ALAMOSA - "Best defensive effort I've seen a by a Sargent team in 30 years," said Farmers scorebook keeper Jerry Metz. "And, I've been around this for 30 years," he added.

Sargent edged out a 32-30 win Saturday night against the Sanford Indian boys, drawing ahead on a three-point field goal by junior Carlos Hernandez. The jumper was made at a 45- degree angle to the basket, with lo and behold, 45 seconds left to go in the contest.

In front of a packed gym late Saturday at Alamosa High School, Hernandez hit three treys in the contest, and led all scorers in the contest with 19 points.

Teammate senior Brandon Paulson had two key three-point field goals to be the next highest scorer for the Farmers with six.

Sargent proceeds to the next round of the state 2A playoffs as winner of the Southern Peaks League District Tournament. Sanford will also play in another round of playoffs away from home beginning Friday, March 5, officially 2nd place finisher in the 2009-2010 SPL District Tournament.

Both teams played intense defense, and Sargent only scored a three-pointer by Hernandez in the first quarter. However, the Indians trailed 3-2 at the end of the first. Senior Brett Forster scored a lay up after a nice assist pass with just over two minutes left to go in the period. Each side had trouble hitting the broadside of a barn in the first eight minutes.

The Indians perked up in the second quarter. Junior Tommy Caldon scored on a spectacular underhanded shot on a drive to the basket midway through the period to draw Sanford within two points. He was fouled, but missed the free throw. Thirty seconds later on the game clock, his attempt to duplicate the feat failed.

The Farmers had difficulties also, missing a three-point attempt, and then had traveling called. So, with just under two minutes left to go in the first half, a basket by Sanford senior Brett Jackson put his team ahead 9-8. Thirty seconds later on the game clock, he rebounded a missed shot by Forster, put the ball in the basket on a turnaround eight-footer to put his team up 11-8. He was fouled, made the free throw. Sanford led 12-8.

Senior Jaron Mortensen recovered an Indian missed shot with 35 seconds to go and scored to increase the margin to 14-8.

The Indians maintained that score until halftime.

Neither Forster nor Jackson ended the contest with double-doubles, as they often have done this season. Each had nine points, Forster 12 rebounds and Jackson nine.

Sargent outscored Sanford 15-9 in the third quarter, to give a 23-23 score at the end of the third.

Sanford certainly did not foul away the contest, as Sargent was three for four free throw attempts for the game. Sanford hit six of ten free throw attempts.

After a 16-10 Indian lead with six minutes left to go in the third, Farmer senior lefthander Luis Palacios stole the ball, drove all the way down court for a lay up. The Sanford domination began to fade, as a three-pointer by Hernandez tied the game 19-19 with 3:32 left in the period.

After four tries to make a basket by Sanford with six minutes left to go in the game, Forster was fouled and made one of two free throws to give the Indians a 24-23 lead.

Forty seconds later on the game clock, he recovered a Jackson missed shot and gave his team a 26-23 lead with a close-in field goal.

But Farmer Paulson hit a three-pointer to tie the score with 4:28 to go. Paulson hit another trey to put Sargent ahead 29-28 with under three minutes left. The Indians stole the ball twice in the last two minutes of the game, but missed shots on both fast break opportunities, one a lay up .

But the excitement was hardly finished. Indian senior Ty Mortensen recovered a missed Indian lay up with 1:13 left, and put Sanford ahead 30-29. When Sargent received the ball after the Indian basket, the Farmers passed the ball around the three-point perimeter, finishing with a pass to Hernandez who made the game-winning trey.

Sanford used four time outs in the last 41 seconds of the game, but the Farmers defense kept the Indians from tying or winning the game, by preventing the Indians from scoring at all.