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Articles by W. Dean Howard
Race to district season in full swing across boys basketball
Kirtland Central and Shiprock pick up momentum with big wins over weekend Kirtland Central's Tyrell Yazzie (4) leaps to the basket for a jump shot attempt while being defended by Newcomb's Otto Tso (4) and Kaelowe Tom (34) during the first half of a basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 at Bronco Arena. (W.
Aztec, Farmington High wrestling teams compete in Duals during busy week
Local boys and girls teams compete at FHS, Aztec hits the road to Palisade Farmington High's Kameran Jones grapples with Aztec's Jude Winters in a 215-lb. match at a Duals meet between FHS and Aztec, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 at the auxiliary gym at Farmington High. (W.
State soccer tournament headlines busy week in sports
Cross-Country district titles on the line as fall sports season nears conclusion FARMINGTON – The fall sports season hits state tournament time with the New Mexico Activities Association’s soccer postseason beginning this week across the state. The final weeks of the regular season in both volleyball and football take on greater significance with postseason berths on the line. Cross-country district titles are also on the line this week as meets take place across the state.
District title chase takes center stage in boys and girls soccer while several local and area football teams take part in intriguing district showdowns FARMINGTON – District races and a chase for the postseason are well underway in both boys and girls soccer as local and area teams compete against regional rivals this week. District 1-4A clashes for both Kirtland Central and Bloomfield facing off against district leaders Miyamura headline this week’s matches on the soccer field.
Anitielu family legacy etched deep in Scorpions basketball
Youngest sister Kjani hopes to lift Farmington to Class 5A state title next year FARMINGTON – The Farmington High School girls basketball team hasn’t had a losing record since 2017. The following year in 2018, a freshman by the name of Kiiyani Anitielu joined the Scorpions roster. The next six years saw three more athletes join Farmington’s roster, all with names that began with the letter “K”- inspired from a blend of their Native American and Samoan backgrounds – and ending with Anitielu.
Piedra Vista softball opens with big wins in Crabtree Invitational
Panthers hold on for opening round win over Broncos before routing Santa Fe FARMINGTON – The Piedra Vista softball team opened the 2025 Linda Crabtree Invitational with a convincing 16-0 win Thursday over Santa Fe. The Panthers were led offensively by sophomore Octaviana John, who drove in three runs while going 2-for-2 with a home run. Senior Brookelynn Cadrain laced a pair of doubles and drove in three runs while sophomore Michaela Perea also had three runs batted in with a pair of doubles.
Gallup proves best in overtime, beating Kirtland Central 73-69
District 1-4A tournament title goes to Bengals, snapping five-game losing streak against Broncos as both teams prepare for postseason tourney KIRTLAND – The Gallup High girls basketball team, needing to reverse its fortunes of late against defending Class 4A state champion Kirtland Central, outlasted the Broncos by a final of 73-69 Saturday night in an emotion-filled District 1-4A tournament championship game.
Scorpions hold off stubborn Rio Rancho for district tourney title
Anitielu scores 29 points and becomes newest member of 1,000 point club FARMINGTON – There was a lot to celebrate Friday night at Scorpion Arena. In addition to the Farmington High girls basketball team winning the District 1-5A tournament championship game over Rio Rancho by a score of 63-57, securing a high seed in this week’s New Mexico Activities Association’s state championship tournament, it was also a banner night for junior Kjani Anitielu.
Cleveland staves off late rally for 57-56 win over Farmington
Last second shot falls short as Scorpions 5-game win streak comes to a halt FARMINGTON – The Cleveland High School basketball team earned its second win of the District 1-5A campaign on the road Thursday night, slipping past Farmington 57-56 at the Scorpion Arena. The Storm, which came into the contest ranked fourth in the most recent Class 5A Maxpreps polls, were led by junior Remy Albrecht, who scored a game-high 24 points, including ten in the fourth quarter.
Class 4A girls title may well again run through KCHS, Gallup
Boys District 1-4A title chase appears wide open with 10 games left to play KIRTLAND – The battle for supremacy in Class 4A girls basketball will, once again, likely run through the same two teams which have combined to win the past four state championships. Gallup and Kirtland Central High Schools girls basketball teams have made an appearance in the state championship game for each of the last six seasons.
