My Kentucky Derby pick

I Want Revenge is my pick for Derby win
By Felix Chavez
Sun-News reporter
LAS CRUCES — Today’s 135th Running of the Kentucky Derby should be a competitive one.
The 20-horse field features some of the top horses in the world and it should be a good betting races for bettors. The Kentucky Derby is often one of the toughest races to analyze because of the size of the field and is a race where sometimes the best horse doesn’t win.
But after much thought, I have to go with the Jeff Mullins-trained I Want Revenge. The son of Stephen Got Even has won two straight and has hit the board in all eight starts.
I Want Revenge was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack in New York from California for his past two races and he won both under the ride of talented young jockey Joseph Talamo. In the Wood Memorial on April 4, I Want Revenge had plenty of trouble, but rallied fro seven lengths back to pull out the win.
I Want Revenge has the highest speed figure in the race and he seems to be getting better as he races more on the dirt surface.
His win in the last race despite having trouble was impressive enough for me to make him my pick and that’s why I believe that even if he has trouble today, he can navigate and win.
For second, I like General Quarters. This horse won the Blue Grass Stakes on April 11 and he has had success at Churchill Downs, winning a race and finishing third. In addition, he gets a very good jockey in Julien Leparoux aboard and he’s been very good this year, hitting the board in 3 of 4 starts.
In third place, I am going with Chocolate Candy, a horse which has had great success in California. The son of Candy Ride has won 4 of 9 and he gets former Derby winner Mike Smith on him as a jockey.
Chocolate Candy ran second to Derby contender Pioneerof the Nile in the Santa Anita Derby and was coming on strong at the end. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has a horse which is working well heading into the race. After the April 4 Santa Anita Derby, he worked five furlongs in 59.1, then he went to Churchill Downs and had two decent works. His most recent work was on April 27 when had the second beset work among 26 horses.
There are several other contenders including Pioneerof the Nile, Dunkirk and Desert Party. I like Desert Party, which ships in from United Arab Emrites He’s won 4 of 6 and is well-bred.
But in the end, the Derby is toughest of all races to handicap, so good luck and don’t blame me for any money lost.
•••
Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino officials have to be happy this weekend. Two horses which ran in the Sunland Derby are taking part in the Run For The Roses. Mine That Bird, which ran twice at Sunland Park and trained for sometime at the track, and Advice are both running. Mine That Bird ran second in the Borderland Derby and fourth in the Sunland Derby.
Advice ran fifth in the Sunland Derby and then surprised some by winning the Lexington Stakes just two weeks ago.
The success of these two horses should help the Sunland Derby, which was worth $800,000, get graded and attract even better horses next year.

Felix Chavez can be reached at fchavez@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5444

LaVorick to return to NMSU

Williams says he’s returning to NMSU
By Felix Chavez
Sun-News reporter
LAS CRUCES — Wide receiver LaVorick Williams told the Sun-News on Thursday morning he is returning to New Mexico State to play football next fall.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Williams left the squad in January to pursue a track and field opportunity at Texas Tech, but things didn’t work out for him there.
“I’lll be back in the summer at New Mexico State,” Williams said. “I was at the spring game last week and talked to head coach DeWayne Walker and receivers coach Keith Murphy. I like the staff and I like the offense. The new offense is a pro style type of offense and receivers can get open downfield with a good running game.”
Williams, who hails from Odessa, Texas, showed flashes of promise in Hal Mumme’s spread offense last year. He caught seven passes for 52 yards.

Felix Chavez can be reached at fchavez@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5444

Some Aggie/Prep Volleyball news

According to various sources New Mexico State has offered Mayfield volleyball player Jessica Groen a scholarship. She will be a senior next year and plays outside hitter. She helped lead MHS to the 5A state title last November and was the Player of the Year in the state as a junior.

- Felix

High School Coaches Baseball Poll, April 29

Baseball Top 10 Poll
April 29, 2009
5A Baseball
1. La Cueva(11) 1 137
2. Rio Rancho(1) 3 113
3. Rio Grande(1) 4 102
4. Las Cruces(1) 2 100
5. Onate 5 87
6. Sandia 6 67
7. Eldorado 7 50
8. Santa Fe 8 43
9. Carlsbad 9 37
10. Mayfield nr 18
Others: Manzano 4, Valley 3, Clovis 2, Cibola 1.

4A Baseball
1. Artesia(11) 1 110
2. Piedra Vista 2 91
3. Farmington 3 87
4. Alb. Academy 3 84
5. St. Pius 5 59
6. Belen 6 53
7. Goddard 8 39
8. Moriarty 7 30
9. Bernalillo 9 20
10. Deming nr 14
Others: Los Alamos 14, Volcano Vista 9, Grants 1.

3A Baseball
1. Cobre(12) 1 120
2. Bloomfield 2 98
3. Sandia Prep 3 94
4. Socorro 4 71
5. Ruidoso 7 64
6. St. Michaels 6 60
7. Portales 5 59
8. Pojoaque 8 36
9. Hope Christian 9 20
10. Raton 10 16
Others: Lovington 6, Santa Fe Indian 4, Robertson 4, W. Las Vegas 2, Hatch 2, Dexter 2, Miyamura 1, and NMMI 1.

