HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – Area tournaments began play for legion baseball teams in Class B & C on Friday.

Area C-5

#4 Albion def. #5 East Butler, 4-2

#3 Sutton def. #6 Wood River, 8-0

#2 Ord def. #7 DTG, 9-2

Area C-6

#1 Loomis def. #6 Ravenna, 15-0

#5 Overton def. #2 Cambridge, 14-0

#3 St. Paul, def. #4 DCB, 9-1

Area B-4

#2 Central City def. #7 Aurora, 9-1

#3 York def. #6 Fairbury, 9-8

Area B-6

#1 Holdrege def. #6 O’Neill, 9-0

#2 Broken Bow def. #5 LWW, 5-1

#3 McCook def. #4 Minden, 7-2

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Junior baseball player was a two-way star for Ignacio

Ignacio’s Gabe Archuleta pitches on April 19, 2024, at IHS Field against Bayfield. (Joel Priest/Herald file)

Gabe Archuleta stepped up to the plate this season, both figuratively and literally, for Ignacio High School.

He was rewarded with several accolades, including being voted the top Bayfield or Ignacio high school spring sports athlete on durangoherald.com. Archuleta also earned a San Juan Basin League First Team All-Conference spot as a catcher and a Colorado High School Activities Association All-State honorable mention.

As one of the five nominees, Archuleta took a whopping 67.06% of the vote. Ignacio’s Lincoln deKay (track and field) took second with 15.29% and Bayfield’s Sydney Rey (girls soccer) finished third with 10.59%.

“It means a lot to me because coming into high school, I never thought that I’d win something like this,” Archuleta said about being voted as the top spring sports athlete. “It means a lot to me and my family to show that hard work has been paying off.”

Archuleta’s hard work has led him to be a strong player on both sides of the ball for the Bobcats. He finished second in the San Juan Basin League in runs and first in stolen bases, but was also solid on defense. Archuleta played catcher and pitcher, finishing second in the SJBL in batters struck out (behind teammate Ambrose Valdez) and second in fielding percentage.

With Archuleta and fellow All-State honorable mentions Sonny Flores and Stoney White Thunder on the roster, Ignacio had a strong season. The Bobcats took their fourth straight league title, something they take pride in and place emphasis on throughout the season. IHS finished 15-6 overall and 10-1 in league play, with their season ending in a 12-11 loss to Wray in the 2A Region 1 Regional in which a miracle rally barely fell short.

Ignacio’s most dominant stretch of the season allowed them to put their talents on full display. After being swept in a doubleheader by Monte Vista on March 28, Ignacio went to work. From April 1 to 26, IHS went 11-1, outscoring their opponents 165-51 over the 12-game stretch.

Archuleta credited team chemistry as the main reason Ignacio had such a strong season, with teammates building trust and confidence in one another. He also said that head coach Isiah Valdez and assistant Lawrence Toledo led the team very well and helped all the athletes, including him, to get better.

Playing catcher, pitcher and being a solid hitter is something Archuleta has had to work his way up to in his three years of baseball. He began as an outfielder and tried catching when the team’s catcher was injured his freshman year. Archuleta discovered his talent for catching and stayed as the Ignacio catcher.

As a sophomore, Archuleta began pitching in practice and became a strong pitcher, working with former IHS baseball coach and high school star Damon White Thunder. The progression to becoming a well-rounded player continued in the offseason between his sophomore and junior year. He said that the biggest area of growth for him was hitting, with dialing in his swing and getting contact as two major points he focused on.

Going into his senior year, Archuleta wants to focus on becoming a team leader as a new group of freshmen joins the team.

“(I want to develop) team chemistry, because we’re going to have freshmen coming in,” Archuleta said. “The way I think about it is I want to be like the seniors that I went to school with when I was a freshman.”

Archuleta said the Bobcats has several goals for his senior season and looks forward to doing whatever he can to help the team get to them.

“Winning the league is one of our main goals,” said Archuleta. “Our biggest goal is to go to regionals, have a winning record, do good in regionals and try to make it out. I think this is going to be the best team we’ve had, just a lot of talent all around. I think we’re capable of a lot.”

ajbonanno@durangoherald.com

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With more games and fewer whistles, the challenge to staff Arizona prep sports quietly continues.

High school sports in Arizona are just weeks away from kicking off another season. Soon, Friday night lights will return, gymnasiums will be buzzing, and cross-country trails will be packed. But while the focus often falls on student-athletes and coaches, there’s another group getting ready behind the scenes—officials. And while the national numbers paint a promising picture of recovery, Arizona’s story comes with its own set of hurdles.

We don’t often tell stories about referees. Athletes get the highlights, coaches get the interviews, and when officials are mentioned, it’s usually for a call someone didn’t like. But these are the people who keep the game moving, night after night, in every corner of the state. So today, we’re pulling back the curtain a little—with the help of Brian Gessner, Commissioner of Officials for the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA).

