Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Noah Chavez (10) pushes the ball up-court during a fast break. The Morenci junior had 10 points and has contributed double digits in 16 of 27 games with a season high of 23.
Wildcats, Roughriders bound for state round one
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Ruben Leonard-coached Morenci Wildcats and the Cliff Thompson-coached Pima Roughriders have a week between their next games.
The 42-38 Morenci win in Wildcat Memorial Gymnasium on Feb. 6 did not drop either team out of the Top 8, and both await round one pairing following the play-in round. The teams previously split during two prior pairings, Morenci winning 52-45 (Dec. 28) on a neutral court and Pima winning 52-41 (Jan. 11) at home.
Morenci (23-4 overall, 15-2 seeding, 10-2 East Region for second of seven) is averaging a 66-44 (1,793-1,190) score per game or a 23-point margin through 27 games while Pima (19-8 overall, 13-6 seeding, 11-1 East Region for first of seven) is averaging a 54-39 (1,448-1,057) score per game or a 15-point margin through 27 games.
Two other East Region members are in the play-in round, No. 12 Bisbee (13-5, 6.4955) hosts No. 21 Glendale Prep (9-7, 2.0190) and No. 20 Benson (10-8, 2.4224) visits No. 13 Phoenix Veritas Prep (10-7, 5.7255).
2A Play-in Round
The No. 9-24 teams, with the lower seed visiting the higher seed, compete on Thursday, Feb. 8 for eight slots, No. 9-16. These winners face the Top 8 for the 16-team state tourney field beginning Feb. 16.
Laveen Heritage (14-4, 10.2257) hosts No. 24 Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (11-8, minus 1.0295) as No. 9, No. 16 Kingman Academy (11-7, 3.5646) hosts No. 17 Bullhead City Mohave Accelerated (11-7, 3.4910), No. 15 Eagar Round Valley (13-5, 4.3986) hosts No. 18 Chandler Prep (12-6, 3.3887), and No. 12 Bisbee (13-5, 6.4955) hosts No. 21 Glendale Prep (9-7, 2.0190) in one bracket.
The other bracket has No. 11 Phoenix Country Day School (12-5, 7.5536) hosting No. 22 Gilbert Classical (9-9, 0.8514), No. 13 Phoenix Veritas Prep (10-7, 5.7255) hosting No. 20 Benson (10-8, 2.4224), No. 14 Keams Canyon Hopi (16-2, 5.5542) hosting No. 19 Gilbert Arete Prep (9-9, 2.6355), and No. 10 Surprise Highland Prep (12-5, 7.7501) hosting No. 23 San Carlos (9-9, 1.8226).
Final 2A State Rankings
The 2A state rankings as of 10 a.m. on Feb. 7 the Top 8 teams without ratings until Saturday, Feb. 10, were Gilbert San Tan Charter (17-1 seeding), Phoenix Arizona Lutheran (18-1), Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep (15-3), Phoenix Christian (15-2), Gilbert Leading Edge (14-3), Phoenix Horizon Honors (14-4), Morenci (15-2), and Pima (13-5).
Laveen Heritage was No. 9 (14-4, 10.2257), Surprise Highland Prep No. 10 (12-5, 7.7501), Phoenix Country Day School No. 11 (12-5, 7.5536). Bisbee No. 12 (13-5, 6.4955), Phoenix Veritas Prep No. 13 (10-7, 5.7255), Keams Canyon Hopi No. 14 (16-2, 5.5542), Eagar Round Valley No. 15 (13-5, 4.3986), Kingman Academy No. 16 (11-7, 3.5646), and Bullhead City Mohave Accelerated No. 17 (11-7, 3.4910).
Chandler Prep was No. 18 (12-6, 3.3887), Gilbert Arete Prep No. 19 (9-9, 2.6355), Benson No. 20 (10-8, 2.4224), Glendale Prep No. 21 (9-7, 2.0190), Gilbert Classical No. 22 (9-9, 0.8514), San Carlos No. 23 (9-9, 1.8226), and Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic No. 24 (11-8, minus 1.0295).
The initial 2A rankings on Jan. 9 were Arizona Lutheran No. 1 (8-0 seeding, 21.1434 rating), San Tan Charter No. 2 (11-1, 19.7417), Rancho Solano Prep No. 3 (9-2, 15.8746), Morenci No. 4 (9-0, 15.0549), Gilbert Leading Edge No. 5 (9-2, 13.1242), Highland Prep No. 6 (5-2, 10.0871), Laveen Heritage No. 7 (8-3, 9.9574), Horizon Honors No. 8 (5-2, 9.1871), Veritas Prep No. 9 (6-4, 8.8163), and Pima No. 10 (4-2, 8.4111).
Hopi was No. 11 (10-0, 8.2281), Mohave Accelerated No. 12 (7-2, 7.5426), Bisbee No. 13 (6-3, 6.8199), Phoenix Christian No. 14 (3-1, 5.4890), Arete Prep No. 15 (6-4, 5.2680), Glendale Prep No. 16 (4-2, 4.4106), Round Valley No. 17 (8-3, 4.2919), Saint Augustine No. 18 (7-2, 3.9683), Benson No. 19 (4-4, 2.9936), and Kingman Academy No. 20 (4-4, 1.7432).
Chandler Prep was No. 21 (5-4, 1.4387), Gilbert Classical No. 22 (6-6, 1.0302), Phoenix Country Day School No. 23 (3-2, 0.9232), and San Carlos No. 24 (6-5, 0.4118).
