Farmington Girls Capture Hobbs Holiday Classic, Improve to 11-1

Farmington High closed out the Hobbs Holiday Classic with a 65-62 victory over second-ranked Hobbs on Wednesday, Dec. 31, delivering the Scorpions their third in-season tournament crown. The three-point championship margin capped a three-game run in Hobbs that included wins of 59-54 over EP Americas and 54-37 over Albuquerque, giving Farmington a 3-0 record at the event and extending the team’s overall record to 11-1.

Senior leadership carried the Scorpions. Caris Dale paced the title game with 21 points, while senior Chenoa Parrish added 19. Seniors Kjani Anitielu and Carly Conley chipped in 11 points apiece, producing a four-player double-figure effort that proved decisive in a tightly contested final. Over the three-game tournament, Parrish finished as Farmington’s top scorer with 46 points, with Dale and Anitielu contributing 42 and 41 points respectively; the trio earned spots on the all-tournament team.

Wednesday’s outcome represented a notable turnaround from last year’s Hobbs Holiday Classic final, when Farmington fell 85-16, and from a subsequent non-district loss to Hobbs at Moriarty High by a 67-31 count. Since 2021, Farmington has now won three of five matchups with Hobbs, a head-to-head trend that suggests growing competitiveness between the programs.

The immediate impact for San Juan County is both tangible and intangible. On the scoreboard, Farmington’s 11-1 mark and tournament title strengthen its postseason resume as district play approaches, lowering the statistical variance inherent in single-game results and improving the team’s win percentage after the Dec. 19 setback to Kirtland Central. In community terms, the victory provides a morale boost for a program led by a senior core and will likely increase attendance and local interest for upcoming home dates.

Looking ahead, the Scorpions have a short break before returning to action on the road Tuesday against Aztec and hosting Tohatchi on Thursday night. Hobbs, now 8-2, faces Centennial Friday at 6 p.m. and Organ Mountain Saturday at 2:30 p.m., and the two teams are scheduled for a rematch Friday, Jan. 16 at Moriarty High School.

Farmington’s narrow win in Hobbs underscores a shift from lopsided defeats last season to consistent competitiveness this winter, a trend that could shape district standings and postseason seeding as the season progresses.