By Raymundo Frasquillo
SAINT JOHNS- “Seven games are left,” Morenci head coach Albert Ortega said following a non-region loss to Saint Johns, “Six of them are region games.”
The No. 26 Wildcats (4-6 seeding, minus 1.7023 rating) closed out the week succumbing 19-63 to the No. 6 Redskins (7-2, 13.3915) in Saint Johns on Jan. 17.
Still remaining on Morenci’s schedule are region pairings with the Desert Christian Eagles (Jan. 20), the Willcox Cowgirls (Jan. 22), the Benson Bobcats (Jan. 27), the Tombstone Yellow Jackets (Jan. 29), the Santa Rita Eagles (Feb. 2), and the Bisbee Pumas (Feb. 5).
The non-region contest is with Phoenix Country Day School (Jan. 23).
This week (Jan. 20-24)
This week (Jan. 20-24) in the South Region, Desert Christian hosts Morenci, Santa Rita visits Bisbee, and Saint Augustine hosts Benson on Tuesday, Jan. 20; Willcox visits Morenci, Desert Christian visits Santa Rita, Bisbee visits Benson, and Saint Augustine visits San Miguel on Thursday, Jan. 22; and Willcox hosts Tombstone on Friday, Jan. 23.
Non-region contests include Tombstone visiting 1A South Region Nogales Lourdes Catholic on Wednesday, Jan. 21; Morenci visiting Phoenix Country Day School, Bisbee visiting 1A South Region Saint David, Saint Augustine hosting 3A South Region Empire, Benson visiting 2A East Region Chandler Prep, on Jan. 23; and Desert Christian hosting Tucson’s The Gregory School on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Saint Johns – 63, Morenci – 19
The visiting Wildcats scored the initial point of the game on an Arwa Abdulqader free throw, Saint Johns Evanna Richards scored a field goal 10 seconds later to take the lead, junior Tiara Jones added two inside field goals for a 5-2 advantage with 2:33 elapsed, but consecutive baskets by Saint Johns junior Avalon Udall gave the hosts a 6-5 lead. It was the third early lead change before the Redskins grabbed the lead for good.
Saint Johns junior Lucy Sundal connected on a field goal for a 10-5 advantage, and it was 2:53 into the second quarter when Morenci trailed 8-23 before Morenci attained 10 points.
Saint Johns led 15-7 after the first quarter, 30-12 at halftime, and 53-19 heading into the fourth quarter. Morenci was held scoreless during the final eight minutes.
A pair of 3-pointers, by freshman Nicole Wahl and Roria Wright for a 40-point, 59-19 difference, activating a running clock with 5:49 remaining.
For the game, Morenci totaled six field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 6-10 free throws compared to 24 field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 12-15 free throws by Saint Johns.
Junior Tiara Jones had six points, senior Rozlyn Funari five, freshman Arwa Abdulqader three, junior Mayeli Salazar and sophomore Jaylianna Guzzo two apiece, and sophomore Aiyanna Merino one.
For the Redskins, Junior Lucy Sundal and sophomore Alyvia Richardson both netted 11 points, on five field goals (one 3-pointer) and five field goals plus 1-1 free throws, respectively. Senior Roerie Knight added eight points, Senior Morgan Lee and junior Avalon Udall six apiece, senior Evannah Richardson five, senior Hadley Charlston and junior Susie Andrus four each, freshman Nicole Wahl three, junior Abby Wagoner two, and both sophomore Sage Platt and freshman Jordan Tsinajinne one each.
Saint Johns (17-4 overall, 8-2 seeding, 2-0 region) hosts Many Farms on Jan. 20 and 3A East Region Show Low on Thursday, and visits Tuba City Greyhills on Jan. 24. Two of the three games are 2A North Region pairings.
2A No. 25 Morenci Wildcats (4-7 seeding, minus 1.8537 rating)
Morenci (8-13 overall, 4-7 seeding, 2-0 region) is averaging a 37-45 (775-936) score per game or an 8-point deficit through 21 games.
