Morenci, Pima heads to Eagar on Thursday
By Raymundo Frasquillo
WILLCOX – The 2A South Region Willcox Cowboys (1-2 seeding) welcome the 3A South Region Safford Bulldogs on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
The Morenci Wildcats (1-1) and the Pima Roughriders (3-0) head to the White Mountains to participate in the 3-day Eagar Round Valley Tourney, beginning on Thursday. Dec. 11.
PAIRINGS THIS WEEK (Dec. 8-13):
This week (Dec. 8-13) in the 2A South Region this week, Tucson Desert Christian visits 2A Valley Region Eloy Santa Cruz, Tucson Santa Rita visits 1A West Region Maryvale Prep, and Willcox hosts 3A South Region Safford on Dec. 9; Tombstone hosts Andrada Polytechnic on Dec. 10; Tucson Desert Christian hosts 2A West Region Glendale Prep on Dec. 11; Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic hosts 2A South Region Chandler Lincoln Prep and Tucson Santa Rita visits 2A West Region Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic on Dec. 12; and Benson hosts its own 8-team, 3-day tourney, Morenci will be participating in the 15-team, 3-day Eagar Round Valley tourney, and Tombstone will be participating in the Benson tourney on Dec. 11-13.
Results of Dec. 8 pairings were Bisbee over Tombstone 58-44, 3A South Region Thatcher (3-0) over 2A South Region Benson (2-2) 58-35, 3A South Region Tucson Tanque Verde (3-2) over 2A South Region San Miguel Catholic (2-1) 82-22, and 2A South Region Saint Augustine Catholic (3-0) over Andrada Polytechnic (0-5) 75-54.
Pairings for the 2A East Region members are Gilbert Classical hosting 2A Valley Region Florence American Leadership – Anthem South and Chandler Prep hosting 2A Valley Region Phoenix Country Day School on Dec. 9; Arete Prep visiting 2A Valley Region Phoenix Veritas Prep, Miami hosting 3A East Region Whiteriver Alchesay, and Lincoln Prep visiting 2A Valley Region Phoenix NFL Yet on Dec. 10; Gilbert Classical hosting 3A Independent Mesa North American Leadership and Leading Edge hosting 2A Central Region Fountain Hills on Dec. 11; Gilbert San Tan Charter Colorado hosting Aurora Regis Jesuit, Arete Prep hosting Eloy Santa Cruz, and Lincoln Prep visiting 2A South Region Saint Augustine Catholic on Dec. 12; Pima will be participating in the Eagar Round Valley tourney on Dec. 11-13; and San Carlos and Miami will be participating in the 6-team, 2-day Globe tourney on Dec. 12-13.
Results of Dec. 8 pairings were Pima over 3A East Region Lakeside Blue Ridge 75-50 and 3A Central Region Apache Junction over Miami 44-42.
2A MORENCI Wildcats (1-1)
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 will participate in the Eagar Round Valley tourney (Dec. 11-13), 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 returns 11 lettermen in seniors (three) Abraham Cortez (24), Adriana McCallum (12), and Derick Lytle (3); juniors (three) Aymen Abdulqader (11), Damian Espino (35), and Adrian McCabe (12); and sophomores (five) Brennen Burkhead (33), Alejandro LaPrada (34), Sebastian McCallum (32), Deegan Miller (50), and Morgan Petross (31).
Adrian McCallum is a 3-year letterman; Abdulqader, Cortez, and Lytle are 2-year lettermen; and Espino, McCabe, Burkhead, LaPrada, Sebastian McCallum, Miller, and Petross are 1-year lettermen.
Abdulqader was selected to the 2A South All-Region First Team, Cortez to the Second Team, and both Adrian McCabe and Adrian McCallum were Honorable Mention.
Leonard was voted South Region Coach-of-the-Year in 2025 and East Region COY in 2023.
Class of 2025 members Noah Chavez was the Region Defensive Play-of-the-Year, Christopher Lopez was on the First Team, and Yedidia Luputa Kanyinda received Honorable Mention.
Last season, the No. 8 Wildcats (16-2 seeding, 10.5027 rating) finished 27-5 overall and 9-0 in the 2A South Region for first of nine.
2A WILLCOX Cowboys (1-2)
The Farbod Safavi-coached Cowboys (2A South Region) have played three seeding games to date, averaging 51-54 (152-162) per game, or a 3-point deficit. Willcox topped 3A South Region Tucson Catalina (51-31, Dec. 2) and fell to 4A Gila Region Sahuarita (46-62, Dec. 4) and 2A East Region San Carlos (55-69, Dec. 5).
Willcox also went 4-0 during the 2-day Coolidge tourney on Nov. 28-29. The wins were over 4A Black Canyon Region Maricopa Desert Sunrise (46-42, Nov. 28), 2A Valley Region Eloy Santa Cruz (52-49, Nov. 28), 2A Valley Region Florence American Leadership – Anthem South (61-37, Nov. 29), and 3A Central Region Globe (69-56, Nov. 29).
The Cowboys are competing in the 9-member 2A South Region with the Benson Bobcats, the Bisbee Pumas, the Morenci Wildcats, the Tombstone Yellow Jackets, 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 Cowboys host 3A South Region Safford (Dec. 9), visit 1A Region San Simon (Dec. 15), host Tucson Andrada Polytechnic (Dec. 16), and will participate in the 12-team, 2-day Camp Verde tourney (Dec. 29-30).
Willcox has an 11-member roster of a senior, four juniors, five sophomores, and a freshman. The roster includes senior Ty Shull (2); juniors Brian Cuevas (4), Jahir Reyes (12), J.D. Whetten (10), and Carder Wyatt (13); sophomores Ryan Burchett (24), Saul Medina (3), Steele Romney (5), Tucker Stambeck (11), and Asher Ward (15); and freshman Alex Shull (14).
