Nine area teams make girls state basketball field

Area teams are among the favorites to win girls state basketball championships, if the seedings are any indication.

Eastern New Mexico schools accounted for three No. 1 seeds and nine selections across five classes in brackets released Sunday evening by the New Mexico Activities Association.

First-round games will be played Friday on the home courts of the higher seeds. Games will be scheduled early this week. Winners move on the quarter final play scattered throughout Albuquerque, Bernalillo and Rio Rancho. All state championship games will be held at The Pit in Albuquerque.

Portales, Texico and Elida all received No. 1 seeds. Elida, the top seed in 1A, is going for its eighth consecutive small-school hoops title.

Here’s how the brackets look for area schools:

Class 1A has the most local representation with five seeds. Elida and Melrose, who met in last year’s 1A title game, are seeded first and second again. Elida will host Reserve, while Melrose will host Walatowa Charter.

Grady will also host a first-round contest in the 7-10 game with Springer. Road seeds will be No. 13 Clovis Christian at Des Moines and No. 14 Floyd at Quemado.

In Class 2A, Dora is the No. 9 seed and will visit Tatum. The winner will likely see top-seeded Logan in the quarterfinals.

Texico, which had won 16 straight before falling to Clayton in the District 5-3A championship, is the top seed in Class 3A and will host fellow 5-3A member Santa Rosa. Clayton is seeded third.

Portales is Class 4A’s No. 1 seed and will host Bosque. They may see District 4-4A rival Hope Christian, the eighth seed, in the quarterfinals. Third-seeded Moriarty is on the other side of the bracket.

In Class 6A, Clovis is the No. 12 seed and will travel to No. 5 Las Cruces. Clovis coach Jeff Reed figured Clovis would either get the 12 or 13 seed and face Las Cruces or Carlsbad. He seems to have nailed it, as Carlsbad wound up as the No. 4 seed.