Duncan welcomes the Cougars for Round 1
By Raymundo Frasquillo
DUNCAN – The Eldon Merrell-coached No. 4 Duncan Wildkats welcome the No. 13 Rock Point Cougars (8-10, minus 1.5964) for a first-round pairing with a 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, in Graham County, the No. 2 Lee Haws-coached Fort Thomas Apaches (16-2, 14.7322) host No. 15 Williams (8-9, minus 2.2887) in Jerry W. Hancock Gymnasium, also with a 6 p.m. start.
Duncan hosted No. 11 San Simon as No. 6, resulting in a 26-24 advancement. The Wildkats are 1-2 in first-round pairings during the previous six seasons (2020-25).
Fort Thomas is 3-0 during the same 6-year span, besting No. 15 Salome as No. 2 in 2021, No. 13 Dishchii’bikoh 56-38 as No. 4, and No. 14 Patagonia 51-30 as No. 3 last season.
This week (Feb. 16-21):
1A State Tourney Round 1 (Feb. 16)
The 1A state tourney first round has No. 1 Joseph City (17-1 seeding, 15.0476 rating) hosting No. 16 California Winterhaven San Pasqual (11-6, minus 4.6113), No. 8 Colorado City El Capitan (9-4, 3.3276) hosting No. 9 Salome (13-3, 2.2764), No. 5 Ash Fork (15-3, 6.1179) hosting No. 12 Elfrida Valley Union (10-6, minus 1.0084), and No. 4 Duncan (16-3, 9.5090) hosting No. 13 Rock Point (8-10, minus 1.5964) in the upper bracket.
Lower bracket pairings include No. 3 Saint David (16-2, 12.1080) hosting No. 14 Sells Baboquivari (11-6, minus 1.9317), No. 6 Scottsdale Cicero Prep (13-5, 4.4002) hosting No. 11 San Simon (13-5, 0.3729), No. 7 Dishchii’bikoh (12-6, 3.8949) hosting No. 10 Heber Mogollon (9-8, 1.8717), and No. 2 Fort Thomas (16-2, 14.7322) hosting No. 15 Williams (8-9, minus 2.2887).
The quarterfinals are on Feb. 20, the semifinals on Feb. 21 at Goodyear Millennium, and the championship at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 28.
1A No. 13 Rock Point (8-10 seeding, minus 1.5964 rating)
Rock Point (13-11*, 8-10, 4-2 1A North Region) is averaging a 51-49 (1,233-1,169) score per game or a 2-point margin through 24 games.
A 13-member roster includes five seniors, three juniors, four sophomores, and a freshman. The seniors are Oodessa Barlow (13), Ariel Begay (12), Coriana Begay (24), Sarah Begay (41), and Shandiin Chee (15); juniors Aiyana Becenti (21), Kayah Jones (20), and Pepper Pete (10); sophomore Ariaysha Becenti (35), Ashanti Smith (23), Destiny Shorty (11), and Rhyanna Yazzie (42); and freshmen Tatum Shorty (25).
The Andrew Reed-coached Cougars competed in the 7-member 1A North Region with the Colorado City El Capitan Eagles, the Dishcii’bikoh Wildcats, the Flagstaff Basis Yetis, the Rough Rock Sundevils, the Saint Michael Cardinals, and the Teec Nos Pos Red Mesa Redskins.
1A No. 4 Duncan (16-3 seeding, 9.5090 rating)
Duncan (21-8, 16-3, 6-1) is averaging a 38-23 (1,092-674) score per game or a 15-point margin through 29 games.
A 9-member roster includes a senior, four juniors, a sophomore, and three freshmen. The senior is Karleigh Capel (14); juniors Lily Ford (20), Sofia Harris (15), Heidi Miller (22), and Paisley Patton (23); sophomore Haley Bigler (50); and freshmen Emma Harris (5), Dusty Rodriguez (11), and Josie Wright (4).
The Eldon Merrell-coached Wildkats competed 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.
1A No. 15 Williams (8-9 seeding, minus 2.2887 rating)
Williams (13-13 overall, 8-9 seeding, 5-2 1A Central Region) is averaging a 39-34 (1,015-872) score per game or a 5-point margin through 26 games.
A 9-member roster includes a senior, four juniors, a sophomore, and three freshmen. The senior is Karleigh Capel (14); juniors Lily Ford (20), Sofia Harris (15), Heidi Miller (22), and Paisley Patton (23); sophomore Haley Bigler (50); and freshmen Emma Harris (5), Dusty Rodriguez (11), and Josie Wright (4).
