It was a good week to be a Demon — or a Demonette.

Or both, actually.

On Tuesday, the Santa Fe High girls basketball team scored its
first significant upset in years by venturing on the road and beating No. 4 Española Valley in the District 2AAAA opener for both teams.

The following night, the Santa Fe High boys team did the same to the Sundevils. On Wednesday, the Demons surprised the defending state champions on the home hardwood in Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium.

Love Santa Fe High or hate it, this much is certain when talking about the newfound hoops success on Yucca Drive: This city needs it.

Go ahead and root for your Horsemen or Jaguars, your Dragons or Roadrunners, your Braves, Blue Griffins or Wolves.

Just don't be so quick to dismiss the Demons because they're the so-called flagship school of the City Different. Their success is the city's reward.

Having spent the majority of my career covering prep sports in Albuquerque, I can attest that the city responded differently when Albuquerque High did something profound. People crawled out of the woodwork to support the Bulldogs at state, more so than any other school in town.

Fact is, there's generally more history with a school whose city name is attached to it. The more history, the deeper the attachment.

The deeper the attachment, the more a success-starved fan base will respond with a fevered pitch whenever something good happens.

Now, a pair of wins over Española Valley doesn't mean much right now. Neither win clinched a state playoff berth, assured a district championship or even vaulted either team into the state's collective consciousness.

What they did do was show that Santa Fe High might be on the verge of a hoops renaissance.

The girls have certainly made huge strides under head coach Elmer Chavez.

With size, veteran leadership and a monster chip on their collective shoulders, the Demonettes are starting to look every bit the role of playoff contender.

The Demons showed flashes of potential in their win over Española.

If everyone can remain healthy, they appear capable of challenging for a district championship and earning a bid at state.

Remember the 2006 Class AAAAA state tournament when head coach Lenny Roybal led the Demons to
11 straight wins and a semifinal berth?

St. Michael's won the AAA title that year to much fanfare, but there was a different feel about having Santa Fe High around come the second weekend in March.

While it's almost certain that Capital and/or St. Michael's will survive deeper into the playoffs in two months, at least Santa Fe High is, at long last, a part of the conversation.

And that's a good thing, people.

Contact Will Webber at 986-3060 or wwebber@sfnewmexican.com.