1A & 2A Baseball
1. Loving(6) 81
2. Eunice(1) 72
3. Santa Rosa(1) 62
4. Texico(1) 55
5. Mesilla Valley 46
6. Lordsburg 39
7. Estancia 31
8. Tularosa 27
9. Tucumcari 27
10. East Mountain 20
Others: Questa 12, Clayton 7, Cimarron 5, Gateway Christian 4, Valley Christian, McCurdy 2, and Floyd 2,

High School Coaches Softball poll

New Mexico High School
Coaches Association
Softball Top 10 Poll
April 29, 2009
5A Softball
1. Cibola(17) 1 170
2. Las Cruces 2 139
3. Sandia 4 121
4. Carlsbad 3 118
5. La Cueva 6 82
6. Mayfield 5 79
7. Onate 8 55
8. Valley 7 50
9. Eldorado 9 50
10. Rio Rancho 10 32
Others: Santa Fe 12, Los Lunas 11, Manzano 10, West Mesa 4, Hobbs 3, Alamogorodo 1, and Clovis 1.

4A Softball
1. Piedra Vista(12) 1 154
2. Farmington(1) 2 131
3. Artesia 4 105
4. Silver City 3 95
5. Volcano Vista(1) 6 74
6. Roswell(1) 5 73
Aztec(1) 7 73
8. Goddard nr 30
9. Del Norte 10 29
10. St. Pius nr 22
Moriarty 8 22
Others: Kirtland 19, Espanola 14, Shiprock 7, Valencia 6, Belen 5, Los Alamos 4, Alb. Academy 2, and Grants 2.

3A Softball
1. Bloomfield(14) 1 140
2. St. Michaels 2 123
3. Hope Christian 5 91
4. Cobre 3 81
5. Raton 4 74
6. Portales 7 70
7. Santa Fe Indian 6 41
8. Miyamura 9 37
9. Robertson nr 22
10. Ruidoso 8 18
Others: Hatch 17, Lovington 14, Laguna Acoma 12, W. Las Vegas 11, Socorro 10, Pojoaque 2.

1A & 2A Softball
1. Jal(6) 84
2. Loving 82
3. Capitan 62
4. McCurdy 56
5. East Mountain 49
6. Navajo Prep 24
Eunice 24
Estancia 24
9. Jemez Valley 19
10. Gallup Catholic 15
Others: Mora 7, Lordsburg 6, Tucumcari 6, Rehoboth 5, Lake Arthur 3.

Austin Trout's Canadian opponent

Las Cruces unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Austin Trout will fight Shawn Garrett in June in Toronto Trout is 17-0 in his career, Garrett is 11-5-2. Garrett does own wins against Epifianio Mendoza, who was 16-1-1 at the time, and Andrey Tsurkan, who was 18-0, at the time.

- Felix

Mike Smith and Las Cruces High Boys Hoops

Here are some reflections on Mike Smith and his tenure as the boys basketball coach at Las Cruces High. The 12-year veteran of the sidelines at NMSU had some good years and some disappointments.

His 2001 team shocked may by winning the district tournament and then went up north to unseat a very good Rio Grande team which had three Division I players on the squad in the first round of the state tournament.

His 2006 team with Gordo Castillo as a junior nearly upset Manzano in the state tournament only to lose in double overtime.

This past year was his best season overall. The team won 23 games, beat Rio Grande and Gallup in the state finals and gave Highland all it could handle in the semifinals.

Smith did things his own way and he had some good years. I would guess one of his disappointments came when Castillo was a sophomore. The Bulldawgs were a serious state title contender that year with regular season wins against Rio Grande, eventual champ Eldorado and 4A champ Deming. But the team faded late, lost in the district tournament semifinals and sat out the state tournament.

That team was solid in so many ways, but just couldn't finish. There were other disappointments for the Bulldawgs during Smith's tenure, but in retrospect, Smith did a fair job over the years.

And he was always fair and solid with us here at the paper. Smith will likely coach again down the road and he has a great knowledge of the game and can help players understand the game better.

So what's next for LCHS? Assistant William Benjamin should get first crack at the job. He's also a smart basketball mind and and he's paid his dues on the bench as an assistant and junior varsity coach. And he likes Las Cruces and is loyal to the kids in the program, which is a huge plus.

- Felix

Two more Aggie signees

Former New Mexico State defensive lineman Rhyan Anderson signed a free agent contract with the Green Packers on Monday. The 6-foot-5, 283-pound Anderson 12 tackles and one sack in 2007 and last season had 25 tackles and three tackles for a loss.
Also signing on Monday was NMSU defensive back Vincent Butler. He had 29 tackles as a junior and 10 as a junior.

At the New Mexico State pro day in March, the 5-foot-10 Butler had a vertical leap of 34 1/2 inches and ran a 40-yard dash time of 4.36, while Anderson recorded 25 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press.

- Felix

District Baseball Standings as of April 27

Class 5A District Standings
District 1-5A
Rio Rancho 18-4, 7-0
Cibola 11-13, 4-3
Gallpu 7-15, 1-5
West Mesa 3-20 1-5

District 2-5A
La Cueva 21-1, 8-0
Sandia 16-8 7-3
Santa Fe 15-6, 4-4
Valley 10-10, 1-5
Albuquerque High 6-16, 0-8

District 3-5A
Las Cruces High 19-3, 7-1
Onate 19-3, 7-1
Mayfield 14-10, 4-6
Gadsden 8-15-1, 3-7
Alamogordo 3-18, 1-7

District 4-5A
Carlsbad 16-6, 3-1
Clovis 12-12, 3-3
Hobbs, 11-13, 2-4

District 5-5A
Rio Grande 18-4, 9-0
Eldorado 14-9, 5-4
Manzano 10-13, 5-4
Los Lunas 9-13, 3-5
Highland 0-20, 0-9

Mike Smith resigns at LCHS

Las Cruces High boys basketball coach Mike Smith has reportedly resigned his spot at Las Cruces High. He coached the Bulldawgs to a District 3-5A title this past season and the team won two state playoff games and reached the semifinals of the 5A state tournament. His 2001 team also reached the state semifinals.

