By Jon Johnson
PHOENIX – It’s always nice to go out on top. Pima’s Keegan Corona started his high school basketball career with a state championship back in 2023, and now has come full circle with a second one in his senior year. The point guard delivered the gold ball to outgoing head coach Cliff Thompson, who, after 26 years, is handing the helm over to his assistant coach, Joe Napier, to take over next year. No. 1-ranked Pima stood tall at the end of the day, defeating No. 2-ranked North Valley Christian Academy 40-29 at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 28.
“It’s a storybook ending,” Cliff Thompson said. “We’ve won two. This one is just as special as the other one. I guess this one was a little more unexpected, but anytime you win a championship it feels good and I’m going to be smiling for quite a while.”
The win might have been extra sweet since, in a sense, it was a little payback, as North Valley Christian knocked Pima out of the Copper Division tournament at home on Feb. 11, 53-60.
Corona finished with 16 points on 5-18 shooting, with 3 assists, 2 steals, and a rebound, and was named the game’s MVP.
“Obviously, there’s no other feeling,” Corona said. “I’m happy I got to do it with this team. You know, I started my high school career with one, and to end it – there’s no better ending to a season or my career, so I’m happy.”
The Riders (27-6 overall) did it with a stifling defense that limited North Valley Christian to just two field goals in the first quarter and only one in the second.
Other key contributors for Pima included Stratton McRae, who finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks; Tanner Smith who was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line to help close out the game and finished with 7 points; Charlie Richardson finished with 6 points and 8 rebounds and he – along with McRae and Joel Mattice – formed a tough defensive interior blockade.
A 3-pointer in the first by Drew Ruelas gave the Lions an early 5-4 lead, but it would be their last.
Stratton McRae sparked an 8-1 run to end the quarter, and after Corona drove and found Richardson for the interior shot, the Riders doubled up the Lions 12-6 after one.
Both teams put on a defensive display in the second quarter. Pima held North Valley Christian to just a lone 3-point field goal by Zathan Ruffin in the quarter, but the Riders didn’t fare much better and had just a single field goal themselves until the final seconds of the half.
That’s when Stratton McRae backed down his opponent and banked one in to give Pima a 16-9 lead going into the break.
The Riders utilized transition offense off good defense that produced turnovers or one-shot opportunities at the goal to push their lead in the third; the Lions clawed back with foul shots. Tanner Smith found Stratton McRae for a fast-break layup, but after that, the Riders went dry while the Lions sent three players to the free throw line, where they each went 1-2. Then Brayden Schmidt found the range from deep, and suddenly it was just a one-possession game with Pima up 18-15 with 4:34 left in the third.
Smith then drove the lane and found Brendan Skiba with a nifty over-the-head pass, and Skiba nailed the shot.
After a timeout, Keegan Corona drove past his defender and scored the layup. And a couple plays later, Richardson sets a monster screen for Corona, who peels off and nails the 3-pointer.
Then it was Skiba with the rebound and quick outlet to Corona, who sent a no-look pass to Richardson for the transition layup to go up 27-15.
The Lions answered back with another 3 from Ruelas, but with time winding down, Corona crossed up Ruelas and then laid it in over the outstretched arms of Zathan Ruffin for the score to put Pima up 30-20 heading into the fourth.
After a bank-in 3 by Tanner Smith, NVC answered back with Zathan Ruffin hitting his second 3-pointer. Ruffin then went for 3 the old-fashioned way, hitting the bucket on the drive with the foul and then finishing with the free throw. After Ruffin’s rabble, Pima’s lead diminished to 7 points. Ruffin led the Lions and had a double-double with 13 points on 3-14 shooting and 11 rebounds.
But the lead would lessen no more, and when Corona got Ruffin in the air and then absorbed the contact and made the shot for the and-1 opportunity, the Pima fans in attendance could feel the gold ball was within reach.
The Riders hit their free throws down the stretch and handled business at the Coliseum, defeating North Valley Christian Academy 40-29 to become the 2026 Arizona 1A Boys Basketball State Champions.
