Peter Dindinger – NMMI Sports Press

The future looks rather bright for the New Mexico Military Institute Colt basketball team.

After finishing the 2019-2020 season with a 15-9 overall record and making an appearance in the Class 3A quarterfinals for the first time since 2007, this season was a major step forward.

Five players were named to the All-District 4-3A team.

Juniors Daniel Xibille and Ricardo Mata along with seniors Andres Bleizeffer and Clay Stroh earned first team honors while freshman Hector Soto was named honorable mention.

Xibille, NMMI’s leading scorer with 365 points, also earned second team all-state recognition from the New Mexico High School Coaches Association.

Against Mescalero on Jan. 27, Xibille scored a season-high 27 points to help the Colts win, 70-59.

Xibille led the Colts in rebounds with 126 while he ranked second in blocks with 22.

“He improved a ton this year. Started playing some good defense, took charges for us, really just did everything,” said NMMI head coach Connor Williamson about Xibille. “When we needed to get a shot he would come through for us. Daniel has been a big finisher for us.”

Although Xibille was a huge playmaker for the Colts, Mata was right there in the mix. The dynamic duo always dictated the offensive flow.

Tallying a team-high 112 assists and 57 steals, Mata scored a season-best 19 points during a 70-65 win over Ruidoso.

Mata ranked second on the team in scoring with 275 points.

He matched his season-high point total once more during the 54-47 quarterfinal loss to Hot Springs on March 11. In a 69-40 victory over Dexter, Mata tallied a season-best 12 assists to top his 10 assists recorded against Mescalero.

“This year he was definitely the guy with the ball in his hands, he was the point guard, he ran any sets that we did run,” Williamson added about Mata. “He had the best turnover ratio on the team.

“He was the best three-point shooter on the team as well. He’s an offense threat, too.”

The Colts had a number of bench players that could step into the action on a moment’s notice and contribute some big minutes.

Bleizeffer was one of those players who could enter the game and give 110 percent on every play.

Scoring 120 points and ranking second on the team with 56 steals, Bleizeffer grabbed 110 boards to finish third on squad.

“Bleizeffer was a huge surprise to me this year because I had never seen the kid at all,” Williamson said. “Played soccer this year and then he just came out for basketball.

“He’s athletic and he hustles like no other. He became a good all-around player out of nowhere.”

Breaking into the varsity, Soto proved himself worthy after being named MVP of the John Reid Dexter Invitational with a 17-point performance during a 48-46 win over Jal in the championship game back on Jan. 18.

Soto had a season-high 18 points during a 52-47 win over Hagerman during the Dexter Invitational. He later landed a season-best five 3-pointers in a 55-46 victory against Tularosa in the same tourney.

On the team he ranked third in scoring with 196 points while he led the way in three-pointers, making 35.

“I knew right away that he was a pretty good player. His shot’s a little unorthodox but he makes it quite a bit,” Williamson said. “He developed nicely throughout the season.

“It’s crazy what he was able to do because I don’t even think he’s really grown yet. He was fun to watch.”

To finish up the honorees, 6-foot-4 forward Stroh placed third on the squad with 115 rebounds while ranking first in blocks with 23.

The Colts are hungry to make a return to the state tournament next season. The experience of playing in the Star Center around a large crowd helped the team deal with the first time jitters of being on that big stage.

“It was an awesome experience for those that were here, for the seniors,” Williamson said. “I think that was the biggest difference in our last game — the experience.

“Now those guys know what it’s like to play in a bigger facility. It was huge for us. I definitely believe we could be in the mix for the top teams in 3A for sure. Maybe they didn’t believe before because the team hasn’t had that much success in the past, but now I think they can do it.”