While most of 5A is familiar with one another from 4A, Lovington's Alexis Mata and Luis Villasenor will be new cards in the deck. Photo by Alan Versaw.
While the 2013 state meet didn't quite prove anything can happen on any given day (it was, after all, Los Alamos that won), it did prove that the unexpected can happen. And, in New Mexico 5A, that's something to cling to if you're not Albuquerque Academy.
The top three teams from 2013 each lose at least their top two runners heading into 2014. For Piedra Vista, that's a considerable blow. For Albuquerque Academy and Los Alamos, you shrug your shoulders and figure there's more where they came from. Well, not quite, perhaps, but these two teams don't seem to take long to replace departed stars.
Albuquerque Academy will be young next year, but they were loaded with freshmen and sophomores this year, young bucks who were fully ready to perform at the varsity level. Only one or two of the AA projected seven for next year ...