By Raymundo Frasquillo
DUNCAN – The Darcy Barney-coached Apaches (5-4 overall) host 2A Southeast Region Willcox (5-3) on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The match has a 5 p.m. start.
The teams met earlier in the season with Willcox posting a 2-0 (27-25, 25-12) win for third place during the Second Cochise County Round-up on Aug. 29.
Also this week (Sept. 14-19) for 1A East Region members, Cicero Prep hosts 2A Valley Region Laveen Heritage on Monday, Sept. 14; Hayden visits Superior, Duncan visits Saint David, Ray visits San Manuel on Sept. 15; Hayden visits Ray, San Manuel hosts 1A South Region Nogales Lourdes Catholic, and Superior hosts Tucson’s Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind on Thursday, Sept. 17; Cicero Prep visits 1A West Region North Phoenix Prep, Fort Thomas visits 1A Central Region Grand Canyon on Friday, Sept. 18; and Fort Thomas visits 1A Central Region Joseph City on Saturday, Sept. 19.
2A Willcox Cowgirls (2-2 seeding)
The Shaye Klump-coached Willcox Cowgirls (5-3 overall, 2-2 seeding, 0-0 region) have seeding wins over Morenci of 3-1 (23-25, 29-27, 25-21, 25-18) on Aug. 26 and over Pima of 3-1 on Sept. 2 along with losses to Safford of 0-3 on Aug. 31 and to Tombstone of 1-3 (16-25, 27-29, 25-20, 24-26) on Sept. 9.
In addition, the Cowgirls finished third in the 2nd Cochise County Round-up on Aug. 29. Willcox went 2-1 in pool play, topping Tombstone 37-26 and Morenci 36-30 as well as falling 29-41 to Sierra Vista American Leadership, and topped Fort Thomas 2-0 (27-25, 25-12) in the bracket.
Willcox has an 11-member roster of four seniors, two juniors, and five sophomores. The seniors are Leslie Barraza (22), Gloria Encinas (8), Lilyana Millenaar (10), and Keely Norris (14); juniors Maley Allred (9) and Karlie Saint Clair (3); and sophomores Grace Flanders (2), Hattie Macumber (1), Camry Thompson (6), Lia Villa (4), and Lilly Williams (17).
Willcox is competing in the 7-member 2A Southeast Region with the Benson Bobcats, the Bisbee Pumas, the Morenci Wildcats, the Pima Roughriders, the Sierra Vista American Leadership Guardians, and the Tombstone Yellow Jackets.
1A Fort Thomas Apaches (3-2 seeding)
The Darcy Barney-coached Apaches (5-4 overall, 3-2 seeding, 1-0 region) have seeding wins over Winkelman Hayden of 3-0 on Sept. 1, over San Carlos of 3-0 on Sept. 2, and over Elfrida Valley Union of 3-2 on Sept. 9 along with losses to Pima of 0-3 on Aug. 26 and to Heber Mogollon of 1-3 on Sept. 10.
Additionally, the Apaches went 2-2 during the Second Cochise County Round-up on Aug. 29. Fort Thomas went 2-1 in pool play with wins of 37-33 over San Simon and 44-41 over Bisbee and a 36-37 loss to Patagonia. The Apaches finished fourth with a 2-set (25-27, 12-25) loss to host Willcox.
Fort Thomas lists a 10-member roster of four seniors, three juniors, and five sophomores. The seniors are Kynnedee Bryce (21), Kelcie Harvey (27), Jamie Johnson (8), and Tranessa Jones (19); juniors Carmen Antonio (10), Maliah Duncan (11), and Dreona Pike (13); and sophomores Carter Hawkins (4), Jalayah Johnson (6), Cadence Olivar (2), Kinlee Pearson (1), and Aaliyah Peter (16).
The Apaches are competing in the 7-member 1A East Region with the Duncan Wildkats, the Kearny Ray Bearcats, the San Manuel Miners, the Scottsdale Cicero Prep Centurions, the Superior Panthers, and the Winkelman Hayden Lobos.
1A Duncan Wildkats (3-3 seeding)
The Kassi Mortensen-coached Duncan Wildkats (3-3 overall, 3-3 seeding, 0-1 region) has seeding wins over Elfrida Valley Union of 3-1 (25-23, 25-15, 17-25, 26-24) on Aug. 27, over Miami of 3-0 on Sept. 4, and over Tucson Catalina of 3-0 (25-9, 25-5, 25-6) on Sept. 9 along with losses to Scottsdale Cicero Prep of 0-3 (11-25, 10-25, 18-25) on Aug. 31, to San Simon of 2-3 (18-25, 25-16, 25-22, 17-25, 10-15) on Sept. 2, and to Patagonia of 0-3 (15-25, 19-25, 15-25) on Sept. 10.
Duncan’s 13-member roster includes three seniors, a junior, four sophomores, and five freshmen. The seniors are Lily Ford (20), Sophia Harris (15), and McKenzie Jones (16); junior Haley Bigler (5); sophomores Emma Harris (7), Peyton Hoglan (14), Karli McKinley (10), and Josie Wright (4); and freshmen Kiyana Bruce (12), Mila Herrera (3), Allie Hughes (2), Ashlyn Jensen (1), and Elyana Whitmer (17).
The Wildkats are competing in the 8-member 1A East Region with the Fort Thomas Apaches, the Kearny Ray Bearcats, the San Manuel Miners, the Scottsdale Cicero Prep Centurions, the Superior Panthers, and the Winkelman Hayden Lobos.
2A Southeast Region
The region standings as of Sept. 12 were Benson (7-2 overall, 5-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Sierra Vista American Leadership (6-1, 3-0, 0-0), Willcox (5-3, 2-2, 0-0), Tombstone (4-7, 3-4, 0-0), Bisbee (2-7, 2-3, 0-0), Pima (2-4, 2-4, 0-0), and Morenci (2-6, 1-3, 0-0).
1A East Region
Region standings as of Sept. 12 were Scottsdale Cicero Prep (6-1 overall*, 4-0 seeding, 1-0 region), Fort Thomas (5-4, 3-2, 1-0), Winkelman Hayden (2-3, 2-3, 1-1), Duncan (3-3, 3-3, 0-1), Kearny Ray (2-7, 1-4, 0-0), San Manuel (0-3, 0-3, 0-1, and Superior (1-5, 0-3, 0-0).
Region pairings to date include Hayden over San Manuel in five sets (25-19, 25-19, 24-26, 19-25, 15-5) on Aug. 26, Cicero Prep over Duncan 3-0 (25-11, 25-10, 25-18) on Aug. 31, and Fort Thomas 3-0 over Hayden on Sept. 1.
