Duncan girls welcome Lobos for Play-in Round
By Raymundo Frasquillo
FORT THOMAS – The No. 2 Lee Haws-coached Fort Thomas Apaches (15-3 seeding, 12.8723 rating) host the No. 25 Colorado City El Capitan Eagles (5-9, minus 11.1776) on Thursday, Feb. 13. The pairing is for the 1A Play-in Round. The No. 6 Eldon Merrell-coached Duncan Wildkats welcome the No. 21 Winkelman Hayden Lobos, also for a Play-in Round pairing on the same date with both games having 7 p.m. starts.
Top-ranked 1A Joseph City (18-1, 15.7871) succumbed 33-41 to 3A No. 4 Show Low (14-5, 17.4455) onFeb. 11 as Copper (open) No. 11 to No. 4 during the first round.
Fort Thomas defeated Phoenix Valley Lutheran (65-37, Feb. 7) during the semifinals and Scottsdale Cicero Prep (53-19, Feb. 8) during the final of the East Region tourney. Cicero Prep ousted Duncan (30-24, Feb. 7) during the other semifinal in Winkelman.
1A State Play-in Round
The other Play-in Round pairings are No. 3 Heber Mogollon (14-4 seeding, 9.4899 rating) hosts No. 24 Saint Michael (5-13, minus 10.4746) at 7 p.m., No. 4 Saint David (12-4, 8.9446) hosts No. 23 Peach Springs Music Mountain (4-10, minus 10.4443) at 7 p.m., No. 5 Rock Point (13-3, 6.6347) hosts No. 22 Elfrida Valley Union (6-11, minus 9.8393) at 7 p.m., No. 7 Sells Baboquivari (16-3, 5.0538) hosts No. 20 North Phoenix Prep (11-7, minus 6.4564) at 6 p.m., and No. 8 Ash Fork (14-4, 4.4860) hosts No. 19 Grand Canyon (9-8, minus 6.1478) at 7 p.m.
Salome (10-3, 0.5309) hosts No. 18 Teec Nos Red Mesa (6-9, minus 5.3518) as No. 9 at 6 p.m., No. 10 Cicero Prep (12-6, 0.4828) hosts No. 17 Williams (8-10, minus 3.8913) at 5:30 p.m., No. 11 San Simon (14-4, minus 0.5547) hosts No. 16 Fredonia (8-5, minus 3.7442) at 6 p.m., No. 12 California Winterhaven San Pasqual (9-4, minus 0.5907) hosts No. 15 Valley Lutheran (10-7, minus 3.2687) at 5:30 p.m., and No. 13 Phoenix Maryvale Prep (15-3, minus 0.6956) hosts No. 14 Dishchii’bikoh (10-7, minus 1.6904) at 5:30 p.m.
1A Final State Rankings
The final 1A state-wide Top 24 of 40 team rankings were Joseph City (18-1 seeding, 15.7871 rating) No. 1, Fort Thomas (15-3, 12.8723) No. 2, Heber Mogollon (14-4, 9.4899) No. 3, Saint David (12-4, 8.9446) No. 4, Rock Point (13-3, 6.6347) No. 5, Duncan (16-4, 5.0538) No. 6, Sells Baboquivari (16-3, 5.0538) No. 7, and Ash Fork (14-4, 4.4860) No. 8.
Salome (10-3, 0.5309) was No. 9, Scottsdale Cicero Prep (12-6, 0.4828) No. 10, San Simon (14-4, minus 0.5547) No.11, California Winterhaven San Pasqual (9-4, minus 0.5907) No. 12, Phoenix Maryvale Prep (15-3, minus 0.6956) No. 13, Dishchii’bikoh (10-7, minus 1.6904) No. 14, Phoenix Valley Lutheran (10-7, minus 3.2687) No. 15, and Fredonia (8-5, minus 3.7442) No. 16.
Williams (8-10, minus 3.8913) was No. 17, Teec Nos Red Mesa (6-9, minus 5.3518) No. 18, Grand Canyon (9-8, minus 6.1478) No. 19, North Phoenix Prep (11-7, minus 6.4564) No. 20, Winkelman Hayden (8-9, minus 7.4130) No. 21, Elfrida Valley Union (6-11, minus 9.8393) No. 22, Peach Springs Music Mountain (4-10, minus 10.4443) No. 23, and Saint Michael (5-13, minus 10.4746) No. 24.
1A East Region Final Standings
The final East Region standings were Fort Thomas (27-5 overall, 15-3 seeding, 7-0 region) first, Duncan (21-5 overall, 16-4, 6-1) second, Scottsdale Cicero Prep (15-11, 12-6, 5-2) third, Phoenix Valley Lutheran (12-8, 10-7, 4-3) fourth, Winkelman Hayden (8-14, 8-9, 3-4) fifth, San Manuel (4-14, 4-14, 2-5) sixth, Kearny Ray (5-15, 5-13, 1-6) seventh, and Superior (3-15, 3-15, 0-7) eighth.
Fort Thomas had region wins over Superior (69-10, Dec. 17), Hayden (55-20, Jan. 7), Duncan (60-27, Jan. 14), Cicero Prep (68-31, Jan. 22), Valley Lutheran (62-28, Jan. 24), Ray (86-23, Jan. 28), and San Manuel (61-28, Feb. 4); it was Duncan over Cicero Prep (24-23, Nov. 23), Superior (44-16), Valley Lutheran (38-37, Jan. 10), San Manuel (46-10, Jan. 21), Hayden (33-12, Jan. 28), and Ray (41-19, Jan. 31); it was Cicero Prep over Valley Lutheran (30-23, Jan. 7), Ray (44-27, Jan. 10), San Manuel (43-18, Jan. 24), Superior (47-12, Jan. 28), and Hayden (41-11, Jan. 31); it was Valley Lutheran over Ray (30-21, Dec. 13), Hayden (44-17, Jan. 14), San Manuel (53-45, Jan. 17), and Superior (43-7, Jan. 21); it was Hayden over San Manuel (31-19, Dec. 17), Superior (34-10, Jan. 17), and Ray (27-13, Jan. 21); it was San Manuel over Ray (31-20, Jan. 15) and Superior (37-10, Jan. 16); and it was Ray over Superior (33-12, Jan. 24).
