Boys Basketball Sizzles in the Summer Heat

In a recent question and answer session, Grants High School Head Coach Landon Chavez of the Boys’ Basketball Team summed up his summer program and goals.

Could you give us a rundown on your summer tournament season so far?

This summer has been great. We finished 6-0 in the Duke City Shootout. We beat Santa Rosa, Valley, Portales, West Las Vegas, Cottonwood Classic, and Newcomb. It was a great first tournament to see where we were and find some early success. This past weekend we attended the Elite 8 Artesia Camp. There was a referee clinic, college scouts in attendance, and the most formidable teams in 4A and 5A competing in this camp. We finished last weekend 3-2 with some very close games. We beat Taos by 4, Los Alamos by 3, lost to Artesia by 10, had Ethan Willie hit a 3 at the buzzer to send us to overtime against Lovington which we ended up losing by 4. We ended the weekend against Artesia 2 where we won by 7. It was such a good test against the teams down South and we competed extremely well. I was very excited at the outcome and starting the summer 8-2 is exceptional. We will compete in Lobo Camp this coming weekend in Albuquerque.

How is open gym going this summer?

Open gym has been great. We lift weights for two hours each morning, followed by two hours in the basketball gym working on skill development and play reps. I have been extremely pleased with our players commitment and dedication thus far this summer. This is ultimately what it takes to be successful, and will pay dividends come November.

What are your goals with “summer ball” and any players who are standing out?

My goals this summer are to continue to build a culture of positivity and excellence within our program. Having such a young core group these past few years has been a growing experience and these young athletes have flourished in an atmosphere built for failure. They have continued to persevere and I couldn’t be more proud of their true grit and hard work.

The same players that have been my major contributors this past season have continued to excel and impress this summer. Seniors Noah Victorino and Ethan Willie have been excellent and continued right where they left off. Juniors Boudy Melonas and JJ Horacek continue to work their tails off and put in work every single day. Mattie Trujillo has been very impressive as well, along with sophomores Tristin Fernandez and Coudy Melonas. The future looks bright for the Grants Pirates.

What other plans are in the works forthe summer?

We originally had three camps planned for June. We are looking to travel for a tournament in Phoenix in July. We are Franklin Romero - CC very eager and excited for the upcoming season, and will aim to improve each and every day.