Four Corners Sports February 2014

��

��%/�000�(,-%&'+)..%+�&,*

��

� ��

� ��

��

��

��("��-& "��+*��/'��.%�+-��-�!"��+2*�,(0.��*!�� "�("-��"-1& "��""��#+-��)+��/�� /+-3��"��/"��*!�� .%�0."!��.�!+2*�,�3)"*/��0./��"�#&*�* "!�/%-+0$%��"�(��("��-& "��+*��/'��.%�+-��-�!"��+2*�,(0.��*!�� "�("-��"-1& "��-�*.#"-��""��#+-��)+*/%.��/�� /+-3��"��/"��*!�� .%�0."!��.�!+2*�,�3)"*/��0./��"�#&*�* "!�/%-+0$%�� & /0-".��-"�#+-�&((0./-�/&+*�,0-,+."�+*(3

#�$��!$�!��!$��#�

��"��

#� �

��

�! ��

� ��

��! �� #��

�� #��

��

��

3Four Corners SPORTSFebruary 2014

content| 4 | Gotta run upto get downHESPERuS – It is minute 45 of 60 as I press into

my third lap and third mile of the Ski Hesperus

Vertical Hour ski mountaineering race set by

Miles Venzara and Scott Simmons of the newly

established Pine Needle Mountaineering uphill

Ski Club.

| 24 | San Juan Countyloses a great oneOn Jan. 22 the sporting world of San Juan

County lost one of its biggest supporters in

Kevin Holman. Coach Holman was the current

head coach of the lady Broncos in Kirtland

and had previously coached in Wingate,

Farmington and Shiprock.

| 8 | Pucker Up!DuRANGO – Many of you know that Chapman

Hill in Durango is a wonderful venue for

winter enthusiasts. The ski hill provides a

great and inexpensive opportunity for those

learning how to ski and snowboard.

| 12 | Polar PlungeBaby, it was cold outside on Jan. 18, but

that didn’t stop Farmington Police officers

and members of the Four Corners law

Enforcement Torch Run from taking a dip

in freezing water to benefit Special

Olympics.

| 14 | Team PlayersCome wind, snow, rain or shine they are

ready to serve in their big canary yellow

machines.

| 18 | Living with a concussionIn eighth grade, lucas Maestas was a phe-

nomenal athlete. He was the quarterback for

the Bloomfield eighth grade team, he was an

accomplished wrestler and he participated

in track and field – until a series of events

resulted in three concussions.

| 19 | Traumatic Brain InjuryDr. James Wright loves to visit his daughter,

son-in-law and three grandchildren in

Farmington. Residing in Butte, Mont.,

Dr. Wright is a retired Colonel from the Air

Force specializing in general surgery, plastic

surgery, and flight medicine while

serving our country.

| 22 | Supporting, teachingskiersWhen people go skiing or snowboarding,

many do not realize the time and effort it

takes to keep them safe on the mountain.

| 26 | Winter SportsAs February kicks off, so does the tourna-

ment season for the Winter Sports teams.

Basketball is in its second round of district

play with the district tournament and state

right around the corner.

| 28 | Dancing across the pondFarmington High School senior Bliss Camp-

bell is making her mark in the high school

world of dance.

| 31 | Heights Color GuardEight pre-teen girls hold purple flags on

poles taller than themselves, standing in the

Heights Middle School Commons and await-

ing directions from their coach.

| 30 | 10 Questions

| 34 | Fantasy Football

Don Vaughan

PuBlISHER

Cindy Cowan Thiele

EDITOR

Tom Yost

Debra Mayeux

lauren Seip

Ben Brashear

CONTRIBuTING WRITERS

Ben Brashear

Josh Bishop

CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Suzanne Thurman

DESIGNER

Shelly Acosta

DeYan Valdez

Aimee Velasquez

SAlES STAFF

For advertising information

Call 505.516.1230

www.fourcornerssports.com

Four Corners Sports magazine is published once amonth by Majestic Media. Material herein may not bereprinted without expressed written consent of the pub-lisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writersare not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or FourCorners Sports magazine. Every effort has been madeto ensure the accuracy of this publication. However thepublisher cannot assume responsibility for errors orommissions. © 2014 Four Corners Sports magazine.

Majestic Media

100 W. Apache Street

Farmington, NM 87401

505.516.1230

www.majesticmediausa.com

STORY IDEAS and PHOTOS

covercredit

Please send to

[email protected]

We’ve got more photos

than we can use.

Check out the photo gallery

for each issue at

www.fourcornerssports.com

Tim Thomas skates toward the descent and the gateson his third lap. — Ben Brashear

with Anthony Romero.

with Rick Hoerner.

4 Four Corners SpoRTS February 2014

HeSpeRUS – It is minute 45 of 60 as I

press into my third lap and third mile of the

Ski Hesperus Vertical Hour ski mountaineer-

ing race set by Miles Venzara and Scott Sim-

mons of the newly established pine Needle

Mountaineering Uphill Ski Club.

I shoulder my Dynafit race skis and kick

my boots into the icy steps winding up the

last 150 feet of the black diamond ski run,

Why Not, toward the summit of Hesperus.

With each step I take, my legs burn against

the single-digit temperatures. The metallic

taste on my tongue and the black and white

motes dancing before my eyes are telltale

signs that in spite of my heart humming at

180 beats per minute I cannot get enough

oxygen to carry on this pace for much

longer. My chest heaves white vapors to-

ward the morning sun only to have them

freeze in my beard and on my cheeks. even

my breath cannot rise against this 35-de-

gree pitch and I drop my head longing for

the oak brush vista of the summit.

It is the first randonèe or ski

mountaineering race in a monthly

uphill race series sponsored by pine Nee-

dle Mountaineering Uphill Ski Club and Ski

Hesperus ski resort. It is also my first expe-

rience with uphill ski racing and, I believe

the saying goes, curiosity killed the ran-

donèe novice.

Story and photos by Ben Brashear

Scott Simmons is literally flying toward the gates and his second lap.

Uphill Ski Club, Ski Hesperus host Uphill Race Series


Thirteen racers have gathered on light-

weight racing skis and are clad in brilliant

neon colored Lycra head to toe. Four partici-

pants have chosen to brave the racecourse

equipped only with snowshoes strapped on to

tennis shoes.

The event consists of a 60-minute time limit,

one to one-and-a-half miles per lap, and

roughly 650 vertical feet gained from the base

lodge to the top of the mountain.

“It’s a way to bring attention to the partner-

ship between Pine Needle Mountaineering Up-

hill Ski Club and Ski Hesperus, and to the sport

of uphill ski racing,” said Miles Venzara

founder of the ski club and part owner of Pine

Needle Mountaineering in Durango, Colo.

This is a niche sport appealing to cyclists,

Nordic skiers, and runners. According to

SnowSports Industries America, the sport has

seen an increase of more than 50 percent in

participation numbers since 2010.

“Pine Needle has doubled its

sale of randonèe race gear just in the last

year,” said Venzara.

With the public interest piqued, bear in mind

that this is a sport of adventure or, as the

French word randonèe translates, “excursion.”

It is a sport of inherent risk that combines the

disciplines of mountaineering and skinning re-

quiring the use of specialty equipment that can

carry a hefty price tag. A full race package can

range from $1,000 to $3,000. Nylon climbing

skins adhere to the bottom of skis with special

glue affording the skier uphill traction, light-

weight race skis combined with titanium tech

bindings allow the foot to pivot when skinning,

and a personal locator beacon, probe, and

Pine Needle Uphill Ski Club Membership Cost: $50 Annual Fee

Benefits include access to practice clinics

hosted every Tuesday and Thursday

7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Ski Hesperus.

Members will also receive

discounted entry fees to races.

Race dates are tentative.

