Boys state basketball tournament preview: Volcano Vista on a quest for a four-peat

James Yodice James Yodice James Yodice Journal Staff Writer

Published March 6, 2025 - 8:01 p.m. Modified March 6, 2025 - 10:20 p.m.

Secretariat has reached the home stretch, chasing even more history.

The start of the boys state basketball tournament is filled with compelling narratives, none more so than Volcano Vista’s pursuit of a fourth consecutive Class 5A championship. Last year, the Hawks became the first big-school boys program in Albuquerque to win three straight.

The first round for the boys is Saturday. Quarterfinal games in each of the five classes are Wednesday, at the Pit (5A, 4A), the Rio Rancho Events Center (3A, 2A) and Bernalillo High (1A).

Class 5A

Hobbs (1999-2002) was the most recent large division program to win four titles in a row. Volcano Vista (26-2) hasn’t lost a game to a New Mexico rival since the end of 2023, to Cleveland at the Hobbs tournament. Its two losses this season came at the hands of nationally ranked teams from Southern California.

Volcano Vista has two of the top five players in the 5A field, including the state’s best player in 6-foot-7 senior forward Kenyon Aguino, who has signed with Montana. Forward David Lunn, sniper Rian Gonzales and defensive stopper Hudson Brown all started last season for Volcano Vista as it downed Organ Mountain in the 2024 final.

Not only that, but the three New Mexico teams that came closest to beating the Hawks in the regular season — No. 2 seed Hobbs, No. 3 Sandia and No. 14 Rio Rancho, each at the metro tournament two months ago — are all in the opposite half of the draw.

The Volcano Vista bench celebrates a three-pointer in a Nov. 26 game against Albuquerque High at Albuquerque High School. Volcano Vista will be seeking its fourth straight state title in this year’s tournament.

The two middle-seed matchups are quite compelling. No. 9 Cibola, led by sophomore guard Elijah Martinez, takes on a strong defensive unit in La Cueva. The Cougars, after their best regular season in nearly 10 years, beat the Bears by three in the regular season. In Rio Rancho, No. 7 Cleveland welcomes No. 10 Atrisco Heritage. There will be two electrifying guards in Latavious Morris of the Jaguars (23 points per game) and Remy Albrecht of the Storm (25 ppg).

Albuquerque High, a state semifinalist 12 months ago, is a 6 seed and opens against Santa Fe.

In Volcano’s half, the other top seeds are No. 4 Roswell (vs. Carlsbad) and No. 5 Organ Mountain. Farmington, the 12 seed, has the longest road trip Saturday of any boys team in any class as it goes to Las Cruces to face the Knights. Organ Mountain has won 17 straight games since a 62-60 loss to Española Valley on Jan. 3.

Class 4A

This is possibly the most wide open bracket in either gender.

Even defending champion Highland, an 8 seed, could potentially do some damage. The Hornets open at home against No. 9 Del Norte; the winner seems likely to face No. 1 seed St. Pius. The Hornets’ sharpshooting senior guard, Jesus Licon, is starting to find the form that he displayed as a junior; he missed a large portion of this season coming back from a serious knee injury.

Highland’s Curtis Ryan (30) heads down the court during a Jan. 17 game against Valley at Highland High School. The Hornets and Vikings met in the 2024 state title game.

Albuquerque Academy is a No. 4 seed with perhaps the most effective size of anyone in the 4A field, including 6-10 Hunter Aime. But the Chargers’ top threat, and one of 4A’s best players, is 6-4 senior forward Eli Dominguez.

Artesia is the 2 seed, and the Bulldogs could face No. 7 Valley in the quarters. The Vikings, who open with 10th-seeded Lovington, captured the 6-4A tournament, upsetting Academy in the final. Valley, one of the top defensive teams in the tournament, also beat Artesia in the regular season.

Española Valley is the 3 seed, and the Sundevils certainly could be a factor, what with wins in the regular season over teams like Academy and Organ Mountain. Hope Christian, with victories against Academy, Española Valley and Valley, figures to be a handful as an 11 seed as the Huskies visit Silver.

Class 3A

District 2 rivals St. Michael’s and Robertson are the top two seeds, although the Cardinals have beaten the Horsemen twice in the last three weeks. These two played one another in both the 2022 and 2023 state final, and Robertson, which lost in the championship game a year ago to Navajo Prep, is looking to reach its fourth consecutive title game.

A balanced St. Mike’s lineup is led by 6-4 sophomore Ryan Hunt (13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg). The Cardinals have what is perhaps the best collection of guards of any team in 3A. Senior Jesse James Gonzales and outstanding freshman George Smith — arguably the best ninth grader in any boys bracket — combined for 32 points and almost eight assists a game.

District 2 has four of the top seven seeds, and No. 6 Santa Fe Indian and No. 7 West Las Vegas both are in Robertson’s bottom half of the draw. The Dons have their own challenges, as Sandia Prep, the 10 seed, beat West Las Vegas in the regular season. The Dons have one of the most dangerous players in the field, in 6-foot junior Devaughn Kensey, who averages 24.4 points and 11.9 rebounds.

As for Navajo Prep, the Eagles open as an 8 seed against No. 9 Hot Springs. The Eagles won their district tournament, taking down Tohatchi. The Cougars, the 3 seed for state, had won 16 games in a row before last weekend.

Bosque School, the 5 seed, is home to New Mexico Military on Saturday. The Bobcats’ leading scorer is 6-1 sophomore point guard Josiah Wilson.

Class 2A

Several months after the two schools met for the 2A football championship, Texico and Santa Rosa are seeded to meet in March in the basketball final.

The Wolverines went unbeaten against 2A competition; their two losses are to 3A Portales and 1A Logan. Sophomore guard Jett Curtis earlier this year briefly tied the state record for 3-pointers in a single game, with 15. Two of Texico’s closest wins of the season were against Santa Rosa and Albuquerque’s Legacy Academy, which is seeded sixth.

Legacy Academy’s Luke Sanchez, left, and Zachary Perea fight for the rebound against Oak Grove Classical Academy’s Brody Prochnow during a Feb. 6 game at Legacy Academy.

The Silverbacks are home in the first round to Eunice in Legacy’s first season as a 2A program (they were 1A a year ago). Junior guard Bryant Scales led the Silverbacks, averaging 15.6 points and 6.9 rebounds.

Oak Grove Classical Academy is seeded 13th with its tall roster. Menaul is No. 14. The Panthers might be an interesting double digit seed to watch Saturday; they lost two, 1-point decisions in district to Legacy, and their regular-season game versus their first-round opponent, No. 3 Mesa Vista, was a 57-46 loss.

Class 1A

If you want to find the concentration of power in this division, go east with Logan at No. 1, Melrose at No. 2 and the Fort Sumner/House co-op at No. 3.

The Longhorns went a combined 5-1 against the other two. This big Logan group features two superior big men in 6-7 junior Hayden Bruhn (19.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg), and 6-5 Mason Wallin (19.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg). Logan averages 75 points a game.

Magdalena, which lost in the state final last March to FS/H, is the 4 seed. The Steers have their own skilled big man in 6-5 senior Joseph Zamora (19.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg).