Timberwolves Move to 2-0 With 75-25 Win Over Jemez Valley

BY RUSSELL HUFFMAN

The East Mountain Timberwolves didn’t let a disrupted week of practice cool off their shooting hands on Friday night.

Despite missing two consecutive days of practice due to heavy snow, the Timberwolves stormed the court at the Vista Grande Community Center, delivering a disciplined and dominant performance to defeat Jemez Valley 75-25.

East Mountain wasted no time asserting control, jumping out to a commanding 51-11 lead by halftime. The victory was defined by balanced scoring and a maturity that impressed head coach Brad Hofmann, especially given the team’s inability to get into the gym earlier in the week.

“That’s a good sign. That speaks well of our maturity level, and hopefully we can keep doing that,” Hofmann said regarding the team’s quick start. “The kids did a good job. They showed up early. We got some shooting in and they came out hard.”

Leading the balanced attack was Hunter Chancellor with a game-high 12 points. He was joined in double-figures by Liam Pierce and Eric Hofmann, who dropped 10 points apiece. The depth of the Timberwolves roster was on full display, with significant contributions from Tony Cintron-Warren, Caden Fuerstenberg, and Levi Wright, who all added 9 points each.

With the outcome largely decided by the intermission, the challenge for the coaching staff shifted from securing a win to maintaining good habits and sportsmanship.

“You go into a game like this, and you know what the result is going to be beforehand… I’m not trying to downplay them or anything, but what are you looking for?” Hofmann explained. “Just habits, doing the right thing… just playing the right way, sharing the ball.”

In the second half, the Timberwolves focused on execution over run-and-gun scoring. Hofmann challenged his players to work on their defensive sets—both press and man-to-man—and implemented passing minimums to keep the game respectable and the offense disciplined.

The win was a relief for Hofmann, who admitted that missing practice time this early in the season is always a concern, especially when comparing their schedule to teams at lower elevations who aren’t battling the weather. To compensate, the team utilized Zoom meetings to watch film during the snow days.

“It does [worry me]. Because especially this early in the season, you know you need, you want, every day,” Hofmann said. “You don’t want to lose, you know, all the teams in the valley, we’re practicing and playing and we’re up here and not doing that.”

Despite the logistical hurdles, the Timberwolves maximized their court time Friday night. Rounding out the scoring for East Mountain were Ben Schwebke and Eli Conklin with 6 points each, and Quinlan Gwyther with 4. Damion Reyes, Enrique Garcia, Brody Fryar, and Luke Schwebke also contributed to the rotation.

The Timberwolves will look to make up for lost time with a practice scheduled for Saturday as they prepare for their next contest.

Final Score: East Mountain 75, Jemez Valley 25

Halftime: East Mountain 51, Jemez Valley 11

East Mountain Scorers:

• Hunter Chancellor: 12
• Liam Pierce: 10
• Eric Hofmann: 10
• Tony Cintron-Warren: 9
• Caden Fuerstenberg: 9
• Levi Wright: 9
• Ben Schwebke: 6
• Eli Conklin: 6
• Quinlan Gwyther: 4