For Info. and Membership: Call Miles Venzara at Pine

Needle Mountaineering 970.247.8728

Upcoming Events:February 15 Vertical Hour

Where: Ski Hesperus Ski Resort

Open to the Public

$10 non-member participation fee

$5 member participation fee

Racer Categories:

Racer

Recreational

Snowshoe

Randonée gear and snowshoes available for rent at

Pine Needle Mountaineering, Durango, Colorado

Leah Fein descends with good form from her first lap up the

Hesperus race course.

Miles Venzara gives the pre-race briefing. Racers left to right: Tim Thomas, Paul Hamilton, Brendan Trimboli, Miles Ven-

zara, Ben Kneller, Chris Stewart, Brendan Curoick, Scott Simmons, Drew Gunn

6 Four Corners SPORTS February 2014

shovel lend an element of safety should an ava-

lanche occur.

“There is this revolution happening at ski

areas throughout the country, especially in

Colorado, with uphill skiing. Areas offer a con-

trolled environment to ski and exercise that is

safer than the backcountry,” said Venzara.

According to the Colorado Avalanche Infor-

mation Center, Colorado is the leading state in

avalanche related fatalities, with 259 reported

deaths since 1950.

The uphill ski club and Ski Hesperus not only

provide a safe place to ski and train, but Pine

Needle Mountaineering has also partnered to

establish the Peter Carver/ Joe Philpott Ava-

lanche School scholarship.

The scholarship will help to provide access

to courses in avalanche education to a

younger generation of backcountry skiers.

“The proceeds from race entry fees will go

to support the scholarship,” said Venzara.

It seems that part of the appeal to an en-

durance sport such as randonèe is the risk

and sense of adventure the sport provides. It is

the journey through sweeping vistas and un-

touched summits and, as many of the racers

quipped, it is also about the journey into the

mind and suffering a little.

Suffering was evident from the beginning as

racers toed the start line in near negative tem-

peratures with chattering teeth and arms

windmilling blood to numb fingers. Racers shot

back and forth the opinion that a little suffer-

ing is good for the body.

Farther into the race on laps three and four,

as the physical and mental demands became

greater on the racers and as parallel turns be-

came gyrating arcs on fatigued legs, I saw that

pushing through the suffering seemed to be

cathartic, as their smiles only seemed to get

bigger and bigger.

Now, a sport that requires one to endure

may not sound appealing. I have more than

likely turned most readers’ attention back to-

ward the comfort of the hot coffee in your

cups, but let me convince you otherwise.

The day before the race I asked nationally

ranked randonée racer, SkiTrab athlete, and

first place finisher of the Vertical Hour, Scott

Simmons about the nature of the sport of up-

hill ski racing. Simmons quickly grinned wide

beneath his faded green baseball cap and re-

layed to me a brief anecdote.

He spoke of a woman that had seen him

practicing skinning and skiing several morn-

ings in a row. The woman had asked him “So,

do you ever ski for, you know, fun?”

I looked to Simmons for his answer. He gave

a quick laugh that shook his 6- foot-4 frame.

Looking sidelong at me beneath the frayed bill

of his ball cap, he made sure that I understood

the irony of the woman’s question. Simmons

said that he told the woman, “Of course I ski to

have fun! It can be hard work, but if it wasn’t

fun do you think I’d be out here skiing every

day?”

I can tell you that these are not the words of

an exercise-crazed man attempting to justify

his addiction to an endurance sport. Simmons

has a true passion for randonée skiing. So

much so, that it has become a family affair. His

wife Holly Simmons and his oldest boy Quinn

Simmons have taken to the sport and often

train and race side by side with Simmons.

7Four Corners SPorTSFebruary 2014

/��&&#��#�)�/��*!&/��'��!�#��&+)��$��(��(!*�)�

��&&****� ,,��($!%�*&%

��

RRooookkiieess BBuurrggeerr oorr CChhiicckkeenn SSaannddwwiicchh

-!* ��(!�)��%��)&�*��(!%"�� ####��..HHaappppyy HHoouurr ��''$$��''$$

�&$��&(��''.��&+(��%��)*�.��&(��!%%�(�!%�&+(��!%��(�)*+�(�%*11⁄⁄22 PPrriiccee LLoouunnggee MMeennuu ��''$$��''$$KKaarraaookkee �'$�*&��#&)�� +()��.��*+(��.

WWAATTCCHH YYOOUURR FFAAVVOORRIITTEE TTEEAAMM HHEERREE

�0� '(!��#&+%��$�%+��'!%*)��*�##��&(��##��$�)�

I keep Simmons’ words in my mind, chanting

them, this is fun, this is fun, as I settle into a

mid-pack pace. It is a pace that has me fighting

to keep my breakfast, a banana and coffee,

from inching its way from the top of my

Adam’s apple, where it now sits, and the wind-

blown snow at my feet. I try to push the

thoughts of the leaders out of my mind – Scott

Simmons, Miles Venzara, and Nick Gould. They

are battling in the front of the pack seemingly

without much effort, and skiing toward their

fourth lap. I command my focus on the current

battle for eighth, ninth, and tenth place.

I glance over my shoulder down the 35-de-

gree slope to Eric Dixon, who is currently in

tenth place. He is a mountaineer and climber

new to uphill racing and is quickly gaining on

me. The clack of his skis and labored breath

pushes me forward further into a sort of mad-

ness that seems to drive my steps upslope

even faster. I swallow down my breakfast for

the second, or maybe even the third time and

increase my pace. I try to close the gap be-

tween eighth place Nick Martin and me.

I lose sight of Nick Martin as he crests the

hill and I drop my head. Though my body

squirms under the heavy hand of gravity, I per-

sist. I am steps away from the top of the ski

slope and it is the clack of magnesium buckles

on plastic ski boots that demands my atten-

tion. I ignore the urge to turn around hoping

that, somehow by doing so, it will make who-

ever it is behind me disappear. I crest the

slope and drop my skis to the snow. My chest

is heaving and there is a short circuit that af-

fects my legs, hands, and brain, each unwilling

to cooperate with the other without my verbal

command.

In my mind I am yelling out the mantra fa-

miliar to most randonèe racers that keeps

the mind coherent and hands functional when

transitioning from uphill climbing to downhill

skiing – boot, binding, skin. I yell out “Boot!”

but the word simply dribbles out from be-

tween my numb lips. My hands, swollen with

blood, fumble to latch the buckles on my

boots. It may have been the endorphins ma-

nipulating me, but in that moment with the La

Plata Mountains rising and falling in stature

with each breath, the wind coaxing tears

from my eyes through my goggles as I de-

scended through the aspen glades, I was al-

lowed the joys and contentment I once knew

as a boy. And all it took was the challenge of

the Vertical Hour, embracing the suffering of

frigid cold and heart popping heart rates, and

the simple taunt we all remember from child-

hood – “I bet I can go farther and faster than

you!”

Steve Ilg charges headlong on his running snowshoes for

his first lap up Hesperus.


Chapman Hill offers hockey leagues for all agesby Tom Yost l Photos by Josh Bishop

DURANGO – Many of you know that Chapman Hill in Du-

rango is a wonderful venue for winter enthusiasts. The

ski hill provides a great and inexpensive opportunity for

those learning how to ski and snowboard. At the same

time, the ice rink offers opportunities for ice skating les-

sons and, during “open skate” times, the great family ac-

tivity of ice skating.

What many of you probably don’t know is that Chap-

man Hill offers the hockey enthusiasts an opportunity to

play the sport in an adult competitive league format.

The Durango Adult Hockey League (www.durangoad-

ulthockeyleague.com) has been in existence since the

winter of 2000 and now boasts over 37 hockey teams

ranging in ability levels from never been ice skating

(Level 4) to the highest level of ex-high school and college

hockey players (Level 1), with various other levels in be-

tween.

