Zia Sports Academy: Session 9 — Guards on Fire

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Part 1: Standout Guards who controlled the action</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday, November 8, 2025, turned Los Lunas High School into a basketball hotspot as girls' teams from across the state battled in a high-energy one-day camp. The gym buzzed with nonstop action, and a talented group of guards absolutely stole the show with crafty handles, clutch shooting, and lockdown defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Player | Graduation Year | School </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1356325' first='Daylani' last='Estrada'] | 2029 | Valencia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The craftiest ball-handler of the day, Estrada turned every pick'n'roll into a highlight reel. She manipulated screens with ease, delivered pinpoint passes to rollers or corner shooters, and buried a rainbow three from the top that had the bench erupting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='839432' first='Gerrianna' last='Romero'] | 2027 | Pojoaque Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pure energy without the ball. Romero darted off screens, caught fire in catch-and-shoot situations, and stretched defenses to the breaking point. When the lane opened, she attacked off the dribble and finished with either hand.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='901168' first='Monique' last='Arrietta'] | 2027 | Pojoaque Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A competitor in every sense. Arrietta's tight handle, textbook footwork, and non-stop motor made her impossible to ignore. She crashed the glass, dove for loose balls, and terrorized passing lanes with active hands that produced steal after steal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grace Baca | 2026 | Los Lunas</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Transition nightmare. Baca turned defense into instant offense with multiple coast-to-coast buckets. On the other end, her on-ball pressure and quick hands disrupted everything.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1221587' first='Aubrie' last='Bolanos'] | 2026 | Goddard</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bolanos dazzled with silky handles, deadly pull-up jumpers off hand-offs, and vision that produced kick-ahead dimes. Her full-court sprint to block a layup late in a game was the definition of heart.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='890710' first='Jazmin' last='De Leon'] | 2028 | Goddard</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sharpshooter with unlimited range. De Leon spaced the floor, drained mid-range pull-ups, and buried a silky step-back that silenced the gym. Bonus points for kick-starting the offense with smart, willing passes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leah Vigil | 2026 | Espanola Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everywhere at once. Vigil's relentless effort produced weak-side rebounds, second-chance tip-outs, and extended possessions that swung momentum.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But the guards weren't the only ones turning heads. Coming up in Part 2: the inside enforcers who proved the paint belongs to them. You won't want to miss it!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->