Trojans look for mo in ‘24

The Mayfield High School boys’ basketball team has been battle tested so far during this young season, but with three final nondistrict games left, there’s a sense that this team isn’t afraid to take the court against any opponent — hoping to turn some heads while doing so and bring relevance back to Mayfield basketball.

The Trojans have a record of 4-8 on the season and ended 2023 with a fourth place finish in the LCPS Holiday Hoopla Tournament. In that annual tournament they went 1-2, beating Santa Teresa and losing to powerhouse programs Los Lunas and Atrisco Heritage Academy. Fellow district opponent Organ Mountain won the tournament, edging out Los Lunas 48-45 in the championship.

Mayfield Trojans head coach Keith Roberts recognizes his team isn’t where they want to be record-wise but knows these tough games will pay off when it comes to district play. 

“We have been playing top teams in the state week in and week out, but I really think that our hustle is there, our determination is there and our on-the-floor chemistry has made a big jump,” Roberts said. “Our schedule gets more favorable from here on out. I think we’re going to be really competitive in district. With how the nondistrict schedule has gone, with all the high level opponents we’ve been playing, I feel really optimistic with the turn of the year.” 

Roberts said his team has been playing at a high level, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Boxing out and creating easier opportunities to score is where he wants his team to improve. But with all the top athletes Mayfield has played against, such as Jalin Holland from Los Lunas and Dylan Chavez from La Cueva, Roberts said his team can take that experience and learn from it on how to guard and game-plan for similar individual athletes in future games. 

The Mayfield basketball program hasn’t been crowned the 5A district-3 champions since the 2009-10 season. However, in the 2013-14 campaign they did finish as the regular season district champions. Roberts explained to be officially named the district champions, a team must win the district tournament. 

The NMAA playoffs have been nonexistent to the Trojans since 2014, while Roberts also added that 2016 was the last time Mayfield beat Las Cruces High School. He explained that he knows the importance of winning at Mayfield and wants to return that sense of winning back to the program. 

“We want to do things that haven't been done in a long time, and if we can just knock off as many of these goals as we can in this season we really can change the narrative of Mayfield basketball but also really establish a culture here,” Roberts said.

Roberts said the district is more open this year, but admits that Organ Mountain is the “top dog” right now. During the summer, Mayfield hosted a tournament where they played Organ Mountain in the championship game. Roberts added that they played them well and were a game away from meeting them in a championship setting again during last weekend’s holiday hoopla. 

“We’re not afraid of anybody, we’re just ready to play our brand of basketball and we really feel like we can make a run and compete for a district title.” Roberts said.

Senior forward Brian Coyle Jr. and senior guard Aaron “AC” Muñoz have been the go-to men for Mayfield basketball this season, though Roberts said many other of his players have stepped up to the occasion. 

“I really think the rest of the team has just made so many positive strides,” Roberts said. 

Roberts named sophomore guard Fernie Corona, junior guard Tyson Foster, junior guard Braxton McKinley, junior guard Ruben Rivera, sophomore guard Gabriel Herrera and senior guard and forward Gabriel Apodaca as the core of his team. 

Roberts said that core has “elevated” their game and that any one of them can go off on any given night to help their teammates in Coyle and Munoz. 

With three games left before district play, the Mayfield Trojans have a chance to gain some momentum before the final act of the season. Silver, Roswell and Deming are those opponents, with a game at in-city-rival Las Cruces High as the Trojans’ district opener. 

“Mayfield basketball — we’re really going to try and embody what it is to be a Mayfield Trojan, like what Las Cruces is used to from a Mayfield Trojan athlete,” Roberts said. “All of those positive qualities of hard work, determination, grittiness, embracing that north valley culture. I really feel like when we get things rolling, we can be a force in this district.”