- Felix

El Paso boxer Antonio Escalante

Tonight (April 24) El Paso super bantamweight Antonio Escalante takes on Gary Stark Jr. in a 12-round affair on ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m. It's a big fight for the 19-2 Escalante, who has good power and has improved his boxing skills in recent months.

He is coming off a injury to his right hand, so it will be interesting to see how things go for him. But Escalante is a talented young fighter and he's getting better and learning new things all the time and his style is worth watching.

- Felix

Marquell Colston out of spring game

New Mexico State running back Marquell Colston will miss the spring game on Saturday night. He left Tuesday's practice after being hit on the left shoulder. However, no shoulder surgery will be required.

Felix

New Mexico High School Coaches Association Baseball Polls

April 22, 2009
5A Baseball
1. La Cueva(13) 1 157
2. Las Cruces(1) 5 126
3. Rio Rancho 2 120
4. Rio Grande(2) 3 108
5. Onate 4 107
6. Sandia 7 63
7. Eldorado 6 55
8. Santa Fe 7 51
9. Carlsbad 9 39
10. Clovis nr 20
Others: Manzano 12, Mayfield 7, Hobbs 5, Cibola 4, Gallup 2, Valley 2, and Los Lunas 2.

4A Baseball
1. Artesia(7) 1 97
2. Piedra Vista(2) 2 88
3. Farmington 3 77
Alb. Academy(1) 3 77
5. St. Pius 5 55
6. Belen 7 40
7. Moriarty 8 35
8. Goddard 6 32
9. Bernalillo 9 27
10. Volcano Vista 10 13
Others: Demign 11, Los Alamos 6, Aztec 2, and Grants 1.

3A Baseball
1. Cobre(12) 1 120
2. Bloomfield 2 98
3. Sandia Prep 3 82
4. Socorro 4 74
5. Portales 5 73
6. St. Michaels 9 55
7. Ruidoso 8 51
8. Pojoaque 6 35
9. Hope Christian 6 26
10. Raton 10 12

New Mexico High School Coaches Association Softball Poll

April 22, 2009
5A Softball
1. Cibola(16) 1 160
2. Las Cruces 2 135
3. Carlsbad 3 110
4. Sandia 4 107
5. Mayfield 5 76
6. La Cueva 7 72
7. Valley 6 57
8. Onate 8 41
9. Eldorado 9 40
10. Rio Rancho 10 24
Others: Los Lunas 20, Santa Fe 17, Manzano 10, Hobbs 4, Albuquerque High 2, Clovis 2, and Alamogordo 1.

4A Softball
1. Piedra Vista(12) 1 129
2. Farmington(1) 2 103
3. Silver 3 91
4. Artesia 4 82
5. Roswell 5 66
6. Volcano Vista 7 63
7. Aztec 6 50
8. Moriarty nr 38
9. Kirtland 8 26
10. Del Norte 9 22
Others: Goddard 13, St Pius 10, Espanola 5, Los Alamos 5, Belen 5, Shiprock 3, Deming 3, Deming 3, Atrisco Heritage 3, and Bernalillo 1.

3A Softball
1. Bloomfield(14) 1 140
2. St. Michaels 2 121
3. Cobre 4 103
4. Raton 5 93
5. Hope Christian 3 92
6. Santa Fe Indian 6 52
7. Portales 7 48
8. Ruidoso 8 41
9. Miyamura 9 25
10. Socorro nr 10
Others: Newcomb 10, Robertson 9, Sandia Prep 7, Hatch 5, Laguna Acoma 5, Lovington 5, Pojoaque 2, and W. Las Vegas 1.

Former Aggie Derrick Richardson

I spoke with former New Mexico State safety Derrick Richadson on Wednesday afternoon. Richardson has been working out in preparation for the next phase in his football career. He hopes to get drafted in this weekend's NFL draft, which is slated for Saturday and Sunday. He recently visited the Houston Texans. He said Houston and Buffalo have shown the most interest.

- Felix

LCHS' Patrick Jaquess

Las Cruces High's Patrick Jaquess will walk-on to the University of New Mexico football team next fall. He wil play fullback for the Lobos. He played tight end for the Bulldawgs on offense. Dante Caro, who played QB for LCHS, signed with the Lobos in Feb.

- Felix

Sunland Derby needs to be graded

Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino has been trying to get its main race, the Sunland Derby, graded in recent years to no avail. The race, a Kentucky Derby prep race, now has even more reason to have the race graded.

Mine That Bird, which ran fourth in the Sunland Derby and second in the Borderland Derby, will run in the May 2 race at Churchill Downs. In addition, Advice, which ran fourth, won last weekend's Lexington Stakes.

Also, the Sunland Derby winner Kelly Leak is a solid horse as well.

If the field in this year's Sunland Derby can't help the race get graded, then I'm not sure what will. The track has done everything it can to help the race get graded from increasing the money to changing the date of the race.

- Felix

NMSU's Alex Steinmetz

I'm stepping away from NMSU football, boxing, horse racing and preps for this one item. But Monday came the news that Alex Steinmetz was transferring from New Mexico to Maryland to continue her Division I volleyball career. It was a good move for Steinmetz, who surely wasn't playing nearly as much as she had hoped during her time with the Aggies.

