Tuesday, February 28, 2012 Phone: 575-622-7710, ext. 304
LOCAL SCHEDULE TUESDAY FEBRUARY 28 BOYS BASKETBALL District 3-B Tournament 6 p.m. • Corona at Lake Arthur H.S. BASEBALL 4 p.m. • Mayfield at Roswell (DH) H.S. TENNIS 3 p.m. • NMMI at Roswell
SP OR TS SHORTS LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Dexter Little League • Dates: March 3 • Times: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Location: Dexter Elementary/Middle School • Requirements: Birth certificate and three proofs of residency • Contact: Matt Mireles at 840-6102 or Edubina Morales at 317-2809 Eastside Little League • Dates: March 3 and 10 • Times: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Location: Eastside Little League complex • Requirements: Birth certificate and three proofs of residency • Contact: Johnny Sanchez at 914-2508 or Joe Mendoza at 420-5762
Noon Optimist Little League • Dates: March 3 • Times: 9-10 a.m. • Location: Noon Optimist field • Cost: $85 • Requirements: Birth certificate and three proofs of residency • Contact: Coy Skinner at 420-1911; Ed Henry at 9140642; Mark Beeman at 3172893
SPORTS
Section
Roswell Daily Record
NMAA releases state hoops brackets
ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Activities Association released the 2012 State Basketball Championship brackets on Sunday. Six Chaves County teams earned trips to New Mexico’s version of March Madness — the Goddard boys, the Roswell boys, the Dexter boys, the Hager man boys, the Roswell girls and the Dexter girls. Goddard (24-2) is the No. 1 overall seed in the 4A boys brackets and southside rival Roswell is the No. 2 seed. Goddard, the defending state runner-up, hosts 16th-seeded Los Alamos in the first round on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Ground Zero Gymnasium. The winner faces the winner of No. 8 Bernalillo and No. 9 Kirtland Central at The Pit in Albuquerque on March 7. Roswell (23-3) will host No. 15 Piedra Vista on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Coyote Den. The winner then faces the winner of No. 7 Santa Teresa and No. 10 Los Lunas on March 7 at The Pit. “I’m glad to see the (NMAA) leave us at No. 2,” Roswell boys coach Britt Cooper said. “We got a tougher than normal 15 seed (in Piedra Vista). “They’re a pretty solid team. We just have to be ready to play them.”
In the 2A boys bracket, Dexter (21-6) is the No. 10 seed and will travel to face seventh-seeded Clayton in the first round on Saturday at 5 p.m. The winner faces the winner of No. 2 Mesilla Valley Christian and No. 15 Tohatchi on March 7 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. In the 1A boys bracket, defending state champion Hagerman (1711) is the No. 9 seed and travels to face No. 8 Gallup Catholic on Saturday at 3 p.m. The winner faces the winner of No. 1 Cliff, the defending state runner-up, and No. 16 Melrose on March 7 at Bernalillo High School. “I’m happy with the ninth seed,” said Bobcat coach Anthony Mestas. “I got on the phone this morning and got some information from See BRACKETS, Page B2
Mountain View wins city title
Lawrence Foster Photo
Goddard’s Lane Vander Hulst, right, puts up a finger roll over Roswell’s Anthony Olguin during the Rockets’ 70-61 win over their southside rival on Feb. 14. Vander Hulst and the Rockets received the No. 1 overall seed in the 2012 NMAA State Basketball Championships on Sunday. Roswell got the No. 2 seed.
United KEVIN J. KELLER RECORD SPORTS EDITOR
• More shorts on B2
NA T I O N A L BRIEFS KU, SYRACUSE STILL ATOP POLL Kentucky and Syracuse are the top two teams in The Associated Press’ Top 25 for a fifth straight week, while Kansas moves up to a season-high No. 3. Kentucky received 63 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel Monday with Syracuse getting the other two. Kansas, Duke, Michigan State and North Carolina all moved up one place to be third through sixth. Missouri, which lost twice last week, dropped four spots to seventh and was followed by Marquette, Baylor and Ohio State. Creighton is the week’s lone newcomer, returning to the rankings at No. 25 after two weeks out of the poll. The Bluejays, winners of four straight, replace New Mexico, which moved in last week for the first time this season at No. 18, then fell out after losing two games. Florida State, the third ranked team to lose two games last week, dropped from 15th to 22nd.
