Prep notes: Albuquerque High to induct new batch of Hall of Famers; Morris signs with NMJC

Albuquerque High, for the first time in seven years, is having a Hall of Honor ceremony.

And AHS is planning to induct seven Bulldog legends into the hall. They will be inducted on April 26.

Here is a short profile of each inductee:

• Larry “Jab” Williams (Class of 1973), an all-district, all-city and all-state lineman for the AHS football team. He also played on the school’s state runner-up team in 1973. He later played football at New Mexico State, and was a draftee of the Baltimore Colts.
• Stevie Rogers (Class of 1978), who played on the school’s 1977 championship basketball team and was a member of the squad the following year that finished second. He was all-state in 1978, and was chosen as one of AHS’ all-decade players. He later became an NAIA All-American at the College of Santa Fe.
• Malcom Stafford (Class of 1987), a member of AHS’ all-decade basketball team of the 1980s who was also a first-team all-state running back in football, and first team all-city in 1987.
• Loretta Garcia (Class of 1986), an all-state first-team basketball choice in 1986, and four times an all-district selection, plus an all-city choice and a North All-Star.
• Eddie Flores (Class of 1989), the ‘89 Player of the Year, an all-city first-team selection, first team all-state player and a member of AHS’ runner-up basketball team of 1989. He would go on to be an all-conference player in college at Adams State in Colorado.
• Zaria Katesigwa (Class of 2021), one of the school’s all-time great girls soccer players; she was all-state in the fall of 2021, and later become a contributor to the University of New Mexico women’s program. She was the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year coming out of Albuquerque High.
• Mike Ortiz (1983-89), who was the Bulldogs’ head cheerleading coach and led AHS to six state championships, plus one national championship and one international title.
• Albuquerque High also will be handing out its Distinguished Award to the Banks family: Kevin, Class of 1984; Allen, Class of 1989; and Willie, Class of 1988. Willie also is a former standout player for the Lobos.

RIO RANCHO SIGNINGS: Rio Rancho High School on Wednesday held a signing ceremony for some of its athletes who are headed to the next level. Here is a rundown on the athletes the Journal has not previously reported on:

Distance runner Abigail Beam is signing to run cross country and track at New Mexico State. Beam finished fourth at last November’s state cross country meet.

From the baseball team, several athletes are signing. Adan Bustos is signing with Eastern New Mexico, Noah Serna is signing with New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell and Jackson Roybal is signing with Scottsdale (Arizona) Community College.

Two of the boys from Rio Rancho’s state championship team are going to sign — Mateo Herrera with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Cody Sullivan at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

Mateo Dean (boys soccer) is signing with Arlington Baptist University in Texas, and Lauryn Machuzak is signing with Bethany College in Kansas.

MORRIS TO HOBBS: Latavious Morris of Atrisco Heritage has been one of New Mexico’s elite boys basketball players throughout nearly his entire career.

This week, the multiple all-state guard and dynamic scorer announced on his social media account that he had committed to New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs.

Last season, Morris averaged 23 points a game, plus 5.5 rebounds, 5 assists and shot nearly 90% from the line.

RECORD-SETTING DAY: Amanda McKinley of the Cleveland High softball team had herself an entire month’s worth of offense in a single night last Friday.

McKinley, a senior, hit not just one but two grand slams for the Storm in a 18-7 victory over Volcano Vista.

She drove in 10 runs in the victory, and set a school record with the two slams in a single game.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: The state’s power boys running duo, Corbin Coombs of Organ Mountain and Charlie Vause of Rio Rancho, were not at this week’s Marilyn Sepulveda Meet of Champions at the University of New Mexico.

Both standout athletes competed at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational meet in Southern California. In the meet’s 3,200-meter run on Saturday, Vause placed 17th, finishing in a time of 8 minutes, 51.56 seconds. Coombs finished 26th (8:59.07).