Ty Shull and Whetten have played two varsity seasons, and Reyes, Stambeck, and Wyatt one apiece.
Whetten was selected to the South Region Second Team, and both Reyes and Shull received Honorable Mention. At the same time, Class of 2025 member Caden Hooper was named to the Region First Team.
Last year, the No. 31 Cowboys (16-12 overall, 11-7 seeding, minus 2.8856 rating, 4-4 2A South Region for fifth of nine) did not qualify for the postseason.
2A South Region Standings
Standings for the 2A South Region as of Dec. 8 were Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (3-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Bisbee (2-0, 0-0), Tucson Desert Christian (2-1, 0-0), Benson 2-2, 0-0), Tucson Santa Rita (4-2, 0-0), Tucson San Miguel Catholic (3-4, 0-0), Morenci (1-1, 0-0), Willcox (1-2, 0-0), and Tombstone (0-3, 0-0).
2A PIMA Roughriders (3-0)
The Cliff Thompson-coached Roughriders (2-0 seeding, 0-0 2A East Region) have played three seeding games, averaging a 66-47 (197-140) score per game or a 19-point margin. Pima defeated 2A South Region Benson (62-31, Dec. 2), 2A Central Region Scottsdale Christian (60-59, Dec. 6), and 3A East Region Lakeside Blue Ridge (75-50, Dec. 8).
Pima is competing in the 9-member 2A East Region with the Chandler Lincoln Prep Lightning, Chandler Prep Titans, Gilbert Arete Prep Chargers, Gilbert Classical Knights, Gilbert Leading Edge Spartans, Gilbert San Tan Charter Roadrunners, Miami Vandals, and San Carlos Braves.
In December, Pima will participate in the Eagar Round Valley tourney (Dec. 11-13), host 3A South Region Safford (Dec. 16), and will participate in the 62nd Eastern Arizona Holiday Tourney (Dec. 18-20).
Pima has eight with varsity experience in seniors Keaton Bryce (5), Keegan Corona (14), Charlie Richardson (32), and Isaac Thompson (1); and juniors Cedric Grimes (2), Joel Mattice (12), Stratton McRae (12), and Tanner Smith (3). Corona, Richardson, Mattice, and Thompson have played two seasons apiece, while Bryce, Grimes, McRae, and Smith have one each.
Corona was selected 2A East Region First Team, and Mattice and Charlie Richardson Honorable Mention last season.
Class of 2025 members Preston Russelll and Rhett Hughes were selected All-Region Second Team and Honorable Mention, respectively.
Last season, the No. 6 Roughriders (15-3 seeding, 14.4620 rating) finished 26-6 overall and 7-1 in the 2A East Region for second of nine. Pima exited the 1A/3A Open tourney via a 47-68 loss to San Tan Charter and the 2A state tourney with a 29-57 quarterfinal loss to Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep.
2A East Region Standings
Standings for the 2A East Region as of Dec. 8 were Gilbert San Tan Charter (6-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Gilbert Classical (5-0, 0-0), Pima (3-0, 0-0), San Carlos (3-2, 0-0), Gilbert Arete Prep (2-1, 0-0), Gilbert Leading Edge (2-2, 0-0), Miami (1-2, 0-0), Chandler Lincoln Prep (2-3, 0-0), and Chandler Prep (0-3, 0-0).
Morenci – 75, Empire – 53 (Dec. 5)
Morenci led by eight points (24-16) after the first quarter, by 13 (46-33) at halftime, and by 11 (58-47) heading into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats turned in a 17-6 fourth-quarter effort for the final score.
Abdulqader contributed a game-high 32 points on 13 field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 3-7 free throws, Adrian McCallum 17 on seven field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 1-3 free throws, and Cortez 11 on four field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 1-2 free throws. Adrian McCabe added seven points, both Espino and Petross three apiece, and Miller two.
For the Ravens, sophomore Isaac Buchanan had a team-high 24 points on nine field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 2-2 free throws, and junior Cameron Tanner had 12 on four field goals plus 4-4 free throws. Sophomore Logan Kerby added seven points, junior Desmond Davidson three, junior Jacob Chadwell, junior Jayden Lopez, and junior Josh Smith two apiece, and senior Wendsom Nikiema one.
Fort Thomas – 69, Morenci – 58 (Nov. 25)
Morenci outscored the visiting Fort Thomas Apaches 24-22 in the fourth quarter. Still, it was not enough to offset the 13-point three-quarters deficit.
Fort Thomas led 12-9 after the first quarter, 29-21 at halftime, and 47-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats came within six points, 49-55, with 4:34 remaining, but a pair of 3-pointers during the ensuing 43 seconds doubled the deficit to 12, 49-61. The Wildcats narrowed the gap to eight points twice thereafter, 55-63 with 1:30 and 58-66 with 57 seconds remaining, but no closer. Fort Thomas left Wildcat Memorial Gymnasium with a 69-58 win on Nov. 25.
In the evening, Morenci connected on 25 field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 4-8 free throws, while Fort Thomas netted 24 field goals (eight 3-pointers) plus 13-18 free throws.
Lytle had 14 points on six field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 1-2 free throws, Abdulqader 12 on six field goals plus 0-2 free throws, and Cortez 10 on four field goals plus 2-2 free throws. McCabe and Adrian McCallum added nine points apiece, Espino three, and Miller one.
Three Apaches netted double-digit scoring. Wilson had 22 points on seven field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 6-8 free throws, Michael Oliver 15 on six field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 4-8 free throws, and Justin Olivar 14 on six field goals (two 3-pointers). Johnson added nine points, Titla seven, and Dosela two.