Steinmetz has been a key figure in the volleyball scene in Las Cruces, dating back to her time at Las Cruces High, where she helped the team to a second-place finish as a senior.

Steinmetz is a talented player, who when on her game and focused, can be a contributor to a team on the Division I level.

- Felix

Austin Trout

Las Cruces junior middleweight Austin Trout is ranked No. 13 in the world in the latest World Boxing Association ranking. He is slated to fight next month as well as in July on a card in Toronto.

- Felix

Hal Mumme staff at McMurry

Looks like Hal Mumme's football staff at McMurry will resemble the one had at NMSU.

According to reliable sources, Matt Mumme, Mason Miller, Joe Lee Dunn, Kendall Roberson and Chris Ruybal are likely going to join Mumme, who was officially hired on Wednesday to lead the D-3 school.

- Felix

Pacquiao/Hatton

The Ricky Hatton/Manny Pacquiao junior welterweight bout is less than three weeks away. Hatton is at his best at 140 pounds and Pacquiao has shown he can get it done at various weights, including a dominating win at 147 pounds last December against Oscar De La Hoya.

Pacquiao is in his prime right now and is more focused and determined that ever. Hatton, under the direction of trainer Floyd Mayweather, has shown improvement in recent months. It's going to be a great fight, but I still think Pacquiao will be win, taking control of the fight in the final part of the fight to win by decision. What do you boxing fans think?

- Felix

Baseball Coaches Poll

New Mexico High School Coaches Association
Baseball Top 10 Polls
5A Baseball
1. La Cueva(11) 1 128
2. Rio Rancho 3 105
3. Rio Grande(1) 2 99
4. Onate(1) 5 88
5. Las Cruces 4 85
6. Eldorado 7 54
7. Santa Fe 6 40
Sandia 8 40
9. Carlsbad 9` 32
10. Mayfield 10 20
Others: Cibola 10, Clovis 4, Manzano 4, Valley 4, Gallup 1, and Hobbs 1.

4A Baseball
1. Artesia(10) 1 100
2. Piedra Vista 2 85
3. Farmington 3 77
Alb. Academy 4 77
5. St. Pius 5 58
6. Goddard 7 38
7. Belen 6 30
8. Moriarty 8 29
9. Bernalillo 9 18
10. Volcano Vista nr 13
Others: Shiprock 3, Atrisco Heritage 3, Los Alamos 2, Deming 2, Silver 2, Aztec 1, Espanola 1, Grants 1.

3A Baseball
1. Cobre(11) 1 119
2. Bloomfield(1) 2 96
3. Sandia Prep 3 87
4. Socorro 4 73
5. Portales 6 69
6. Hope Christian 9 38
Pojoaque 7 38
8. Ruidoso 8 37
9. St. Michaels 5 36
10. Raton nr 30
Others: Lovington 14, Robertson 11, Dexter 7, W. Las Vegas 2, Hatch 2, and NMMI 1.

1A & 2A Baseball
1. Eunice(4) 1 84
2. Santa Rosa 2 78
3. Loving(3) 3 73
4. Mesilla Valley(3) 6 57
5. Texico 4 48
6. Estancia 5 45
7. Lordsburg 7 40
8. Tucumcari 8 25
9. Tularosa 9 25
10. Capitan nr 12
Others: Clayton 10, Questa 9, Melrose 8, McCurdy 7, Floyd 7, Valley Christian 6, Cimarron 4, Gateway Christian 3, Lake Arthur 3, East Mountain 3.

Softball Coaches Poll

New Mexico High School Coaches Association

Softball Top 10 Polls
5A Softball
1. Cibola(15) 1 150
2. Las Cruces 2 116
3. Carlsbad 3 106
4. Sandia 4 104
5. Mayfield 8 72
6. Valley 5 70
7. La Cueva 6 62
8. Onate 7 54
9. Eldorado 10 24
10. Rio Rancho nr 21
Others: Santa Fe 18, Hobbs 9, Los Lunas 9, West Mesa 6, Manzano 3, Gallup 1, and Alamogordo 1.

4A Softball
1. Piedra Vista(13) 1 139
2. Farmington(1) 2 117
3. Silver 3 89
4. Artesia 4 86
5. Roswell 6 68
6. Aztec 5 56
7. Volcano Vista 7 55
8. Kirtland 9 48
9. Del Norte 8 27
10. Goddard 10 25
Others: Moriarty 19, Espanola 11, Belen 9, St. Pius 9, Grants 3, Shiprock 2.

3A Softball
1. Bloomfield(11) 1 110
2. St. Michaels 2. 83
Hope Christian(1) 5 83
4. Cobre 3 74
5. Raton 4 62
6. Santa Fe Indian 6 51
7. Portales 7 37
8. Ruidoso 8 27
9. Miyamura 9 25
10. Lovington nr 16
Others: Laguna Acoma 11, Socorro 11, Sandia Prep 10, Robertson 9, Wingate 5, Hatch 4, Thoreau 4, Pojoaque 3, NMMI 3, Cuba 3, Tohatchi 1, W. Las Vegas 1.

1A & 2A Softball
There will be no 1A & 2A poll this week due technical difficulties.

Oscar De La Hoya calls it quits

Longtime boxer Oscar De La Hoya finally called it quits after a glamorous career. The 36-year-old has won titles in six different divisions and has gone up against some of the world's best.

But last December, the Golden Boy looked listless in losing to Manny Pacquiao. De La Hoya grew up poor in East Los Angeles and worked his way into a successful career in and out of the ring. He is a symbol for you boxers in what it takes to be the best at what he does.

