By Glen Rosales
Special to the SUN

Capping what Mesa Vista girls coach Jesse Boies called, “a wild couple of days,” the victorious Trojans girls basketball team received a 30-mile escort into town on Sunday.

“They had the best dang escort/parade and celebration at the school that anybody can ask for,” Boies said of the snake-like procession that would its way from out-side Española into Ojo Caliente and to the school.

Led by deputies from the Rio Arriba Sheriff’s office, officers from the State Po-lice and Española police, as well as Emergency Fire/Rescue first responders, the procession included hordes of fans, as well.

“There was probably a good 75 cars full of fans and support waiting for us to come up from Albuquerque,” Boies marveled. “I’m part of a lowrider car club, ‘Good Times Car Club,’ and we have an Española Chapter, and my car family was there with their classic cars as well. They lined up behind the bus then about eight Harley-Davidson motorcycles behind them that were composed of my family also.”

It was quite a sight, he said.

“After that it was all our Lady Trojan Nation,” Boies said. “Supporters that bleed black and gold all year long. It was special. We had fans and family all on the side of the road from there through Española, all the way to Ojo Caliente with signs and yelling and cheering us on as we drove by. When we chant Puro Mesa, that’s exactly who we mean. Without that fan base it would never be this good or elite and this special. It’s good to be a Lady Trojan.”

At times, it felt like Mesa Vista was carrying the torch for the whole region, he said.

“So we have a saying that we put on the back of our bus, and we have on our shooting shirts. It says puro mesa,” Boies said. “But now that our district rivals and stuff were falling off at the state tournament, we kind of started changing it to put on puro norté, so that was all the north.”

The procession ended at the school, where a celebration feast included, of course, enchiladas.

“The celebration in our cafeteria was just amazing,” he said. “From the playing of ‘We are the Champions,’ blasting through the speaker as we got off the bus to sit-ting and mingling with the community was just a moment the girls and us coaches will cherish forever.”

The whole experience was one for a lifetime, Boies said.

“Lastly, I’ve got to thank the Mesa Vista community and surrounding areas for packing it in (Sunday) at the school,” he said. “We’re one of a kind. Ain’t no other school out there right now like us. These girls earned every little celebration they are getting and it didn’t come easy. The queens of the north for sure. Couldn’t be prouder of every single one of them.”