Unbeaten Roughriders, Apaches meet in Pima
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Jasmine Aguinaga-coached Morenci Wildcats face the Ashlin Hamblin-coached Eagar Round Valley Elks on Thursday, Aug. 28. It is the home opener with a 6 p.m. start, preceded by freshmen and junior varsity matches. Miami (Sept. 8) and San Carlos (Sept. 10) are the next home opponents.
Also in the 2A South Region on Aug. 28, Bisbee visits Tucson’s The Gregory School, Willcox hosts Benson, San Miguel hosts Tucson Andrada Polytechnic, Santa Rita visits Phoenix Maryvale Prep, and Tombstone hosts Patagonia; Santa Rita hosts Chandler Lincoln Prep on Friday, Aug. 29; and Willcox hosts a tournament with Morenci, Tombstone, and San Miguel on Saturday, Aug. 30.
In the 2A East Region, Gilbert Classical visits Whittman Mountainside, Pima hosts Fort Thomas, on Aug. 28; Arete Prep visits Tempe Prep, Lincoln Prep visits Tucson Santa Rita on Aug. 29; and Chandler Prep will be participating in the Payson tourney on Aug. 29-30;
Pairings in the 1A Region have Fort Thomas at Pima, Ray visits Dishchii’bikoh on Aug. 28; Cicero Prep visits Salome on Aug. 29; Duncan at Payson tourney on Aug. 29-30; Fort Thomas at Willcox tourney on Aug. 30.
In the 3A South Region, Empire visits Tucson Tanque Verde, Tucson Andrada Polytechnic visits San Miguel on Aug. 28; Tucson Catalina hosts Tucson Cholla on Aug. 29; Tanque Verde, Palo Verde Magnet, Sabino are at the Tucson tourney on Aug. 29-30; and Pusch Ridge is at then Payson tourney on Aug. 29-30.
MORENCI versus Round Valley
The Wildcats opened the 2024 season in the White Mountains, falling in four sets (23-25, 23-25, 27-25, 23-25) to the Elks and finished with a 3-set (17-25, 21-25, 23-25) loss to the No. 13 North Valley Christian Lions(14-4 seeding, 9.0966 rating) as No. 20 (10-6, 3.9036 rating) during the Play-in round. It was the second exit for the Wildcats in the same round under Aguinaga, having fallen in three sets (14-25, 14-25, 17-25) to the No. 10 Flagstaff Northland Prep Spartans (16-2, 7.0988) during 2023.
A total of 30 Wildcats, including three seniors, four juniors, 13 sophomores, and 10 freshmen make up the three teams being fielded. Program members include seniors Madilynn Clark, Keirah Fernandez, and Rozlyn Funari; juniors Daisey Day, Leayla Mendez-Garcia, Kailee Sandoval, and Kaylee Wiggins; sophomores Arwa Abdalquador, Avanie Alvarez, Ava Basteen, Elise Brack, Carly Butler, Katerina Escalona, Jayliana Guzzo, Khloee Kouts, Aiyana Merino, Kristine Ortiz, Aubrey Porter, Taytum Porter, and Arisela Salazar; and freshmen Luisabella Benitez, Mikaela Burke, Analisa Cuhen, Araceli Cuhen, Ana Valeria Hererra-Hernandez, Arris Hooper, Cambrie Mendoza, Kendall Merrill, Tamra Sipes, and Justine Tartaglia,
Alisha Brewer and Isabella Davis are assisting Aguinaga.
2A South Region
Region member standings as of Aug. 28 are Benson (0-1 overall, 0-0 region), Bisbee (0-1, 0-0), Tucson San Miguel Catholic (0-1, 0-0), Tucson Desert Christian (0-0, 0-0), Morenci (0-0, 0-0), Tucson Santa Rita (0-0, 0-0), Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (0-0, 0-0), Tombstone (0-0, 0-0), and Willcox (0-0, 0-0).
Benson fell 1-3 to Tucson Empire, Bisbee fell 0-3 (6-25, 17-25, 15-25) to Patagonia, San Miguel fell 1-3 (15-25, 25-20, 17-25, 15-25) to Eloy Santa Cruz, and Saint Augustine hosted Tucson Palo Verde Magnet on Aug. 27,
2A East Region
Region member standings as of Aug. 28 are Gilbert Classical (1-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Gilbert Arete Prep (1-0, 0-0), Pima (1-0, 0-0), Gilbert Leading Edge (0-1, 0-0), Chandler Prep (0-0, 0-0), Chandler Lincoln Prep (0-0, 0-0), Miami (0-0, 0-0), San Carlos (0-1, 0-0), and Gilbert San Tan Charter (0-0, 0-0).
Gilbert Classical defeated Laveen Heritage 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-7), Arete Prep defeated Globe 3-1, Pima defeated Duncan 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-19), Leading Edge fell 0-3 (6-25, 13-25, 15-25) to Scottsdale Christian, and San Tan Charter visited Phoenix Christian on Aug. 27.
1A East Region
Region member standings as of Aug. 28 are Fort Thomas (1-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Duncan (0-1, 0-0), Phoenix Valley Lutheran (0-1, 0-0), Scottsdale Cicero Prep (0-0, 0-0), Winkelman Hayden (0-0, 0-0), Kearny Ray (1-0, 0-0), San Manuel (0-0, 0-0), and Superior (0-0, 0-0).
Fort Thomas (1-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Duncan (0-1, 0-0), Phoenix Valley Lutheran (0-1, 0-0), Scottsdale Cicero Prep (0-0, 0-0), Winkelman Hayden (0-0, 0-0), Kearny Ray (1-0, 0-0), San Manuel (0-0, 0-0), and Superior (0-0, 0-0).
Fort Thomas defeated Valley Lutheran 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-18) and Duncan fell 0-3 to Pima.
3A South Region
Region member standings as of Aug. 28 are Tucson Empire (1-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Tucson Tanque Verde (1-0, 0-0), Tucson Andrada Polytechnic (0-0, 0-0),Tucson Catalina (0-0, 0-0), Tucson Palo Verde Magnet (0-0, 0-0), Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (0-0, 0-0), Tucson Sabino (0-0, 0-0), Safford (0-0, 0-0), and Thatcher (0-0, 0-0).
Empire defeated Benson 3-1, Tanque Verde defeated Tucson Cholla 3-0, Palo Verde Magnet visited Saint Augustine, and Thatcher visited Tucson Amphitheater on Aug. 27.