De La Hoya was a great boxer in his prime and he helped lift boxing at key times during his time. Hopefully, he will stay retired and not return to the ring. De La Hoya hasn't been the same in the past couple of fights and to get beat like he did against Pacquiao says a great deal about just how far he has fallen.

My Top 10 De La Hoya moments
No. 10 Second Round knockout of Jorge Paez in July of 1994. Paez was one of the toughest fighters of his era and was the smaller man in the ring. But De La Hoya ended his night early with a knockout.

No. 9 A tough decision win against John John Molina, a veteran from Puerto Rico in February of 1995. It wasn't easy for De La Hoya in this fight, but it was another lesson learned.

No. 8 A stunning second round stoppage of Rafael Ruelas. This was a much anticipated fight between the two California boxers and De La Hoya was impressive in dismantling Ruelas, who was never the same after taking a barrage of punches.

No. 7 Gold Medal win at 1992 Barcelona Games. De La Hoya won a gold medal and that began the start of his pro career. It was an impressive run at the Games for De La Hoya, who is one of the greatest amateur fighters of all time in the United States.

No. 6 Pro debut win against Lamar Williams. De La Hoya stopped Williams in round one to open his career impressively.

No. 5 Beats Pernell Whitaker by controversial decision on April 12, 1997. De La Hoya and Whitaker engaged in a technical battle and many thought Whitaker did enough to beat De La Hoya.

No. 4 A split decision win against Ike "Bazooka" Quartey on Feb. 13, 1999. This was a back and forth affair in which both men tasted the canvas. De La Hoya showed his grit by rallying to win.

No. 3 A decision loss to Felix "Tito" Trinidad in September of 1999. De La Hoya seemingly had the fight won, then coasted over the final third of the fight and lost a heavily disputed decision. Still, many thought he did more than enough to win.

No. 2 2004 loss to Bernard Hopkins. De La Hoya moves up to middleweight to challenge Hopkins and gives the Philadelphia middleweight kingpin all he can handle for much of the fight before being stopped in the ninth round by a viscous body shot that had De La Hoya reeling.

No. 1 In 1996, De La Hoya took on Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez. Chavez was a decorated fighter with legions of fans all over the world and the owner of 96 wins entering the fight. However, Chavez was cut early and was never really in the fight before being stopped in the fourth. Many Mexican fans never forgave De La Hoya for being their hero.

DeWayne Walker clinic

New Mexico State Football to Host Coaches Clinic

Las Cruces – New Mexico State University head football coach DeWayne Walker and the Aggies coaching staff will host a coaching clinic on Friday for all middle school, youth and high school coaches.
“This Aggies coaching staff, on both sides of the ball has years of pro and collegiate coaching experience, not to mention playing experience, and coaches of all levels could really learn a significant amount from our coaches," Walker said.
Coach Walker will be bringing longtime friend Kirby Wilson, running backs coach for the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, as a special guest coach for the clinic.
The registration fee for the clinic is $25 now and $30 at the door. Food and beverage will be provided. Please contact Juan Lozano at jclozano@nmsu.edu to RSVP or for more information.

Las Cruces boxer Austin Trout

Las Cruces junior middleweight prospect Austin Trout will fight May 9 in Cancun, Mexico, then will fight in July in Toronto, Canada.

- Felix

NMSU football Golf Tourney

Aggies Football to Host DeWayne Walker Spring Golf Tournament

New Mexico State head football coach DeWayne Walker announced that the Aggies football team will host the 1st ever DeWayne Walker Spring Golf Tournament on the morning of April 25, before the spring scrimmage that night at 6 p.m.


All golfers of any ability are encouraged to take this opportunity to join Coach Walker, along with the New Mexico State staff, alumni and friends. The tournament uses the scramble format with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Coaches will be on the course to be your fifth shot on random holes.

Teams will consist of four players and handicaps will be used for this tournament. Registration will begin at 6 a.m., with a shot gun start at 8 a.m. An awards ceremony and lunch will follow the completion of the tournament.

For more information please call Juan Lozano at (575) 646-4127 or by email at jclozano@nmsu.edu.

Mumme gets job at McMurry

Former New Mexico State head coach Hal Mumme has landed a head coaching job at Division III McMurry University in Abilene, Texas.

It's a good fit for Mumme, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year. Mumme said his health is improving and he's ready to take a shot at coaching again.

The McMurry program has been flat out horrible the past several years with three zero win campaigns in the past nine seasons.

Mumme will try and pump life into a program, much like he tried to here at NMSU. He said with the late hire, he is behind on recruiting and spring practice. He said the team will try to get in a few practice this spring.

- Felix

Some NMSU spring football observations

- Cornerback Jonte Green is making waves as someone who could start at the other corner spot next fall across from Davon House.
- Free safety Stephon Hatchett is the likely starter coming out of spring to replace Derrick Richardson.
- Wide receiver Marcus Anderson is having a solid spring. He's doing a good job of catching most balls and making big plays.
- The Aggies seem to be expanding their offense. On Monday, the team used some two tight end sets and seem to be throwing the ball downfield more often.

- Felix

NMSU football, first spring scrimmage

Just a few thoughts on the first spring football scrimmage for the New Mexico State Aggies football team, which was held April 9.

The team is going to be a much better tackling team. In years past, the Aggies were hurt by missed tackles, which kept drives going and thus keep the defense on the field too long.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Trevor Walls is making strides. He had a fair scrimmage on Thursday and while he's by no means the No. 1 starter right now, he will battle JUCO Jeff Fleming for that spot. It should be an interesting two weeks of spring practice to see which quarterback makes some strides.

