I thought last weekend was pretty busy, but this one coming up is pretty well packed with action, too.
The Red Rock Balloon Fiesta kicks off on Friday morning, Dec. 4 and will continue on Saturday, Dec. 5, with a balloon glow scheduled for the later night at Rio West Mall, weather permitting.
In between those two events, the City of Gallup will hold their annual Christmas Parade through downtown Gallup. That’s a very popular event for the local citizens as they line the sidewalks even in cold weather to officially ring in the holiday season.
Then, there is basketball, two tournaments this year. Technically, it is three as Rehoboth has both a varsity and junior varsity tournament for boys scheduled at their two-gym facility.
Speaking of Rehoboth, their boys played wonderfully Tuesday night, Dec. 1 but still lost to the Zuni Thunderbirds in overtime by three points. James Byker scored 32 for the Lynx but Zuni had two men, Jared Soseeah and Matthew Tsabetsaye with 27 and 26 points, respectively, for the win. The Zuni varsity is not entered in this year’s tournament although the JV squad will be there. Tohatchi is the closest team that will be competing in this invitational tournament, in both divisions.
Other teams in the varsity division are: Mancos, CO; Denver Christian; Red Valley-Cove, AZ; Ganado; Ramah; and Cibecue, AZ. In the JV tournament, the other tea
ms will be from: Bloomfield; Zuni; Mancos, CO; Shiprock; Ramah; and Aztec.That wasn’t the only local game played on Tuesday, as Miyamura’s boys hosted Wingate in a matchup that seemed to bring pleasure to fans on both sides. Miyamura won by nine, but it was closer than that for most of the 32 minutes of playing time.
The Gallup girls will be hosting the annual John Lomasney Tournament, which also started Thursday, Dec. 3. The front entrance is still not being used, but rest assured the crowd of fans will show up anyway. Especially for the opening night contest of Tohatchi versus Gallup. Win, lose, or draw, Gallup High will play at 8 pm every night of the tournament, or at least that has been standard in years past.
Other teams in this tournament are: Miyamura, Cleveland, Winslow, St. Pius, Kirtland Central and Grants.
All three tournaments will run through Saturday, so plenty of basketball can be seen for a relatively small price.
Gallup High will also be hosting a wrestling event on Saturday morning, Dec. 5. Called the Dual in the Dunes, the list of schools participating are Miyamura, Bloomfield, Kirtland Central, Piedra Vista, Grants, Newcomb and Wingate. Check the Sports Schedule for starting time.
Sounds like quite a bit to take in for just one weekend, so pick your favorites, dress warmly, and have a great time wherever you go. If you see me coming, run your hand through your hair and smile, or in the alternative, run in the opposite direction. My camera has a limited range and I seldom take pictures of people’s backsides.
Hope to see you in the bleachers or on the streets, wherever I may find you!
By Tom Hartsock
Sun Correspondent