Matt Morrisey, the league director and recreation su-

pervisor at Chapman Hill Ice Rink, explains, “The adult

hockey league offers competitive hockey for players of all

10 Four Corners SPOrTS February 2014

��#��%%""��((!!��**!!&&%%

�� &&''��!!��##��##��!!%%��!!##��!!��##��&&++))**��++**��!!**��$$��!!��**!!&&%%

��!!''��##!!%%��&&%%))**((++��**!!&&%%��((** ��&&,,!!%%��####..� ++$$''))��,,..��++##�� ((��"" &&��

��"" &&��&&��((�� &&//��((�!##��!#�.��-%�(��(�)!��%*

��(($$!!%%��**&&%%

�� !!!! ��""��$$��!!##��--))!!��&&��((��!!%%))**&&(($$��%%��** ��

��

ability levels. The games follow the USA Hockey

rules except for the fact that we are no-check

leagues. But that doesn’t mean that they are

non-contact leagues.”

For those that are not familiar with the

rules of hockey, checking involves skating into

another player who has possession of the puck

with the intention of separating them from the

puck. This is not allowed in these adult

leagues.

“Players must be 18 years of age and have

the necessary equipment,” said Morrisey.

“Other than that, players can enter a level

that they feel comfortable with and can move

up or down at their discretion. Some players

start at Level 4 and stay there forever … while

others start at Level 4 and through hard work

and practice have moved up to Level 1 after 4

or 5 years.”

11Four Corners SporTSFebruary 2014

��

��

�,(+!0��!**$3��!**��4��"/-00�%/-+�1'$�%--#�"-2/1��4��

�� 50��$$0��!#($0��!")$10��--#($0

��

��

�-+$�0$$��.-/10�%-/�!**3-2/�0.-/1(,&

,$$#0��!+!1$2/�-/�

./-%$00(-,!*�

The games are played every night of the week from the first

week of December until the end of April.

“The majority of the games are played on Saturday and Sun-

day,” stated Morrisey. “The games last one hour, with three 12-

minute periods. Each team is guaranteed 16 regular season

games and two playoff games, with teams that move further

along in the playoffs getting to play more games.”

The total fee for a team to enter the adult hockey league is

$2,300, but costs per individuals are nominal due to business

sponsorship.

“Most players don’t pay very much because they have a busi-

ness sponsor their team,” stated Morrisey. “So the major cost to

the individual is the equipment, which can vary based on buying

new or used equipment and the quality you choose to buy. In

hockey, though, you get what you pay for when it comes to equip-

ment.”

The Durango Adult Hockey League is a coed league, meaning

that they do not discriminate and allow women to play alongside

men. They also offer leagues for adults over the ages of 40 and

50 years.

“The leagues are very competitive at all levels,” said Morrisey,

“but our main focus is the safety of our players, because every-

one has to get up and go to work the next day.”

12 Four Corners SportS February 2014


�

��

��

��

�� #��!"��!!!� ��!��

�� #��

��

��

��

��

Baby, it was cold outside on Jan. 18, but

that didn’t stop Farmington Police officers

and members of the Four Corners Law En-

forcement Torch Run from taking a dip in

freezing water to benefit Special Olympics.

It was the third annual Polar Plunge and

four teams – including the “Team We ARE

Torch Run,” the Farmington Professional

Firefighters Association, The Farmington Li-

brary’s “Penguin Plungers” and eight individ-

uals – braved the cold water. They raised

$6,600 in pledges for Special Olympics.

The Polar Plunge is a nationwide trend

that caught on in Farmington as a Special

Olympics benefit, and the Farmington Police

Department is the only New Mexico agency to

sponsor a plunge.

During the event, the department also

showed off its new T3 Patroller, which is a

three-wheeled vehicle equipped with lights

and a siren to patrol city parks. The T3 can

reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour and

can travel 25 miles on a single battery

charge.

by Debra Mayeux l Courtesy photos

Group jumps in to raise money for Special Olympics


15Four Corners SPoRTSFebruary 2014

��

�&$%!�� !(��!'�#� �$

��&%%�#$�

#�"�#��$�

�� $

�� #!��$$�! �� $%��%�! �

�&��$��%�! �!��%��$%��#� �$�

��*��&��'� �(((��&��%�� $��!�

��#� ��$��$�� "� �� %�)�!( ��!"�#�%��

��

��

��

��

Come wind, snow, rain or shine they are

ready to serve in their big canary yellow ma-

chines.

They are carrying special packages from

one destination to another, and the packages

must be delivered safely to their destination.

Their job sounds simple, but what they provide

is so much more than a delivery service.

These people are school bus drivers. Their

packages are the children, and they are trans-

porting them to and from school.

Thomas Harper, Cheesa Cheebenally,

LaRaine Yazzie, Amanda Russell, Maggie

Mahan, Roger Nixon and Zsa Zsa have a special

busing assignment. They are the activity and

substitute bus drivers, who transport children

to special events of both academic and sport-

ing natures.

Farmington Municipal Schools’ policy allows

these drivers to transport teams within a 500-

mile radius of town. They travel with the stu-

dents. They make sure they eat well, are men-

tally and physically prepared for competition,

and they stay with them while the children are

away from home.

“You are kind of like mommy and daddy to

by Debra Mayeux l Photos by Josh Bishop

Activity bus drivers are MVPs for all of Farmington schools’ sports

The drivers eat meals with the teams, and even go out of their way

to take the kids and coaches to the out-of-town restaurants of their

choice. The students always thank the drivers for the extra effort,

and the drivers show their appreciation by decorating their buses

and making Christmas ornaments for the students.

16 Four Corners SPoRTS February 2014

5700 east main • Farmington • 505-325-8826open till midniGHt monday - Friday

Parts and Service

We’re More Than Just Parts!

Grille Guards • Headache racks • Bumper replacements tire chains & more!

products

We carry

them – helping them to eat the right thing,”

Cheebenally said. She acts as both a caregiver

and a cheeerleader. “These are my kids.”

Cheebenally gets so excited when her kids

compete that she has been thrown out of

games for being too rowdy. This happened in

Roswell, during a Piedra Vista Panthers bas-

ketball game. Her cheering was so loud, secu-

rity tried to escort her out of the stadium.

She was not heckling the other team, but

her enthusiam was great enough it got her no-

ticed. Cheebenally laughed when she told

about how parents in the stands often mistake

her for a parent. She has been asked which

child is hers, and her response is: “They all

are.”

Each activity bus driver has their own way of

showing support to the teams they transport.

The Piedra Vista Panteras love Thomas

Harper, who became a bus driver after he re-

tired. “I like doing it, because you get back into

high school sports,” he said, adding he likes to

motivate the teams. “The best thing to do is to

tell them if they don’t win, they walk home.”

Much like Harper, Roger Nixon became

driver after retirement. “I blended right in,” he

said. “I’m enjoying it. We get pampered by the

coaches.”

The drivers eat meals with the teams, and

even go out of their way to take the kids and


��

�� (� �'+��"��#!�� '��%��"��"�� #�� +��*"��

��

��

��

�#!�� '��%�

��(� �'+��#!$%��"&�)�

� ��'��#��

�(��%��#)�%+

� ��

��

coaches to the out-of-town restaurants of their choice. The students always

thank the drivers for the extra effort, and the drivers show their apprecia-

tion by decorating their buses and making Christmas ornaments for the

students, according to Billy Huish, transportation director for Farmington

Municipal Schools.

LaRaine Yazzie, who named her bus Betsy and started driving last year,

refers to the drivers as the students’ No. 1 cheerleader.

Cheebenally agreed, saying she attempts to get the students mentally

ready for competition. “I tell them, ‘Get on the bus, if the intent is to win,’”

she said. “My motto is: Believe in yourself and together make it happen.”

Cheebenally’s bus is named Tatonka, the Great Buffalo, and she wields it

with expertise, wherever the destination. She has been to Denver, Colo., Salt

Lake City, Utah; Phoenix; Las Vegas, Nev., and everywhere in between.