Also head coach DeWayne Walker wants to see improvement in his place kicking. He likes Kyle Hughes as the punter, but Hughes will have to battle to keep his place kicking spot with Jordan Davenport and Collin Lund.

- Felix

Heavyweight Arreola faces big test

On Saturday night on HBO, heavyweight Chris Arreola takes a step up when he faces veteran Jameel McCline.

Arreola is being tabbed as the next best American heavyweight. He's shown plenty of power in his career. If Arreola shows up in shape and is patient, he should be the veteran McCline.

If you are interested in seeing the next best and biggest thing in American heavyweight boxing, then tune in on Saturday night to see Arreola.

- Felix

Baseball/Softball Poll

New Mexico High School Coaches Association
Baseball Top 10 Polls
5A Baseball
1. La Cueva(15) 1 177
2. Rio Grande(2) 4 135
3. Rio Rancho 2 133
4. Las Cruces 3 119
5. Onate(1) 6 103
6. Santa Fe 5 81
7. Eldorado 10 70
8. Sandia 9 51
9. Carlsbad 7 50
10. Mayfield 8 32
Others: Valley 17, Cibola 9, Manzano 5, Hobbs 3, Gallup 2, Albuquerque High 1, and Clovis 1.

4A Baseball
1. Artesia(8) 1 95
2. Piedra Vista 3 88
3. Farmington(1) 2 77
4. Alb. Academy(1) 4 67
5. St. Pius 5 62
6. Belen 7 38
7. Goddard 6 33
8. Moriarty 9 30
9. Bernalillo 10 19
10. Los Alamos nr 8

3A Baseball
1. Cobre(8) 86
2. Bloomfield 72
3. Sandia Prep 65
4. Socorro(1) 56
5. St. Michaels 43
6. Portales 41
7. Pojoaque 35
8. Ruidoso 32
9. Hope Christian 30
10. Lovington 18
Others: Raton 8, Hatch 3, NMMI 3, Dexter 2, W. Las Vegas 1.

1A & 2A Baseball
1. Eunice(5) 84
2. Santa Rosa(2) 58
3. Loving(1) 53
4. Texico 50
5. Estancia 45
6. Mesilla Valley 41
7. Lordsburg 37
8. Tucumcari(1) 29
9. Tularosa 20
10. Questa 18
Others: McCurdy 14, Capitan 14, East Mountain 13, Gateway Christian 10, Valley Christian 10, Cimarron 9, Grady 7, Floyd 6, Navajo Prep 5, Pecos 4, Clayton 4, Gallup Catholic 3, Magdalena 3, Lake Arthur 3, Melrose 2.


New Mexico High School Coaches Association
Softball Top 10 Polls:
5A Softball
1. Cibola(16) 1 160
2. Las Cruces 2 113
3. Carlsbad 3 108
4. Sandia 4 99
5. Valley 5 79
6. La Cueva 6 71
7. Onate 7 63
8. Mayfield 8 61
9. Santa Fe 9 45
10. Eldorado nr 16
Others: Hobbs 12, Rio Rancho 10, Los Lunas 9, West Mesa 7, Alamogordo 6, Manzano 6, Gallup 2, Clovis 1,

4A Softball
1. Piedra Vista(12) 1 129
2. Farmington(1) 2 107
3. Silver 3 93
4. Artesia 4 89
5. Aztec 6 62
6. Roswell 5 56
7. Volcano Vista 7 38
8. Del Norte 10 34
9. Kirtland 8 30
10. Goddard nr 27
Others: Moriarty 16, St. Pius 9, Espanola 6, Grants 4, Shiprock 3, Belen 3, Deming 2, and Alb. Academy 1.

3A Softball
1. Bloomfield(12) 120
2. St. Michaels 93
3. Cobre 83
4. Raton 76
5. Hope Christian(1) 74
6. Santa Fe Indian 43
7. Portales 37
8. Ruidoso 36
9. Miyamura 30
10. Socorro 25
Others: Robertson 19, Lovington 17, Laguna Acoma 9, Thoreau 8, Wingate 7, Newcomb 6, Pojoaque 6, Cuba 3, W. Las Vegas 2, and NMMI 2.

A & AA Softball
Not enough coaches complete the poll.

Lightweight Boxer Edwin Valero

Last Saturday in Austin, Texas, lightweight Edwin Valero made a huge statement in punishing Antonio Pitalua in a lightweight bout.

Valero is now 25-0 in his career with 25 knockouts. Hopefully, his next fight will be with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez. A Valero/Marquez fight would be explosive and would be a natural. Both are strong fighters and both are smart fighters.

Marquez is well known in the boxing world, while Valero is likely only known about the most ardent of boxing fans. But Valero is exciting and he could be a big name in the sport before it's over with.

Perhaps both fighters will fight one more fight in the interim, but a Valero/Marquez fight is something I'd love to see and I believe one which many boxing fans would like.

- Felix

Book review of sorts

I just finished reading When March Went Mad, The Game That Transformed Basketball.

The book was written by Seth Davis and chronicles the 1979 game between Michigan State and Indiana State.

Michigan State was led by Magic Johnson and Indiana State by Larry Bird. Michigan State won the game, but more importantly the game helped college basketball become a serious player with fans.

The Michigan State/Indiana State game has been credited with helping transform college basketball into a bigger event these days.

Davis' book is a must read for fans of college basketball. Not only does it concentrate on the significance of the game and the significance of both Magic and Bird, it tells us the story of both teams leading up to the final game.