The Brianne Ford-coached Vikings competed in the 8-member 1A Central Region with the Ash Fork Spartans, the Heber Mogollon Mustangs, the Grand Canyon Phantoms, the Joseph City Wildcats, the Mayer Wildcats, the Peach Springs Music Mountain Warriors, and the Seligman Antelopes.
Copper No. 13 / 1A No. 1 Fort Thomas (16-2 seeding, 14.7322 rating)
Fort Thomas (23-5 overall, 16-2 seeding, 7-0 region) is averaging a 52-36 (1,666-1,142) score per game or a 16-point margin, both through 32 games.
A 14-member roster includes five seniors, four juniors, three sophomores, and two freshmen. The seniors are Leia Begay (23), Kaylee Benally (0), Makayla Chapman (25), Raeleigh Hawkins (15), and Tawnee Jones (30); juniors Kynnedee Bryce (45), Corey Cody (10), Jamie Johnson (14), and Alycia Sanchez (5); sophomores Carmen Antonio (34), Kirah Moses (44), and Leilynn Wesley (3); and freshmen Jalayah Johnson (50) and Aaliyah Peter (53).
The Lee Haws-coached Apaches competed in the 8-member 1A East Region with the Duncan Wildkats, 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.
1A State Play-In (Feb. 12)
All eight of the higher seeds advanced in the 1A state Play-In Round. It was No. 9 Salome (13-3, 2.2764) over No. 24 Peach Springs Music Mountain (6-10, minus 10.1612) 49-38, No. 10 Heber Mogollon (9-8, 1.8717) over No. 23 Patagonia (6-8, minus 8.9518) 69-39, No. 11 San Simon (13-5, 0.3729) over No. 22 Winkelman Hayden (7-11, minus 8.0224) 45-25, and No. 12 Elfrida Valley Union (10-6, minus 1.0084) over No. 21 Phoenix Great Hearts Anthem (10-6, minus 7.4967) 49-23.
In addition, it was No. 13 Rock Point (8-10, minus 1.5964) over No. 20 Teec Nos Pos Red Mesa (8-9, minus 6.1918) 51-41, No. 14 Sells Baboquivari (11-6, minus 1.9317) over No. 19 Grand Canyon (10-8, minus 6.0509) 51-27, No. 15 Williams (8-9, minus 2.2887) over No. 18 Tucson’s The Gregory School1(10-8, minus 5.6159) 38-26, and No. 16 California Winterhaven San Pasqual (11-6, minus 4.6113) over No. 17 Kearny Ray (10-8, minus 5.01344) 39-34.
1A State Rankings
State rankings for the Top 24 of 39 teams as of 4 p.m. on Feb. 7 were Joseph City (17-1 seeding, 15.0476 rating) No. 1, Fort Thomas (16-2, 14.7322) No. 2, Saint David (16-2, 12.1080) No. 3, Duncan (16-3, 9.5090) No. 4, Ash Fork (15-3, 6.1179) No. 5, Scottsdale Cicero Prep (13-5, 4.4002) No. 6, Dishchii’bikoh (12-6, 3.8949) No. 7, and Colorado City El Capitan (9-4, 3.3276) No. 8.
Salome (13-3, 2.2764) was No.9, Heber Mogollon (9-8, 1.8717) No. 10, San Simon (13-5, 0.3729) No. 11, Elfrida Valley Union (10-6, minus 1.0084) No. 12, Rock Point (8-10, minus 1.5964) No. 13, Sells Baboquivari (11-6, minus 1.9317) No. 14, Williams (8-9, minus 2.2887) No. 15, and California Winterhaven San Pasqual (11-6, minus 4.6113) No. 16.
Kearny Ray (10-8, minus 5.01344 was No. 17, Tucson’s The Gregory School1(10-8, minus 5.6159) No. 18, Grand Canyon (10-8, minus 6.0509) No. 19, Teec Nos Pos Red Mesa (8-9, minus 6.1918) No. 20, Phoenix Great Hearts Anthem (10-6, minus 7.4967) No. 21, Winkelman Hayden (7-11, minus 8.0224) No. 22, Patagonia (6-8, minus 8.9518) No. 23, and Peach Springs Music Mountain (6-10, minus 10.1612) No. 24.
Rankings for the other three 1A East Region members were Valley Lutheran (5-13, minus 12.7284) No. 28, Superior (5-12, minus 12.9969) No. 29, and San Manuel (2-16, minus 18.9251) No. 35.