The drivers love traveling with the teams, and they always are prepared

with tool kits, duct tape, a case of water, snacks, flashlights, blankets and

pillows. Amanda Russell even brings gum, which is a favorite for wrestlers,

who can’t drink or eat before competitions.

Russell started driving because she wanted a job that allowed here to

work on a school schedule and spend time with her children. “It’s grown

into way more than that,” she said.

Maggie Mahan started for reasons similar to Russell’s. She wanted to

spend time with her children, and even brings her youngest daughter Jew-

elianna on the bus. “She is the mascot,” Russell said. “We sit and watch all

the games. The kids are like family.”

And the drivers often take care of the students as they would their own

child. Sometimes students get sick to their stomachs or soil themselves on

trips. The drivers will keep the accidents quiet, and then clean up the bus

and student later. Some even take soiled clothing to the laundromat and

have it ready for the child after the event.

“We deal with driving issues, all kids of issues, and as a supervisor, you

couldn’t ask for a better team,” Huish said.

The job is about transportation and safety, but it also is about the stu-

dents.

“It’s a good feeling to get comments from paretns, who say, ‘Thanks for

bringing my kids home safely,’” Cheebenally said.

18 Four Corners SPorTS February 2014

In eighth grade, Lucas Maestas was a phenomenal athlete.

He was the quarterback for the Bloomfield eighth grade team,

he was an accomplished wrestler and he participated in track

and field – until a series of events resulted in three concus-

sions in a span of fewer than four months, causing it all to end.

“It all started with the pool incident,” remembered Maestas.

“My sister’s high school friends were throwing me from the

shallow end of the pool into the deep end, when I slipped and

hit my head at the bottom of the four-foot deep part of the pool.

I was over my symptoms after a week and was cleared to start

football practice. Everything was going great until my first

game against Kirtland, when I got sacked multiple times. My

head started to hurt and I started to feel other symptoms – like

dizziness. I then sat out the rest of football season, but was

cleared to start wrestling a month later. That is when I was par-

ticipating in my PE class at school and got hit in the side of the

head by a basketball that was drop-kicked inside the gym by an-

other student.”

It has now been 26 months since his last concussion, and

Lucas has been battling the symptoms associated with trau-

matic brain injury, or TBI, ever since.

by Tom Yost l courtesy photos

Living with a

concussion

Lucas Maestas helping kids,

parents understand serious

results of brain injury

* Concussion 35


Dr. James Wright loves to visit his daughter, son-in-law and

three grandchildren in Farmington. Residing in Butte, Mont.,

Dr. Wright is a retired Colonel from the Air Force specializing in

general surgery, plastic surgery, and flight medicine while

serving our country. His focus in the latter part of his career

became researching the effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment,

or HBOT, on service men and women returning from combat

suffering from traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

As a member of the Montana Governor’s Traumatic Brain

Injury Advisory Council, Dr. Wright has been a driving force in the

treatment of head injuries through the use of pure oxygen.

When it comes to concussions and injuries to the head,

Dr. Wright described a perfect storm of poor laws, a lack of

education for parents, and players and student athletes

becoming their own worst enemy in dealing with the concussion

pandemic today.

“To start with, the New Mexico Concussion Law is now

inadequate” explained Dr. Wright. “The New Mexico law was

groundbreaking in 2010 when it was passed, but advances in the

understanding of youth concussions since then have made it

obsolete. There is no standardized requirement for parent and

athlete education. The New Mexico law provides for coach

education, and coaches are fine with following concussion

protocol, but when athletes lie to them to get back into the game

there is no preventive measure to take.”

by Tom Yost l Photo by Josh Bishop

TraumaTic

Brain

injury

Dr. Wright: Poor laws,

lack of education spur

widespread concussions

20 Four Corners SPORTS February 2014

Parents and students are required to be

provided with educational materials, but the

educational requirement should be more

clearly spelled out and mandatory classes

for youth athletes required. This material is

provided free on the Center for Disease Con-

trol website.

www.cdc.gov/concussion/sports/resources.html

Dr. Wright continued, “Because youth ath-

letes cannot be trusted or relied on to report

all concussions, the parents and teachers

need to be educated and involved. Often it is

a parent or teacher who recognizes that a

child may have suffered a head injury.”

The misconceptions or myths about con-

cussions are proving tough to overcome in a

nation that thinks you have to be knocked out

to sustain a concussion.

“Look at Muhammad Ali,” exclaimed Dr.

Wright. “To my knowledge he was never

knocked out but with all of the hits he took to

his head over the years – he is an absolute

mess right now. What people usually don’t

understand is that any hit in the head can

cause a brain injury – even the repetitive

bouncing of a soccer ball off of the head can

cause long-term problems.”

Dr. Wright professes that the education of

athletes, parents, teachers and coaches is

paramount to understanding the long term

effects of TBI.

“People don’t realize that the effects of

head injuries frequently aren’t noticeable

until later on in life,” stated Dr. Wright. “Look

at NFL players 20 years later – they get di-

vorced, can’t keep a job, make impulsive de-

cisions to go through money and become ad-

dicted to alcohol and drugs. Why is that? Do

they wake up one morning and want to do all

of this? No. They are suffering from a head

injury.”

Unfortunately, student athletes may have

no idea that they have sustained a brain in-

jury – when many of them have. Due to the

millions of nerve connections in the brain,

the effects of a hit to the head might not

show up until years later. These symptoms

include headaches, dizziness, migraines,

memory loss, irrational behavior, irritability,

anger, impulsive decision making and de-

pression.

“You only have one brain,” said Dr. Wright.

“And playing some of these contact sports is

like a student athlete playing Russian

roulette. Take, for example – a kid down the

street from me killed himself after talking

with his girlfriend. He was a star hockey

player, 17 years old and had suffered eight

concussions. That impulsive behavior was

due to the head injuries he had suffered. His

story helped us get the first concussion law

passed in Montana in 2013, even though

many lawmakers were against it.”

“Because youth athletes cannot

be trusted or relied on to report

all concussions, the parents and

teachers need to be educated

and involved. Often it is a parent

or teacher who recognizes that a

child may have suffered a

head injury.”

— Dr. James Wright

21Four Corners SpOrTSFebruary 2014

Through a research study, Dr. Wright has

been able to use treatments – only approved by

the FDA for wound healing and blood circula-

tion therapy – called hyperbaric oxygen to treat

patients with TBI. The results were nothing

short of astounding when it came to healing

the damaged brain and eliminating symptoms.

“The reason HBOT has been effective is that

the burst of 100 percent oxygen causes brain

cells which are disconnected and dysfunctional

to repair themselves and start making new

neural circuits,” explained Dr. Wright. “The

brain can grow new brain cells and make new

connections –although not enough to make us

rocket scientists.”

But even with the research that has been

done by Dr. Wright and others, the studies have

not been controlled enough to gain FDA ap-

proval.

“For FDA approval, a controlled study could

cost upward of $50 million,” said Dr. Wright.

“But just because it is not approved as a certi-

fied treatment doesn’t mean it isn’t effective. In

fact, everyone that participated in our study im-

proved – with some being completely healed.”

To explain better how FDA certified treat-

ments work, Dr. Wright explained that some

drugs such as aspirin are not FDA certified

treatments for headaches and only certified

for other uses.

“Are these drugs effective in the treatment

of headaches?” asked Dr. Wright. “You bet

they are, but nobody wants to spend millions

of dollars to get them approved by the FDA.

When you take these drugs for conditions

other than the FDA approved ones, even

though they may work, they are considered

“off label” treatments”

So what is being done today with the ma-

jority of suffering patients with traumatic

brain injuries?

“Most military members and veterans are

being given drugs for their TBI,” explained Dr.

Wright disgustedly. “Drugs mask the symp-

toms and can actually prevent the healing

from taking place.”

“So you are irrational, irritable, impulsive,

angry? Here is some medication – you will be

sedated and won’t be able to function nor-

mally, but you won’t have the symptoms and

the drugs may prevent you from screaming

at your loved one.”

Many hospitals around the country have

hyperbaric oxygen chambers, but most will

not participate in the research study neces-

sary to treat TBI because of a lack of funding.

There are many freestanding facilities that

are participating in these studies, sometimes

free of charge to the patient, and are avail-

able for head injuries, wound healing and

carbon monoxide poisoning.

“They offer treatments that last one hour

and are given five days per week,” said Dr.

Wright. “It might take 40 to 80 treatments

and cost upwards of $20,000 out of pocket,

but the cost is nominal when you can elimi-

nate headaches, trouble sleeping and irri-

tability in patients for the remainder of their

lives.”

Dr. Wright also encourages hand-to-eye co-

ordination activities, graduated activity and

cognitive learning skills to help with the heal-

ing of head injuries.



313 N. Locke Ave. • Farmingtonwww.partnersassistedliving.com

505-325-9600

PPaarrttnneerrss AAssssiisstteedd LLiivviinngg SSeerrvviicceess��

��

PPAALLSS3704 E. Main Farmington 325-1857

Daily Food and Drink SpecialsThe BEST Sports Barin the Four Corners!

When people go skiing or snowboarding,many do not realize the time and effort it takesto keep them safe on the mountain.

At Hesperus Ski Area near Durango, Colo.,there is a team of volunteers who have pa-trolled the mountain for nearly 50 years.

The Hesperus Ski Patrol is “a not for profitorganization with the goal to promote, encour-age, and support a positive skiing experience inthe community,” according to their website,hesperusskipatrol.com. It also is a member ofthe National Ski Patrol.

The group was started after Buz Branch,Hesperus ski patrol director, invited membersof the National Ski Patrol system at Purgatoryat Durango Mountain Resort to become part ofthe Hesperus ski patrol.

“The Hesperus ski patrol now is all volun-teers. There are about 40 of us on patrol,”Branch said.

To become a ski patroller, one must com-plete demanding training that involves an Out-door Emergency Care class, which is similar toan emergency medical technician’s training.

The Outdoor Emergency Care class involves

100 hours of training; however, people with amedical background may be able to take a“shortened ‘bridge’ class,” according to theHesperus ski patrol website.

The ski patrol candidates also completetraining with other organizations, such as withthe Colorado search and rescue teams, accord-ing to Branch. “We are part of the emergencymedical system.”

Other training requirements include partici-pating in the annual chairlift evacuation train-ing and practice and passing the ski andtoboggan training.

Once a potential candidates passes the train-ing, he or she then is required to complete cer-tain responsibilities during a patrol shift.

These responsibilities include making “surethe mountain is safe and if there are any barri-ers that need to be taken up or if there are anyhazardous obstacles,” Branch explained. Theski patrollers also are required to carry radiosto communicate with one another and learnabout any injuries that may have happened.

But aside from carrying out their daily re-sponsibilities, the ski patrollers are a tight-knit“family,” who are extremely involved at Hespe-rus Ski Area, Branch said.

The ski patrol organizes annual three-dayAvalanche Classes that “allow students to gaininsight into the danger of avalanches throughclass work and hands-on skills training,” ac-cording to the Hesperus Ski Patrol website.

The Avalanche Class was started 17 yearsago by Kathy and Don Fritch, who were long-time ski patrollers and had more than 100-years of ski patrolling experience, Branch said.“The Avalanche Class is a public service effortand offered in January.”

The patrollers also host the community skiswap at the La Plata Fairgrounds. The ski swapallows for people to exchange skiing and out-door equipment. “We had our 50th anniversarylast November,” Branch said.

So what is the most rewarding part aboutbeing a ski patroller?

Branch said it is “helping other people real-ize skiing is fun, but it is also challenging.There is a certain satisfaction knowing you canbe there to help, not just with medical care,but helping people with their ski techniques.”

If interested in joining the Hesperus Ski Pa-trol, visit hesperusskipatrol.com or contact As-sistant Patrol Director LT Meshew [email protected].

by Lauren Seip | courtesy photos

Hesperus Ski Patrol volunteers make sure the mountain is safe

24 Four Corners SpORTS February 2014

On Jan. 22nd the sporting world of San

Juan County lost one of its biggest support-

ers in Kevin Holman. Coach Holman was the

current head coach of the Lady Broncos in

Kirtland and had previously coached in

Wingate, Farmington and Shiprock.

Kevin was a three-time state champion, his

first winning a golf state championship at

Shiprock. Kevin was best known as a basket-

ball coach in the county, leading the Shiprock

boys to a Final Four before accepting a

position as the girls’ basketball coach in

Farmington. In 2002 Holman led the Lady

Scorpions to their first state championship

since 1979.

In 2004 Kevin moved back to the boys, tak-

ing over for legendary coach Marv Sanders

at Farmington High. Kevin’s teams were four-

time district champions in his seven seasons.

In 2011, his first year at Kirtland Central, he

led the Lady Broncos toward the state

championship, falling to the Gallup Bengals.

The Lady Broncos returned to the champi-

onship game the following year, Holman

winning his third state championship as the

Lady Broncos defeated Roswell in a one-point

thriller.

San Juan County

loSeS a great one

by Rick Hoerner l Courtesy photos

Coach Kevin Holman loved everything sports


Kevin’s sports legacy in the Four Corners is far from limited to his

coaching achievements. He was a big fan of high school sports and

attended multiple events even if his school wasn’t playing. Kevin

volunteered at the Connie Mack World Series, worked as a football

broadcaster for Fox Sports and was an avid golfer.

Kevin’s turn from sports fan to fanatic – when it came to his Chicago

Bears, Cubs and Bulls – was legendary. He was known on occasion to

stop during a road trip on a Saturday afternoon to make sure not to

miss a Fighting Irish game. His love for sports was a borderline

obsession. He was the master of the DVR and the prime marketing

example for the multi-Sportscenter viewer.

There are many who knew Kevin only by what they saw on the

sidelines, and so really didn’t know him. As a coach he was a very com-

petitive – even combatant – rival, but at the end of the 32 minutes, he

left it on the floor. He was friendly to opposing players and coaches, as

well as to the officials who were getting an earful just minutes earlier.

Kevin was well respected by his coaching brethren and former play-

ers, as well as those on other teams who got to know him through

basketball camps or as a fan watching them play.

He always had a story to tell, whether about the time he worked at

Wingate when one of his players attacked a football official or multiple

stories about his time coaching on the reservation or taking the L Train

across Chicago to see the Cubs while ditching grade school. This skill

made Kevin a natural in the broadcast booth where he started as a

color commentator for Piedra Vista football before taking on the

play-by-play duties for Farmington High.

Kevin leaves behind his son Griffin, who looks like a 1970’s version of

his father, a daughter Quinn, who was the light in his eye, three

brothers, and his mother Pat, who was as strong as anyone could

imagine over the past weeks. For Kevin’s many friends, he was the glue

that held a group together. Many of Kevin’s friends have reminisced over

their love of spending time together hanging out, talking sports and

having a good time, usually over a cold beer.

There is no doubt San Juan County sports lost its greatest supporter

and a coach who left his mark on his friends, the players and other

coaches. Anyone who truly knew Kevin Holman, liked Kevin Holman, and

he will be missed greatly by a thankful community.

26 Four Corners SPoRTS February 2014

As February kicks off, so does the

tournament season for the Winter

Sports teams. Basketball is in its sec-

ond round of district play with the

district tournament and state right

around the corner. For the wrestlers

and swimmers, the district and state

meets are coming up by the end of

the month. With the long winter

sports season heading toward the

end, it’s time to see how the district

stacks up for the tournament season.

