Webb, Rivera net honors

      Perhaps Southern Conference baseball coaches should wait until after the state tournament to announce all-conference honors.
      It seems as if this year's top honorees -- Durango High School's Alan Webb, the conference's Player of the Year, and Rancho coach Wilfredo Rivera, the conference's Coach of the Year -- are too preoccupied to start celebrating individual achievements.
      "I'm more fired up about going to zone and beating some more teams," said Webb, the Trailblazers' No. 1 pitcher and their top hitter. "All this doesn't mean anything if you don't win state."
      Rivera was almost insulted when he was congratulated on having a good season.
      "A good season? We aren't done yet," said Rivera, who leads the Rams to what he said is their first postseason appearance in 19 years when they meet Cimarron-Memorial Thursday at Durango High in the first round of the Southern Conference tournament.
      Rancho, the Sunrise Division's second seed in this week's tournament, finished 17-11 after going 12-15 a year ago.
      "I have been building the program, and I knew it was going to take some time," said Rivera, in his fifth year at Rancho. "I love coaching athletes who are coachable, and these guys let me do that."
      Webb was an easy choice.
      The senior, who bats third in the Trailblazers' lineup, is hitting .430 with six home runs and 40 RBIs.
      On the mound, the 6-foot, 160-pound left-hander is 9-0 with a 0.44 earned-run average. Webb's fastball, clocked as high as 90 mph, has helped him strike out 107 in just 60 innings.
      But even more impressive are the two no-hitters he has thrown.
      Webb struck out 17 in his first no-hitter, a 9-0 victory over Basic on March 19, then fanned 12 Bonanza batters in a 13-0 no-hitter April 11.
      The victory against Basic became one of Durango's forfeits when the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association ruled Durango had used an academically ineligible player in 22 games through April 14.
      "We know we are still undefeated," said Webb, a probable early round pick in next month's major-league draft.
      Webb said he was happy to be named Player of the Year, but disappointed to find out fellow senior Nick Aiello, who also threw a no-hitter this season, didn't make first-team All-Southern Conference.
      "I think I was more upset that Nick didn't make the team -- he deserved it," Webb said.
      Durango, along with Sunrise Division champion Green Valley, landed three players on the all-conference team.
      Pitcher Tom Doxey and utility player Justin Kittrell joined Webb on the first team.
      Third baseman Jason Keiser, outfielder Brian Reed and pitcher Mike Nannini represent the defending state champion Gators.
      Upstart Chaparral, which qualified for postseason play after finishing 9-14 in 1996, has two players on the first team: catcher Russell Cleveland and outfielder Maurice Washington.
      Rounding out the first team are: Cheyenne second baseman Billy Shoning and outfielder Josh Laidlaw; Eldorado first baseman Brent Tarbett; Bishop Gorman designated hitter Ryan Lee; Cimarron shortstop Gavin Gosz; and Rancho ace James Hoodiman.