Cats face Eagles for title on Thursday

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Brayden Mason (00) tries to control the ball ahead of Evan Mattice (35). Mason scored five of nine overtime points to propel Morenci into the championship game against Thatcher. Paul Nelson Gymnasium is the site of the contest on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 4 p.m.

Morenci 7th boys needed an extra period to advance

By Raymundo Frasquillo

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Josiah Vidales (14) put up a successful shot in the closing 34 seconds to give Morenci a 33-31 edge. Heaston Alder tied it 17 seconds later to force an overtime period.

MORENCI – The Morenci Wildcats visit the Thatcher Eagles on Thursday, Jan. 30. The pairing will decide the Eastern Arizona Junior High School Athletic Association’s 2025 7th grade tourney champion. Tip-off in Paul Nelson Gymnasium is 4 p.m.

Deadlocked at 33-33 at the end of regulation play, Morenci needed an extra period to get past Pima on Jan. 28. to advance from the tourney semifinal. Thatcher eliminated Fort Thomas in the other semifinal to match the winners for the title.

Morenci – 42, Pima – 33 OT

The semifinal outcome on Phil Martinez Court was decided in overtime as the Wildcats outscored the Roughriders 9-0. Brayden Mason contributed five points, and both Ruel Rogers and Grayson Stergion had two each.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Daniel Manzo (50) goes up for shot attempt against Pima defender Walker Pedersen (44). Manzo finished with five points, while Pedersen had six.

The host Wildcats led 9-8 following the opening quarter, 22-14 at halftime, and 26-22 heading into the fourth quarter. Pima turned in an 11-7 effort for a 33-33 deadlock at the end of regulation play,

Morenci expanded its lead in the second quarter to double figures, 22-12 on a Mason field goal with 1:02 left, but a pair of Codyn McEuen free throws 16 seconds later pared the deficit to eight by halftime.

Two field goals by Heaston Alder and a third by Evan Mattice during the opening 1:13 of the second half made the difference 20-22, favoring Morenci. The Wildcats added 1-2 Daniel Manzo free throws plus a Josiah Vidales 3-pointer within 25 seconds to go up 26-20. A McEuen field goal with 3:29 left in the third quarter gave the Roughriders a 4-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Fairbanks Middle School 7th-grade spirit line member McKenzie Carrasco helps cheer on the Wildcats.

A Vidales 3-pointer raised the margin to seven, 29-22, with 38 seconds elapsed in the final quarter. Pima countered with 1-2 McEuen free throws and added five field goals versus two by Morenci to force a tie.

For the game, Morenci netted 18 field goals (five 3-pointers) plus 1-6 free throws compared to 15 field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 2-8 free throws by Pima.

Mason tallied a game-high 13 points on six field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 0-2 free throws. Stergion and Josiah Vidales added eight points apiece, Daniel Manzo five, and Elias Murillo and Rogers both had four. Malachi Armijo, Bethel Cruz, Mason Merrill, and Micah Szymanski were the other team members not scoring.

For Pima, McEuen had 11 points on five field goals plus 1-6 free throws, and Alder had 10 on five field goals. Walker Pederson added six points, Hunter Merideth four, and Mattice two. Trigg Allred, Drew Bryce, Leo Bryce, Kannan Lackner, and Levis Rugers were the other team members not scoring.