BROWNS GM RECOVERING CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Browns general manager Tom Heckert is recovering from surgery to clear a blockage in his heart. Heckert recently underwent a procedure at the Cleveland Clinic and is at home resting comfortably. Team president Mike Holmgren provided an update on Heckert’s condition Monday before announcing a new contract extension for linebacker D’Qwell Jackson. Holmgren said Heckert did not suffer a heart attack. A few weeks ago, he wasn’t feeling well and went in for a checkup and tests, which revealed the blockage in an artery. The surgery prevented Heckert from attending last week’s NFL combine in Indianapolis. “I just got off the phone with him,” Holmgren said. “He had heart surgery. He’s gonna be fine. Actually, he’s a very healthy guy now. He had a blockage in an artery. They found it, they fixed it and he should be good to go.” Holmgren said Heckert will be in the office Tuesday.
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E-mail: sports@rdrnews.com
Steve Notz Photo
The Mountain View Mustangs pose with their Roswell Independent School District Eighth-Grade Boys Basketball City Championship trophy after beating Berrendo 53-51 in the championship game of the city tournament. The Mustangs, who led by 21 at halftime, had to rally out of a four-point hole after three quarters to win. Dominic Anaya’s 3-pointer late in the fourth put Mountain View ahead for good. Members of the team are, front row from left, Larry Sanchez, Leo Mota, Brandon Renteria, manager Feliz Rodriguez; back row, Vicente Valdez, Tomas Hernandez, manager Jesus Guerrero, Dominic Anaya, Cruz Rodriguez, Mark Anthony Fuentez and Daniel Amador. Not pictured is coach Brent Clay.
No rivalry in southeast New Mexico rivals the intensity of Goddard vs. Roswell. Whether it’s on the football field, the basketball court or the baseball diamond, tempers flare when the Rockets and Coyotes play. But, for a fleeting few minutes on Saturday, players, parents and fans of each, harmoniously stood side-by-side to honor the one thing they all have in common. A love for America. As the Goddard and Roswell boys basketball teams prepared to meet for the District 4-4A championship at Goddard’s Ground Zero Gymnasium, Goddard principal Andy Sweet asked the capacity crowd to rise to its feet and honor America with the playing of the national anthem. By the end of the Star Spangled Banner, the nearSee UNITED, Page B2
RG3 impressive at combine
WACO, Texas (AP) — Robert Griffin was able to impress teams and scouts without throwing a pass at the NFL combine. There was his official time of 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash, fastest among quarterbacks, and the Heisman T rophy winner believes he ran even faster. And there were interviews with at least eight teams, including the Indianapolis Colts, who have the No. 1 draft pick. “I think I was able to go out there and affirm to the scouts how athletic I am, or impress them even more,” Griffin said Monday. “I was able to show people that I am as advertised. I’m a good guy, I like to
make people laugh. I can’t remember a meeting I didn’t go in and we weren’t laughing. “You go there and do what you’re supposed to do, create a buzz for yourself,” he said. Maybe Grif fin gave the Colts more to consider amid consistent speculation that they will use the top pick April 26 on Stanford’s Andrew Luck, the Heisman runner-up. If nothing else, RG3 likely created even more of a premium for the No. 2 pick held by St. Louis. The Rams already have a young quarSee RG3, Page B2 AP Photo Russell Westbrook (0), of the Oklahoma City Thunder, goes up for a dunk during the first half of the NBA All-Star Game as, from left, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard look on, Sunday.
West triumphs in All-Star Game
AP Photo
Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, Sunday. Griffin clocked the fastest 40 time among all quarterbacks.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kobe Bryant got the scoring record, Kevin Durant the MVP, and the West got the win — barely. Even after that duo piled up the points, the NBA All-Star game came down to a defensive play. A bloodied Bryant scored 27 points, moving past Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in the game, Durant had 36 in an MVP performance, and Blake Griffin’s interception of LeBron James’ pass secured the Western Confer-
ence’s 152-149 win over the East on Sunday night. Bryant shook off Dwyane Wade’s hard smack to his nose and was still on the floor to say something to James after he threw away a pass in the closing records. “You know, you have some of the best competitors out on the floor at the same time,” James said. “Not only me and Kobe, but DWade and Durant and (Carmelo See ALL-STAR, Page B2