Boys’ BasketballAs expected, Kirtland Central has

exemplified the class of the district.

Led by post man Christian Mackey,

the Broncos are the only team in the

district that has been consistently in

the top ten of the Max Preps power

ratings. The Broncos will remain the

district favorite as long as they con-

tinue to get improved guard play and

Mackey remains the dominant force

of the district. Should the Broncos

win the district, they could be a top

four seed come state playoff time.

Farmington has shown the most

improvement throughout the season

and has been the best defensive

team in the district. The Scorpions

have a quality win against what was

then number one Academy, and have

already beat the Panthers at the

Roswell Poe Corn Tournament with a

close loss to the Broncos in the Marv

Sanders Invitational. Hovering around

the .500 mark may make it difficult

for the Scorps come selection Sun-

day, but if the committee considers

the end of their schedule they may

get in – with or without a district

title.

Piedra Vista, like Farmington, has

been playing just above the even clip

through a non-district season. The

one word that would best describe

the Panthers is “inconsistent,” beat-

ing the likes of Gallup one night, then

turning around the next night and

losing to Bayfield. The Panthers out-

side play has been strong, led by Troy

Dixon and Alonzo Araiza, so the Pan-

thers have lived and died by the out-

side shot. For the Panthers to get one

of the coveted 16 spots they will need

to finish at or near the top of the dis-

trict.

Like Farmington and Piedra Vista,

Aztec is right around the break-even

point going into the district season.

However, the strength of schedule

factor may be against the Tigers.

Going into district, Aztec has no wins

against 4A opponents and has seven

losses to teams in lower classifica-

tions. Undoubtedly the Tigers will

have to win the district to get a

chance to play in March.

by Rick Hoerner

WINTERSPORTS

District tournament season begins; leader board taking shape

Piedra VistaGirls’ Basketball

27Four Corners sPOrtsFebruary 2014

��

��

��

�� !!��

��

�� ""��

Wrestlingthe fact of the matter is that every-

one is chasing the Panther Wrestling

team at Piedra Vista. the three-time de-

fending state champions appear to be

as strong as ever. Even without defend-

ing state champs anthony Juckes and

Jacob Palmgren – who have been out

due to injury – the Panthers have con-

tinued to roll along. ryan rino, Dillon

stunk, Wyatt Weaver and Zach ahlgrim

have continued to lead the Panthers in

tournaments and duals. Juckes re-

turned late in January and Palmgren is

hoping to be back by the district tourna-

ment, making the strong even stronger.

in reality, it’s not just the district that’s

chasing the Panthers, it’s the whole

state. Belen and Capital are the best

competition for the Panthers, but a

fourth title seems all but inevitable.

the rest of the teams in the district

are chasing PV, with aztec most likely

the best of the rest. the tigers are led

by isaiah Valdez at 145 lbs, but Valdez’s

task just got more difficult with PV’s anthony

Juckes, perhaps the best pound for pound

wrestler in the state, moving up to his weight.

Farmington’s tierney staley leads Farmington

high as they adjust to a new coach. Kirtland

Central will be at the bottom of the pack. the

Broncos just don’t have the numbers or depth

to compete with the rest of the district.

Girls’ Basketballthe District is a little down in girls’ basket-

ball this year. Only Piedra Vista has cracked

the Max Preps top ten. Kirtland Central may

be the sentimental favorite this season after

losing head coach Kevin holman to cancer in

January. this year the Broncos have strug-

gled, but never should be counted out. aztec

and Farmington have been steadily improving

under new head coaches.

Just like the boys, the Piedra Vista girls

could best be described as inconsistent. the

team has had a Jekyll and hyde story from

game to game and even quarter to quarter.

For example, the Panthers put up 69 one night

then only mustered 26 the next game out.

they have also put big numbers in one quar-

ter then disappeared in the next. if the Pan-

thers can find some consistent play and put

four quarters together, they should be the

district favorite.

the Broncos have struggled to find consis-

tent scoring and have played a very difficult

schedule. More than likely the only way the

Broncos get into the state tournament

is to win the district. that is not really

all that unlikely. they are still Kirtland

Central and purple and gold has ruled

the district.

Farmington is greatly improved and

at 10-10 entering the district season

has a chance to be a threat in district.

Farmington’s schedule is much softer

than PV’s or Kirtland’s meaning Farm-

ington will more than likely have to win

the district for any chance at the play-

offs.

Perhaps the most athletic team in

the district is aztec. the tigers look to

get up and down the floor and pressure

the basketball. this makes aztec dan-

gerous and they cannot be considered

a “gimme” in district play. they make a

few more shots and they will be in the

mix against any team.

the girls’ story of the year so far has

been shiprock. the Chieftains are unde-

feated entering district play and have taken

on all comers, including all the local 4a

squads as well as 3a defending champ hope

Christian and 4a defending state champ Los

Lunas. Coach henderson’s squad plays hard

and shares the ball better than any team

around. Look for the Chieftains to be the no. 1

or no. 2 come state tournament time.

swimming & Divingthe swimming and diving district and state

championships are coming up at the end of

the month and while the local teams will have

a difficult time taking down the likes of acad-

emy or Los alamos, Farmington’s nathan

isaacson and PV’s sheala Moffitt look to make

noise in individual races.

ChristianMACKEYKirtland Central

28 Four Corners SporTS February 2014

Farmington High School senior Bliss Campbell

is making her mark in the high school world of

dance.

Campbell, a captain of the Kelly Greens, was se-

lected by the Universal Dance Association to travel

to London, England, and perform in the New Year’s

Day parade, and she also was named the recipient

of the Wendy's High School Heisman for the state

of New Mexico.

The chance to perform in the New Year’s Day

parade came from Campbell’s participation in the

Universal Dance Association’s summer camp.

“At every camp you are selected to try out for

Young American,” Campbell said. She had to learn

a specific dance routine and perform it. Then she

was judged on her abilities.

She was selected with approximately 400 other

dancers for the honor of representing the U.S. in

the London parade. “It is very competitive,” Camp-

bell said.

The High School Heisman came after Campbell’s

high school guidance counselor encouraged her to

apply for the contest. She competed at the local level

and then was selected as a state finalist. She won

the state competition along with a Joshua Miller, a

Carlsbad High School student.

“State winners are exceptional examples of well-

rounded students who excel academically, lead and

serve others with the passion and persistence of a

Heisman winner,” said Archie Griffin, two-time colle-

giate Heisman Trophy winner. “While these students

are recognized as leaders in their communities, the

Wendy's High School Heisman award gives them the

national recognition their achievements have

earned.”

Campbell said the recent recognition comes from

her dedication to hard work in both academics and

dance. “The award has to do with involvement in the

community, dance, leadership and sports,” she said,

adding she had to write an essay as part of the com-

petition. It covered how leadership has played a role

in her life and what she has learned from being a

leader.

Bliss Campbell performs in London; wins state Heismanby Debra Mayeux l Courtesy photos


�� )!! *�#��*�

��'" #�($#��

�� #��(��(��

��'" #�($#��

�� -(��!*��(��

�-(��

�� %� #��

�) (�� !�)&)�'&)�

��

�� #��(

��'" #�($#��

��

��'$��+�,��(��

��'" #�($#��

��(��(

��'" #�($#��

CCUUTT CCOOSSTT.. NNOOTT CCOOVVEERRAAGGEE

��

��

��

Campbell’s leadership skills and

passion for dance were built in the

Kelly Greens organization. While

still in 8th grade, she was included

in the first set of teenage girls to

join the team. She learned that

being a Kelly Green means many

things.

“We work hard in dance and in

our community,” Campbell said.

The team has the highest ranking

grade point average as a group at

Farmington High School. “It’s pretty

awesome. We support each other

and that’s what pushes us to be

better on the court and on the

field.”

