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Click on Tournament for Bracket & Game Stories
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Recent Tournaments for the Eagles…
With tons of sports accolades over the past 30 years or so, Eldorado’s best success has been on the hardwood & the pitch.
But that’s not all! Check out the Eagles’ plethora of state tourney triumphs below…
Girls Basketball
1995…End of a remarkable era for Eldorado and coach Don Flanagan, who claim 4A title for 11th time in 16 years: Eagles 47, Sandia 21
1993…Albuquerque High tries to take air out of ball in 4A finale but unbeaten Eldorado wins anyway by a 23-5 count
1992…Eagles win a thriller at The Pit for 4A honors by edging Clovis 46-43 and have an unblemished record for eighth time in school history
1990…Going 26-0 for season, Eldorado throttles Cibola 51-25 in championship contest
1989…A year absence at the top of 4A is cured when Eagles bury Manzano 40-15 to grab the blue trophy once more
1987…Squeezing by a championship game opponent for second year in a row gives Eldorado 4A honors: Eagles 52, Sandia 50
1986…Eldo narrowly upends Manzano 46-44 in 4A title game to regain top spot in state
1984…Coach Don Flanagan’s Eagles go undefeated for fourth time in five years, capping 26-0 season with 84-59 victory over Hobbs
1983…Battle of Eagles taken by the Albuquerque sort as Eldorado prevails over Hobbs 76-55 in finale
1981…Eldorado goes back-to-back for the first time after dismissing Clovis 59-39 in Class 4A championship game
1980…First title for coach Don Flanagan, who guides Eagles to perfect 28-0 campaign and a 57-43 defeat of Farmington to finish it off
1978…Eldorado claims crown for third time in four years after knocking off Alamogordo 56-48
1976…Eagles finish slate with a 23-0 mark, ending when Eldo beats Portales 50-37 in Class 2A championship game
1975…Coach Steve Silverberg begins a long, long tradition of winning at Albuquerque school. Class 2A title contest: Eldorado 50, Clovis 37
Boys Basketball
2005…Second straight Class 5A crown for standout Daniel Faris & Co. as Eldorado beats cross-town rival 65-61 in championship game
2004…Twenty year drought ends when Eagles, led by coach Roy Sanchez, tops Cibola 45-41 in Class 5A title contest
1983…Eldorado suffers only one loss during campaign and it’s not in the Class 4A championship as Eagles squeak by Los Alamos 60-59
Girls Soccer
2001…Eldorado goes perfect 25-0 and soundly beats La Cueva 3-0 in Class 5A championship for second title in three years
1999…Eagles return to the top after seven-year absence when coach Steve Benoit guides Eldo to 1-0 win over Sandia in finale
1992…Led by coach Ruth Zimmerman, Eldorado is a co-champ for third time after tying La Cueva 1-1 in title contest
1989…For fourth straight year, Eagles end up as outright champs or co-champs. Final: Eldorado 1, La Cueva 1
1988..A 17-0 campaign for third time in five years as coach Sarah Wilson’s Eagles edge Academy for crown
1987…No deadlock in soccer championships at the time means that Eldorado and Los Alamos share the crown following a 1-1 deadlock
1986…Going unbeaten, Eagles squeeze by Los Alamos 1-0 in final game to stay perfect
1984…Coach Sarah Emmons guides Eldorado to an unblemished record, which ends with a 2-1 victory over Los Alamos for state honors
1982…First soccer title comes Eagles’ way when Eldo nips Sandia 2-1 to finish 17-0-1 campaign
Boys Soccer
2006…Five titles in seven years for Eldorado, which wins second straight 5A crown by beating Sandia 2-1
2005…Eagles and coach Walt Witkowski grab championship by edging Sandia 1-0 in 5A finale
2003…After a year absence, Eldorado returns to the top by clubbing Mayfield 5-1 in title contest
2001…Coach Vladi Stanojevic’s Eagles have a perfect 25-0 season and culminate it by nipping La Cueva 1-0 in championship
2000…First year of Class 5A and Eldorado lays claim to boys soccer title for first time: Eldo 1, Hobbs 0
Baseball
2001…Three straight titles for Albuquerque baseball dynasty as Eldorado beats Carlsbad 3-1 to finish first year of Class 5A play
2000…Eagles leave little doubt who’s best in state after demolishing La Cueva 13-4 in Class 4A championship
