Road Warriors: No. 14 East Mountain Shocks the State with Historic Streak

No. 14 East Mountain isn’t just winning; they are sending shockwaves through Class 3A. On Friday, the Lady Timberwolves extended their school-record winning streak to nine games with a gritty 43-34 upset of No. 7 Sandia Prep.

The victory marks their second high-profile road upset in just ten days, following a 47-42 takedown of St. Michael’s on Jan. 13. For the 2025-26 Lady Timberwolves, the storylines are converging into a single, undeniable truth: they have arrived.

The District Frontrunners

Are the Lady Timberwolves true District 5-3A contenders? The evidence is mounting. By jumping out to a 2-0 district start—with both wins coming on the road—East Mountain has built a critical cushion in the standings.

The schedule doesn’t slow down. East Mountain (12-5) returns home to host Santa Fe Prep on Jan. 27 before hitting the road again to face Cottonwood Classical Prep (11-8) on Jan. 29.

The Litmus Test: Growth through Redemption

The upcoming clash with Cottonwood Classical is more than just another road game—it’s a measuring stick. When the two teams met in early December, the Lady Coyotes escaped with a narrow 46-45 win.

Since then, the trajectory of these two programs has shifted. While East Mountain is riding a wave of momentum, Cottonwood recently stumbled in a 53-44 loss to Cuba. For the Lady Timberwolves, the rematch is a chance to prove exactly how much they’ve matured since that one-point heartbreaker in December.

The “Drake Effect” and the Magic Number

For 20 years, a winning season eluded the East Mountain girls’ basketball program. That history is about to be rewritten.

When legendary coach Ron Drake—New Mexico’s winningest active girls’ coach—took the helm, many expected his streak of never having a losing season to finally snap. The “naysayers” seemed right when the team sputtered to a 0-3 start and eventually sat at a lackluster 3-5.

However, a narrow 38-36 loss to Class 2A No. 8 Tucumcari served as the ultimate wake-up call. That “coulda-shoulda-woulda” loss ignited the current nine-game tear. With 12 wins under their belt and 11 games remaining on a 28-game schedule, the Lady Timberwolves need only three more victories to secure the first winning season in program history.

Demand for Respect

The polls are finally catching up to the reality on the court. MaxPreps currently slots East Mountain at No. 15, while the NMHSBC coaches’ poll has them at No. 14.

But after toppling two Top 10 opponents in less than two weeks, the “computers and coaches” might need to look a little closer. On the other side of the Sandia Mountains, something special is happening—and the rest of the state is officially on notice.