Prior to joining the Kelly Greens,

Campbell said she didn’t know

what she wanted to do. Now she

can say, “Dance is my life. I have a

true passion for it,” and she works

at it with several practices a week.

In addition to the hard work, the

Kelly Greens are a team and they

are friends who help each other in

every aspect of high school. There

even is a large amount of support

from the parents, including Vickie

Campbell, the mother of Bliss.

Vickie became the Kelly Green’s

coach in 2010, when there was a

need for a coach.

Vickie, as coach, has first-hand

knowledge of how much each girl

dedicates to the team. “It’s a huge

commitment and is the only sport

that runs all year aside from cheer-

leading. They have dedicated their

lives to this,” she said, adding she

tries to instill life lessons in the

girls. “That’s why we do community

service, stress grades and incorpo-

rate other elements into dance so

they have these life skills.”

As for Bliss, she is busy trying to

decide which college she will at-

tend. She knows she wants to study

engineering, but she also would

like to remain involved in dance as

a member of the Universal Dance

Association, for which she plans to

teach and judge competitions.

ANTHONYROMERO

As a gym owner 20 years ago, I realized the need as well

as the potential for one-on-one training. At that time, the

field of personal training was just starting to grow.

Being a good motivator is a must! Success as a personal

trainer requires vast knowledge as well as experience in the

trade.

Working with a personal trainer enables clients to learn

how to lift weights safely and with correct form. Accounta-

bility of clients to their trainers is also very beneficial.

Each person's workout, cardio, and food plan varies, de-

pending on their particular needs and goals. The workout

for an athlete would be high in intensity. The diet plan would

also be different.

Whether a person's goal is to lose weight, build muscle,

or maintain their healthy weight, proper eating is essential

for success. Some clients are already on their own food pro-

grams. Others often ask for a diet plan, which I am happy to

provide.

I train competitors in all of these categories.

Kamryn Blackwood began training with me in May 2013.

Some clients are working to build more muscle, but Kam-

ryn already carries a lot of muscle. Her goal at this point is

to reduce and cut.

Kamryn is easy. She already is a highly determined and

motivated athlete, but she does need a kick in the rear occa-

sionally!

To work in this field you must enjoy working with people

and be genuinely concerned with helping them meet the

needs and goals for which they hired me.

Why did you decide to become a trainer and how long haveyou been working in this field?

1

What are some of the skills a person needs to have in orderto be a successful personal trainer?

2

What are some reasons for hiring a personal trainer? 3

How does the workout of an athlete differ from that of

someone who is training to lose weight or get healthy?

4

As a personal trainer, do you develop diets as well as work-

outs?

5

How is the training different for Kamryn

Blackwood than it would be for some of your

other clients?

8

How do you keep your clients, such as Black-

wood, motivated?

9

What advice would you give to someone who

is considering a career in fitness and/or as a

personal trainer?

10

You are the personal training for Miss New

Mexico U.S.A. How long have you been train-

ing her?

7

Do you train people who want to compete in bodybuilding,

figure and swimsuit competitions?

6

30 Four Corners SPOrTS February 2014

Owner of Complete Physique Gym in Farmington. He is a certified personal

trainer who was approved by Donald Trump’s Universal to train Miss New

Mexico U.S.A. Kamryn Blackwood.

Eight pre-teen girls hold purple flags on

poles taller than themselves, standing in the

Heights Middle School Commons and awaiting

directions from their coach.

the girls are part of a new program, funded

by the Connie Gotsch Foundation, to help de-

velop a middle school color guard drill team in

Farmington. the program began at the start of

the 2013-2014 school year, when Andrea Fear

agreed to be the coach to the young ladies.

“this gives them an opportunity to be in a

group that is athletic and creative – to be able

to perform to music,” she said.

During a typical routine the girls will go

from using their flags to using rifles to per-

forming a choreographed dance piece. “It

gives them opportunities to become familiar

with and use different types of equipment,”

said Fear, who used to participate in and coach

color guard, prior to setting up this team.

the girls became involved with the team for

various reasons. Some have a background in

dance or were searching for an outlet. rachel

Duran, 11, said she found what she was look-

ing for when Fear introduced the concept of a

color guard team.

“When we had our first meeting, Mrs. Fear

picked up a broom and started doing tricks

with it,” Duran said. “I wanted to learn to do

that, because it was different and looked

hard.”

rebecca Martinez, 13, had a different interest

in the team. “My mom was a flag coach at Piedra

Vista and she got me hooked on it,” she said.

Several of the other girls had dance experi-

ence.

“When I was little I did ballet, but I never knew

about the flag team. I got interested in it and it’s

good,” 12-year-old Darian Jarboe-Whiting said.

“We all wanted to do something new.”

Jarboe-Whiting got her friend Emily Miller, 13,

involved. “She wouldn’t leave me alone until I

signed up, and I like it,” Miller said.

Monique Urioste, 12, also had done ballet and

wanted to try something new.

31Four Corners SPortSFebruary 2013

New program gives middle school girls creative outlet

by Debra Mayeux l Photos by Josh Bishop


Tony’s Tile Service

��

��

Ceramic | Porcelain, Natural Stone | Marble

,Granite | VCT | Vinyl Tile

� ��

��

Floor TileWall Tile

Counter TopsBacksplashes

Poured Shower Pans

�� !� ��"��

�� #��"""��

��!��

��!��

�"�� #��!��#��"��

�� #��"� ��$ � ��#��

��#��"�

��


Lainey Collins, 12, had tried all different

types of dance. “I take Hip Hop, tap, ballet, lyri-

cal and modern – a whole lot of dance,” she

said. “I saw others participating in flags and

figured I could do it because of my dance expe-

rience.”

Collins discovered that her favorite part is

learning how to control the flags.

The Color Guard team is the only sport or

activity in which sixth-grade girls can partici-

pate, and that is why Emmeri Tafoya, 12, joined.

Her friend, Amberly “Bug” Smith, an 11-year-old

sixth-grader, also was searching for an activity

to do with her friends.

“If each of these girls sticks with the pro-

gram, they will feed directly into the Piedra

Vista High School Color Guard, and they al-

ready will have the team experience from mid-

dle school.

“We have trouble recruiting at high school,”

said Tina Happel, Piedra Vista Color Guard

Coach and assistant coach at Heights. “It’s eas-

ier to get them interested in middle school and

teach them all of the basics.”

Fear agreed, saying that if they start early,

and get their hands on the flags in middle

school, their interest will continue, before they

“get wrapped up in high school life.”

Fear also hopes to expand this program by

sponsoring regional competitions at Heights.

The Four Corners Winter Guard and Percussion

Invitational will be March 15 at Heights Middle

School.

“We’ve invited guards from Southern Col-

orado, Albuquerque, Santa Fe and all over the

Four Corners,” Fear said.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. in the school’s

gymnasium. There will be a presentation of

solos and ensembles followed by the winter

guard presentations and percussion.

“Anyone can attend and experience some-

thing different,” Fear said.

The cost to view the competition is $3.

34 Four Corners sPoRTs February 2014

Fantasy football is done for another season

and it is time to go back and look at our All-

Fantasy Teams from the best of the best to the

wasted draft picks to the injured and the bril-

liant managerial roster moves. Here is this fan-

tasy season’s All-Geek Teams

All FAnTAsy PoinT TeAm

Broncos QB Peyton manning– 5,477 yards

and 55 TDs gives manning the season’s highest

point total

chiefs RB Jamal charles – 1980 Total yards,

70 catches, and 19 TDs propelled the chiefs

into the playoffs and charles to the top of the

running back list.

Bears RB matt Forte –1933 Total yards, 12

TDs and 74 catches make Forte a top 10

prospect for next year

Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas – 92

catches, 1,430 yards and 14 TDs made Thomas

the no. 1 receiver on the no. 1 offense

steelers WR Antonio Brown –110 catches,

1,499 yards, 9 TDs gave the steelers a more

than adequate replacement for mike Wallace.