No. 2 Fort Thomas Apaches (27-5)
Fort Thomas (27-5 overall, 15-3 seeding, 7-0 1A South Region) is averaging a score of 59-35 (1,069-621) per seeding game or a 24-point margin. The Lee Haws-coached Apaches have seeding wins over Duncan (55-21, Dec. 10), Superior (69-10, Dec. 17), Hayden (55-20, Jan. 7), Baboquivari (65-35, Jan. 8), Mogollon (48-36, Jan. 10), Rock Point (68-56, Jan. 11), Duncan (60-27, Jan. 14), Dishchii’bikoh (56-28, Jan. 16), Salome (55-41, Jan. 17), Saint David (62-27, Jan. 21), Cicero Prep (68-31, Jan. 22), Valley Lutheran (62-28, Jan. 24), Ray (86-23, Jan. 28), Saint Michael (78-23, Feb. 1), and San Manuel (61-48, Feb. 4). The losses were to Many Farms (44-50, Nov. 26), San Carlos (37-54, Dec. 4), and Joseph City (40-63, Jan. 31).
In addition, the Apaches went 6-1 during the 3-day Round Valley tourney, 4-1 during the 3-day Eastern Arizona Holiday tourney, and 2-0 during the East Region tourney. The wins were over Safford (69-42, Dec. 12), Sanders Valley (60-44, Dec. 12), Lakeside Blue Ridge (57-23, Dec. 13), Eagar Round Valley (53-36, Dec. 14), Whiteriver Alchesay (56-49, Dec. 14), San Carlos (49-44, Dec. 14), Tucson Empire (78-13, Dec. 19), Morenci (66-16, Dec. 19), Peoria Centennial (59-22, Dec. 20), Saint David (60-27, Dec. 21), Valley Lutheran (65-37, Feb. 7), and Cicero Prep (53-19, Feb. 8) as well as losses to Holbrook (54-63, Dec. 13) and Snowflake (45-53, Dec. 20). Fort Thomas is averaging an overall score of 59-35 (1,893-1,109) per game or a 24-point margin.
Fort Thomas has a 13-member team of one senior, five juniors, four sophomores, and three freshmen. The roster includes senior Adaia Lorenzo (23); juniors Leia Begay (5), Kaylee Benally (33), Makayla Chapman (25), Raeleigh Hawkins (15), and Kirah Moses (44); sophomores Kynnedee Bryce (45), Corey Cody (10), Jamie Johnson (14), and Alycia Sanchez (30); and freshmen Carmen Antonio (34), Tyshara Garland (50), and Leilynn Wesley (3).
The Apaches competed in 8-member 1A East Region with the Cicero Prep Centurians, the Duncan Wildkats, the Hayden Lobos, the Ray Bearcats, the San Manuel Miners, the Superior Panthers, and the Valley Lutheran Flames.
No. 7 Duncan Wildkats (21-5)
Duncan (21-5 overall, 16-4 seeding, 6-1 1A East Region) is averaging a score of 36-25 (678-464) per seeding game or an 11-point margin. The Eldon Merrell-coached Wildkats have seeding wins over Superior (45-7, Nov. 22), Scottsdale Cicero Prep (24-23, Nov. 23), San Manuel (42-7, Nov. 26), ASDB (48-15, Dec. 3), Dishchii’bikoh (37-34, Dec. 6), San Simon (40-8, Dec. 17), Elfrida Valley Union (34-28, Jan. 6), Superior (44-16, Jan. 7), Valley Lutheran (38-37, Jan. 10), Hayden (34-8, Jan. 16), San Manuel (46-10, Jan. 21), San Simon (33-9, Jan. 23), Hayden (33-12, Jan. 28), Santa Rita (42-23, Jan. 29), and Ray (41-19, Jan. 31). The losses are to Saint David (13-44, Dec. 4), Fort Thomas (21-55, Dec. 10), Fort Thomas (27-60, Jan. 14), and Willcox (36-49, Feb. 3).
Additionally, the Wildkats went 5-1 during the 2-day Heber Mogollon tourney on Dec. 19-20. Duncan defeated 6A Desert Southwest Region San Luis (34-13, Dec. 19), San Simon (33-17, Dec. 19), 2A North Region Tuba City Greyhills (46-11, Dec. 20), San Luis (29-24, Dec. 20), and San Simon (35-14, Dec. 20). The loss was to 1A Central Region host Mogollon (21-44). Overall, the Wildkats are averaging an overall score of 35-22 (876-543) per game or a 13-point margin.
Duncan has a 10-member roster of two seniors, one junior, five sophomores, and two freshmen. The roster includes seniors Emily Kempton (14) and Camille Miller (11); junior Emily Evans (24); sophomores Lily Ford (20), Sophia Harris (15), Makenzie Jones (30), Heidi Miller (22), and Paisley Patton (23); and freshmen Haley Bigler (50) and Elvalie Vigil (12).
The Wildkats competed in the 8-member 1A East Region with the Cicero Prep Centurians, the Fort Thomas Apaches, the Hayden Lobos, the Ray Bearcats, the San Manuel Miners, the Superior Panthers, and the Valley Lutheran Flames.
