By Raymundo Frasquillo
DUINCAN – The Shane Dunagan-coached No. 9 Duncan (6-4 seeding, minus 0.0906 rating) softball girls host the No. 20 Elfrida Valley Union Blue Devils (5-3, minus 5.0730) on Tuesday, April 15 and the No. 17 Fort Thomas Apaches (5-5, minus 3.9063) on Thursday, April 17 for region pairings. However, the Wildcats will first travel to the No. 23 San Simon Longhorns (1-9, minus 14.4826) on Monday, April 14, and to the 2A No. 28 San Carlos Braves (3-3, minus 6.3639) on Friday, April 18.
This week (April 14-19) in region pairings, Saint David visits Fort Thomas on April 15; San Simon visits Baboquivari on Wednesday, April 16; and Valley Union visits Saint David on April 17.
Non-region pairings include Kearny Ray at Saint David on April 18.
1A South Region Standings
The 1A South Region standings as of April 12 were Saint David (9-1 seeding, 5-0 region) first, Duncan (6-4, 3-1) second, Fort Thomas (5-7, 3-1) third, Valley Union (5-3, 4-2) fourth, San Simon (1-11, 0-6) fifth, Sells Baboquivari (1-8, 0-5) sixth.
1A State Rankings
A 16-team state tourney field will have eight automatic qualifiers and eight at large based on rankings, beginning with the first round on May 2 and concluding with the championship on May 12.
The Class 1A rankings for the top 16 of 27 teams as of noon on April 11 were Joseph City (9-1 seeding, 14.0167 rating) No. 1, Saint David (9-1, 10.1954) No. 2, Bagdad (9-2, 7.3805) No. 3, Colorado City El Capitan / Fredonia (7-2, 5.5846) No. 4, Williams (6-5, 3.6809) No. 5, Superior (5-2, 9966) No. 6, Anthem Prep (8-3, 2.5238) No. 7, and Saint Michael (5-3, 0.2913) No. 8. Duncan (6-4, minus 0.0906) was No. 9, Wellton Antelope Union (7-3, minus 0.1319) No. 10, Salome (5-4, minus 1.3510) No. 11, Kearny Ray (6-5, minus 1.2779) No. 12, Winkelman Hayden (5-6, minus 2.0008) No. 13, Heber Mogollon (2-5, minus 2.2490) No. 14, Ash Fork / Seligman (1-3, minus 3.1507) No. 15, and San Manuel (3-6, minus 3.8539) No. 16.
Rankings for the other four of six South Region member teams were Fort Thomas (5-5, minus 3.9063) No. 17, Valley Union (5-3, minus 5.0730) No. 20, San Simon (1-9, minus 14.4826) No. 23, and Sells Baboquivari (1-8, minus 15.8093) No. 24.
No. 23 San Simon Longhorns (1-11 seeding)
The Viviana Martinez-coached 1A South Region Longhorns (1-11 seeding, 0-4 region) are averaging a 6-19 (73-231) score per game or a 13-run deficit through 12 seeding games.
The Longhorns have a 14-member team, with a roster of four seniors, a junior, two sophomores, and seven freshmen. The roster includes seniors Betsabe Castellanos (11), Metzly Corrales (3), Kaylee Fierro (6), and Hollie Keil (5); juniors Evelyn Lopez (2); sophomores Aneth Castellanos (23) and Alyzon Corrales (3); and freshmen Allison Brown (13), Makayla Craft (8), Ryley Mora (15), Alexia Newell (12), Alexa Rios (10), Yulissa Romo (7), and Bryleigh Sloan (1).
San Simon competes in the six-member South Region with Duncan, Elfrida Valley Union, Fort Thomas Saint David, and Sells Baboquivari.
The Longhorns have five remaining games, with Duncan (April 14), a double-header at Baboquivari (April 16), at Fort Thomas (April 23), and at Winkelman Hayden (April 28),
No. 20 Valley Union Blue Devils (5-3 seeding)
The Shawna Hill-coached 1A South Region Wildkats (5-3 seeding, 4-2 region) are averaging a 15-13 (123-107) score per game or a 2-run margin through eight seeding games.
Valley Union has seeding game wins over San Simon (17-6, March 5), Baboquivari (22-16, March 17), San Simon (17-2, March 20), San Miguel (14-4, March 22), and Baboquivari (20-9, April 8) along with losses to Duncan (4-21, March 3), Bisbee (7-23, March 18), and Fort Thomas (22-26, March 31).
The Blue Devils have a nine-member team, with a roster of two seniors, three juniors, and four sophomores. The roster includes seniors Lexi Boss (15) and Karime Esquer (30); juniors Valeria Carpio (3), Kaylee Davey (12), and Angel Sosa (2); sophomores Kadence Cox (9), Kylee Gilbreth (6), Jolene Larson (34), and Jaylee Valdez (4); and freshmen Taylor Hopkins (1), Tamira Patten (14), and Leilynn Wesley (3).
Valley Union competes in the six-member South Region with Duncan, Fort Thomas, Saint David, San Simon, and Sells Baboquivari.