Bloomfield hosts Bernalillo in clash of top-ranked teams
Piedra Vista hopes third-ranked Cleveland in Class 6A showdown BLOOMFIELD – There are only a handful of undefeated teams still playing high school football in the state of New Mexico. Two of those teams will face off Friday night in a District 1-4A showdown at Bobcat Stadium when top-ranked Bloomfield hosts second-ranked Bernalillo. District 1-2A teams square off in a pair of important clashes as well on Friday, when Navajo Prep hits the road to face Hozho Academy while Newcomb hosts Laguna Acoma.
Volcano Vista pulls clear in second half, rolls past Scorps
Hawks (6-1) have won six straight games, Farmington drops to 3-4 this season ALBUQUERQUE – The Volcano Vista High School football team won its sixth straight game Thursday night at Nusenda Community Stadium, defeating Farmington 41-7. After a slow start on offense, the Hawks exploded in the second half scoring on four consecutive drives and needing only ten plays on offense to pull away from the Scorpions.
Navajo Prep hosts Cuba in Thursday night district clash
Farmington looks to snap two-game losing streak on road at Volcano Vista FARMINGTON – This week’s prep football schedule a pair of local teams taking part in Thursday night contests, with Navajo Prep and Farmington High each looking to pick up important district victories. The Eagles hope to extend their three-game win streak when they host Cuba, while the Scorpions travel to face Volcano Vista. Here’s a glance at the Thursday night contests on the football fields.
Farmington, Piedra Vista look to bounce back as district campaign starts
Panthers hope to end four-game losing streak at home; Scorpions hit the road FARMINGTON – The Farmington and Piedra Vista hope to get their seasons back on track as the District 1-6A portion of their schedule gets underway this weekend. Meantime, Kirtland Central and Aztec hit the road for a pair of district matchups hoping to earn important wins as their seasons reach a critical point. Here’s a glance at some of Friday’s local and area high school football games.
San Juan County sports teams wrap up busy weekend
PV girls soccer blanks Cibola, while Farmington boys come up short against Cleveland FARMINGTON – Prep soccer season in San Juan County has now become a race to the postseason ahead of the first week of district play. Meanwhile, many San Juan County volleyball teams are in midseason tournament mode with district action right around the corner. Here’s a look at how San Juan County’s prep sports teams fared over the weekend.
Navajo Prep outlasts Laguna-Acoma in 44-38 district clash
Eagles open District 1-2A campaign with victory, earning third straight win FARMINGTON – Quarterback Xavier Nez threw for three touchdowns and ran for a pair of scores as the Navajo Prep football team overcame some sloppy play on both sides of the ball to win at home over Laguna-Acoma 44-38 in a Friday night slugfest.
Top-ranked La Cueva now 4-0 with romp over Farmington
Bears outscore Scorpions 35-0 in first half, Dyer throws 4 TD passes in win ALBUQUERQUE – The La Cueva Bears football team took care of business Friday at Wilson Stadium, dismantling the Farmington Scorpions 45-13 in front of the home crowd. La Cueva is regarded as New Mexico’s top Class 6A team, entering the contest with an unblemished record against formidable opponents in the early going. The Bears’ wins include one over Arizona’s 17th-ranked team, Pinnacle, earlier this month.
Here’s a look at this week’s San Juan County prep sports events
Fall sports season takes on greater significance with district slate on deck FARMINGTON – San Juan County’s high school sports teams will be busy this week, with volleyball tournaments and the final days of the non-district slate in boys and girls soccer. District 1-4A high school football teams will be in action again this weekend, while Farmington will be on the road against La Cueva, Class 6A’s top-ranked team. Here’s a look at this week’s events.
Bloomfield routs Miyamura, while Newcomb improves to 3-0
Elsewhere, Scorpions stumble on road at Los Lunas FARMINGTON – The Bloomfield High School football team had little trouble making its way to a 2-0 start this season, playing at home for the first time this season and routing Miyamura 55-0 Friday night at Bobcat Stadium. Bloomfield had more than 450 yards in total offense, led by Blake Specer’s 174 passing yards and three touchdown strikes. The Bobcats called off their starters heading into the locker room with a commanding 43-0 advantage.