This year, the National Federation of State High School Associations reported a 6% increase in officiating registrations across 36 states. The total number of registered high school sports officials is now above pre-pandemic levels—an impressive rebound from the COVID-era lows. But according to Gessner, the state still finds itself playing catch-up.

“Arizona is a growth state,” Gessner explained. “More schools, more games, and the need for more officials.” While overall participation is on the rise, that growth brings more strain to a system that’s already running lean. Veteran officials are working more games than ever, and rural areas are still struggling to field enough referees to keep contests running on schedule.

Gessner says the AIA has launched an aggressive, multi-front approach to tackling the officiating shortage. Recruiting, in his words, is a “shotgun approach” aimed at drawing interest from universities, junior colleges, school districts, first responders, and beyond. The campaign includes a full-scale media blitz across radio, print, TV, social media, and signage. But the most successful method so far hasn’t come from billboards or hashtags—it’s come from within. The AIA’s internal incentive program, driven by current officials recruiting others into the fold, has yielded the strongest results.

Retention, on the other hand, requires more precision. Every first, second, and third-year official in Arizona is contacted multiple times throughout the season, not just for administrative check-ins but to make sure they’re supported and improving. They’re paired with veteran mentors, scheduled alongside experienced crews, and evaluated regularly.

“We want to make sure they don’t just survive the season—we want them to succeed and come back,” Gessner said. Veteran officials also receive ongoing support to help identify and resolve issues before they lead to burnout or attrition.

Still, even with better recruitment and mentorship, there’s one factor that continues to drive people away before they ever pick up a whistle: the environment. Gessner doesn’t sugarcoat it.

“Absolutely! This is the number one reason why people won’t enter the avocation—because of the environment,” he said. “‘No way! I don’t want to be yelled at like that!’”

Verbal abuse and poor sideline behavior—mostly from adults—continue to plague youth and high school sports across the country, and Arizona is no exception.

In response, the AIA has made sportsmanship a central point of emphasis. This past year, the association increased the penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct from coaches and players, which led to a measurable decrease in ejections. Some school districts are going even further, implementing their own policies with additional consequences. To recognize those who get it right, the AIA recently introduced the Copper Star Award, which honors schools that demonstrate exceptional sportsmanship throughout the season.

Athletic directors right here in southeastern Arizona are seeing the strain firsthand. At Safford High School, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Ryan Scherling says the shortage has forced schools to adapt—sometimes in ways that directly affect the games themselves. In recent seasons, his teams have played varsity basketball with only two referees instead of the standard three, and varsity softball with just one umpire on the field.

Rescheduling and improvising have become part of the routine. Still, Scherling notes some encouraging signs. With stronger behavior policies in place for players, coaches, and fans, the atmosphere at local games is beginning to shift. And that shift matters—especially when it comes to keeping new officials from walking away after their first tough assignment.

“Officials are essential to high school athletics,” Scherling said. “Without them, we simply can’t host games.”

Just down the road at Thatcher High, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Tye Stewart says some sports are being hit especially hard. Locally, soccer officiating has dwindled to just one available referee—despite the need for three per match. Other sports are in a similar spot.

Stewart points to time commitment, modest pay, and the behavior from the stands as the biggest factors keeping younger people from stepping in.

“There are very few of the younger generation willing to sign up,” she said. “Reasons range from the time commitment, to the pay, to not wanting to deal with the harsh criticism coming from the spectators.”

But like Scherling, she believes part of the solution is right in front of us. “Increase positive behavior from the stands and I feel you would see the younger generations step up to fill the need,” she said. “We would welcome all those interested.”

Looking ahead, Gessner sees youth engagement as one of the keys to long-term stability. He cites a sobering statistic: 70% of kids stop playing sports when they enter high school.

“Think of the involvement and benefits if we could capture half those kids,” he said. That’s part of the idea behind the Officials Youth Academy, a developing program that would train high school students to officiate junior high games. The AIA is also working on an initiative to integrate officiating education into high school curricula for academic credit.

While new blood is essential, technology is also playing an increasing role in supporting officials. Gessner says the AIA’s in-house scheduling system is continuously evolving, but it’s video that’s making the biggest impact.

“Without question, video is the best training tool,” he said. “And we’re always looking to expand those opportunities.”

Despite the efforts, the numbers still fall short of where they need to be. Arizona’s growing population means more games, and while the official count is increasing, it’s not rising fast enough.

“Our veteran officials are overworked with the number of games—that creates health issues and potential burnout,” Gessner said. “We certainly aren’t at the number of officials that we need.”

Officiating in Arizona is rebounding, but rural communities like Safford and Thatcher continue to face staffing challenges. Local athletic directors report limited referee availability in key sports, with games sometimes played short-handed. While statewide recruitment and retention efforts show progress, many agree that improving behavior from spectators and supporting younger officials will be critical heading into the new season.

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HELENA- The Last Chance Stampede kicked off in Helena on Thursday night with a sellout crowd in Cool Alley Arena. Below are posted results: