Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 23

SECTION SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2014 THE SUNDAY JOURNAL INSIDE: GOLF D2 NBA D7 OBITUARIES D8 SPORTS CHANGING HANDS The New Mexico Stars pro indoor football team has ownership change, exhibition game today. Page D2 By Ken Sickenger Journal Staff Writer Home-court advantage was a subjective term Saturday at Sandia Prep. The stands were packed and then some for the Class 3A boys state basketball tournament game, but relatively few fans were cheering for the true home team. Most of the noise came from amped- up Shiprock supporters who effectively made themselves at home. Decked out in cardinal and silver school colors, Chieftains fans flocked into in San- dia 800-seat gym.

The 5 p.m. game fell just 15 tickets short of a sellout with an estimated 80 to 85 percent of the patrons cheering for the visiting team. wish the gym was a little said Darryle Nelson part of a group of 15 friends and family members who made the 230-mile drive from Shiprock to support son, Darryle a point guard for the Chieftains. just have to get as loud as we Nelson Sr. said.

be back Wednesday with more fans (for the quarterfinals at Santa Ana Star no questioning the passion or determination of basketball faithful. A crowd of 3,600 turned out for Friday home girls state tournament game, where the top-seeded Lady Chieftains clobbered Taos 80-15. Have heroes, will travel Shiprock faithful turn out en masse See SHIPROCK on PAGE D7 ROBERTO E. Donte Nelson, left, and his cousin, Ashton Keith Keith, cheer for their Shiprock Chieftains boys basketball team. Parents listening to the evidence By John M.

Crisp McClatchy-Tribune News Service isclosure: I am not a parent. But easy to understand and sympathize with the dilemma faced by mothers and fathers of strapping boys who are avid to play football on their junior high, high school or college teams. These days the professional football player is at the apex of the sports hero hierarchy, and the acclaim and rewards begin very early. For big, fast, athletic boys in towns all across America the allure of football and the pressure to play are enormous. So how do conscientious parents sort through the predictable conclusion that too many blows to the head can result in long-term, life-destroying deficits and that the damage often starts long before players reach the National Football League? And how do they balance their obligation to protect their children against the value that sports even football might bring to their lives? Like me, President Obama has no sons, but he commented on this dilemma recently in a much-discussed New Yorker article, saying, would not let my son play pro But this the choice that parents face.

The tiny minority of players that reach the top will make that decision for themselves. But they need permission to start somewhere, and that responsibility falls heavily on their parents. Some parents appear to be listening to the evidence. In January a Wall Street News poll reported that 40 percent of 800 Americans polled said that they See PARENTS on PAGE D8 JOURNAL FILE Former UNM soccer player Patrick Grange was diagnosed with significant CTE after his death in 2012. COMMENTARY Football participation drops as head injuries continue By Geoff Grammer Journal Staff Writer SAN DIEGO San Diego State fans went with a blackout.

The No. 10 San Diego State Aztecs then went ahead and turned out the lights on No. 21 New two-year reign as kings of the Mountain West Conference. Behind a stifling pressure defense down the stretch and before an energized sold- out crowd of 12,414 in Viejas Arena that rivaled even the best of Pit games, at least for one night, SDSU rallied for a 51-48 victory on Saturday to claim the outright Mountain West basketball championship. a tough learning experience for our Lobos head coach Craig Neal said.

hurting right Midway through the second half, it certainly look like the Lobos would be hurting. In fact, after a 15-0 run put the Lobos up 41-25 with 12 minutes to play, it seemed as though the Lobos might be preparing to size up for a new set of championship rings. Instead, during a timeout with 11:39 remaining in the game, veteran head coach Steve Fisher switched his defense to a 1-3-1 zone with the long-armed, 6-foot- 7 Dwayne Polee at the top of the zone. That almost inexplicably flustered the usually composed, veteran Lobos, who showed poise down the stretch of games the past two seasons in their title runs. On Saturday, however, things were certainly different.

The Aztecs closed the game on a 26-7 run spearheaded by points in transition off turnovers, and the Lobos never seemed to recover. things went south, I NO. 10 SAN DIEGO STATE 51, NO. 21 NEW MEXICO 48 ZONED OUT Aztecs rally past Lobos to capture MWC crown See LOBOS on PAGE D5 LENNY ASSOCIATED PRESS San Diego Winston Shepard (13) puts up a shot over New Mexico guard Hugh Greenwood during the 51-48 home win Saturday. SDSU clinched the MWC regular-season title with the victory.

Journal staff report More than ever, the Journal will be the home of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament coverage. Only this year, not just from reporter Geoff Grammer on site next week as he follows the nationally ranked Lobo men in Las Vegas, Nev. For those of the rest of us who go, the website ABQjournal.com will have rights to 12 and tour- nament games, beginning Monday through Friday. Those games include all first-round and contests you be able to see anywhere else. be able to live- stream the University of New Mexico game vs.

Utah State on Monday at 3 p.m. MT. The quarterfinals and semifinals can also be seen by accessing the website. also have the live updates, including blog from Las Vegas, postgame news and notes, and what to watch for next as the Lobos try for two trophies in Las Vegas. For more information, see the site at www.abqjournal.com/mountain- west-basketball-tournament.

And watch the Lobo women battle Utah State on Monday. Journal website has Mountain West tourney action Up next No. 21 New Mexico at the Mountain West tourney on Thursday in Las Vegas, Nev. Inside How the MWC tournament shakes out D5 Coming Tuesday The Journal publishes an 8-page pullout section previewing the rest of the state tournament..