By Raymundo Frasquillo
DUNCAN — The Fort Thomas Apaches and the Hayden Lobos will play in Duncan on Tuesday, Jan. 14, and Thursday, Jan. 16. The region pairings will tip off at 7 p.m.

Initial state-wide rankings released at noon on Jan. 14 have 1A East Region members with listings of No. 3 for Fort Thomas (7-1 seeding, 7.9880 rating), No. 5 for Phoenix Valley Lutheran (7-2, 3.7467), No. 9 for Scottsdale Cicero Prep (6-5, 1.4268), No. 14 for Winkelman Hayden (6-3, minus 0.9664), No. 21 for Kearny Ray (5-6, minus 7.6580), No. 24 for Duncan (5-6, minus 10.4902), No. 31 for Superior (2-9, minus 14.5895), and No. 38 for San Manuel (1-9, minus 20.0290).
Other region pairings for East Region members this week (Jan. 14-18) include Valley Lutheran at Hayden on Jan. 14; Ray at San Manuel on Jan. 15; Superior at San Manuel on Jan. 16; San Manuel at Valley Lutheran and Hayden at Superior on Jan. 17; and Cicero Prep at and Ray at Cicero Prep on Jan. 10.
The non-region parings include Fort Thomas at Dishchii’bikoh and Tucson’s The Gregory School at Cicero Prep on Jan. 16, and Salome at Fort Thomas and Cicero Prep at Phoenix Country Day School on Jan. 17
1A East Region Standings
Region standings for the 8-team region through Jan. 13 were Fort Thomas (12-8 overall, 7-1 seeding, 2-0 region) first, Valley Lutheran (7-2, 3-0) second, Cicero Prep (6-5, 2-1) third, Hayden (6-3, 1-1) fourth, Duncan (5-6, 1-2) fifth, Ray (5-6, 0-2) sixth, Superior (2-9, 0-2) seventh, and San Manuel (1-9, 0-1) eighth.

To date, region wins have been Fort Thomas over Superior (69-10, Dec. 17) and Hayden (51-41, Jan. 7); Valley Lutheran over Ray (30-21, Dec. 13), Cicero Prep (51-37, Jan. 7), and Duncan (59-38, Jan. 10); Cicero Prep over Ray (57-50, Jan. 10), Hayden over San Manuel (31-19, Dec. 17); and Duncan over Cicero Prep (24-23, Nov. 23) and Superior (64-32, Jan. 10).
No. 3 Fort Thomas Apaches (12-8)
Fort Thomas (12-8 overall, 7-1 seeding, 2-0 1A East Region) is averaging a score of 62-47 (494-372) per seeding game or a 15-point margin. The Matthew Dona-coached Apaches have seeding wins over Many Farms (69-47, Nov. 26), Duncan (80-39, Dec. 10), Superior (57-41, Dec. 17), Hayden (51-41, Jan. 7), Sells Baboquivari (51-47, Jan. 8), Heber Mogollon (71-58, Jan. 10), and Rock Point (76-40, Jan. 11) along with a loss to San Carlos (39-59, Dec. 4).

