Organ Mountain shakes Albuquerque High to advance to 5A boys title game

It took a long time — more than the Organ Mountain Knights probably hoped or intended — to shake free from the pesky Albuquerque High Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs, trying to get back to a state championship game for the first time since 1998, lived up to their mascot name, tugging at the proverbial pants leg of No. 2 seed Organ Mountain without letting go for nearly the whole way Thursday.

But the Knights hung on for a 56-47 victory in the boys Class 5A semifinals on Thursday evening at the Pit, ending the fantastic postseason run by AHS, the 11 seed and the longest shot still going in any bracket.

“I was nervous down the stretch,” Organ Mountain coach Rocky Gonzales said, “but I was confident in my guys.”

The Knights (29-1) face No. 1 Volcano Vista or No. 5 La Cueva at 8 p.m. Saturday. Organ Mountain fell in the semifinals a year ago, and reaching that next stage, the final, was an urgent itch the Knights had to scratch.

“We made it to the championship,” Gonzales said, “and that’s all that matters.”

AHS (19-11) was within shouting distance almost to the end Thursday.

The Bulldogs knocked down three first-quarter 3-pointers and trailed by three early. The Knights led 27-19 at halftime.

Organ Mountain led by as many as 10 in the first 10 seconds of the third quarter, but with senior forward Brandon Kehres sitting out with foul trouble for the Knights, the Bulldogs continued to hang around.

A 3-pointer by Isaiah Maldonado cut the deficit for Albuquerque High to 36-33 at the end of the quarter, and the upset watch was raging by now.

And this status didn’t really change until Kehres, back in the game in the fourth quarter, scored on three consecutive close-range baskets within a minute, two of them putbacks, to give the Knights a 47-37 edge with just 3½ minutes to go.

“He’s incredible,” AHS coach Leroy Barela marveled about Kehres, who finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds, seven of them offensive boards.

Yeh-Nhi Wilson of the Knights punctuated the victory with a steal and a vicious one-handed dunk with 2:53 remaining.

Wilson said the veterans on the Organ Mountain roster knew how to handle the upset bid.

“We kept cool,” Wilson said. He finished with 18 points.

For the Bulldogs, this season, and this tournament, must be characterized as a gigantic success in Barela’s second season.

“I think the guys rose to the occasion,” said Barela. “I don't think it (the moment( got too big for them.”

It had been nearly a decade since AHS’ boys played a game inside the Pit, but the ‘Dogs upset No. 6 Clovis on the road in the first round, and then beat No. 14 Sandia on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

Isaiah Maldonado scored a team-best 24 points for the Bulldogs. He also added five rebounds and four steals.

No. 2 ORGAN MOUNTAIN 56, No. 11 ALBUQ. HIGH 47

ALBUQUERQUE HIGH (19-11): Damian Langford 4, Jonathon Sanchez 3, Kasyn Atanasoff-Perea 5, Ali Mireles 7, Isaiah Maldonado 24, Diondre Reed 2, Chris Cyphery 2. Totals 12-44 18-20 47.

ORGAN MOUNTAIN (29-1): Ethan Coomes 2, Yeh-Nhi Wilson 18, Brandon Kehres 20, Ray Venegas 6, Lenny Washington 4, Patrick Delahoussaye 6. Totals 22-59 12-17 56.

ABQ High 13 6 14 14 – 47

Organ Mtn. 16 11 9 20 – 56

3-point goals: A 5-22 (Maldonado 2, Sanchez, Atanasoff-Perea, Mireles); OM 0-3. Rebounds: A 27 (Mireles, Maldonado 5); OM 48 (Kehres 15). Assists: A 7 (Sanchez 5); OM 7 (Wilson 3). Total fouls: A 18; OM 23. Fouled out: A, Langford; OM, Ethan Pack, Kehres.

Photos: Organ Mountain advances to boys Class 5A finals after beating Albuquerque High