Santa Fe High hopes early adversity leads to big gains down the road

Dec. 10—Snowballs never look menacing when they're at the top of the hill.

It's when they start rolling that they grow in mass and concern.

For Santa Fe High, the snowball that began Dec. 3 in the Bobby Rodriguez Capital City Tournament championship against St. Michael's was trifling. A couple of missed shots in transition didn't seem like a problem — until they were followed by a couple of more misses. And a couple of more after that.

By the time the fourth quarter began and the Horsemen held a 34-23 lead that was never really threatened, the snowball of misses and the mounting frustration that was visible on the Demons sideline — in the form of angry players pounding on chairs and standing forlornly in the corner — made the snowball look ominous. The resulting 47-37 loss left such an imprint on seventh-year head coach Zack Cole he held a meeting on Monday to try and head off any lingering effects from the loss.

"We used that analogy, about the snowball," Cole said. "The thing that we forget is that there was a lot of turnover we had [on the roster]. Guys are returning to the system in different roles, and that has to put a few of them in difficult spots. And when the going gets tough, people respond by trying to do more when they really need to when they just need to utilize the resources around them. It makes their role easier in life, in sports and in general."

How the Demons respond to their first setbacks could very well determine their success in the 2022-23 season. When at its best, Santa Fe High is an aggressive, physical team that relies on its defense to force bad shots and turnovers that fuel its transition game. Wins over Española Valley (59-40) and Santa Fe Indian School (64-13) showed the Demons at their best.

The Horsemen, however, showed what can happen when things don't go as planned. Rob Martinez, Santa Fe High's senior post, said the seniors need to learn from past senior classes and show composure and unity when the going gets tough.

"We really learned that we need to stay together and we can't get in our own heads," Martinez said. "Going forward, we still have that nasty taste in our mouths. We'll play them again [on Friday], but we just got to worry about the games we have in front of us. Hopefully, we can move past that game."

But it's a new world for Santa Fe High. The graduation of P.J. Lovato removed the last link to the Demons' 2018-19 team that reached the Class 5A championship game. That team served as the leadership base over the next four years, as the underclassmen developed and grew into important leaders who saw the Demons share the district title for three straight seasons before finishing second to Los Lunas in the 2021-22 season.

Junior wing Lukas Turner said the legacy that emanated from that team is one he wants to continue.

"[Lovato] was a great leader," Turner said. "I'm trying to just learn off of how he was. I'm trying to be like that as a leader."

What Cole likes about this group is its physical makeup. Even though the Demons are not the biggest team, they are strong and physical. Those qualities show on the defensive side, as they can squeeze teams further away from the basket with their ball pressure.

"We do have some tough kids physically," Cole said. "Now, we got to develop some mental toughness to come along with that, but our boys aren't going to back down from anybody. We kinda got a feel for that over the summer. But our mental toughness needs to develop because that is going to allow us to stay together through good times and bad times."

One area that caught Cole's attention was the play of the six sophomores on the varsity. They ignited a crucial 22-0 run against the Brave, and were crucial in cutting a 44-25 deficit to 45-35 in the late stages. Those performances gave the Demons coaches a glimpse into the future, while also enhancing the weapons they have for this season.

"They're like sponges — brand-new sponges," Cole said. "Man, they're soaking it all up, and they care. They care about everybody. They care about each other, about our seniors. They've been a big help."

How big of a help the class is depends on how big the next snowball that bears down on the Demons. The goal is to stop them from growing before they even have a chance.