Gallup High to host NM All-Star games
WINDOW ROCK
The annual New Mexico All-Star basketball games is making a return trip to Gallup this weekend.
Six games will be contested with all games being played at Gallup High starting on Friday and ending on Saturday with the players being divided on either the Red or Green team.
“We’re excited about bringing these kids to Gallup from all over New Mexico,” said Buster Mabrey, the executive director for the New Mexico High School Coaches Association.
Special to the Times | Curtis Ray Benally
To’hajiilee’s Alyce Apachito is fouled on a shot by Roy/Mosquero’s Tayla Proffitt (4) in Saturday’s Class 1A title game. Apachito will take part in the NMHSCA All-Star game on Friday night.
“The kids across the state will get exposure to the environment up there,” he said. “You know, they love good basketball in the Gallup area and we’re bringing good basketball players, so I feel like it’s a good mixture.”
Mabrey said the format is much different than past years as players are drafted regardless of geographical regions. In other words, he said some teams will have its kids playing against their teammates.
“We’re trying to make it equitably as possible,” he said. “The one goal in mind that we have is making the teams as competitive as they can be.”
The two-day all-star event will start with the combined classification of the 1A/2A girls at 3 p.m. on Friday followed by the boys at 5 p.m.
On Saturday four games will be played with the 5A girls tipping off at 11 a.m. followed by the 5A boys at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m. the combined class of 3A/4A girls will play and the event will end with the 3A/4A boys at 5 p.m.
A handful of local athletes made the all-star team. In the small school classification the following girls made the 1A/2A All-Star teams: Laguna Acoma’s Sylvia Gedman, Alamo Navajo’s Hailey Apachito, and To’hajiilee players Tyler Rose Apachito and Alyce Apachito.
The 1A/2A boys will feature Alamo Navajo’s Mathias Apachito and Magdalena players Dshaun Vinyard and Kael Stephens.
The 3A/4A boys has Crownpoint’s Tyrell Archie, Newcomb’s Javin Tracy, Kirtland Central’s Satchel Hogue and Gallup players Nathaniel Yazzie and Isaiah Tom.
The girls 3A/4A will have five local athletes headed by 4A state champs Gallup with Kiera Livingston and Daliyah Morris making the all-star team. This classification also has Kirtland Central’s Teghan Begay, Thoreau’s Leah Delgarito and Crownpoint’s Janaya Tom competing.
The 5A girls will showcase two Farmington players in Tinaya Parrish and Kamalani Anitielu.
“We’re expecting some fun games,” Mabrey said. “These kids are first-rate players, so it’s going to be competitive.”
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow