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  • Prep soccer: ’Toppers open 2-5A with wins

    For one half of Saturday’s District 2-5A opening win against Del Norte, the Los Alamos girl’s soccer team performed how coach Gary Ahlers wanted it to.
    But, Gary Ahlers wants that to happen for two complete halves.
    The Hilltoppers defeated Del Norte 8-1 in Albuquerque. Los Alamos got a brace from Sienna Ahlers, and led 2-0 at halftime. Four minutes into the second half, the Knights stunned Los Alamos with a goal to make it 2-1.
    The Del Norte goal seemed to have propelled Los Alamos more, as the Hilltoppers scored six goals in the final 25 minutes. Alix Hailey, Abby Schmalz, Jaci Linn and Kayla Parker also got on the scoring sheet for Los Alamos.
    The Hilltoppers hosted Albuquerque Academy on Tuesday, after the Monitor’s print deadline.
    The Los Alamos boy’s soccer team began district with a 7-0 win against Del Norte in Albuquerque.
    Arthur Steinkamp, Jonathan Coons, Levon Wiggins and Nick Criscuolo all scored for Los Alamos, which also hosted Acedmey on Tuesday.

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  • Prep football: ’Toppers outlast Santa Fe High

    In its non-district schedule, the Los Alamos football team experienced a variety of different scenarios and results.
    And winning a heavily contested game can now be added to the Hilltoppers non-district resume.
    The Hilltoppers defeated Santa Fe High 25-18 on Friday at Ivan Head Stadium in Santa Fe. With the win and Albuquerque Academy’s loss to Socorro, Los Alamos (3-3) assured it would enter District 2-5A play with the best record in the district. Santa Fe High fell to 0-5 on the season.
    After forcing a Santa Fe turnover on downs with 8:49 left to play, Los Alamos opened up a 25-12 lead, when Hilltoppers quarterback Nick Quartieri found Cade Yost for an eight-yard touchdown pass with 4:27 left in the fourth quarter.
    The Demons didn’t make it easy as they marched down the field on their ensuing possession and capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to cut the Los Alamos lead to 25-18 with 30 seconds left to play.
    Los Alamos junior Ryan McNeil recovered Santa Fe’s onside kick attempt to seal the win for the Hilltoppers.
    The Demons opened up the scoring with a seven-yard touchdown run by Bailey Lozada-Cabbage with 2:40 left in the first quarter.
    In the early stages of the second quarter, Los Alamos drove down the field and eventually to Santa Fe’s one-yard line. From there, Quartieri punched it in to give the Hilltoppers a 7-6 lead.

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  • Prep football: LAHS defeats Santa Fe High

    The Los Alamos football team defeated Santa Fe High 25-18 Friday night at Ivan Head Stadium in Santa Fe. 

    The Hilltoppers improved to 3-3 on the season, and will enter District 2-5A in first place. Santa Fe fell to 0-5 on the season. 

    Wednesday's Monitor print edition will include a full recap of Friday's game. 

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  • ’Toppers volleyball falls to DN in district opener

    Not being able to capitalize after a strong start is beginning to haunt the Los Alamos volleyball team.  
    The Hilltoppers fell to Del Norte 20-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-19 in the District 2-5A opener for both teams Wednesday at Griffith Gym. It was the fourth-straight loss for Los Alamos, which fell to 5-8 overall and 0-1 in district. Del Norte improved to 7-4 overall and 1-0 in district.
    “We just have to keep playing,” Hilltoppers coach Diana Stokes said. “We’re going to work a bit harder in practice. I don’t know if its nerves, but you would like to be set by district.”
    Los Alamos started strong and jumped out to a 16-11 lead in the first set. The Hilltoppers extended their lead to 21-13, before the Knights went on a six-point run to close the gap to 21-19. A Mackenzie Alexander kill gave Los Alamos a 23-20 lead, and Gabriela Vallejos finished the set with back-to-back service aces.
    “They just have to believe in themselves. They get up and then they just kind of quit playing,” Stokes said.  

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  • Prep football: ’Toppers eye .500 against Demons

    Staring district play on a two-game winning streak and with a .500 record would be huge for the Los Alamos football team.
    Only Santa Fe High stands in the way of the Hilltoppers accomplishing that. Both teams will square off at 7 p.m. tonight at Ivan Head Stadium in Santa Fe.
    After last week’s 50-14 win at Gallup, Los Alamos now stands at 2-3 on the season.
    The Demons are 0-4 so far this season, and have been outscored 148-52.
    Los Alamos will look to exploit the Santa Fe secondary, which has allowed numerous big plays in the first four weeks. The Hilltoppers will attempt to do that by using the dual-threat ability of quarterback Nick Quartieri, and the physicality of fullback Dylan Irish.
    Quartieri leads Los Alamos with 13 rushing touchdowns this season. He’s also thrown four touchdown passes.
    The Hilltoppers defense had one of its best performances last week, and the Demons haven’t had much success at the quarterback position.
    Senior Adrian Blea is expected to start for Sant Fe at quarteback on Friday. Blea’s best performance of the season came against Taos, when he threw for 125 yards a two touchdowns. Blea has also thrown seven interceptions this season.
    Dominik Barela has also seen some time under center for the Demons. But, he to has been turnover prone.

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  • LAHS football tramples Gallup

    For the first time this season, the Los Alamos football team combined an offensive spectacle with an equally as impressive defensive performance.     
    The Hilltoppers exploded to a 51-14 victory at Gallup on Friday. Los Alamos improved to 2-3 on the season, while the Bengals fell to 2-2.
    The defense got it started for Los Alamos, as Ryan McNeil picked off the Gallup quarterback on the Bengals second offensive play of the game.
    McNeil’s interception set the Hilltoppers offense with great field position. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Los Alamos made Gallup pay, as Nick Quartieri found the end zone to open the scoring.
    Los Alamos made it 14-0 when Quartieri found Travis Gonzales for a 22-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds left in the first quarter.
    On Gallup’s next possession, the Hilltoppers defense continued to pile on the pressure on Bengals quarterback Kevin Stewart, who was replacing original starter Dominick Stewart. Dominick Stewart missed Friday’s game due to suspension.
    With 4:18 left in the second quarter, Quartieri struck again on a 66-yard touchdown run that gave Los Alamos a 21-0 lead. The Hilltoppers added a field goal moments before the end of the half to take 24-0 lead at the break.

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  • LAHS girl’s soccer splits in tourney

    The Los Alamos girl’s soccer team lost and won a game in last weekend’s Sandia Prep Invitational in Albuquerque.
    On Friday, the Hilltoppers battled with host Sandia Prep, one of the state’s top teams, and fell 1-0. Sandia Prep freshman Avery Cordero netted in the second-half game winner.
    The Los Alamos attacking trio of Katie Hopkins, Sienna Ahlers and Abby Schmalz were unable to get past the Sandi Prep defense, as the Hilltoppers were shutout for only the second time this season.
    On Saturday, Los Alamos concluded the invitational by defeating St. Michael’s 4-2.
    Alissia Haagenstad led the Hilltoppers with two goals. Ashley Atencio and Kenidee Hatler scored the other two for Los Alamos. Schmalz was credited with four assists, while Ahlers was credited with one.
    Saturday’s win was the Hilltoppers second St. Michael’s this season. Los Alamos finished the pre-district schedule by outscoring its opponents 50-12.
    The Hilltoppers begin District 2-5A play at 1 p.m. Saturday against Del Norte in Albuquerque.    
     

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  • ’Toppers volleyball drop a pair in Rio Rancho

    The Los Alamos volleyball team participated in the competitive Rio Rancho tournament last weekend, dropping both of its matches.
    The Hilltoppers were upended by Goddard 3-1 on Friday. The Rockets won the first set 25-13, and were able to tame a Los Alamos comeback in the second set, winning 26-24. The Hilltoppers won their lone set of the match by winning the third 25-22. Goddard sealed the win with a 25-15 performance in the fourth set.
    Los Alamos got an earlier than expected look at new district foe Albuquerque Academy. On Saturday, the Chargers defeated Los Alamos 3-1. Academy won its sets 25-22, 25-17 and 25-18. The Hilltoppers won the third set 25-20.
    The Hilltoppers begin District 2-5A play at 6 p.m. today by hosting Del Norte at Griffith Gym.

     

     

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  • Prep XC: Sanchez, Appell lead ’Toppers in Academy meet

    Both the Los Alamos boys and girl’s cross country teams placed ninth, respectively, at Friday’s Albuquerque Academy Invitational.
    Eighth-grader Rafael Sanchez led the Hilltopper boys by running a 16:18 and placing 10th individually. Sanchez’s time was the fastest time by an eighth-grader in the history of the Academy Invitational.
    Miroslav Betts ran a 17:16 (48th), Josh Strevell finished at 17:22 (55th) and Kai Coblentz ran a 17:37 (71st) for Los Alamos.
    On the girl’s side, eighth-grader Lidia Appell led Los Alamos, placing 29th individually and running a 19:49.
    Paulina Burnside placed 46th, while finishing with a 20:40, and Hannah Gartz completed the top three for Los Alamos, finishing in 47th place and running a 20:43.
    Sydney Schake placed 62nd individually and ran a 21:30, making her the fourth fastest Hilltopper on Friday.
           
     

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  • ’Toppers claim Cernicek title in PKs

    Playing two state title contenders in a span of 15 hours didn’t faze the Los Alamos boy’s soccer team.
    After defeating Hope Christian 2-1 on Thursday, the Hilltoppers won the make up championship game of the Louie Cernicek Tournament, outlasting Roswell in a penalty shootout on Friday at Sullivan Field.
    “For them (Los Alamos) to win a difficult game and comeback and play arguably one of the best teams in the state, I couldn’t be happier,” Los Alamos coach Ron Blue said. “I’m very proud of them. Guys are starting to recognize what it means. For us, to be good we need to be a team, we need to be cohesive, be flexible and move.”
    “We’ve got talent. It’s just about putting it all together.”
    On Friday, which was a make up game from the Louie Cernicek Tournament championship that was cancelled due to weather on Aug. 27, Los Alamos and Roswell battled for 80 minutes to a scoreless draw at the end of regulation. The teams played a sudden death overtime period of 10 minutes, but neither of them prevailed with a golden goal.

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