Mora athletes enjoy distraction of games as wildfire threatens community, homes
Apr. 30—ESPAÑOLA — Home for the Mora baseball team is where the dirt is.
Michaela Aragon brought a jar of dirt from Mora's baseball field to her mother Monica Aragon, who doubles as the Rangers' baseball statistician. The jar had made the trip to Mora's last three doubleheaders, and it sat in the visitors dugout as reminder to the team of what it was playing for — a community that was under duress from a wildfire.
For the past week, Mora's track and field, baseball and softball teams have been traveling nomads since the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak Fire has endangered their community, canceling school and closing the campus to activity.
But the games, practices and camaraderie while being away from home have been cathartic for Mora athletes. Some of them already have seen the fire's danger up close and personal, while others have family members who are working the lines to try to hold back the blaze, which had consumed 65,824 acres as of Friday morning.
Students and families are spread throughout Northern New Mexico as some evacuated the area, while others steadfastly remained but stand ready to leave at the drop of a hat. The one thing they can rely upon for now is that small window of time when they can be with teammates, hone their skills and not worry about what might be happening back home.
"I can honestly say we're using softball as an escape from the fire," said Rangerettes senior pitcher AmayaRose Romero. "It's keeping us mentally OK. When we're out on the field or with the team, the fire is not a worry. When you come back, it's a whole different situation. It's, 'Oh, are we leaving? What's the plan for as of right now?' "
Romero and the rest of her softball teammates had practice canceled Friday as west winds gusted to 30-35 mph around noon and continued to increase throughout the day, again threatening Mora and the surrounding communities, especially Carmen and Ledoux. Romero and her family remained at their home, which she said was in the "go" evacuation region. She said she had several family members who were on the front lines trying to slow down and hopefully turn the fire away from the region.
Fellow teammate and track athlete Marisol Martinez said her family moved to her grandmother's house, which was in the "set" region, meaning residents had to be ready to leave.
Mora senior pitcher Diego Aragon and his family, which includes Monica and Michaela, stayed in Chimayo with his grandmother. He was at shortstop for the opener of the District 5-1A/2A doubleheader finale at McCurdy, which the Bobcats won 21-5. All the while, the family home in Ledoux was threatened by the fire as it inched closer to the community.
Diego had the shortest distance to cover among his teammates and he said the drive to McCurdy was surreal.
"I would rather be playing my last game at home, of course," Diego said. "But it was different, not being with the team. The bus rides are always good times with the team."
Mora athletic director Manuel Romero was among those staying in town, saying his role as transporter of bulldozers to the front line caused him to stay. He and Mora Superintendent Marvin MacAuley discussed its options for spring teams last weekend and decided to let them continue playing even though the campus was closed. Romero added, the school received permission from the New Mexico Activities Association to not play its district schedule if games were missed because of the fire and still be eligible for the postseason, which is a requirement for member schools.
Mora's final home games for softball and baseball were moved to McCurdy, and athletes — or their parents — had to drive to events and practices. Manuel Benavidez, Mora's head softball coach, said his team had only a handful of participants for the first two days of practice at New Mexico Highlands University before getting about 12 players for Thursday's session. Benavidez said Cowgirls head coach Kevin Jannusch offered the Rangerettes use of the field while they waited out the fire.
On the other end of the spectrum was Mora head baseball coach Jerry Martinez, who said his team hadn't practiced this week. However, the Rangers had three consecutive days of district doubleheaders at Questa, Peñasco and McCurdy.
The softball team played Wednesday at Española's Industrial Park and swept two games against the Lady Bobcats to secure the district title and a spot in the Class 1A/2A State Tournament.
Martinez said it was a bittersweet reprieve from the anxiety she and her family felt as the fire threatened their home last weekend — and might face a similar fate this weekend. She said the fire came within 30 feet of their home but her dad cut down trees near the house to provide a fire break and stayed throughout the initial threat.
"You did not know what was going on; you didn't know what was happening," Martinez said. "You couldn't hold your tears in. It was a horrible feeling. I don't wish anybody to have to experience that."
When the fire crept toward Mora on April 22, the school canceled the track and field team's travel to the Santa Rosa Invite that day, but the team did show up for the Northern Rio Grande Invitational at Escalante the following day.
"I think it has gone a little bit smoothly," Manuel Romero said.
Amid the chaos and uncertainty the Mora community endured, there were moments of kindness and hospitality from their opponents. The baseball team was treated to meals from Questa, Peñasco and McCurdy, and Bobcats head baseball coach Roberto DeVargas gave Mora the field in between games to honor its lone senior in Aragon and his mother, Monica, for its Senior Day activities.
For all of the good will and short reprieves from the forest fire, the harsh reality remained. Benavidez said the beautiful landscape outside of his Ledoux home is likely gone — and maybe his home, too. He left his home around midday Friday as the fire crept to within a quarter mile.
"It's pretty rough," Benavidez said. "Our views, the mountains, will never be the same again.
"Never."
