The Colt varsity basketball team earned the 11 seed in the Class 3A state playoffs and will travel to Santa Fe to take on the No. 6 St. Michael’s Horsemen at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“They’re a solid team for sure, but I think we’re very similar, very balanced,” said sixth-year NMMI head coach Connor Williamson. “We’ve got a strategy and if we can execute it efficiently and limit our mistakes, I like our chances.”
Both squads feature steady points guards that commit few turnovers, lengthy guards and forwards that can shoot from outside the arc or drive to the basket, and a lot of defensive effort.
Between the extended holiday break and uncertainty about returning players, basketball at the Institute is always playing catchup. Williamson took the Colts to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, but missed out the past two years while rebuilding with younger, less experienced players.
Those rebuilding efforts have paid off with players like senior point guard Steven Griego and senior center Matt McCargish, season-long starters that have been with the Colts for three seasons and have helped establish a culture of hard work and accountability.
Time in the system has helped role players like junior guards Carper Lackey and Xavier Johnson make the most of the minutes they earn and junior forward Sawyer Hull has worked his way into the starting lineup with his accurate outside shooting.
As a sophomore, Lorenzo Peral showed flashes of what could be with more consistent coaching, and as a junior, the six-foot guard from Mexico has made giant leaps toward becoming a complete player, displaying improved passing, ability to shoot from anywhere on the court and a defensive knack for anticipating his opponents move and reacting quickly.
The Colts also got a big boost in 2023-24 by two newcomers — junior forward Cole Seidenberger and senior forward Ian Thompson — who have added intensity and aggression on the defensive end and inside scoring threats.
The Horsemen are a junior-heavy team with plenty of length and size. Freshman forward/center Ryan Hunt has emerged as a impact player at 6-2, 180 pounds and big sophomore center Dillan McCoy will provide a challenge for McCargish under the basket.
After dropping the first two games of the district slate, including a two-point home loss to Ruidoso, the Colts won the next four and avenged that loss to the Warriors with a 51-46 road win.
NMMI had its best night of the season shooting the ball in the district semifinal win over Tucumcari at Cahoon last Thursday, but followed that up with a big loss in the title game at Ruidoso on Saturday.
“We had played a bunch of good games going into that one and I think it’s just the natural ebbs and flows of a season,” Williamson said. “We had some foul trouble and let their good guys go off, but this team has been resilient all year long and bounced back from tough losses.”
St. Michael’s was on a three-game winning streak in a stacked District 2 before a two-point loss to Santa Fe Prep in the district quarterfinals. Five of the six District 2 teams made the playoffs, with four earning top-half seeds and home playoff games.
With no playoff experience on the roster, the Colts venture into uncharted territories, but Williamson has planned an earlier departure for Santa Fe to provide his players plenty of time to prepare.
“We’ll practice here Friday and then head up, sleep there and then we’ll do plenty of mental preparation on Saturday to get ready for a battle,” Williamson said. “We’ve won on the road this year, so it’s just another road game in someone else’s gym.”
The Colts come into the game with an overall record of 15-11 and a district mark of 4-2, good for second place. District 4 winner Ruidoso earned the 10 seed. The Horsemen have a similar 15-13 record and went 6-4 in their larger district, finishing third behind No. 1 seed Robertson and No. 3 Santa Fe Indian.
Tickets for the game can be purchased at gofan.co (search for New Mexico Military Institute and a ticket link will appear).
The game will be livestreamed for a fee on the National Federation of High Schools online network at nfhsnetwork.com (search for New Mexico Military Institute in the search bar at the top of the screen).
Click here for the tournament bracket. Click here for a game program.