Connie Mack World Series teams arrive at Civic Center
Players and coaches from a dozen baseball teams greeted by host families and fans in preparation amateur baseball’s biggest national tournament FARMINGTON – With the 2024 Connie Mack World Series just hours away, teams from across America arrived via police escort Thursday afternoon at the Farmington Civic Center.
Tri-Cities Events Calendar: Things to do in northwestern New Mexico
Sherlock Holmes Exhibition, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Farmington Museum, 3041 E. Main St. $10-$15. Perform scientific experiments, chase clues, solve crimes and learn the core principles of forensic science. Details: (505) 599-1174 or visit, FarmingtonMuseum.org. Bring the Sting Basketball Camp, 9 a.m. – noon. Scorpion Arena, 2200 N. Sunset Ave. $50/participant. T-shirt included with registration, bring water bottle, comfortable athletic wear. For grades first through eighth grade students.
Dorman Foundation awards ceremony returns Thursday
Second annual event will hand out more than $27,000 in scholarships to San Juan County student-athletes FARMINGTON – The Wally D Sports Foundation’s awards banquet will return, showcasing San Juan County’s top individual prep athletes, offering more than $27,000 in scholarship money to seniors who will be advancing their academic and athletic careers. The second annual event will be held at the Farmington Civic Center.
Piedra Vista’s Landry Bales to play softball at Stephens College
Multisport athlete had success in softball, soccer and powerlifting FARMINGTON – Landry Bales, one Piedra Vista’s star athletes the past several years, will continue playing softball at the next level. Bales signed her letter of intent earlier this month to play softball at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.
Piedra Vista, Aztec come up short in state softball tournaments
Gallup High wins Class 4A title for second time in three years ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico’s state softball champions were crowned on Saturday at the University of New Mexico. Here’s a recap of how San Juan County team local and area teams fared during the NMAA state softball championships.
Four San Juan County teams ousted from state baseball tournament
Aztec, Piedra Vista, Kirtland Central and Navajo Prep eliminated over weekend FARMINGTON – It was a rough weekend for multiple San Juan County baseball teams in the opening round of the New Mexico Activities Association’s state tournaments. With the exception of Bloomfield, which advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals after sweeping Valley in a best-of-three series, four San Juan County teams came up short in first-round action on the road.
Piedra Vista overcomes slow start, rolls past Bloomfield 9-3
Bobcats defense commits six errors; Panthers improve to 9-9 this season FARMINGTON – The Piedra Vista High baseball team took advantage of untimely defensive blunders and miscues by Bloomfield as they rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to beat the Bobcats by a final of 9-3 Tuesday night at Ricketts Park. Bloomfield committed six errors while pitcher Drew Perez walked five batters and hit five batters in four innings of work.
Navajo Prep ready to reach prime-time status
Eagles enter District 1-3A tournament on 15-game win streak FARMINGTON – Navajo Prep boys basketball coach Matt Melvin understands all too well that down time isn’t his best thing. The Eagles wrapped up the District 1-3A title earlier this month and finished the district campaign with a perfect 12-0 mark, so Melvin is left to figure out what to do over the next few days before Friday’s district tournament championship game at Piedra Vista High School.
Eagles rise in fourth quarter to topple Tohatchi
The same two teams will play Monday night to determine district champions FARMINGTON – The Navajo Prep girls basketball team forced its way into a tiebreaker for the District 1-3A championship on Monday night, defeating Tohatchi by a score of 47-40 in front of a sold out crowd Saturday at the Eagles Nest.
District 1-4A title still up for grabs heading into weekend
Gallup, Bloomfield and Shiprock in three-way tie atop standings KIRTLAND – The battle for the top spot among boys basketball teams in District 1-4A took a wild turn Thursday night thanks to a second-half rally by Kirtland Central to top Gallup 53-49, as well as a road win by Shiprock over Bloomfield. Both Gallup and Bloomfield entered Thursday night action tied with identical records of 6-2 in district play.
Scorpions drop second straight, lose at home to La Cueva
Farmington falls to 4-5 in district standings heading into regular season finale FARMINGTON – The Farmington High School boys basketball team dropped its second game Tuesday night at Scorpion Arena to La Cueva by a score of 58-47.
Scorpions rally at home to top La Cueva in district showdown
Farmington has won 10 of last 11 games, improves to 3-1 in district play FARMINGTON – The Farmington High School girls’ basketball team rallied in the fourth period Friday night at Scorpion Arena to pull clear and earn an important district win over La Cueva by a score of 51-39. The Scorpions got off to a quick start behind senior Kapiolani Anitielu who connected on a three-point shot early in the first period followed by some layups from sophomore Caris Dale who got behind the Bears’ defense.
Prep basketball tournaments fill in around holiday schedule
FARMINGTON – With the Christmas celebrations out of the way on Monday and a day to recover on Tuesday, a very busy week in prep basketball takes place across the state beginning Wednesday. Here’s a look at this week’s prep schedule according to MaxPreps. Tournament game schedules following opening round pairings can be found by checking out official team pages on the Internet. Wednesday Boys Basketball: Kirtland Central vs. Goddard (Tournament) 7:30 p.m. Boys Basketball: Navajo Prep vs.
Roundup: Durango boys basketball wins final game at Marv Sanders tournament
Ryan Dugan finishes first in weight class for Durango boys wrestling After nine games, the Durango boys basketball team is only one win away from tying its season win total from last season. The Demons finished off the Marv Sanders Invitational tournament Saturday in Farmington with a 57-39 win over Cañon City. Durango (6-3) shot 48% from the field, 47% from 3-point range and 40% from the free throw line.
Five local football players invited to All-Star Game
Selected by coaches and administrators, teams will compete Saturday in Artesia FARMINGTON – Bloomfield High School’s Drew Perez and Robert Williams will be joined by Ian Fishburn from Farmington High School, Reed McCarty from Piedra Vista and Joshua Wells from Navajo Prep as San Juan County’s representatives to the New Mexico High School Coaches Association’s All-Star Game, to be held Saturday at the Bulldog Bowl in Artesia.
Piedra Vista tops Valley, advances to Class 5A semis
Farmington High loses on the road against La Cueva, eliminated from playoffs FARMINGTON – The Piedra Vista High School football team extended its winning streak to four straight games and have advanced to the Class 5A semifinals after a convincing 30-6 win over Valley at Hutchison Stadium in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. Meantime, the season comes to an end for the Farmington High football team, eliminated on the road by La Cueva by a final of 45-6 at Wilson Stadium in Albuquerque.
Prep football playoffs continue this weekend across county
FARMINGTON – The New Mexico Activities Association’s football playoffs got underway last weekend for teams representing Class 2A through 6A. Round two gets started Friday night, with four area and local teams looking to extend their respective seasons by another week. Here’s a glance at the four games involving San Juan County teams coming up in the second round of the NMAA football playoffs. Class 6A La Cueva (7-3) vs.
Final week of football regular season with much on the line
Seedings and playoff pairings will be contingent on weekend results FARMINGTON – For the defending Class 4A champion Bloomfield High School football team, this Friday’s regular season finale is a chance to ensure a top seed in the postseason. For teams like Farmington, Piedra Vista, Aztec and Navajo Prep, wins and losses this weekend could be the difference between a playoff matchup or missing the postseason entirely. Here’s a preview of this weekend’s high school football matchups.
Scorpions fall on the road in shootout against Eldorado
Busy Saturday of prep sports action for local and area teams FARMINGTON – The Farmington High School football suffered a tough loss Saturday afternoon at Wilson Stadium, losing its second straight district game in a 44-40 shootout against Eldorado. Senior running back Johnpaul Ludi scored a 4-yard touchdown with 24.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lift the Golden Eagles to victory, snapping a three-game losing streak and earning its first win in District 2/5-Class 6A this season.
Local high school football teams prominent in latest rankings
Bloomfield and Portales in virtual tie atop latest Class 4A coaches poll FARMINGTON – Four local and area high school football teams are represented in the latest coaches polls in their respective classifications heading into action this weekend. Here’s a glance at how local and area teams fared in the most recent polls, released earlier this week on NMOTSC.net.
