Has there ever been a female program that has displayed a commitment to a specific sport over a decade period like that of the Lady Broncos?  We are talking about mothers and their daughters who have experienced a state championship run as players in their time at Kirtland Central.  Try fathoming these facts:

                        1.  17 State Championships

                        2.  Have participated in 25 plus state championship games

                        3.  20 plus district championships

                        4.  25 plus state tournament appearances 

                        5.  1 time in the last 27 years have they missed the state tournament.

Need I say more?  Ok, then I will.  They return a bevy of basketball talent to the court, with one thing on their mind – losing to a district rival for the state championship.  If that wasn’t motivation enough, you still have to factor in that this extremely proud program hasn’t won a state championship in 3 years, and in this basketball climate that is sacrilegious.  Expect a return to the state championship with the expectation of # 18 and a national record!!!!

            The Lady Tigers are expecting a little tiger sometime soon, and while one Shock stepped down, the other stepped up.  Yes, Mr. Brian Shock, husband of Chelsey Shock has taken over the defending state champion in hopes of do just that, defending their state championship.  At this point in the season Shock has three huge problems: 1. No Patricia Malouf.  2. An angry Kirtland Central Lady Bronco Basketball Team.  #3. Did I mention the Lady Broncos are in the same district?  Look for these Tigers’ to put up a tremendous fight, but to much depth, talent and ………..well bitter taste left in the mouth of the Lady Broncos.

            Now realistically predictions 3-5 are up in the air, with the slight edging going to the Lady Panthers, who have a chip on their shoulder along with the only true mountain in the Four Corners – 6’3” center Ashley Ward, the state’s leading rebounder in class 4A from a year ago.  Note, that Ashley Ward is a scholar athlete who will be taking her academic and basketball talents to Fort Lewis University in Durango, Colorado where she will be studying Teacher Education and Sports Management. 

Both Shiprock and Farmington debut new coaches in Brady Rivers and Ben Tinsey.  These two coaches inherit teams with many questions and both hope to restore past glory.  Although the two programs have fallen on somewhat hard times it is the Lady Scorp’s who have the most to prove.  The last two years have been dismal at best, with the current bunch of Lady Scorp’s not having seen a winning season or state tournament victory during their tenure in the program.  They also are reminded of a combined 12 – 42 varsity record in the last two seasons.  Remember we are talking about a program that won the class 4A state title in 2001 and runner –up in 2002.  They also posted 17 consecutive winning seasons with the majority of those seasons coming in the state’s highest class.   And finally, the Shiprock Lady Chieftains are coming into the year with a new head coach for the second straight year and their five different head coach since winning the Class 3A state title in 2001.   And as always they expect a state championship run regardless.  Coach River will have to do without the services of seven graduating seniors, not to mention an undersized line up that could include as many as five sophomores on the varsity squad.  At “The Rock”, they don’t believe in rebuilding and recent history proves they can’t just reload – Oh, and by the way, that “chip” that is on the Lady Panthers’ shoulder comes at the hands of the having a winning district record against these Lady Chieftains, yet the selection committee still chose the Lady Chieftains over the Piedra Vista, leaving them at home in last year’s state playoffs.

Prediction:

1. Kirtland Central Lady Broncos

2. Aztec Lady Tigers

3. Piedra Vista Lady Panthers

4. Shiprock Lady Chieftains

5. Farmington Lady Scorpions