While historically tied to athletes cheating in their respective sports, the specter of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) has found its way into local gyms and youth athletics. As the scope of PED use grows, so do healthcare provider concerns, as problems associated with the dangerous drugs spill into their practices. (more…)

Little League championship series set

Santa Maria Indians

Santa Maria Indians’ home opener set

Campers smile alongside MHS Basketball Coaches & Players in their camp t-shirts.

Metter High School held their 13th Annual Tiger Youth Basketball camp from May 27-29.

The camp was held at the Metter Middle School gym and there were 60 campers in attendance.

Campers worked on individual skills in station work each day.

Dribbling, passing, shooting, defensive position, rebounding, free-throws and layups were the key stations taught by the MHS Tiger basketball players.

Players competed in a contest each day and that was “the highlight of camp” according to Coach Altman, the MHS Boys Basketball Coach.

These contests included free-throws, layups, 3 point and the game of knock-out.

Finishing up each day, the campers competed in 3on3 and 5on5 team play where the focus was on passing the basketball and moving without the basketball.

Being a good teammate by sharing the ball, positive encouragement and working together to become successful were other key skills taught to the campers.

“Championship Thursday” was the final day of camp and the highlight for many as it was the day awards were given out.

Contest winners, 3on3 and 5on5 Champions were awarded as follows:

Free-Throw Champions

•Kelvin Shaw, kindergarten

•Worth Powell, 1st grade

•Dyess Durrence, 2nd grade

•Harrison Dutton, 3rd grade

•Addie Stewart, 4th grade

•Brantley Lott, 5th grade

•Cavion Kennedy, 6th-8th grade

Lay-Up Champions

•Kelvin Shaw, kindergarten

•Drummond Porter, 1st grade

•Zayden Sikes-Sutton, 2nd grade

•Knox Blocker, 3rd grade

•Luke Stravriotis, 4th grade

•Brantley Lott, 5th grade

•Brayden Hightower, 6th- 8th grade

3PT Champions

•Kingston Nelson, kindergarten

•Grayson Daniel, 1st grade

•Levi Woods, 2nd grade

•June Brannen, 3rd grade

•Jhett McNamee, 4th grade

•Brantley Lott, 5th grade

•Joy Collins, 6th-8th grade

Knock-Out Champions

•Kelvin Shaw, kindergarten

•Drummond Porter, 1st grade

•Zayden Sikes-Sutton, 2nd grade

•Harrison Dutton, 3rd grade

•Addie Stewart, 4th grade

•Brantley Lott, 5th grade

•Joy Collins, 6th-8th grade

Coach Altman would like to thank all the campers for attending and working hard each day.

“This is one of our best camps to date and they continue to get better each year,” said Altman.

The MHS Basketball program would like to thank all the sponsors that helped make the camp possible.

Sponsorships help with the purchase of basketballs and the camp t-shirts that every child received for participating.

“Our community goes above and beyond to make this possible,” said Altman. “Everything is Better in Metter!”

The 2025 Tiger Sponsors are Adams Poultry, Awards South, BSN, Bubba Hunt Golf, Burlap & Lace Market and Coffee Bar, Candler Pharmacy, CarterFranklin, LLP., Caughey Hearn State Farm Insurance, Charlton Rogers, Curl’s Body Shop, Daniels Bishop Chevrolet and D&D Pinestraw,

Metter Bank Luke Lanier, Eason Grading Company, Firehouse Sub, H&R Block, H&H Timber Co, LLC., Hadden Insurance, Hulsey, Tootle, and Harrison, IHS Pharmacy & Gifts, Jay Bowen Memorial Fund and Jones, Boyd, and McCranie Insurance,

Metter Ford, Metter Graphics, Metter Home Center, Modern Finance, Olliff and Fordham CPAs, Pineland Telephone, Senior Benefit Solutions, Synovous Bank, The Assurance Group, The Roderick Group, The Eclectic Seamstress, Stephens Limousine Service, INC. and Will Parker.

The last sponsor for the event was MHS Basketball’s very own Rusch Goswick and his nonprofit organization, The Swish System, Inc.

As the owner of The Swish System, Goswick worked to make sure all 60 kids that attended camp were able to take home their very own basketball.

Grants/ Milan Rotary Club’s All- Star Weekend returns to help feed Hungry Kids

GRANTS, N.M. — Working to feed the hungry kids of Cibola County, the Grants/Milan Rotary Club has an eventful weekend planned.

NFL legend Ty Detmer is coming to Cibola County this weekend — not to play, but to give back. He’ll be joined by an all-star lineup of professional athletes, college coaches, and even a reality television champion for the 22nd Annual DYFL All-Star Weekend, a high-energy fundraiser hosted by the Grants/Milan Rotary Foundation.

The goal of the event is simple and urgent: to raise money for the Rotary’s backpack program, which provides food-filled backpacks to local students who might otherwise go hungry over the weekend.

Cibola is a county where more than 40 percent of students live below the poverty line, organizers say the need for food assistance is urgent.

Friday: Camps and Clinics

The weekend kicks off Friday, June 6, with a series of youth sports clinics and leadership sessions held at Grants High School and other local venues.

Activities begin with volleyball drills led by Jon Gonchar, head coach of the University of New Mexico women’s volleyball team. Older students — grades 8 through 12 — will take the court from 9 to 11 a.m., followed by a lunch break and a second session for younger players in grades 3 through 7 from 12 to 2 p.m.

