Lady Steers land victory with teamwork

Senior Kenzie Silva going for a lay-in. Alamo Navajo did not make things easy for the Lady Steers during the memorial game.
Greg Byrd | El Defensor Chieftain photos

It was a tough job for the Lady Steers as they had to face off against the last team they played before their head coach, Marleen Greenwood, tragically passed away. It was not easy, but the Lady Steers were able to land a 47-41 victory against the Alamo Navajo Lady Cougars.

“We played for our coach,” senior Jonnie Willie said. “It gets hard sometimes and we miss her a lot. But as a team we find a way to come together.  We believe in each other.”

It was a dogfight. Junior Hailey Apachito was fighting hard against Steers freshman Jorianne Mirabal.

It took teamwork as the Lady Cougars were not going to go home quietly. Sophomore Claire Apachito came out on fire with the first score of the game. Miscommunication on the floor was a burden during the opening quarter as the Lady Steers popped off to an 11-5 lead after one. From there, the game was nip-and-tuck until the end.

“We’ve just got to not let people back in,” Olney said. “I think that sometimes we relax which is what we can’t do, especially against an opponent like we saw tonight. You’re not going to play pretty every game. All you can do is work for it.”

Indeed, things were not going well for the home team, causing coach Olney to call multiple timeouts and chastising her team. Turns out it worked. Freshman Jorianne Mirabal exploded on both ends of the court, scoring and distributing with teammates.

The Lady Cougars would not go away. Freshman Sapphire Sandoval was hitting big shots both inside and outside on the court.

“I just tried to cut and help my teammates,” Sandoval said. “Bottom line, we played great defense which is why we made this a game. We always fight any opponent.”

Alamo Navajo head coach Randy Hunt was encouraged despite the loss.

“This COVID has really got our team messed up,” Hunt said. “We had 11 girls at one time. We’re just pleased to be here against Magdalena who are a really good team. COVID may have stopped us a bit during practice, but it will not stop us going forward.”

It was Sophomore Kambree Montoya that brought things home with multiple dishes and scores.

“I played tough defense and so did my team,” she said. “Most importantly we never gave up. It is all mental for us, and you can’t ever give up is what our team is all about.”

At 12-7, the Lady Steers return home for a Feb. 8 showdown against Corona. Alamo Navajo has a road trip to Evangel Christian on Feb. 5.

A District 3 A Standings:

1. Magdalena; 13-7.
2. Alamo Navajo; 8-8.
3. Hondo Valley; 1-8.