Both squads had many interesting stories before, during and after that season. The book details many great stories about the characters on each squad and it does a good job of following the paths of the schools and many of the personalities after that 1979 title game.

- Felix

AAU Tournament coming up

The state boys and girls AAU district basketball tournament is slated for May 1-3 in Las Cruces.

Athletes in grades 3-11 and ages 8-16 are eligible to play. The entry fee is $300 per team and the registration date is April 24 by 5 p.m

You can register at http://lcyouthbasketball.com

Teams will play a minimum of three games and the tournament starts with pool play, followed by bracket play.

For more info, contact tournament director Dave Reiff at 202-0110 or email lcybball@yahoo.com

Ronnie Daniels story

Aggies eye La Cueva’s Daniels
By Felix Chavez
Sun-News reporter
LAS CRUCES — Ronnie Daniels is only a sophomore in high school, but he’s been turning heads ever since he was a freshman.
The Albuquerque La Cueva football standout, who is also a very good basketball player, said Friday he has been offered a football scholarship by New Mexico State University.
New Mexico State coaches cannot comment on Daniels per NCAA rules.
“Through my high school coach (Fred Romero) I understand I’ve been offered a scholarship from New Mexico State,” Daniels said. “I plan on talking to the staff at NMSU. They have good players down there and want to do well. They hired a good staff and I like the wide open offense they will run.”
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Daniels said he will likely play running back in college and he was a second-team all-state selection last year in Class 5A in helping lead the Bears to the state playoffs. He was also a starting guard on La Cueva’s Class 5A state championship basketball team.
“I’m still learning the game and trying to improve on making good reads and hitting the hole hard every time,” Daniels said.
Daniels said he has received interest fro New Mexico, Oregon, Texas Tech and Arizona State.
“Right now, I’m not positive where I want to go, it’s a progress and I’m going to take my time,” Daniels said.
Kyle Henderson, who covers high school sports in New Mexico, says Daniels has Division I player written all over him.
“He has great speed, good size and has flat out play making ability,” Henderson said. “His highlight tape from his freshmen year playing varsity for the Bears speaks volumes.”

Felix Chavez can be reached at fchavez@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5444

NMSU recruiting

The New Mexico State football program is making progress already in in-state progress at least in terms of presentation.

The Aggies have already offered Onate linebacker Zach Daugherty and word is that they are seriously interested in La Cueva's Ronnie Daniels, a standout who is a good runner and could be a defensive back down the road.

Daniels is talented and has a bright future, especially since he's going to get bigger and stronger.

If first year NMSU football coach DeWayne Walker shows he's seriously interested in recruiting the best in the state, then he will fare well in recruiting.

He talks about changing the culture of NMSU football and recruiting New Mexico players is one way to do it. The fact that the NMSU program is taking positive steps already, has to be a plus on the statewide landscape.

There has always been debate about the talent level of high school players in New Mexico and their ability to take it to the next level.

The fact is there are a number of players that can make contributions, I'm not saying they are star type players, but they can make contributions.

New Mexico State has not gotten many of those type of players and Walker is hoping to change that.

- Felix

La Cueva's Ronnie Daniels

The word on the street is that the New Mexico State football program is seriously interested in La Cueva's star football player Ronnie Daniels. Stay tuned for more, I'm hoping to land an interview with Daniels in the near future.

Felix

Gary Goff

Former New Mexico State wide receivers coach Gary Goff has landed a job at Princeton.

- Felix

Las Cruces High's Ashley Godfrey and Santa T's Jackie Campos

Las Cruces High girls basketball player Ashley Godfrey has verbally committed to play basketball at New Mexico Highlands next year. Her coach, Matt Abney, said she will likely sign April 15 or 16.

Also, Santa Teresa High School standout distance runner Jackie Campos will sign a national letter of intent with Oklahoma State on April 8.

- Felix

WAC ESPN and ESPN2 Football Schedule

Sept. 3
Oregon at Boise State, ESPN, 8:15 p.m

Sept. 18
Boise State at Fresno State, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25
Missouri at Nevada, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30
Hawaii at Louisiana Tech, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

Oct. 9
Louisiana Tech at Nevada, ESPN, 7 p.m

Oct. 14
Boise State at Tulsa, ESPN, 6 p.m

Nov. 6
Boise State at Louisiana Tech, ESPN2, 6 p.m.

Nov. 8
Nevada at San Jose State, ESPN, 6:15 p.m.

Nov. 20
Boise State at Utah State, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m

Nov. 27
Nevada at Boise State, ESPN2, TBA

Dec. 5
Wisconsin at Hawaii, ESPN or ESPN2, TBA

All State Boys Basketball Teams

New Mexico High School Coaches Association All-State Basketball Teams
Boys
Class A
First Team
Johnny Chavez, Guard, Springer
Jimmy Atwater, Guard, Des Moines
Isaiah DeHerrera, Guard, Springer
Ethan Shelley, Forward, Cliff
Berry Stinnett, Forward, Forward
Second Team
Kyler Smith, Guard, Dora
Logan Medlin, Guard, Tatum
Jeremy Butler, Guard, Dora
Lathan Lieb, Forward, Dora
Mike Howard, Forward, Temple Baptist
Honorable Mention
Justin Gutierrez, Guard, Cliff
Ryan Best, Guard, Elida
Jesus Urquijo, Guard, Springer
Taylor Smith, Forward, Logan
Rawley Stallard, Forward, Fort Sumner

