by By John Livingston jlivingston@daily-times.com
FARMINGTON — Three Rogers girls have watched as their state championship dreams have been spoiled by Texico. Heather Rogers is determined not to become the fourth.
Rogers, a senior on the Navajo Prep girls basketball team, has helped lead the Lady Eagles to No. 4 seed in the 2A New Mexico State Basketball Championships by pouring in baskets and soaring for rebounds. Now she wants to lead the charge to a state championship.
“We came into this season with one goal, and that is to bring the blue trophy back home,” Rogers said.
A year ago, Rogers and the rest of the Lady Eagles were stunned by an overtime loss to District 1-2A-rival Navajo Pine in the state quarterfinals. Pine beat Prep on a buzzer-beating shot in overtime before going on to win the state championship.
All season the Lady Eagles have carried that memory with them. They turned that motivation into a 19-6 overall record and a perfect district run, including three wins over Navajo Pine.
“We were all hurt by that loss, and we came in here with a mindset that we were never going to feel that way again, and we would never put ourselves in that situation again,” Rogers said. “We are going to do everything we can to get over that and reach what we want.”
Navajo Pine graduated a good majority of last year’s team, but the Lady Eagles returned almost all of theirs. With talented guards and Rogers playing as big as she can, they feel like it is their time to shine.
But standingin the way on the same side of the state tournament bracket is the No. 1-seeded Texico Wolverines (21-6).
“Two of my sisters played volleyball and got beat by Texico twice in the state championship game. My other sister got beat in state basketball by Texico,” Rogers said. “Me being the youngest in the family, there is a lot of motivation to play them and beat them, and I know this team can do it. My sisters and I never really got along because we are always trying to be better than the others. This would give me a head up on them by being able to say I beat them and they didn’t.”
Rogers, from Round Rock, Ariz., also said she has no problem being on the same side of the bracket as Texico, meaning the two teams would face off in the state semifinals rather than the championship game, provided both teams advance that far.
“We would rather earn a win to get to the title game than have an easy, walk-in game,” she said. “We know what we are out to get, and we don’t mind having to take the harder path to go get it.”
Rogers is the youngest in the family. Her three sisters are Chanda, Megan and Nicole. Her father Ervin and mother Ramona’s first child was a boy, Erich, who is a rodeo star in team roping.
Erich finished 2011 ranked eighth in the world. He finished the National Finals Rodeo in 12th place last year.
“My parents are always going out of their way for me and Erich, with him being the oldest and me the youngest,” Rogers said. “Sometimes it gets annoying being known as Erich Rogers’ little sister, but I am trying to make a name for myself. Erich has done enough for me,” Rogers said.
Before Rogers can solidify her name as a Navajo Prep basketball state champion, the team must first get past No. 13-seeded Dexter tonight at 7 p.m. in the Eagle’s Nest gymnasium.
“We just have to stay composed and not get too big-headed,” Rogers said. “This whole tournament we have to play our kind of basketball. We will face different teams that have different styles, and we just have to stick with what we know and play how we have all season.
“This team has gotten through a lot together. We shed tears together. We are a family in this gym, and we all have each other’s back. I have never had a team like this that is so close and grounded. Every girl has ability and when we all click, we are unstoppable.”
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