NFHS to honor Marquez, Mabrey with Citation award

Sally Marquez, the former executive director of the New Mexico Activities Association, and the late Buster Mabrey, the former ED of the New Mexico High School Coaches Association, are receiving the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Citation Award.

The recognition goes to individuals for outstanding service, leadership and dedication to high school athletics and activities. The 2026 citations will be handed out June 28 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Marquez was the NMAA executive director from 2012 until she retired in 2024.

Mabrey ran the NMHSCA for 16 years until his death in December of 2024. He was one of the state’s true champions of high school athletics and, in particular, the coaches of New Mexico.

OFFICIATING HONORS: Dana Pappas, Land Clark and John Vance Lee Sr. are recipients of national and section awards from the NFHS.

Pappas, the former Commissioner of Officials for the NMAA and currently an officer with the NFHS in Indianapolis, and Clark, a longtime high school official in New Mexico and currently an NFL referee, both have received the National Contributor Award in recognition of their many years of service and the impact both have had on high school sports officiating at the state and national levels.

Lee has been honored as the Active Official of the Year for Section 6 of the NFHS.

Clark has been an official since 1988 and is a member of the New Mexico Officials Association Hall of Fame. He worked the 2013 college football national championship game as the referee.

Pappas just recently was inducted into the NMAA Hall of Fame and worked 24 years with the organization. Since August of 2021, she has been the NFHS’ director of officiating services.

Lee has been a registered track and field official for over 40 years, working at all the state meets for the last 35, and spending roughly 30 years as the head field referee. He was inducted into the NMAA Hall of Fame in 2004.

RIO RANCHO HALL OF FAME: Rio Rancho High School has its next group of inductees:

• Miguel Barreras, a three-time state wrestling champion and five-time finalist, an all-state football player as a receiver and defensive back, and contributor to the school’s track and field program;
• Easton Bruere, one of the most prolific passers of the 21st century in New Mexico (top 10 all-time in yardage), a member of Rio Rancho’s state championship baseball team in 2013, the QB of Rams’ football title team in 2014;
• Imani Morlock was a prodigious three-sport athlete for Rio Rancho, winning a combined 12 letters in soccer, basketball and track and field. She was all-state twice in soccer, played it in college, and also was a professional player in Italy, Puerto Rico, Australia, Israel and Spain;
• Brady Patterson was another member of Rio Rancho’s title-winning football team in 2014, and was one of the school’s greatest all-time receivers. He was all-state at that position. He also was a tremendous basketball player for the Rams, and was an all-state guard;
• Nicole Pendley was both a softball and track and field superstar at Rio Rancho. She was a standout outfielder and pitcher and a MaxPreps All-American outfielder in 2014, the year the Rams won a state championship. She also was a prolific javelin thrower, and at one time held the state record mark in that event. In fact, she broke that record and pitched Rio Rancho to a state softball championship on the same day (she won two national softball titles with the University of Oklahoma);
• Merica Valdez eight times was all-state in track and field in a field event (pole vault, shot put, high jump) and was also a Rio Rancho High cheerleader and at one time played in a professional women’s tackle football league.

PREP BASKETBALL THIS AND THAT: Two metro standouts have recently joined the 1,000-point club: Senior guard Lailah Bouldin of Albuquerque High’s girls and senior guard Bryant Scales of the Legacy Academy boys. Scales also recently broke the school’s single-game scoring record with 45 points. (Another recent single-game scoring record was set by Hope Christian junior forward Bri Bishop, who scored 42 points in the opening game of the Huskies’ tournament against Hot Springs). … The last of New Mexico’s undefeated prep basketball teams, the Bernalillo girls, lost their first game of the season on Jan. 21, 66-60 to Hope.

James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at @JamesDYodice.