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“Just keep playing. Make it like a regular-season game.”
That is Head Coach Fernie Valles’ advice to his Centennial High School Hawks softball team during their final practices before heading to Albuquerque for a May 10 game against rival Mayfield High School in the state softball tournament. The winner advances to the state semifinals. The loser would also stay alive, but would have to win four games in the consolation round to get back to the state finals.
The Lady Hawks couldn’t do much better than a 2023 regular-season game; they finished 26-0.
“It’s a good group of girls here,” Valles said of the 13 players who will suit up for the May 10 game. “I think they’re gelling.”
“They’re just meshing well right now,” said Coach Nathan Barela, whose daughter, Caprice Barela, is a star pitcher for the team.
“They got hungry from last year,” said Coach Barela, referring to Centennial’s loss to Carlsbad in last year’s state title game. Carlsbad is back in the tournament; Centennial is seeded No. 1, Carlsbad No. 2.
Both Centennial coaches said their team is balanced, with a strong offense and a strong defense.
“Everyone has a role,” Barela said.
“It’s a team effort,” shortstop Gianna Villegas said. “If we hit, nobody will beat us.”
The Lady Hawks “haven’t stopped since we lost the (2022) playoff game to Carlsbad,” she said.
Every member of the team has a “strong, intentional state of mind on both sides of the ball,” Gianna said. “I’m feeling very confident.”
Gianna said the team has received strong support from Centennial High.
“We have a lot of people on our side,” she said. “It definitely helps.”
She also credited Valles for the team’s success.
“I don’t think Coach Valles realizes how much he means to us,” she said, or “how much credit he deserves” for the team’s success.
Valles is in his fourth year as CHS head softball coach. He was enticed out of retirement to coach the Lady Hawks after great success as coach at Oñate High School, including a 2016 softball state championship. Barela is in his third year as a CHS softball coach.
Villegas, a senior playing on the CHS team for the fourth straight year, will graduate in May. She plans to attend New Mexico State University this fall and study speech language pathology. She also hopes to play for the Aggie softball team.
