La Cueva and Cleveland have new Hall of Fame classes

La Cueva was set to induct its 2024 Hall of Fame class on Friday night, but when the school’s football game had to be moved to Thursday because of a lack of officials, La Cueva had to change its plans to honor the inductees.

This year’s group:

Bryce Alford (2013), one of the school’s all-time great basketball players who later played collegiately at UCLA and professionally in Europe;

Mitch Garver (2009), who played soccer and baseball at La Cueva but made his mark primarily in baseball, where he later starred at UNM. Garver has been a longtime pro, spending time with the Twins, Rangers and Mariners. He won a World Series ring last year with Texas.

La’Tasia Larez-Dyer (1996), a volleyball and softball standout at La Cueva who later played at New Mexico State. Three of her children have played for the Bears.

Megan Rice (2003), who excelled in volleyball, basketball and track and field. She later starred on the Northern Arizona basketball team.

Sofie Schunk (2010), who did soccer and track and field; she would go on to play soccer at Marquette University in Milwaukee, and also once qualified for the Olympic marathon.

Rick Ingle, a longtime baseball coach for the Bears and also a counselor from 1992-2023.

STORM HALL: Cleveland also has its Class of 2024. Inductees:

Azure Dorsey, a member of the school’s first graduating class and a dominant defender on the girls soccer team. She later played collegiately for Rollins College in Florida.

Amy Salinas also was a member of Cleveland’s first graduating class, and also played defender for the Storm. She also ran track and field, swam and played basketball. She played soccer collegiately at Adams State in Colorado.

Caitlyn Espinosa, like Dorsey and Salinas, was an excellent girls soccer player, plus a member of the basketball and track programs. She played soccer at Fort Lewis College in Durango.

Macario Borrego (2012) was part of Cleveland’s first boys wrestling state championship team, and he was an individual champion, as well. He wrestled later for Colorado Mesa University.

Michael LiRosi (2012) was a terrific football player for Cleveland. He was a playmaking middle linebacker for the Storm’s first state championship team, in 2011, and was a two-time All-Stater.

Matthew Romero (2012) was a two-way starter in football for three straight years along both lines. He got to Adams State on a football scholarship.

Current Cleveland defensive coordinator Eddie Kilmer has been the architect for multiple, suffocating Storm defenses since his arrival in 2011.

Jim Tillery was one of Cleveland’s original staff members, and he led the school to five state bowling championships. He also coached the boys and girls golf teams to a combined five state titles.

Bob Tyler has been a regular contributor to the school and coached both softball and baseball at Cleveland. Same with another inductee, Michael Franklin, who has for years worked behind the scenes in support of the Storm’s athletic department.

Joseph Perez (2014) played on that 2011 state football championship team, and has been assisting with the program in many capacities for the last 10 years.