NMPreps.com continues to keep track of all the off-season news throughout the state of New Mexico. Joshua Grine, NMPreps.com senior basketball analyst tracks the state for all the news in high school sports.

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NMPREPS.COM - Dale Shock, Pete Shock and now Brian Shock will be the name that reads next to head coach of the Cliff Cowboys.

Since 1932, when Dale Shock took over the Cliff Cowboys there has been a "Shock" in charge of the Cowboys - minus three seasons when David Rydeski was the head coach (1975-78).

Even though the official record is unclear the Cowboys had success during his tenure, also at an amazing feat was Dale Shock was also a player at Western New Mexico (Silver City, NM) in 1933-35 along with being the Cowboys head coach.

Enter recently retired, legendary head coach and hall of fame coach Pete Shock in 1978 to take over the Cliff Cowboys. The name of Pete Shock is one that could be chiseled among New Mexico's finest head coaches and still the humble coach gives all the credit to his players. With over 800 wins and 10 State Champions, Pete Shock, built Cliff High School into one of the top programs that New Mexico has in regards to the top basketball schools in the state.

"It was hard to leave the Farmington area last season but the opportunity opened up when a teaching spot became available and I couldn't pass up the chance to experience last season with my dad", Brain Shock said. Brain Shock was quickly named the successor to his father and for good reason. Any coach would tell you that Brain Shock is among the top of rising coaches to have the chance to one day place his name among the best to run a program.

Brian Shock, a star at Cliff High School himself, winning the state title in 1996 was almost breed to be a coach. The genes of coaching were instilled in him from day one and had plenty of years to learn from one of the best New Mexico had to offer. Also, Cliff gains a coach who has been apart of building the school into the power it has become. After spending some time player junior college basketball, Brian returned to Silver City as an assistant coach for his father while attending Western New Mexico.

Brian started his coaching career with his father but with no teaching spot was available so Shock decided to get his feet wet in the four corners area getting a coaching job at Aztec High School. "You know when I first looked into coaching jobs I was intrigued by the four corners area because for one I loved fly fishing and what better spot", laughed Shock.

While at Piedra Vista (head coach 2009-2012) the Panthers reached the 4A Final Four in 2011 and combined for a 54-33 record in his three years as the head coach. "It was hard to leave the area because I created life-long friends in Farmington". The Panthers program had but two, winning seasons in the schools 11-year history before Brian Shock took over. The Panthers instantly had back-to-back winning seasons along with the schools first 20-win season in 20102-2011.

"Its humbling to take over a program like this", "The first thing people told me when I was hired was, "you have big shoes to fill", laughed Shock. He went on to to say, "it is a lot of responsibility to take over a program like this but I learned from my fathers success, not just the X's and O's, but more importantly about what's in-between that- the players".

The roster for the Cliff Cowboys looks ready to make another run next as a potential NMPreps.com Top 100 Player - Tate Shelley returns for his senior season. The 6'5 forward is also a preseason favorite to be consider among the Small School Division (2A - 1B) player of the year and could possibly become the first player from the small school division to be a top ten finalist for the 2014 NMPreps.com Mr. Basketball Award. "We lost some scoring from last season and will have to fill some roles but we have some talent coming back in (Tate) Shelly, our JV had a successful season and we have some good players coming up".

The Cowboys will also be hosting a basketball tournament in December with some quality teams invited to the event that could create one of the better small school division regulars season events.

JOSHUA J. GRINEClick Here to view this Link. joined NMPreps.com before the 2010 basketball season as our Senior Basketball Analyst. Grine is a former coach (Valencia, Rio Rancho) and basketball player (Grants, Rio Rancho) who has been around New Mexico for several years.

E-Mail: grinejosh@yahoo.com