1999…A perfect 21-0 season for Eldorado ends with a 7-2 victory over Alamogordo in 4A finale
1997…After a three-year absence at the top, Eagles return with a vengeance. Class 4A championship: Eldorado 11, La Cueva 3
1993…Coach Jim Johns’ crew grabs another title for school when Eldo beats La Cueva 6-2 for second straight title
1992…Baseball supremacy in Class 4A is claimed by Eldorado, which beats Cibola 8-2 in finale
1985…First championship on the diamond comes Eagles’ way after a 5-0 shutout of Mayfieldin title game
Football
1980…Behind future Rams pro QB Jim Everett, Eldorado has an undefeated 13-0 slate and beats Clovis 14-11 in Class 4A championship
Wrestling
When it comes to wrestling tournaments, Eldorado’s best have often been the state’s best. Bo Wade captured four straight individual titles from 1981 to 1984, before one-time teammate Charlie Dotson (not the Eagles’ football coach) equaled the four-time feat from 1984 to 1987.
Tennis
2002…Eldorado’s Alex Hagstrom launches himself to the top of Class 5A by winning the state boys singles tourney
1998…State boys individual crown goes to an Eagles when Eric Stuart claims 4A championship
1991-92…Amy Goff of Eldorado reigns supreme in 4A by winning girls state singles tournament two straight years
1987-88…Eagles’ John Sanzari tops 4A boys field in the individual singles at consecutive state tourneys
1986…Jorge Ortega grabs tennis singles championship for Eldorado at state
1982…4A girls bragging rights belongs to Eagle Staci Sanzari after she wins state individual crown
1981…First girls state tennis champ in Eldorado history as Mary Torres beats the 4A field
1979…For second straight year, Eldo has the top boys player when Mike Daily runs through the 4A state bracket
1978…First tennis individual champion for an Eagle when Scott Pringle grabs the boys championship
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And now, a word from our Sponsor…
“Ole!” greets drive-through customers from the speaker box.
If that’s the case, it can only be one business: Taco Box.
From frijole burritos to Spanish fries to pig-in-a-panchos, and quite nearly everything in-between, the restaurant has been serving up its eclectic menu for 40 years.
According to owner Tom Martin, the number one seller is the simple-and-tasty frijole burrito while tacos, chalupas and cheese sticks follow closely in popularity.
A popular side item are Spanish fries, a Taco Box-invented title for another potato-based munchie (any guesses?). Martin says his restaurant has only occasionally ventured into making regular french fries and the attempts have ultimately always been futile with the Taco Box customer base.
“I always joke that I don’t make french fries so I can help keep McDonald’s in business,” Martin says.
Other items also remain popular to an extent even though not officially on the menu board anymore – a testament to the loyalty of the typical Taco Box consumer.
The Mexi-Burger was on the menu back in the early 1980s and still gets ordered today. By those in the know, at any rate.
“There’s probably at least a dozen different items over the years like that,” Martin says. “We took it off, just because of space, but we still make ‘em. We probably sell as many as we did when they were on the menu.”
Martin lists breakfast tacos, frijole tacos, guacamole tacos as other such “underground” items. And that’s not to mention the vast array of drink combinations, utilizing the different soft drinks and flavorings, that have actually never been listed on the big board at Taco Box.
Martin, raised in Cleveland and a graduate from Cornell University in New York, ventured west after college and tried his hand with the Taco Box brand. He took over Taco Box on June 1, 1970.
Remembering his first foray into Mexican food, Martin has an oft-repeated story with some variation or another.
“I never had a taco until I was 21. I remember having a mild green chile taco and I thought I was going to die,” Martin recalls.
After having a tastebud-adjustment and following countless tacos served to his customers at Taco Box, it’s safe to say one thing about the guy who originally thought he’d be in the Land of Enchantment for “a couple of years.”
Well Tom, you’re a New Mexican now.
