North-South football, volleyball teams picked

ALBUQUERQUE — A total of 13 area high school seniors were selected this week as some of the state’s best in football and volleyball.

Four area athletes were selected for the North-South football games, while nine were chosen for North-South volleyball.

Both football games will be held at Community Stadium in Albuquerque. The large-school game is 7 p.m. June 7, and the small-school game is 7 p.m. June 8.

Volleyball matches will be June 7-8 in Albuquerque, with locations to be determined. Volleyball has a northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest team in both the small- and large-school divisions.

In both sports, the large school division is Class 4A and larger, and small-school is Class 3A and smaller.

Only seniors are eligible for selection, and no selection is considered an official all-star until they have registered with the association online. Instructions are provided to area coaches.

Football

Portales’ Julian Urioste was one of eight players from Class 4A to be selected, and the only quarterback not from a Class 6A school to garner selection.

He’ll be joined on the south squad by Clovis’ Montez Wright at defensive back and Stephen Acosta at offensive line.

Skyler Davis of Texico was the lone area selection for the small-school game at wide receiver.

Volleyball

In both the large- and small-school classifications, June 7 will feature matches between the northeast and southeast squads and the northwest and southwest squads. The June 8 games will match the winners and losers of the prior day’s matches.

Middle blocker Taylee Rippee of Portales was the only local player chosen in the large-school category. She’s one of five District 4-4A selections on the southeast team.

As for the small-school games, the southeast squad could almost hold local practices with eight Roosevelt and Curry county athletes selected.

Class 2A champ Texico sported thee selections with setter Baylee Sours, middle blocker Kaitlyn Roderick and defensive specialist Jasmine Davalos. Melrose’s Carleigh Fraze (defensive specialist) and Kiki Roybal (setter) were also selected, along with the Grady pair of outside hitter Yara Sotelo and setter Leah Starbuck. Elida outside hitter Sadei Chenault was also selected.

Estancia’s Kaitlyn Calhoon and Siara Pope, and Tatum’s Mardy Rice and Celeste Jimenez rounded out the team.