East Mountain stays perfect with historic 61-47 win over Santa Rosa

SANDIA PARK, N.M. — History was made on the hardwood Friday night as the East Mountain Timberwolves extended their perfect start to the season with a 61-47 victory over the Santa Rosa Lions, marking the first time in school history the program has defeated the perennial powerhouse.

With the win, East Mountain improves to 9-0, the longest winning streak in the school’s history.

“We did what we intended to do very well, following the scouting report and just being fundamental in our defense,” said East Mountain head coach Brad Hofmann. “That’s a very, very good team, a well-coached team. It really means a lot to be able to pull out a victory against a group like that.”

The Timberwolves jumped out to an early 16-7 lead in the first quarter, fueled by perimeter shooting. Liam Pierce and Vicente J. Ortiz proved lethal from behind the arc; Pierce finished with 12 points on four three-pointers, while Ortiz added 16 points including three triples.

Santa Rosa (8-4) attempted to claw back in the second period, but the Timberwolves held a 29-22 advantage at the intermission. The Lions’ efforts were hampered by foul trouble for their standout player, Josh Cordova, who spent significant time on the bench.

The second half belonged to Eric Hofmann. After a quiet first two quarters, who exploded for 21 points—all in the second half. He scored eight in the quarter, helping East Mountain build a 42-31 lead heading into the final frame.

“It was huge,” Coach Hofmann said of Eric’s performance. “I didn’t realize he had that either (21 points after half) but that goes to the fundamentals. If you crash hard, good things happen. The ball finds energy.”

While the staters provided the scoring, coach Hofmann credited the win to a total team effort and defensive depth. Players like Quinlan Gwyther and Tony Cintron-Warren were praised for their defensive rotations and help-side play. Damion Reyes provided a spark that got the offense going with a big three-point jumper during the first quarter, when the Timberwolves were in a lull.

“We have more players that deserve playing time than we have minutes to play in the game,” Hofmann said. “Tonight, we just finished with a group that was doing a great job defensively. Everyone contributed. Everybody did something.”

Aiden Erickson chipped in five points for the Timberwolves, while Gwyther and Reyes each added three.

Looking ahead, Hofmann isn’t letting his team rest on their 9-0 laurels.

“Just focus on getting better. Focus on fundamentals,” Hofmann said regarding the team’s momentum. “It’s a race with all the teams that you’re playing to keep getting better and better.”

East Mountain will look to continue their record-breaking streak in their next contest when they hit road on Jan. 6 for a 7 pm game against Mountainair.