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14, CLOVIS NEWS-JOURNAL, Thursday, March 11,1982Vi I dcatstanglewithMatadorstonightinPitND PLACE — Clovis Wildcat head basket ach Jimmy Joe Robinson is shown receiving ;ond place district trophy last Saturday night bs after the Cats dropped a 131 84 decision to igh flying Eagles. The Cats face Sandia. (Nets Journal Photitonight at 8:30 in the Pit in the opening round of the state tournament. Cat team members are (from left) Marc Kinney, Johnny Byrd, John Vestal, manager, Jerry Jacobs, William Easterlin, Paul Anderson, Guy Goar, and Jeff BurchBv PETE HFRKKRAbert Morris faces Indiana inAP Sports WriterALBUQUERQUE (AP) Marv Sanders is familiar with the territory He knows what it takes to survive and succeed in the March melting pot that is the boys State Basketball Tour namentSanders, who coached Hatch to a state championship in 1964 and duplicated it at Silver City U years later, now is trying for the hat trick with the unbeaten Farmington Scorpions But although the No 3 ranked Scorpions have run off 23 straight victories this season and are prohibitive favorites over their first round opponent, Albuquerque Valley, Sanders isn't looking past the opening dayThe first game is the big equalizer in the tournament,” said Sanders on the eve of his team's clash with the smaller Vikings of veteran Coach Phil Ewing Winning depends on who adjusts more rapidly to the arena and to playing in a State Tournament game ”The Farmington Valley game tonight will open the evening double header of the openinground In the second game, Albuquerque Sandia, 21-2, willI face Clovis, 184. All of the N AAAA games will be played atUniversity ArenaThe competition openedearlier today with pretournament favorite and No 1 ranked Hobbs, 22-1, opening its quest for a third straight state championship when it facedAlbuquerque Highland. 16-8, and No 2 Albuquerque Eldorado. 22-1, met Albuquer (jue High. 17 K If the four top ranked teams as expected advance into Friday’s semifinals, it will set up collisions between Hobbs andEldorado and F’armington against Sandia Sanders says if that happens, it will come down to a matter of mental toughness It will be a test of who is mentally tougher and who wants it more,” said Sanders Sandia Coach Ken Kloeppel, who has the Matadors in the tournament for the fourth straight year, says he doesn't have to worry about his team looking ahead.and defensive specialist Paul Anderson also get plenty of playing timeSandia reached thesemifinals of the tournament last year before losing to Hobbs and the Matadors feature an awesome scoring attack built around 6-foot-8 center Rich Strong. 6-foot-3 forward David Lell and 6 foot-1 DavidFreeman Together, the three seniors account for an average of 55Sandia Coach Ken Kloeppel, who has the Matadors in the tournament for the fourth straight year, says he dosen't have to worry about his team looking ahead.• tWe’ve never beaten Clovis in the State Tournament,” hesaid We lost to them three years ago in Las Cruces and two years ago in the semifinals My team is looking forward to this game ”Clovis finished second to Hobbs in District 4AAAA. butKloeppel says the Wildcats are dangerousThey have good quickness and very good shooters,” said Kloeppel, they are im press ive Jimmy Robinson’s Wildcats, who last won a state title in 1979, are led by pure shooting guard Johnny Byrd, who fires in an average of 20 points a game The Wildcats also get doublefigure scoring from senior MarcKinney, a 6 foot 1 senior who averages 13 points a game and junior Greg Reynolds, who con tributes 12 points a game laside, Clovis has 6 foot 6 senior Jerry Jacobs while another junior, Malt Ratledge,points a game Lell is the team scoring leader with a 21H average while Strong is next at 19 3 points a game and Freeman adds 15 7 points per outingLell and Freeman are strong outside shooters while Strong likes to do most of his damage insideFarmington has two of themost potent inside players in the tournament in seniors Duane Ward and Sean WalkerWard, called by Sanders, one of the tiest rebounders I have ever coached, is 6-3 and averages 27 7 points a game Walker, who alternates with Ward in a high low post offense, stands 6 4 and is scoring at a 19 point per game clipA running team on offense and a pressing one on defense, the Scorpions use five guards, led by Sanders son Mike, a junior who is considered theteam’s best outside shooterSanders averages II points a*game while the other startersare 5-foot-9 senior Barry Reese, and the aptly named 5-foot-5 Fee Wee Ward, a cousin of DuaneSenior Robert Voyles, 6-5, spells both Ward and Walker while seniors Kenny Cline and Jimmy Jackson keep the guard corps fresh.Valley is making its ninth ap pearance in the tournament, but its first in five years The Vikings’ biggest problem will be contending with Farmington's size, since Valley’s tallest starter is 6-foot-l center Jeff Stuhlmann Stuhlmann and 5 foot 11 senior forward Julian Gallegos are both solid scorers, averag mg 15 points a game each Senior forward Vince Perea is also in double figures with a 10 4 average The Viking guards are Geno Luciani, a junior, and 5-foot-3 Teddy Luna, who will find a rare equitable matchup in the Scorpions’ Pee Wee Ward They outman us at everyposition, there is no doubt aboutthat, said Ewing But we re not going to change anything Our press isn't the Hobbs press, but we’ll do the best we can Ewing also said that regardless, the season has been a success for the Vikings We are just happy to be here, he said My kids arealready winners On paper, the Farmington Valley game looks like a mismatch But Sanders has been to the State Tournament enough to know there is no such thing as a free ride• *Record don't put any points on the scoreboard in Albuquerque, he said Everything that happened before is forgottenThis is a new season
Newspaper Details
Clovis News Journal
Clovis, New Mexico, US
Thu, Mar 11, 1982
Page 14
Full Page
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NM, USA 25 Nov 2022
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