A 13-member roster has four seniors, three juniors, and six sophomores. The seniors are Adriana Carbajal (12), Rozlyn Funari (10), Jaliyah Hernandez (44), and Jamie Turner (2); juniors Tiara Jones (20), Mayeli Salazar (5), and Kaylee Wiggins (13); and sophomores Arwa Abdulqader (11), Jaylianna Guzzo (1), Khloee Kouts (4), Tracy Mianda (24), Aiyanna Merino (3), and Arisela Salazar (14).
The Albert Ortega-coached Wildcats are competing in the 9-member 2A South Region with the Benson Bobcats, the Bisbee Pumas, the Tombstone Yellow Jackets, the Willcos Cowgirls, and the Tucson schools Desert Christian Eagles, Saint Augustine Catholic Wolves, San Miguel Vipers, and Santa Rita Eagles.
2A State Rankings
State rankings for the Top 24 of 48 2A members as of noon on Jan. 20 were Pima (10-0, 19.2443) No. 1, Bullhead City Mohave Accelerated (12-0, 17.6118) No. 2, San Carlos (9-0, 16.9262) No. 3, Eagar Round Valley (10-2, 14.8563) No. 4, Saint Johns (8-2, 14.1916) No. 5, Phoenix Arizona Lutheran (10-0, 14.0511) No. 6, Kingman Academy (8-2, 12.2700) No. 7, and Fountain Hills (14-0, 12.0907) No. 8.
Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic (11-0, 11.0010) was No. 9, Wickenburg (11-1, 9.6816) No. 10, Sanders Valley (8-4, 8.4402) No. 11, Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep (10-2, 7.6281) No. 12, Phoenix Horizon Honors (7-5, 7.2160) No. 13, Phoenix Country Day School (6-3, 6.8490) No. 14, Chandler Lincoln Prep (11-1, 6.5427) No. 15, and Willcox (7-2, 5.3882) No. 16.
Pinon (7-5, 4.4588) was No. 17, Bisbee (5-1, 3.4879) No. 18, Scottsdale Christian (7-4, 3.3486) No. 19, Phoenix Christian (8-4, 3.2639) No. 20, Miami (5-5, 3.1073) No. 21, Many Farms (8-3, 2.4533) No. 22, Tucson Desert Christian (8-2, minus 0.2452) No. 23, and Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (5-3, minus 0.8726) No. 24.
The state rankings for the other five 2A South Region members were Morenci (4-7, minus 1.1853) No. 25, Benson (4-6, minus 1.9343) No. 26, Santa Rita (7-5, minus 5.1273) No. 32, Tombstone (3-8, minus 11.2050) No. 41, and San Miguel (0-13, minus 25.4110) No. 48.
2A South Region Standings
Standings for 2A South Region members as of Jan. 17 were Willcox (12-6, 7-2, 3-0), Tucson Desert Christian (10-4 overall, 8-2 seeding, 2-0 region), Morenci (8-13, 4-7, 2-0), Tucson Santa Rita (7-5, 7-5, 2-1), Bisbee (7-5, 5-1, 1-1), Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (9-7, 5-3, 1-2), Tombstone (4-16, 3-8, 1-2), Benson (15-6, 4-6, 0-2), and Tucson San Miguel (0-13, 0-13, 0-4). Region results are Willcox over Benson (48-47, Jan. 6), Saint Augustine (52-29, Jan. 8), and Bisbee (59-44, Jan. 15); Desert Christian over Tombstone (34-17, Jan. 6) and San Miguel (68-9, Jan. 15); Morenci over San Miguel (67-18, Jan. 6) and Saint Augustine (52-30, Jan. 15); Santa Rita over San Miguel (52-12, Jan. 8) and Benson (45-41, Jan. 15); Bisbee over Tombstone (45-36, Dec. 19); Saint Augustine over Santa Rita (48-20, Jan. 6); and Tombstone over San Miguel (49-13, Jan. 12).