Five games remain for the Blue Devils: at Willcox (April 14), at Duncan (April 15), at Saint David (April 17), with Saint David (April 23), and with Fort Thomas (April 24).
No. 17 Fort Thomas Apaches (5-7 seeding)
The Loreal Jones-coached 1A South Region Apaches (5-7 seeding, 3-1 region) are averaging an 11-13 (134-159) score per game or a 2-run deficit through 12 seeding games.
Fort Thomas has seeding game wins over San Simon (20-11, March 4), Santa Rita (23-7, March 25), San Carlos (19-1, March 26), Baboquivari (21-7, March 27), and Valley Union (26-2, March 31) along with losses to Saint David (0-18, March 5), Winkelman Hayden (6-16, March 13), Morenci (2-18, April 2), Kearny Ray (2-19, April 9), Pima (12-24, April 10), Superior (2-18, April 11), and Superior (1-18, April 11).
The Apaches have a 17-member team, with a roster of two seniors, six juniors, six sophomores, and three freshmen. The roster includes seniors Veronica Bonilla (13) and Sydney Hosay (2); juniors Kaylee Benally (12), Makayla Chapman (10), Treyiah Declay (17), Sadie Harvey (7), Raeleigh Hawkins (6), and Kirah Moses (18); sophomores Cory Cody (8), Kaylee Hinton (15), Tranessa Jones (19), Alycia Sanchez (11), and Lyra Sanchez (16); and freshmen Taylor Hopkins (1), Tamira Patten (14), and Leilynn Wesley (3).
Fort Thomas competes in the six-member South Region with Duncan, Elfrida Valley Union, Saint David, San Simon, and Sells Baboquivari.
Six region games remain for the Apaches, with Saint David (April 15), at Duncan (April 17), with Baboquivari (April 22), with San Simon (April 23), at Valley Union (April 24), and with Duncan (April 29).
2A No. 10 San Carlos Braves (3-3 seeding)
The Duane Goode-coached 2A East Region Wildkats (3-3 seeding, 1-0 region) are averaging a 12-15 (69-92) score per game or a 3-run deficit through six seeding games.
San Carlos has seeding game wins over Whiteriver Alchesay (18-17, March 11), Sells Baboquivari (21-20, March 29), and Gilbert Classical (17-5, April 3) along with losses to Alchesay (5-22, Feb. 27), Alchesay (7-9, March 11), and Fort Thomas (1-19, March 26).
The Braves have a 17-member team, with a roster of two seniors, six juniors, six sophomores, and three freshmen. The roster includes seniors Veronica Bonilla (13) and Sydney Hosay (2); juniors Kaylee Benally (12), Makayla Chapman (10), Treyiah Declay (17), Sadie Harvey (7), Raeleigh Hawkins (6), and Kirah Moses (18); sophomores Cory Cody (8), Kaylee Hinton (15), Tranessa Jones (19), Alycia Sanchez (11), and Lyra Sanchez (16); and freshmen Taylor Hopkins (1), Tamira Patten (14), and Leilynn Wesley (3).
San Carlos competes in the six-member South Region with Elfrida Valley Union, Fort Thomas, Saint David, San Simon, and Sells Baboquivari.
The remaining games are with Gilbert Leading Edge (April 14), Pima (April 16), Duncan (April 18), Chandler Prep (April 23), and Miami (April 25). Except for the Duncan game, the rest are region counters.
No. 9 Duncan Wildkats (6-4 seeding)
The Shane Dunagan-coached 1A South Region Wildkats (6-4 seeding, 3-1 region) are averaging a 9-8 (91-81) score per game or a 3-run margin through 10 seeding games.
Duncan has seeding game wins over Valley Union (21-4 in 6 inn, March 3), San Carlos (1-0, March 5), Pima (9-1, March 14), Baboquivari (11-1, March 24), Winkelman Hayden (16-1, March 26), and San Simon (18-4, April 7) along with losses to along with losses to Superior (1-12 in 5 inn, March 10), Miami (3-16, April 4), New Mexico Lordsburg (7-18, April 8), and Saint David (4-24, April 10).
The Wildkats have an 11-member team, with a roster of five seniors, three juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman. The roster includes seniors Elizabeth Basteen (21), Kayla Contreras (25), Reymia Contreras (2), Echo Lane (11), and Shaylynn Rhoton (5); juniors Khloe Brown (15), Sierra Chamberlin (1), and Zoley Lane (13); sophomores Sofia Harris (4) and Paisley Patton (14); and freshman Jocelyn Palomino (9).
Duncan competes in the six-member South Region with Elfrida Valley Union, Fort Thomas, Saint David, San Simon, and Sells Baboquivari.
The Wildkats have six of nine region games remaining, in San Simon (April 14), with Valley Union (April 15), with Fort Thomas (April 17), visiting Baboquivari (April 25), visiting Saint David (April 28), and visiting Fort Thomas (April 29).
Duncan’s non-region games include visiting San Carlos (April 18), with Pima (April 23), and visiting Kearny Ray (April 26).
