In March, the pandemic hit the Navajo Nation harder than anyone could have ever managed, it shut down communities and forced people to move to a new lifestyle with no end in sight, it closed down sports across the reservation which motivates most students on the reservation to stay committed to their academics.
Two months after shutdowns occurred across the reservation, hospitals saw a record rise in cases and hospitalizations which forced curfews in the city of Gallup and around the Navajo community which is still occurring today. The struggle with students and academics are at an all-time high with a lack of resources, motivation, having limited access to socializing and being around key assets.
Within the City of Gallup and on the Navajo reservation most students rely on sports to push them to do well in school so they are able to be distracted
from family or life in general since many students have a difficult home life. Gallup is known for its large and booming crowds at its basketball games every year and with no basketball players, have been deprived of a full season or any sense of normalcy in a long time.
“The Pandemic opened my eyes, I learned I have to be grateful for everything as it can be gone in an instant,” said Gallup High senior Quentin Richards, “learning from behind a screen is much more difficult than
Richards is a Senior from Gallup High and was initially born in Killeen, Texas, but moved to the small town of Gallup when he was five-years-old. Richards plays basketball and is heading into his senior year and is looking forward to playing regardless of the circumstances and representing Gallup which is looking for its first state title in its school history.
When asked about what Gallup meant to him Richards said it was the place where it built the character of who I am.
Gallup basketball went a thrilling 25-6 last season with a trip to the state semi-finals, in a shortened season the Bengals are looking forward to trying to replicate the success and are working to get further into the playoffs. With losing five seniors the expectations are still high and no excuses are to be made this upcoming season, which is expected to begin in March.
“Full-throttle, nothing is different this year and we still have the killer instinct, we want to represent Gallup and those who graduated with winning it all,” said Richards
The season will start sometime in late-march with a schedule in the broad future, it is unknown how many games will be on the schedule with the state tournament starting the week of May 3rd-8th.
Richards who is a senior said that he is looking into college and is interested in the field of criminal justice.
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