Final 2A East Region Standings
The 2A East Region standings after 42 games played through Feb. 6, are Pima (19-9 overall, 13-6 seeding, 11-1 region) first, Morenci (23-4, 16-2, 10-2) second, Bisbee (17-9, 13-5, 8-4) third, Benson (13-15, 10-8, 7-5) fourth, Willcox (9-17, 7-10, 4-8) sixth, Tombstone (7-17, 5-13, 1-11) seventh, and Tucson Santa Rita (2-17, 2-17, 1-11) eighth.
Pima (11-1) has region wins over Willcox (65-31, Dec. 1), Tombstone (71-26, Dec. 12), Bisbee (55-28, Dec. 15), Santa Rita (60-9, Jan. 8), Benson (59-48, Jan. 10), Morenci (52-41, Jan. 11), Tombstone (79-25, Jan. 19), Bisbee (57-48, Jan. 23), Willcox (58-19, Jan. 29), Benson (31-28, Jan. 31), and Santa Rita (80-18, Feb. 1). Initially ranked No. 10, the Top 8 Roughriders are averaging a 54-39 (1,448-1,057) score per game or a 15-point margin through 27 games.
Morenci (10-2) has region wins over Willcox (52-40, Dec. 6), Santa Rita (79-52, Dec. 12), Benson (54-42, Dec. 18), Tombstone (87-43, Jan. 5), Bisbee (77-63, Jan. 8), Tombstone (82-24, Jan. 12), Willcox (68-37, Jan. 16), Santa Rita (96-25, Jan. 19), Benson (54-52, Jan. 23), and Pima (42-38, Feb. 6). Debuting at No. 4, the Top 8 Wildcats are averaging a 66-44 (1,793-1,190) score per game or a 23-point margin through 27 games.
Bisbee (8-4) has region wins over Tombstone (76-43, Dec. 7), Benson (56-55, Dec. 12), Willcox (69-52, Jan. 2), Santa Rita (59-35, Jan. 5), Tombstone (85-50, Jan. 16), Willcox (75-48, Jan. 26), Santa Rita (74-42, Jan. 29), and Morenci (77-65, Feb. 1). Ranked No. 12, the Pumas averaged a 63-53 (1,647-1,370) score per game or a 10-point margin through 26 games.
Benson (7-5) has region wins over Santa Rita (55-19, Dec. 7), Willcox (64-43, Jan. 8), Tombstone (48-43, Jan. 11), Santa Rita (53-35, Jan. 16), Bisbee (59-52, Jan. 19), Willcox (56-49, Feb. 1), and Tombstone (61-49, Feb. 6). The No. 20 Bobcats are averaging a 50-50 (1,390-1,394) score per game or a tie through 28 games.
Willcox (4-8) has region wins over Tombstone (58-50, Dec. 19), Santa Rita (62-32, Jan. 11), and Tombstone (52-Feb. 6 ). The No. 32 Cowboys averaged a 48-55 (1,309-1,490) score per game or a 7-point deficit through 27 games.
Tombstone (1-11) has a region win over Santa Rita (66-62, Jan. 26). The No. 35 Yellow Jackets averaged a 46-62 (1,105-1,485) score per game or a 16-point deficit through 24 games.
Santa Rita (1-11) has a region win over Tombstone (58-37, Jan. 31). The No. 38 Eagles averaged 37-67 (632-1,132) score per game or a 30-point deficit through 17 games.
Morenci – 42, Pima – 38
Field goals by Pima sophomore Keegan Corona and junior Preston Russell gave the visiting Roughriders a 4-0 advantage with 1:49 elapsed in the game. Little did anyone realize, it would be their biggest margin of the contest.
Morenci senior Tristen Sanchez countered with a field goal 17 seconds later and a 3-pointer 37 seconds after that for a 5-4 edge, followed by a 10-4 run, giving the hosts a 15-8 advantage after the first eight minutes of play.
Pima came within three, 12-15 with 1:54 elapsed in the second quarter, but no closer in the half. Junior Noah Chavez added a 3-pointer as Morenci went 10-11 to lead 25-21 at halftime.
The Roughriders returned to tie twice (25-25, 27-27) in the first 3:46 of the third quarter but could not retake the lead. The Wildcats scored six unanswered points to lead 33-27 heading into the fourth quarter.
Pima had a short-lived 36-35 edge with 2:55 left, but a Sanchez field goal 31 seconds later gave Morenci a 37-36 advantage and the lead for good. Junior Christopher Lopez’s 3-pointer and 2-4 Sanchez free throws along with 2-2 Corona free throws completed the scoring.
Morenci connected on 16 field goals (six 3-pointers) plus 4-9 free throws versus 15 field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 5-12 free throws by Pina.
Sanchez (22) netted 17 points on six field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 4-7 free throws and Chavez (10) 12 on five field goals (two 3-pointers). Lopez (23) added eight points, sophomore Derick Lytle (3) three, and senior Joseph Seballos (5) two.
For the Roughriders, Russell (33) had 10 points on four field goals plus 2-8 free throws. Senior Sam Ray (12) added seven points, Corona (14) six, juniors Clark Ashby (0) and Rhett Hughes (15) five apiece, senior Riley Alder (5) three, and sophomore Charlie Richardson (32) two.
