CROSS COUNTRY
The St. Pius X Sartans cross country team hosted the Super Cinco on Saturday, September 7th, welcoming 26 boys teams and 24 girls teams. The Sartans girls team finished in 9th place with a total time of 1:34:05.61, while the boys team placed 6th overall with a total time of 1:12:27:92.
In the girls races, Brooke Kelly placed 8th in the first race with a time of 16:15.48. Mia Cahill followed in the second race, finishing 12th with a time of 18:20.21. Elena Valencia took 14th in the third race, clocking in at 19:24.13. In the fourth race, Takira Konico finished 10th with a time of 19:18.22. Stella Copeland rounded out the girls' efforts with an 11th place finish in the fifth race, recording a time of 20:47.57.
On the boys side, Max Lopez placed 10th in the first race with a time of 14:19.70. Liam Chavez finished 7th in the second race with a time of 14:28.30, while Liam Brown secured 5th place in the third race, running 14:15.09. In the fourth race, Josh Robbins finished 6th with a time of 14:36.10. Silas Brown capped off the boys’ strong showing with a 5th place finish in the fifth race, recording a time of 14:48.73.
Both teams showed strong performances across the board, with multiple top finishes. The Sartans look to build on this momentum in their upcoming meets.
Super Cinco Cross Country Pictures
FOOTBALL
The St. Pius X Sartans found themselves down 22-0 at the end of the first quarter against Moriarty High School at Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.. Despite the early deficit, the Sartans slowly clawed their way back. Senior Leandro Garcia (DL) ignited the comeback with a 50-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, bringing the score to 22-6. Shortly after, sophomore Hershul Olloway Jr. broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 22-12 by halftime.
Moriarty extended their lead to 29-12 in the third quarter, but St. Pius refused to back down. sophomore quarterback Isaiah Carpenter connected on a touchdown pass near the end of the quarter, and a successful two-point conversion made it 29-20 heading into the fourth.
Olloway Jr. struck again early in the fourth quarter with another touchdown run, narrowing the gap to 29-26. With just five minutes remaining, Carpenter found Curtis Flakes III for a go-ahead touchdown pass, putting the Sartans up 32-29. Olloway Jr. added his third touchdown of the game with two minutes left, sealing the 38-29 victory.
St. Pius X, now 2-1 on the season, will travel south to face the 6A Organ Mountain Knights next Saturday at the Field of Dreams, with kickoff at 7 p.m.
Photos: St. Pius X vs Moriarty
SOCCER (BOYS)
The St. Pius X Sartans boys soccer team put up a strong fight on Friday afternoon in the APS Metro Championships, facing off against 5A powerhouse La Cueva. After regulation ended in a 1-1 tie, the game went to a shootout where the Sartans narrowly fell 3-2. The Sartans are now 4-1 on the season.
Sophomore Nico Reyes scored the lone goal for St. Pius in regulation, with assists credited to sophomore Landon Mileshosky and freshman Diego Herrera. Senior goalkeeper Frank Barela made 4 key saves during the match.
The Sartans will now head cross-country to compete in a tournament in Maryland. Their first match will be against Gonzaga High School (Washington, DC) on Thursday at 7 p.m. They will also play against St. Albans (Washington, DC) on Friday at 4:30 p.m., and wrap up the tournament on Saturday with a game against St. Andrews Episcopal (Potomac, MD) at 11:00 a.m.
SOCCER (GIRLS)
The St. Pius X Sartans girls soccer team went 1-1 last week, improving their overall record to 2-3. On September 4th, the Sartans tied Sandia Prep through regulation and two overtimes but ultimately lost in a PK shootout. "We dominated possession and had many chances to score," said head coach Nicholas Madrid.
On September 6th, the Sartans bounced back with a win against Albuquerque High, scoring three great goals. Sophomore Maddilyn Garcia, senior Analisa Aragon, and freshman Amara Torres each found the back of the net. "Our team is getting better every day and starting to play some really quality soccer," added HC Madrid.
The next varsity game is on Saturday, September 14th at 1:00 PM against Aztec (at Aztec). The next JV game is on Thursday, September 14th at 4:00 PM against Atrisco Heritage (at SPX).
VOLLEYBALL
The St. Pius X Sartans volleyball team improved to 3-0 on the season with a victory over Los Alamos last Thursday. Up next, the Sartans will compete in the APS Metro Championships on Tuesday, with Pool Play taking place at West Mesa High School. They are set to face 3A St. Michael’s, 5A Eldorado, and 5A West Mesa in pool play.