls: Braves claim title in season to remember
SFIS defeats top-seeded Navajo Prep, gets big win in year of big loss
Santa Fe Indian School has been oh-so-close before, losing the last four times it has been in the Class 3A girls state championship game since the Braves won their last one in 2011. But that stretch came to an end Friday as SFIS put away two-time defending champion Navajo Prep 43-35.
“It’s been our journey. It’s been something we manifested,” Braves coach Khadijha Jackson said. “It’s been something that we’ve been talking about constantly, every day, just reminding them how good of a team they are. These 12 girls have had heart all season.”
And the Braves were motivated to honor brothers Jason and Nathan Abeyta, who were killed last April in an automobile accident. Jason was the SFIS boys’ basketball coach and Nathan was the school’s assistant athletic director.
“This year has been tough. Using our two angels above, Nate and Jay, feeling that they’re here.” Jackson said. “So that was also our greatest motivation for the season was to give back to them because of what they did. Especially my girls, they were their number one supporters.”
All that emerged in the fourth quarter as a surge gave Indian School the win.
The Braves scored 10 straight to turn a 32-29 deficit into a 38-32 lead with one minute remaining that never shrank closer than four points the rest of the way.
“Fourth quarter was just digging deep,” Jackson said. “We know we were always talking about giving all four quarters this game. We didn’t really give a first quarter, so we decided we had to make that up with the fourth quarter.”
It did make up for a rather lackluster three quarters. To say the teams came into this game cold would be an understatement. They combined to go 11-for-48 (22.9%) from the field in the first half and 8-17 from the foul line. The Braves missed all seven of their 3-pointers. And things actually got worse in the third quarter, as the teams combined to go 3-23.
Kaydence Riley led SFIS with 10 points and 12 boards, while Brittany Whitney had nine points and eight rebounds and Toni Riley added eight points with seven rebounds.
“I wanted something where I could share the feeling with, getting that medal, putting it over your head,” said Kaydence Riley, who also competes in cross country. “That’s what I really wanted for our team. This group of girls are my sisters and I’m just glad that we won it together. We worked with a manifest, we had self talks and just positive talking. That’s what kind of brought us all together.”
Kameron Dale had 12 points, and Kamyra Goldtooth and Nataya Serrano each had eight rebounds for the Eagles.
The Eagles coach also credited her team’s defense, which was a big factor in Prep’s shooting woes, particularly Whitney.
“She is everywhere. She’s our motivation-starter for defense. She’s our engine,” Jackson said. “Technically, the second that she gets going, everybody starts feeding off of her. The energy that she brings, as well, it’s there. And I just know for sure every night I’m gonna get her defense 100%, or even 110%.”
Jackson, finishing her third year with the program, said the best is yet to come for the Braves.
“It’s just the start of something new, something beautiful starting to happen,” Jackson said. “It took three long years to get here, but I believe the program is going in the right direction. So the biggest thing is it’s just looking up from here.”
