928 Hoops promoter brings all-star game to New Mexico

BLOOMFIELD, N.M. – Farmington High’s Landon Begay and Kapiolani Anitielu were hand-picked to take part in the inaugural New Mexico Showcase Saturday night.

The two basketball players, as well as a few dozen others, were selected by 928 Hoops promoter Christian Kolesar to partake in a pair of all-star games held at Bloomfield High School.

Both players led their respective squads to victories as the all-girls and all-boys all-star games went 48 minutes long, which is 16 minutes longer than a standard high school game.

The showcase was officiated by three members of the New Mexico Officiating Association.

“I think this was pretty fun, and it was pretty creative because we don’t have those types of things here,” Begay said. “It was good for everybody to get some exposure like that.”

“This was awesome,” Anitielu said. “The fans got to see everybody’s talent from around New Mexico. We got a chance to display our skills and talents. I’m very grateful to be playing in a showcase like this.

“I’m really honored to have played with everybody,” she added.

Kolesar, who hails from Flagstaff, has put together numerous showcases in his home state for several years. He administers these showcases to get the high school athletes he invites exposure for college scouts.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I’ve gotten really serious the last three years,” said Kolesar, who is scout and prep sports writer for 928 Hoops and ArizonaPreps.com. “You know, I’m trying to get these kids some looks. It’s my first time coming here, and I’m looking to expand this so that we can get them all exposed so that they can get to the next level.

“I thought it went really well,” Kolesar added. “The kids came and played hard, and mostly it was having fun. That’s all it’s about, having fun and playing basketball.”

In the boys contest, Begay’s team eked out a 109-108 win as the Farmington junior pumped in a team-best 29 points. The designated away team was coached by Bloomfield’s Dominique Richardson.

The Richardson-coached team also received 17 markers from Navajo Prep graduate Orion King and a dozen points each from Bloomfield’s Elijah Cook and Prep’s Xavier Nez. Rehoboth Christian graduate Raeden West added 11.

The home team, which erased a 20-point deficit in the middle of the fourth quarter, got a team-high 29 points from Tohatchi junior Josh Dawes, who put in 14 of his total in the last quarter.

Kirtland Central’s Devin Ramone added 28 with 23 of those points coming in the first half. Bloomfield’s Samuel Slivers added 23 and Navajo Prep’s Jude Thomas helped out with 13.

“We had to earn this,” Begay said. “I mean, the other team went on a run. We just had to stay calm and finish out the game.”

In the girls contest, Anitielu led the White team with 22 points as her squad earned a hard-fought 82-78 win.

Albuquerque Volcano Vista’s Mila Espinosa chipped in 16 while Kirtland Central’s Saige Sorrelhorse added 10 for the winning team.

Navajo Prep’s Tru Billie led the Black team with 14 points with a dozen coming in the second half. Kirtland Central’s Haylee Nocki helped out with 12 points and Bloomfield’s Aniya Quintana finished with 10.

Kolesar coached the Black team while Navajo professional basketball player Analyss Benally headed the White team.

“I’ve been following her for a few years, and I had messaged her, you know, congratulating her,” said Kolesar. “We kind of connected and I ended up inviting her to the Northern Arizona showcase.

“She came out to that with her father, and we were like we should do one in New Mexico,” Kolesar added. “So we were like, ‘Let’s do it,’ and so coming here has a lot to do with them, too.”

Kolesar praised Benally for getting herself out there as the Shiprock native plays for the Bashkimi (Kosovo) women’s basketball team in Europe after having completed her collegiate eligibility at San Jose State University.

“She’s a great role model, especially for the Navajo kids,” Kolesar said. “She’s the only professional Navajo women’s basketball player right now. It was pretty cool of her to come out to coach and talk to these kids.”

As for the showcase, it took at least a month for Kolesar to put things in motion. The hardest part, Kolesar said, was recruiting the players to take part in his event.

“I don’t know them that well,” the 928 Hoops contributor said. “I got some help getting the right players to come out and play. We got most of the players we wanted, but some of them had other commitments but overall I’m happy with what we got.

“I mean, the two games that were played were really great,” he added.

Kolesar is looking to change the format for next year’s showcase as that will pit the 10 players from Arizona against the top 10 players from New Mexico.

“We’ll play one showcase in Arizona and then we’ll rotate to New Mexico,” he said.

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