Duncan welcomes San Simon on Tuesday
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Ruben Leonard-coached Morenci Wildcats (1-1 seeding) host the Tombstone Yellow Jackets (1-3) on Monday, Dec. 15. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
The Brandon Lunt-coached Duncan Wildkats (3-3) host 1A South Region Sam Simon (1-4) and Morenci visits 2A East Region San Carlos (3-2) on Tuesday, Dec. 16, both with 7 p.m. starts, and Morenci heads to the 3-day, 62nd Eastern Arizona Holiday Tourney on Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 18-20.
PAIRINGS THIS WEEK (Dec. 15-20):
This week (Dec. 15-20) in the 2A South Region, Saint Augustine (3-0) visits 3A South Region Tucson Catalina, San Miguel (3-5) visits 2A Valley Region Eloy Santa Cruz, Santa Rita (5-3) visits 1A South Region Saint David (4-0), Morenci (1-1) hosts Tombstone (1-3), and Willcox (1-3) visits 1A South Region San Simon (1-4) on Dec. 15; Morenci visits 2A East Region San Carlos (3-2), Willcox hosts 3A South Region Tucson Andrada Polytechnic (0-7), and Tombstone visits 1A South Region Elfrida Valley Union (2-1) on Dec. 16; Bisbee (2-0) visits 4A Gila Region Douglas (2-2) and Santa Rita hosts 3A South Region Tucson Empire (2-3) on Dec. 17; Bisbee hosts Tombstone on Dec. 19; Desert Christian and Morenci will participate in the 12-team, 4-site, 3-day 62nd Eastern Arizona Holiday Tourney (Dec. 18-20), and Santa Ria will participate in the 16-team, 3-dayTanque Verde tourney on Dec. 18-20.
The 1A East Region has Valley Lutheran (4-0) hosting Chandler Lincoln Prep (3-3) on Dec. 15; Fort Thomas (5-0) hosting Superior (2-4), Duncan (3-3) hosting 1A South Region San Simon (4-1), and Hayden (4-0) visiting San Manuel (1-6) on Dec. 16; Ray (5-1) visiting Superior and Hayden hosting Cicero Prep (1-3) on Dec. 17; Valley Lutheran visiting San Manuel on Dec. 19; and both Hayden and Fort Thomas will participate in the 62nd Eastern Arizona Holiday Tourney on Dec. 18-20.
2A MORENCI Wildcats (1-1 seeding)
The Ruben Leonard-coached Wildcats (1-1 seeding, 0-0 2A South Region) have played two seeding games, averaging a 67-61 (133-122) score per game or a 6-point margin. The win was over 3A South Region Tucson Empire (75-53, Dec. 5) while the loss was to 1A South Region Fort Thomas (58-69, Dec. 2).
Morenci is competing in the 9-member 2A South Region with the Benson Bobcats, the Bisbee Pumas, the Tombstone Yellow Jackets, the Willcox Cowgirls, and Tucson schools the Desert Christian Eagles, the Saint Augustine Catholic Wolves, the San Miguel Catholic Vipers, and the Santa Rita Eagles.
In December, the Wildcats host Tombstone (Dec. 15), visit 2A East Region San Carlos (Dec. 16), and will participate in the 62nd Eastern Arizona Holiday Tourney (Dec. 18-20).
Morenci has an 8-member roster of three seniors, four juniors, and a sophomore. The seniors are Abraham Cortez (24), Adrian McCallum (25), and Derick Lytle (22); juniors Aymen Abdulqader (11), Damian Espino (21), Adrian McCabe (12), and Morgan Petross (35); and sophomore Deegan Miller (23).
2A South Region Standings
Standings for the 2A South Region as of Dec. 13 were Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (3-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Bisbee (2-0, 0-0), Tucson Desert Christian (3-2, 0-0), Benson 2-2, 0-0), Tucson San Miguel Catholic (3-5, 0-0), Tucson Santa Rita (5-3, 0-0), Morenci (1-1, 0-0), Willcox (1-3, 0-0), and Tombstone (1-3, 0-0).
1A DUNCAN Wildkats (3-3 seeding)
The Brandon Lunt-coached Wildkats (5-5 overall, 3-3 seeding, 0-0 1A East Region) have played six seeding games, averaging a 43-42 (256-251) score per game or a 1-point margin. The wins are over San Manuel (44-25, Nov. 25), the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (58-23, Dec. 2), and Superior (47-41, Dec. 5) while the losses are to Saint David (28-46, Dec. 3), Fort Thomas (37-65, Dec. 9), and Dishchii’bikoh (42-51, Dec. 11).
Duncan opened the season in Tucson during the 3-day Boyd Baker tourney, ending 2-2. The wins were over Nogales Lourdes Catholic (49-20, Nov. 20) and Patagonia (50-38, Nov. 22), while the losses were to Joseph City (44-70, Nov. 20) and Bisbee (33-40, Nov. 21).
The Wildkats are competing in the 8-member 1A East Region with the Fort Thomas Apaches, the Kearny Ray Bearcats, the Phoenix Valley Lutheran Flames, the San Manuel Miners, the Scottsdale Cicero Prep Centurions, the Superior Panthers, and the Winkelman Hayden Lobos.
In December, the Wildkats host 1A South Region San Simon (Dec. 16).
Duncan lists a 12-member team of four seniors, three juniors, and five sophomores. The roster includes seniors Tanner Giacoletti (32), Taygan Jensen (22), Pablo Ruiz (10), and Isaiah Sumner (24); juniors Connor Free (12), and Dayton Penry (4); and sophomores Mark Bejarano (34), Canyon Carver (42), Jared Kempton (44), Karsen Lacey (14), and Wyatt Lunt (40).
1A East Region Standings
Region standings as of Dec. 13 were Phoenix Valley Lutheran (4-0 seeding, 1-0 region), Winkelman Hayden (4-0, 0-0), Fort Thomas (5-0, 0-0), Kearny Ray (5-1, 0-1), Duncan (3-3, 0-0), Superior (2-4, 0-0), San Manuel (1-6, 0-0), and Scottsdale Cicero Prep (1-3, 0-0).