Also a bonus if your league gave return

yardage

saints Te Jimmy Graham – 86 catches 1,215

yards, 16 TDs put Graham nearly in a class by

himself

eagles RB lesean mccoy (Flex) – 52 catches,

2,146 yards, 11 TDs. mccoy was invaluable in

chip kelly’s offense and outside of manning

should be considered the offensive mVP

carolina DsT – 60 sacks, 20 ints, 4 TDs and

only 237 points allowed

All WAiVeR WiRe TeAm

eagles QB nick Foles – 2,891 yards, 31 TDs,

and only 2 interceptions made Foles a blessing

for anyone who lost a starting QB

Broncos RB knowshon moreno –1,576 Total

yards, 60 catches and 13 TDs – moreno took

over what was a mess of a backfield situation

in Denver and balanced their offensive attack

Rams RB Zach stacy – over 1,100 Total

yards, and 8 TDs made stacy a Godsend for

anyone with an underachieving or injured RB

Browns WR Josh Gordon – 87 catches, 1,737

yards and 9 TDs after missing the first four

games. Gordon will be high on most draft

boards next year

Bears WR Alshon Jeffery – 89 catches, 1,526

yards and 7 TDs were unexpected numbers, ex-

cept for the most diehard of Bears fans, from a

no. 2 receiver

Dolphins Te charles clay – 69 catches 759

yards, 6 TDs and he got rushing yardage as

well

Patriots WR Julian edelman (Flex) – With 105

catches, 1,067 yards and 6 TDs edelman may

not have replaced Wes Welker, but was pretty

close

Bills DsT – 57 sacks, and 27 ints. By the end

of the year, a top 10 DsT

All WAsTeD DRAFT Pick TeAm

Giants QB eli manning – The Giants under-

achieved offensively and manning threw more

picks than touchdowns

colts RB Trent Richardson – After what

Richardson did with woeful Browns, expecta-

tions were high after the trade, but he couldn’t

hold off Donald Brown

Ravens RB Ray Rice –The most reliable of-

fensive player for the super Bowl champs was

under a 1,000 yards of total offense for the

season

cowboys WR miles Austin – With only 24

catches, 244 yards, and no TDs, Austin disap-

pointed as a high powered offense’s no. 2

chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe – his 57 catches,

673 yards and 5 TDs were mostly late in the

season after everyone gave up on him

lions Te Brandon Pettigrew – 41 catches

416 yards, 2 TDs. Did not prosper from the ad-

dition of Reggie Bush and averaged only 29

yards per game

Bills RB cJ spiller (Flex) – After last year’s

breakout season, spiller was a highly sought

commodity who couldn’t keep Fred Jackson off

the field

lions DsT – There was a lot of preseason

hype on the lions DsT and how dominant they

would be, but they don’t crack the top 20

All inJuReD

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers – many teams

lost their way after losing Rodgers for the

whole second half of the fantasy season

Bucs RB Doug martin – martin was a first

tier running back in most draft formats and

didn’t make it through a quarter of the season

Giants RB Davis Wilson – Wilson seemed to

be the heir apparent to Ahmad Bradshaw, but

a poor start, fumblitis and then injury reserve

sunk the Giants running game

Falcons WR Julio Jones – Before the injury,

Jones was leading the league in receptions

and yardage. losing him was a killer for my

team

colts WR Reggie Wayne – Wayne was Andrew

luck’s most reliable target and was on the

verge of another big season

Patriots Te Rob Gronkowski – When Gronk

was there he was a big scoring threat, but just

not there enough

Texans RB Arian Foster (Flex) – A tough year

for the Texans and Foster, who never really

seemed in the form that made him a top two

pick in a lot of leagues

Just a few months down the road and we

will be getting draft prep ready to go. Here’s to

having a great fantasy football season and a

better one to come.

THE FANTASY GEEK

RickHOERNER

35Four Corners SPOrTSdate

410 W. Broadway • Bloomfield

Mon-Sat 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

DD JJ ’’ SS PP II ZZ ZZAAPP LL AA CC EE

505-632-1835Dine In • Carry Out • Delivery

Team Parties��!�� $� �� """�� $��

��

��

�� #��

��

��

��

��

“I have headaches daily, dizziness and a dull

pain in my head that won’t go away,” explained

Maestas. “Doctors tell me that there is not any

medicine for my symptoms and only time will

heal.”

“Being a star athlete and then being told that

you are not allowed to play these sports that you

love is pretty devastating for a 14-year old boy,”

said Phyllis Maestas, Lucas’ mom. “Besides the

other symptoms, Lucas was going through de-

pression. What makes it tougher is that people

don’t realize he is suffering because he doesn’t

have a physical wound to show them.”

Enter Coach Frank DeHoyos, the head baseball

coach at Bloomfield High School and a family

friend. Coach DeHoyos encouraged Lucas to

start a website that would tell his story and up-

date it with information for fellow youth athletes,

their parents and coaches.

Taking the advice, Maestas started the web-

site www.livingwithaconcussion.com a little over

four months ago. The site tells Lucas’ story, video

links of other athletes that are dealing with trau-

matic brain injuries, a blog, a parents section,

coach section, symptoms, laws and other facts

related to TBI.

“I just want to help kids and parents under-

stand how serious concussions are,” explained

Maestas. “The goal is to prevent a second con-

cussion from happening or realizing what the

symptoms are after the first concussion. I want

to supply information and steps to take for par-

ents – and for coaches to see a real person with

a real story.

And while the website is telling Lucas’ story,

the concern the Maestas family has for future

player head injury is on the forefront.

“I think that kids are starting to play football

at too young of an age,” said Maestas. “Their

heads are developed but their bodies and necks

can’t support the helmet on their heads. They

look like bobble heads on the field.”

“But coaches have to teach better tackling

techniques so kids learn the right way to tackle,”

continued Maestas. “They need to have their

heads up and not using the helmet to hit another

player.”

“I coached youth football for over 18 years,”

said Eric Maestas, Lucas’ father. “I can tell you

personally it was different watching your own

son get hit – and not just in the head, but hit in

general. Knowing what I know now, I would not

have let Lucas play football after the pool inci-

dent, because it doesn’t have to be a big blow to

the head to cause an injury – every kid is differ-

ent.”

Lucas and his family are hoping that others

who deal with his kind of pain and suffering will

find his website helpful. Lucas also has plans to

talk to legislators and lawmakers to help get bet-

ter concussion laws passed. And he is in favor of

impact testing for all players before they play.

“Impact testing is a series of tests to develop

a baseline level for each individual player,”

stated Maestas. “Then if a player gets hit in the

head, coaches and medical staff can use these

same tests to determine whether or not a player

has suffered a concussion.”

For now, Lucas Maestas is concentrating on

his schoolwork and his website – which has re-

ceived over 2,300 visits in four months. With his

current symptoms he has been unable to partici-

pate in any sports, but hopes that with time his

symptoms will be tolerable enough to get in-

volved in non-contact sports.

“Parents and friends still ask me to this day

why I am not able to play.”

Only time will tell.

For more information on concussions, please

visit Lucas’ website at www.livingwithaconcus-

sion.com

Concussion continued from 35

�#6��

�3-&��

�3-&��

�3+6��

��/�,� ��/�,��#��!�� "��"�

!��.30��.0-&01��#12/*2%)��11.%*#2*.-

��/�,�

�*0+1��.'2$#++��&(*120#2*.-��#2&1

�� !��

555�'.30%.0-&01'#12/*2%)�%.,

�#0,*-(2.-��*4*%��&-2&0

�� "��!�� !��

�� ! � �!��

�!�� !��

!�� !��

��

��

��

��

�� /�,�

��

��

��

��

Documents

Four Corners Sports February 2014