Sports

Athlete of the Week

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This week's Athlete of the Week is John 'JJ' Horacek, a sophomore on the Grants High School Boys’ Basketball team. Horacek had 10 points against the Gallup Bengals, 15 points against Valencia High School and 20 points against St.

NM United Open Tryouts

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM – New Mexico United is hosting an Open Tryout, presented by Fiesta Kia, on January 28th, 2023 at Kraemer Fields, in Albuquerque. This is the first open tryout that New Mexico United has hosted since 2018 and is an opportunity for all players to earn a chance to make our roster. In the past, United has signed two (2) players to the squad that were identified at open tryouts Josh Goss and Phillip Beigl.

Gallup gallops past Grants, 77-64

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The Pirates boys’ basketball team suffered a defeat this past week as they succumbed to I-40 Rival, the Gallup Bengals (106), by a score of 77-64. The Pirates jumped ahead in the first quarter with a 16-13 lead which changed to a 28-26 lead for the Bengals at halftime. The Bengals regrouped and poured in 27-points to the Pirates 16-points to give the Bengals a 55-42 lead. The Pirates were able to fight back and match Gallup’s 22 points in the fourth quarter, however it didn’t break the 13-point deficit from the third quarter.

Cibola Sports

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The Grants High School Boys’ Basketball team went 1-2 at the Gallup Bengals Boys’ Invitational Tournament last week at the Gallup High School. On Thursday, January 5 the Pirates played and lost their first game of the tournament to the mighty Navajo Prep High School by a score of 6744.

Grants Blood Breaks Record

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Shane scores an impressive 60 points! Shane Douma-Sanzhez, a senior at Del Norte High School, scored the 60 points of the 72 total points scored by his entire team in the 7872 loss to the Eldorado Eagles on January 3 in the Albuquerque Metro Championship Tournament. Douma-Sanchez was all over the board as he hit eight treys, 13 field goals and 10 free throws in that historic game. Douma-Sanchez reached a milestone in New Mexico basketball history with a 60-point score as he now ranks number nine overall in state scoring history and currently is the top scorer ever of the Albuquerque metro area schools shattering the previous record by six points set by Jude Tapia of Albuquerque High School who scored 54 points in 2019. Douma-Sanchez averages 34.7 points a game which would rank him currently number three in all-time top scorers in the state. Douma-Sanchez is the son of former Grants High School Boys Basketball Head Coach Joseph Sanchez. Douma-Sanchez has strong family ties to Grants, Cibola County and the Pueblo of Laguna.

Grants Recreation Youth Basketball Scores as of Jan. 7

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Raptors 44 - St. Teresa Warriors 4 Suns 37 - Cubero Tigers 17 Roadrunners 7 - LA Hawks 16 76ers 18 - Haaku Eagles 6 Timberwolves 24 - Eagles 4 Bulls 37 - Laguna Thunder 2 1st-3rd All Girls Mystics 25 - Lady Monstars 4 5th & 6th Grade Coed Rampage 36 - St Teresa Warriors 18 76ers 20 - Bulls 18 Heat 32 - Haaku Eagles 4 4th - 6th All Girls Mercury 27 - Sparks 8 Hornets 20 - Laguna Thunder 6 Cubero Lady Tigers 31 Dragons 8 Lady Pirates 53 - Pretty Poison 5.

New Mexico United will take on Landon Donavan and San Diego Loyal on April 15th

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM - New Mexico United has its Opening Day! United will take on United States Men’s National Team legend Landon Donovan’s San Diego Loyal on April 15th at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park. The match will be United’s first home contest of the season, with the regular season beginning one month earlier on March 11th.

New Mexico United Announces New Players

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM – New Mexico United is excited to announce the signing of Swiss-American defender Timothie Zali. Zali has spent the last five seasons in the Swiss Challenge League - most-recently with FC Wil 1900 in 2022 - a year that saw him make 19 appearances, and score one goal.

Cibola Sports

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The Lady Pirates rumbled their way to the jungle late last month to, the annual “Rumble in the Jungle” basketball tournament hosted by Aztec High School which took place on December 28-30. The first-round action had the Lady Pirates up against Lady Pirates of Valley High School from Sanders, Arizona.

Pirates Take Second at Eddie Pena Tourney

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A double tournament, Eddie Pena and Robert L. Daily Holiday Classic, at the Port of the Pirates kept basketball fans entertained and their schedules full this past week. Fans had a moment of silence during the tournament for former GHS boys basketball head coach Ron Bohls who passed away December 20. Bohls won two state championships with the Pirates and the GHS gymnasium is named “Ron Bohls Court” after him.