IHS boys humbled by Bloomfield, Tohatchi
Almost picking up where they’d left off in a hard-to-swallow, one-point loss the previous afternoon, in which they lit Bayfield up in the fourth quarter for 23, the Tohatchi, N.M., Cougars atoned for just their second loss this winter by outgunning Ignacio 76-44 Saturday evening, Dec. 20, in the third-place game of Aztec, New Mexico’s 2025 Rumble in ‘The Jungle.’
Upset in the Great Eight phase of last season’s NMAA/Nusenda Credit Union Class 3A Boys’ Basketball State Championships, and irked over having given up 53 points to BHS (Rehoboth, N.M., Christian had scored 56 in dealing the Cougs their first defeat back on Dec. 6), Tohatchi improved to 8-2 – putting them on pace to approach last winter’s 25-4 overall (12-0 in District 1-3A) record – prior to a Jan. 2, 2026, game at, coincidentally, Aztec.
Ignacio, meanwhile, began the Rumble allowing just 41.25 points per game defensively but again struggled after suffering a wicked 62-19 loss on Day 2 to Bloomfield, N.M. Minus senior Trace Crane, who’d netted 19 points in IHS’ first-round rout of AHS on the 18th, boss Trae Seibel’s squad trailed Bloomfield 19-3 after one quarter inside Lillywhite Gymnasium and 38-13 through two.
Junior guard Thunder Windy Boy ended up pacing the like-named, but defeated Bobcats with his 11 points. Bloomfield senior guard Kaydin Nelson’s 16 led all players, and senior guard Avery Harrison posted a key and complementary 14.
Bloomfield bolted out to an early 8-0 lead, just as Ignacio had done to the event-hosting Tigers en route to taking the first quarter by an 18-5 margin. Freshman Alejandro Valerio’s three-pointer at the buzzer, however, sparked the home team and Aztec quickly accelerated back into contention, closing to 25-18 with 4:00 left until halftime.
Two free throws by senior Sonny Flores plus one by senior Stoney White Thunder rebuilt the Bobcats’ lead to ten points just 40 ticks later, and with senior Ambrose Valdez racking up 11 points in the quarter Ignacio entered intermission leading 36-22. Able to score all his eight points during the third quarter, AHS senior Christian Jacquez unluckily picked up his fourth personal foul with 2:29 left, and Valdez converted the resulting ‘and-one’ three-point play rebuilding IHS’ lead to 48-35.
The Tigers started the fourth frame facing a 51-37 deficit, but took a crippling hit when Jacquez fouled out trying to deny Windy Boy a defensive rebound with 4:55 remaining in regulation. Moments later at the other end of the floor, Windy Boy drew a foul against AHS junior Jaton Sims and completed a three-point play making the score 57-41 with 4:19 to go.
Able to then outscore Aztec 6-1 the rest of the way, the ’Cats clinched a 63-42 victory. Finishing 5-of-7 from the free-throw line, Valdez ended up matching Crane’s 19 points and Windy Boy (6-9 FT) totaled 12. Flores and senior Rance Rathjen each contributed four points, junior William Mendoza-Lechuga chipped in three, while White Thunder and sophomore Joseph Atencio each knocked down one of two FTs.
Tiger seniors Edgar Hinojos-Perez and Eathen Hengst each booked seven points in defeat, and Valerio totaled five.
Now 3-3 overall and still yet to begin 3A/4A Intermountain League work, Ignacio will rest and recharge for a January 3 visit from 5A Durango (3-4 overall, 0-0 5A/6A Southwestern) – which overcame a Day 1 loss to Bloomfield and ultimately placed fifth via a 56-55 overtime win over defending NMAA Class 3A State Champion Las Vegas Robertson.
2025 RUMBLE IN ‘THE JUNGLE’ BOYS’ STANDINGS
1.Bayfield, 2.Bloomfield (N.M.), 3.Tohatchi (N.M.), 4.IGNACIO, 5.Durango, 6.Las Vegas (N.M.) Robertson, 7.Kirtland (N.M.) Central, 8.Aztec. CHAMPIONSHIP – Bayfield 76, Bloomfield 67 (3OT); THIRD-PLACE GAME – Tohatchi 76, Ignacio 44; FIFTH-PLACE GAME – Durango 56, Robertson 55 (OT); SEVENTH-PLACE GAME – Kirtland Central 55, Aztec 48.