District football rivalries take center stage on Friday night
Bloomfield extends win streak to 14 in a row with romp over Kirtland Central FARMINGTON - The defending Class 4A state champion Bloomfield High School football team made short work of Kirtland Central in a district showdown Friday night at Bobcat Stadium. Meantime, Piedra Vista scored five times in the second quarter on its way to a romp over district rival Miyamura at Hutchison Stadium.
Velasquez leading Bloomfield soccer in strong season
Sophomore has come up strong for Bobcats girls soccer squad this season BLOOMFIELD – The Bloomfield High School girls soccer team is off to a strong start to its District 1-4A campaign, having won each of its first four matches in its run to the postseason. Sophomore Evani Velasquez has played an integral role in that stretch of games, scoring four times in a 10-0 rout over Gallup and scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win last week over Miyamura.
Bloomfield hits the road for rematch at Silver
Class 4A showdown one of several key games in high school football FARMINGTON – Two of the top Class 4A football teams in the state will do battle on Saturday afternoon when the defending state champion Bloomfield Bobcats visit Silver High School to face the Fighting Colts. Meantime, the Farmington Scorpions will open its District 2-5/Class 6A season at home on Friday night when they tackle West Mesa. Here’s a glance at some of this weekend’s biggest football games across San Juan County.
Week six prep football matchups
Unbeaten Bloomfield visits Valencia; Piedra Vista returns home to face Cibola FARMINGTON – The Bloomfield High School football team will be coming back off a bye week to visit Valencia on Friday night, while Navajo Prep and Farmington will each be looking for its third consecutive win when they hit the field this weekend. Here’s a look at some of this weekend’s local and area gridiron matchups. Coming back off a bye week isn’t a positive or a negative for Bloomfield head coach Mike Kovacs.
505 Panthers ready to represent Farmington in CMWS
FARMINGTON – There’s a level of expectation that comes with being the host team in the Connie Mack World Series. Where a majority of the teams coming to Farmington for arguably one of the most prestigious prizes in amateur baseball boast a variety of potential professional and Division 1 collegiate prospects, the local representative in the CMWS team is primarily made up of precisely that, local talent.
Navajo Prep looking for second straight district title
Farmington, Piedra Vista playing catchup in competitive district FARMINGTON – This is the first of a two-part series of articles previewing the upcoming high school volleyball season. Today’s piece will highlight the District 1-3A titleholders at Navajo Prep, as well as a pair of local teams in the hotly-contested District 2-5A race.
505 Panthers advance to Connie Mack World Series
Panthers earn dramatic win in local qualifier tournament finale FARMINGTON – The 505 Panthers will represent San Juan County as the host team in this month’s Connie Mack World Series after eliminating the Frackers two games to one in the final round of a local qualifying tournament over the weekend at Ricketts Park.
Frackers, 505 Panthers come away with opening round wins
Local CMWS qualifying tournament opened Wednesday at Ricketts Park FARMINGTON – The opening round of the local qualifying tournament for this month’s Connie Mack World Series didn’t look that much different from the regular season results between these same teams. The Frackers and 505 Panthers, each having only one loss against the other after 10 games in the regular season schedule, won both of their opening round games in decisive fashion.
Local athletes recognized at awards ceremony
More than $20,000 in scholarship money awarded to area athletes FARMINGTON – More than 200 hundred people turned out to the Farmington Civic Center on Thursday night as area athletes and coaches were honored at the first Wally D Sports Foundation banquet. Prep athletes from around San Juan County were awarded more than $20,000 in scholarship money to aid them in pursuing their goals of a college education, as well as continuing their careers in their respective sports.
Busy week off and on the field for Connie Mack city league
Regular season heading into final week before qualifying tournament FARMINGTON – Just one week after the Frackers competed in a regional tournament in Albuquerque in hopes of tightening their game ahead of a potential berth in the Connie Mack World Series, the 505 Panthers are prepared to venture on the road in hopes of doing much the same. Coached by John Kuhn, the 505 Panthers have a record of 7-1 in Connie Mack city league play.
Dorman Foundation to hand out scholarship funds
Local radio personality giving back to community FARMINGTON – If you’re familiar with high school sports in San Juan County, chances are quite good you’ve heard the voice of Walter Dorman. For more than 20 years, Dorman has served as one of the most influential voices on radio, calling prep sports up and down the dial.
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