Basketball fans will have the chance to train with WNBA player DeMya Wheatfall, who will run morning and afternoon camps for girls and boys in grades 3 through 12. Wheatfall, known for her collegiate career at Texas A&M and her professional play overseas, will be joined by Rickey Sullivan and Chance Patterson for the day’s clinics.

Meanwhile, in a nearby gym, Survivor 2024 winner Rachel LaMont will host a motivational workshop titled “The Will to WIN.” LaMont, who became a fan favorite for her resilience and leadership on the show, will speak to students in grades 8 through 12 about mental preparation and the power of perseverance.

Later in the day, former MLB All-Star Dee Gordon will take the field at the Grants High School baseball diamond. Gordon — known for his speed, agility, and standout seasons with the Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners — will lead a baseball and softball session for high school athletes from 2 to 4 p.m.

Also on Friday afternoon, UNM tennis coach Rob Bareford will conduct a youth tennis camp for students in grades 4 through 8 at the high school tennis courts.

The day concludes with a business casual fundraising dinner at Coyote Del Malpais Golf Course from 5 to 7 p.m. The evening will feature a special guest speaker and a hole-in-one shootout to boost donations.

Saturday: Ty Detmer and Football

Saturday’s schedule shifts the spotlight to football — and to Ty Detmer himself.

Detmer, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1990 as quarterback at BYU and went on to play for several NFL teams including the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, will lead a quarterback camp for students in grades 9 through 12 from 9 to 10 a.m. at Grants High School.

Following the camp, a combine-style workout will be held from 10 to 11:45 a.m. for all students in grades 4 through 12.

Joining Detmer on the field will be three other professional football players: Rodney Rice, a defensive back who played for Virginia Tech and signed with the Denver Broncos; Jeff Badet, a speedy wide receiver who has spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders, and the XFL’s Vegas Vipers; Bene Benwikere, a former Carolina Panthers cornerback known for his standout rookie season and stints with multiple NFL teams.

An autograph session with all four athletes will follow immediately after the morning’s events at the Grants High School Football Field.

The weekend will wrap up with a golf tournament at Coyote Del Malpais beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, with dinner at the clubhouse to follow.

Supporting Cibola’s Hungry Students

The DYFL All-Star Weekend has become a cherished annual tradition in Cibola County and has for years helped fund the Backpack Program.

All proceeds will support the Rotary’s weekend Backpack Program, which discreetly provides students with nutritious meals to take home on Fridays. For many local families, this program is the difference between hunger and hope.

The Grants/Milan Rotary Foundation is encouraging the public to participate in the festivities or contribute to the cause.

Competition: USL League One 
Date: June 7, 2025
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Location: City Stadium, Richmond, Va.
Forecast: 82/66F, Cloudy
Promotion: Youth Sports Night
Broadcast TV: CBS 6.3. ESPN+ 

Inaugural Face Off: The Richmond Kickers (3-4-4, 13 pts) are scheduled to host USL League One opponent Texoma FC on Saturday, June 7, for a 7 p.m. kickoff as the club hosts Youth Sports Night presented by the YMCA. Hailing from Sherman, Texas, Texoma FC currently sits tenth in the USL League One standings with a 2-5-2 record. One of the newest clubs in the league, competing in their first season after being added as an expansion franchise, has strung together back-to-back wins leading up to Saturday’s match, taking down Union Omaha and Greenville Triumph SC. This will be the first time that these sides have shared the pitch, serving as a key matchup as both the Kickers and Texoma FC look to continue their climbs toward mid-season form. 

Saturday’s Close Contest: Saturday’s second-round Jagermeister Cup pairing between the Kickers and NCFC kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle blew. The Kickers, led by strong performances from their back line and goalkeeper, Pablo Jara, held the USL Championship side off the scoreboard until the 82nd minute. Controlling most of the match, the Kickers responded to NCFC’s offensive pressure and set up their playmakers, Darwin Espinal and Richmond Kickers Player of the Match James Vaughan, to create multiple scoring opportunities. Jara put on a clinic in goal, shutting down multiple NCFC attacks and registering numerous one-on-one saves. The Kickers return to Jagermeister Cup action on June 28, 2025, to take on Lexington SC. 

Dominating Defense: Richmond defenders Beckett Howell, Klaidi Cela, Griffin Garnett, and Simon Fitch held down the Kickers’ last line of defense on Saturday; holding the high-powered USL Championship side to one goal. NCFC’s dynamic offense currently sits in the top six in goals and conversion rate amongst USL Championship teams. In Howell’s five appearances this season, he has won 15 duels and 8 tackles. Cela, who leads the squad with 42 clears, has registered 10 aerial duel wins, four blocks, and six interceptions in only six appearances. Garnett, in his total eight appearances, has tallied four blocks to go alongside 24 duel wins and seven interceptions. In his 11 starts this season, Simon Fitch has cleared 34 balls, intercepted 10 passes, and won 10 of his 13 tackles. As the Kickers approach the mid-season mark, a continued defensive surge will be vital towards boosting the club’s success. 

Next Home Match: Saturday’s match against Texoma FC will be Youth Sports Night at City Stadium! Then, the Kickers will host Spokane Velocity FC, who hold the top spot in the USL League One with a 6-1-2 record, on Saturday, June 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at City Stadium as the club hosts Pride Night. Get tickets now at richmondkickers.com/tickets!