Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Thatcher sophomore center Jade Griffin is the final starter introduced for the round two home game against Show Low. The No. 16 visitors handed the top-ranked Eagles a 43-36 loss on Feb. 18. The Cougars succumbed 44-36 to No. 8 Bourgade Catholic in the quarterfinals on Feb. 21.
No. 16 Show Low upsets No. 1 Thatcher in round two
By Raymundo Frasquillo
THATCHER – A quarterfinal berth was on the line. They were as prepared as could be, third-year Thatcher head coach Dennis Griffin (60-14 overall, 31-1 region, 6-2 state playoffs) said prior to tip-off of the 3A second-round pairing.
Top-ranked Thatcher (20-5 overall, 16-2 seeding, 17.3746 rating, 10-0 South Central Region for 1st) entered the contest averaging a 51-33 (1,287-829) score per game or an 18-point margin, a 14-game win streak, a 10-0 home record, and a 41-31 prior win (Jan. 8) over their opponent.
The No. 16 Show Low Cougars (18-10, 8-10, 7.4763, 4-6 East Region for 4th) brought an average score per game of 44-32 (1,226-899) or a 12-point margin, a 7-7 record in their previous 14 games, a 49-31 round one win, and a 4-5 road mark into the contest.
Thatcher did not anticipate leaving the Eagles’ Nest, to console one another following the game or Show Low leaving with a quarterfinals berth in hand. It was not the outcome the Eagles had expected.
The teams matched point-for-point throughout the opening five minutes, tied four different times before Show Low pulled out to a 16-12 advantage in the closing 1:39 with a 7-3 effort. A 14-6 second quarter Thatcher outing gave the host Eagles a 26-22 halftime advantage.
However, the visiting Cougars scored six unanswered points in the opening two minutes of the second half, taking a 28-26 advantage. The Eagles tied it at 28-28 with junior Haley Nicholas’ field goal and retook a one-point edge on senior Olivia Lunt’s 1-2 free throws with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter, but the Cougars scored a field goal 1:19 later to go ahead to stay. The closest Thatcher came was four points, 30-34, 26 seconds into the fourth quarter and a 10-point deficit, 30-40, was in place with 5:06 remaining to be played.
Show Low outscored Thatcher 21-10 during the second half, 15-7 in the final 11:05 to eliminate the Eagles from further post-season play.
For the game, both teams utilized the starting five plus two reserves. Thatcher connected on 14 field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 7-21 free throws compared to 16 field goals (five 3-pointers) plus 6-9 free throws for Show Low.
Lunt totaled 15 points on five field goals plus 5-11 free throws. Nicholas added seven points, senior Aubrey Pace along with sophomores Macey Carter and Jade Griffin four apiece, and junior Ashlynn Thompson two.
For Show Low, sophomore Mikenzie Kulish tallied a game-high 16 points on six field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 1-2 free throws, and sophomore Kenzie Brogan 12 on five field goals plus 2-2 free throws. Junior Sadee Hall and sophomore Amberlyn Lindsey added five points apiece, senior Kyra Brogan three, and senior Nicole Roten two.
The Eagles lose two starters to graduation but are expected to return eight Class of 2023 and two Class of 2024 members from this team. Statewide, the next four ranked teams also are not the four squaring off in the upcoming semifinals.
You have to lose to learn how to win…Dream until your dream come true…from “Dream On,” by Steven Tyler, 1973.
3A State Tourney Semifinals, Final
The semifinals are on Friday, Feb. 25, and the final is on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. The three games are scheduled to be held in the Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, 1826 W. McDowell Rd. in Phoenix, with semifinal times yet to be announced.
The 24-team 3A state tourney began with the North Region having six entrants, the East and North Central Regions four apiece, the West and South Central regions three each, and both the Metro and South two each.
Teams remaining include two from the North Region, one from the East Region, and one from the North Central Region. There is one region champion, a runner-up, and two third placers.
It matters not how you start out, but rather, how you finish. The top four ranked teams started the 2017 state tourney in that order, made it to the semifinals, and No. 1 Chandler Valley Christian edged No. 2 Page 41-40 for the state title. Valley Christian defeated No. 3 Chinle 48-39 and Page downed No. 4 Holbrook 69-54 during the semifinals.
In 2018, No. 3 Page slipped past No. 12 Kayenta Monument Valley 44-41 for the state title. Page eliminated No. 2 Fort Defiance Window Rock 66-47 and Monument Valley upset No. 1 Ganado 38-32 in the semifinals.
Second-ranked Page emerged with a 46-33 win over No. 4 Holbrook in 2019. Page ousted No. 6 Winslow 43-26 and Holbrook ousted No. 8 Chinle 46-32 in the semifinals.
The top two teams met in 2020, with No. 1 Tucson Sabino posting a 42-37 win over No. 2 Page. Sabino slipped past No. 5 Ganado 39-32 and Page edged No. 3 Gilbert North American Leadership 37-35 during the semifinals.
Last season, No. 1 Page defeated No. 2 Snowflake 36-32 for the title. Page topped No. 4 Thatcher 56-49 and Snowflake downed No. 6 Winslow 49-43 in the semifinals.
The 2022 semifinalists may not have impressive credentials, but believing in themselves, each other, and the system in place has allowed them to reach this point. They have both flourished and prevailed against higher seeds and the odds.
Tipping off in the first contest are the No. 12 Chinle Wildcats (19-12, 8-10, 9.4442, 5-5 North Region for 5th) with the No. 8 Phoenix Bourgade Catholic Golden Eagles (20-4, 15-3, 10.5970, 10-0 North Central Region for 1st).
Chinle averaged a 49-43 (1,531-1,329) score per game or a 6-point margin through 31 games while Bourgade has averaged a 49-32 (1,171-760) score per game or a 17-point margin through 24 games.
The Golden Eagles sport a 13-game win streak while the Wildcats are 10-3 in their previous 13 games. And, Bourgade has already trumped “Rez Ball” in its two previous state tourney contests.
The second pairing has No. 7 Holbrook (21-7, 12-5, 11.6798, 6-4 East Region for 3rd) versus No. 6 Whiteriver Alchesay (21-10, 11-6, 12.8364, 5-5 North Region for 3rd).
Holbrook and Alchesay began the season facing one another on Nov. 30 in Whiteriver. Holbrook prevailed 53-49 and has averaged a 47-40 (1,308-1,127) score per game or a 7-point margin during 28 subsequent contests. Alchesay, again the home team, has averaged a 50-45 (1,559-1,409) score per game or a 5-point margin during 31 ensuing games. The Falcons are 10-6 (.625) against 12 common opponents and 5-2 at home while the Roadrunners are 11-8 (.579) and 6-3 on the road.
Friday, 87 days later, one of them will end the other’s 2022 season 180 miles away, taking twice as long to drive the distance than the duration of the game, in Phoenix.
3A State Tourney Quarterfinals
Three East and three North Region teams, plus a Metro and a North Central Region team remained in the hunt following the first two rounds. Two region champions, two runners-up, two third placers, a fourth placer, and a fifth placer remained for the quarterfinals in Prescott Valley’s Findlay Toyota Center on Feb. 21.
The upper bracket had Chinle downing No. 13 Kayenta Monument Valley (19-10 overall, 9-7 seeding, 9.1612 rating, 6-4 North Region for 2nd) 58-55, and Bourgade topping No. 16 Show Low (19-10, 8-10, 7.4763, 4-6 East Region for 4th) 44-36.
Chinle topped No. 21 Kingman (12-9, 11-5, 1.9732, 4-4 West Region for 3rd) 65-31 in round one and upset No. 5 Page (14-12, 11-5, 14.3534, 8-2 North Region for 1st) 51-42 in the second round on Feb. 18 while Monument Valley advanced with a 66-41 round one win over No. 20 Parker (19-18, 14-4, 5.1816, 6-2 West Region for 2nd) on Feb. 15 and a 38-33 upset of No. 4 Snowflake (18-9, 14-4, 14.4397, 10-0 East Region for 1st) in round two.
Show Low ousted No. 17 Wickenburg (16-6, 13-4, 6.7797, 7-3 North Central Region for 2nd) 49-31 in round one and upset No. 1 Thatcher (20-6 overall, 16-2 seeding, 17.3746 rating, 10-0 South Central Region for 1st) in round two, and Bourgade downed No. 9 Fort Defiance Window Rock (12-12, 8-7, 10.5933, 5-5 North Region for 4th) 51-47 in round two.
Also eliminated during the upper bracket round one was No. 24 Camp Verde (13-15, 8-10, 1.3077, 4-6 North Central Region for 4th) 66-11 by Window Rock.
In the lower bracket, it is Alchesay upset No. 3 Winslow (19-7, 14-3, 14.7502, 8-2 East Region for 2nd) 71-52 and Holbrook upset No. 2 Gilbert Christian (18-1, 17-1, 15.6171, 10-0 Metro Region for 1st) 49-40.
Winslow topped No. 19 Tuba City (9-16, 4-10, 5.5738, 1-9 North Region for 6th) 54-37, Alchesay sent home No. 11 Tucson Sabino (21-5, 13-3, 9.4725, 7-1 South Region for 2nd) 70-53, Holbrook bested No. 10 Mesa Eastmark (19-11, 15-3, 10.2386, 8-2 Metro Region for 2nd) 48-39, and Gilbert Christian slipped past No. 18 Yuma Catholic (20-8, 14-4, 66487, 7-1 West Region for 1st) 44-37, all during round two. Others ousted in the lower bracket were No. 14 Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (20-8, 16-2, 8.8996, 9-1 South Region for 1st) 53-35 by Tuba City, No. 22 Queen Creek American Leadership – Ironwood (10-13, 9-9, 1.9096, 5-5 South Central Region for 3rd) 66-31 by Sabino, No. 23 Phoenix Northwest Christian (11-12, 9-9, 1.5762, 55 North Central Region for 3rd) 43-38 by Eastmark, and No. 15 Coolidge (14-11, 13-4, 8.4647, 8-2 South Central Region for 2nd) 5346 by Yuma Catholic, all during round one.
