It has been nine months since the Chargers Boys Varsity Basketball Team last stepped on the hardwood, where they were narrowly defeated by their arch nemesis, the St. Pius X Sartans, in the first round of the 2024 4A State Championships.
On Tuesday, November 26, the Charger squad is poised to hit the court, facing off against the Pojoaque Valley Elks on the road in their season-opener…and with a new coach making his varsity debut for the Chargers.
Alvin Broussard, a former Sandia High School basketball head coach and current Academy 8th-grade math teacher and 8-9 Dean of Students, will be stepping into the head coach role. He succeeds Marcos CdeBaca, who led the Chargers to a 2023 4A State Championship in his three-year tenure.
For Broussard, taking on the head coach role is about more than just basketball—it’s about mentorship and growth.
“I love basketball,” he said. “That’s where my heart is…but I enjoy watching the kids thrive in their world and see themselves improve and overcome [challenges].”
The first-year Charger coach spoke about what he hopes for the boys to achieve during the season.
“I want the boys to have a great experience,” Broussard said. “I want them to push past their own individual limitations…I want them to come together as a team…and build a culture of doing things the right way.”
The Chargers’ roster has undergone significant changes, with the team losing four starting seniors from last year. This season, the squad consists of five seniors, four juniors, along with two sophomores. This turnover presents both challenges and opportunities. Younger players will step into larger roles, while the seniors, building on their experience, will take on expanded leadership responsibilities to guide the team.
Last year, the Chargers racked up an impressive 24-6 record and earned the second seed in the State Tournament, setting high expectations for this year’s varsity squad.
“I would say we have high expectations for ourselves and our coach has high expectations for us,” said senior guard Clinton Ellison ‘25. “I feel like people have been counting us out because we lost four starters…to get back to the Pit (the stadium where the State Tournament is played), we need to play for each other and play together.”
Looking ahead to their season debut on the road against Pojoaque, Ellison highlighted the key elements the team will need to succeed.
“Our guys need to play with confidence. We have put in work in the offseason…I think running the floor and communicating from the beginning will set the tone for the game.”
