Kirtland Central Boys Rally, Girls Dominate in Twin Victories

Kirtland Central enjoyed a night of momentum swings on December 10, as the boys overcame a 12 point third quarter deficit to edge Los Alamos 54 to 51, and the girls posted an 80 to 24 rout in front of a home crowd at Bronco Arena. The victories carry implications beyond the scoreboard for athletes, families, and the broader San Juan County community.

The boys improved to 1 and 6 after rallying from a 28 to 18 halftime deficit. Kirtland outscored the Hilltoppers 36 to 23 in the second half, cutting a 37 to 25 gap and taking the lead for good with 3 minutes and 55 seconds left when Kole Boy drove the lane. Mallaki Atcitty scored 11 points, Kole Boy and Isaiah Dan each had 10, and Landen Lee added nine. Atcitty converted all six of his free throws down the stretch to help seal the win. Lan Frazier paced Los Alamos with a game high 22 points after scoring 12 of those in the first half, and Dylan Baca added seven in the second quarter.

Kirtland Central struggled with turnovers early, giving up eight in the first half, and Los Alamos battled foul trouble late, registering 11 fourth quarter fouls. The quarter by quarter totals read Hilltoppers 14, 14, 13, 10 for 51, and Broncos 6, 12, 16, 20 for 54. The victory snapped a six game skid for Kirtland and marked head coach Paul Corley’s first win since taking the job prior to the season. “This means a lot to get that first win, we’ve been playing better in recent games but kept coming up short,” Corley said. “Tonight, we did a lot more of the right things and found a way to win.”

The girls dominated from the opening minutes, building a 55 to 12 halftime advantage and at one point scoring 39 unanswered points. Zoey Benally led all scorers with 23 points, Allyson Tsosie added 18, and Saige Sorrelhorse scored 10 as the Broncos improved to 3 and 0. Kirtland forced multiple turnovers early, capitalizing with quick transition points and three pointers from Tsosie, Benally and Sorrelhorse in the first quarter. “I think we took too many three pointers early, but I also thought we did well in some areas in putting pressure on their offense,” Kirtland Central head coach Devon Manning said. “Things won’t be so rosy when we have to face some really good competition this week and get a real sense of where we are,” Manning added.

Beyond wins and losses, Tuesday’s results matter for local health and social outcomes. Youth sports offer structured physical activity, social connection, and mental health benefits, while competitive travel to tournaments tests school budgets and equitable access for families. Kirtland Central hosts Zuni on Saturday before heading to the Rumble in the Jungle at Aztec High next week, and the girls will open the Rio Rancho Tournament Thursday against Rio Rancho, key opportunities to assess the teams against tougher opponents and to continue community building through athletics.