Class 2A
First Team
Zach Adams, Guard, Mesilla Valley Christian
Jeff Reeves, Guard, Santa Rosa
Franki Jiron, Guard, Mesa Vista
Seth Bailey, Forward, Texico
Ryan Schaeffer, Forward, Bosque School
Second Team
Tim Baca, Guard, Pecos
Joseph Gurule, Guard, Penasco
Mario Posada, Guard, Texico
Jaime Cruz Jr., Forward, Mesa Vista
Brett Anderson, Forward, Texico
Honorable Mention
Emery Coleman, Guard, Tularosa
Joel Van Essen, Guard, Santa Fe Prep
Jonathan Allison, Guard, Bosque School
Robert Serrano, Forward, Santa Rosa
Scott Adler, Forward, Mesilla Valley Christian

Class 3A
First Team
Jordan Romero, Guard, St. Mike’s
Matt Murphy, Guard, Hope Christian
Nick Bliss, Guard, Hope Christian
Christian Schlenker, Forward, Hope Christian
Second Team
Jordan Naranjo, Guard, Santa Fe Indian
Michael Yardman-Frank, Guard, St. Mike’s
Orlando Trujillo, Guard, Pojoaque
Kody Salcido, Forward, Sandia Prep
Marcus Slocum, Forward, Portales
Honorable Mention
Jake Tenorio, Guard, Sandia Prep
Kyle Elliott, GUard, Hope Christian
Baski Baker, Forward, Socorro
Conner Pierce, Forward, Hope Christian
Billy Good, Forward, Portales

Class 4A
First Team
Matt Brito, Guard, Espanola Valley
Derek Montoya, Guard, Artesia
Kevin Nelson, Guard, Academy
Alex Kirk, Forward, Los Alamos
A.J. Peralta, Forward, Roswell
Second Team
Anthony Lopez, Guard, Deming
Keydrick Allen, Guard, Roswell
Ryan Myers, Guard, St. Pius
Dallas Bollema, Forward, Artesia
Marek Olesinski, Forward, Roswell
Honorable Mention
Donovan Maldonado, Guard, Espanola Valley
Josh Mattox, Guard, Belen
Patrick Zacharias, Guard, Academy
Daniel Hessinger, Forward, Belen
Calvin Farmer, Forward, St. Pius

Clas 5A
First Team
Michael Maya, Guard, Valley
Ronnie Daniels, Guard, La Cueva
Mark Tenorio, Guard, Manzano
Jaye Crockett, Forward, Clovis
Alfonso Hubbard, Forward, Gallup
Second Team
Lucio Luttrell, Guard, Las Cruces High
Chad Adams, Forward, Highland
Gabe Sanchez, Guard, Rio Grande
Travis Geiger, Guard, Alamogordo
Marcus Franco, Guard, Highland
Honorable Mention
Tyler McDonald, Guard, Eldorado
Patrick Holmes, Guard, Valley
Jorel Johnson, Guard, Rio Rancho
Juhreece Thompson, Forward, Hobbs
Ryan Gesiakowski, Forward, Manzano

New Mexico State's football schedule

The New Mexico State football program caught a break for the 2009 schedule when it was announced that it would start the season with three straight home football games.

The Aggies will start with Western Athletic Conference foe Idaho at home, followed by non-conference games with Prairie View A&M and Texas-El Paso.

NMSU's game with Idaho is a winnable game. The Vandals are a program trying to improve just like NMSU. What will also help NMSU is that it has a new philosophy on both sides of the ball, so Idaho will have less to go off of in terms of tape.

In weeks 2 and 3, the Aggies certainly have great opportunities to win. The Aggies should be Prairie View and the Aggies have handled UTEP two straight years and should be able to compete with them at home.

Then the schedule gets tougher with road games at New Mexico and San Diego State, which will big tests for Walker's bunch.

It's not going to be easy for Walker and his bunch and he knows that. Most people are going to predict the Aggies to finish in the bottom third of the WAC once again and there is no reason to predict otherwise.

Through two days of spring practice, the once certainty is that Walker, his staff and the team is going to work to try and improve. There is no sense is making any type of prediction right now on the NMSU record for 2009.

There are still a lot of things for the team to work through and try to understand. And a rebuilding job takes time. Walker and his staff seem to have a good floor plan for what they want to do and that's the first step.

- Felix

New Mexico Softball Polls, 4A and 5A

New Mexico Softball Top 10 Poll
5A Softball
1. Cibola(12) 120
2. Las Cruces 88
3. Carlsbad 84
4. Sandia 68
5. Valley 56
6. La Cueva 53
7. Onate 52
8. Mayfield 38
9. Santa Fe 27
10. Los Lunas 19
Others: Hobbs 14, Eldorado 12, Rio Rancho 6, Gadsden 4, Manzano 4, Alamogordo 2, Rio Grande 1.

4A Softball
1. Piedra Vista(9) 106
2. Farmington(2) 93
3. Silver City 77
4. Artesia 76
5. Roswell 55
6. Aztec 46
7. Volcano 44
8. Kirtland 31
9. Moriarty 25
10. Del Norte 25

Class 5A Baseball Poll

New Mexico High School Coaches Association
Baseball Top 10 Poll
5A Baseball
1. La Cueva(8) 106
2. Rio Rancho(1) 85
3. Las Cruces 73
4. Rio Grande 66
5. Santa Fe 65
6. Onate(1) 63
7. Carlsbad 39
8. Mayfield 32
9. Sandia(1) 26
10. Eldorado 23
Others: Valley 15, Los Lunas 4, Cibola 1, Gadsden 1, Hobbs 1.