Additionally, the Apaches went 3-4 in the 3-day Round Valley tourney and 2-3 in the 3-day 61st Eastern Arizona Holiday tourney. The wins were over Round Valley (61-33, Dec. 12), Lakeside Blue Ridge (60-49, Dec. 14), Whiteriver Alchesay (56-50, Dec. 14), Saint Johns (87-56, Dec. 19), and Apache Junction (56-30, Dec. 21) while the losses were to Holbrook (43-45, Dec. 12), Morenci (54-69, Dec. 12), Morenci (49-60, Dec. 14), Pima (45-56, Dec. 14), Tucson Tanque Verde (54-70, Dec. 19), Morenci (59-60, Dec. 20), and Tucson Empire (71-72, Dec. 20). Fort Thomas is averaging an overall score of 59-51 (1,189-1,022) per seeding game or an 8-point margin.
Fort Thomas has a 13-member team of three seniors, six juniors, one sophomore, and three freshmen. The roster includes seniors Allen Gilbert (10), Runyon Kinney (44), Justin Kitcheyan (45), and Orion Titla (14); juniors Damarae Dosela (31), Koby Hunter (23), Justin Olivar (25), Michael Olivar (34), Aiden Victor (20), and Channing Wilson (11); sophomore Brian Sign (50); and freshmen Amare Ethalbah (15) and Malachi Johnson (35).
The Apaches are competing in the 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. 14 Hayden Lobos (9-11)
Hayden (9-11 overall, 6-3 seeding, 1-1 1A East Region) averages a score of 56-40 (518-362) per seeding game or a 16-point margin. The Ramon Gonzalez-coached Lobos have seeding wins over Kearny Ray (55-45, Dec. 2), San Manuel (70-20, Dec. 3), Superior (58-35, Dec. 10), Patagonia (54-30, Dec. 12), San Manuel (50-28), and San Simon (86-25, Jan. 11).
The losses are to Cicero Prep (55-67, Dec. 18), Fort Thomas (41-51, Jan. 7), and Tucson’s The Gregory School (49-61, Dec. 17).
Additionally, the Lobos went 3-3 in the 2-day Globe tourney and 0-5 in the 3-day 61st Eastern Arizona Holiday tourney. The wins were over Tuba City Greyhills (41-28, Dec. 13), Superior (61-23, Dec. 14), Greyhills (61-14, Dec. 14) while the losses were to San Carlos (56-65, Dec. 13), Avondale Agua Fria (42-44, Dec. 13), Globe (37-56, Dec. 14), Tucson Empire (40-66, Dec. 19), Pima (26-55, Dec. 19), Saint David (45-52, Dec. 20), Tucson Pueblo (37-63, Dec. 20), and Saint Johns (56-72, Dec. 21). Hayden is averaging an overall score of 51-45 (1,020-900) per game or a 6-point margin.
The Lobos have a 13-member team of five seniors, four juniors, three sophomores, and one freshman. The roster includes seniors Junior Contreras (10), JR Fong (5), Paula Gaither (3), JJ Manriquez (1), and Jordan Rodriguez (2); juniors Anjelo Castillo (44), Tyler Garner (4), Mario Hong (32), and Kino Lorona (11); sophomore Lucas Gonzalez (23), MJ Oropeza (33), and Jando Waddell (140); and freshman Marcos Hong (13).
Superior is competing in the 8-member 1A East Region with the Duncan Wildkats, the Fort Thomas Apaches, the Kearney Ray Bearcats, the Phoenix Valley Lutheran Flames, the San Manuel Miners, the Scottsdale Cicero Prep Centurians, and the Winkelman Hayden Lobos.
No. 24 Duncan Wildkats (5-10)
Duncan (5-10 overall, 5-6 seeding, 1-2 1A East Region) averages a score of 40-47 (436-515) per seeding game or a 7-point deficit. The Brad Roof-coached Wildkats have seeding wins over San Manuel (41-29, Nov. 26), Tucson ASDB (44-24, Dec. 3), San Simon (41-33, Dec. 17), Valley Union (45-31, Jan. 10), and Superior (64-32, Jan. 7).

The losses are to Superior (36-50, Nov. 22), Cicero Prep (17-56, Nov. 23), Saint David (24-54, Dec. 4), Dishchii’bikoh (47-67, Dec. 6), Fort Thomas (39-80, Dec. 10), and Valley Lutheran (38-59, Jan. 10).
In addition, the Wildkats went 0-4 during the 3-day Round Valley tourney, with losses to host Round Valley (22-66, Dec. 12), Holbrook (40-69, Dec. 12), Morenci (54-64, Dec. 13), and Sanders Valley (35-59, Dec. 13). The Wildkats are averaging an overall score of 39-52 (587-773) per game or a 14-point deficit.
Duncan has an 11-member team: one senior, five juniors, two sophomores, and three freshmen. The roster includes senior Isaac Harris (12), juniors Josh Free (50), Tanner Giacoletti (32), Taygan Jensen (22), Pablo Ruiz (10), and Isaiah Sumner (24), sophomores Joseph Nandino (34) and Aaron Zamora (30), and freshmen Canyon Carver (42), Jared Kempton (44), and Wyatt Lunt (4).
The Wildkats are competing 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.
Wildkats – 64, Panthers – 32
Isaac Harris broke a 7-7 early tie on an Isaiah Sumner assist, and the Wildkats never relinquished the lead thereafter. Duncan went on runs of 13-3 to finish out the first quarter and 19-2 to take a 39-12 advantage into the midgame break. The teams both had different rosters from the initial meeting.

The Wildkats had a 47-point turnaround against the visiting Panthers, posting a 32-point region home win on Jan. 7 compared to a 15-point loss during the Nov. 22 season opener in Superior.
For the game, Duncan connected on 26 field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 8-16 free throws compared to 13 field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 3-11 free throws by Superior.
Taygan Jensen and Isaiah Sumner tallied 20 points apiece on nine field goals (two 3-pointers) and eight field goals plus 4-6 free throws, respectively. Harris added six points, Tanner Giacoletti five, Canyon Carver and Jared Kempton four each, Pablo Ruiz three, and Joseph Nandino two.
For Superior, sophomore Noah Jimenez scored 14 points on six field goals (two 3-pointers). Junior Antonio Lopez added six points, sophomore Ryland Duarte five, junior Brandon Ramirez three, and sophomores Caleb Lopez and Adam Sandoval two.