Safford welcomes Apache Junction on Thursday
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Jasmine Aguinaga-coached Morenci Wildcats host the Sierra Vista American Leadership Guardians for the first time on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The site is in the Fairbanks Middle School gymnasium. The reason, Wildcat Memorial Gymnasium is scheduled to undergo repairs for another month.
The teams have met once before during pool play in the Willcox tourney on Aug. 29. Morenci succumbed 31-34 to the Guardians.
This week (Sept. 9-15) Morenci hosts Sierra Vista American Leadership, Pima visits Globe, Willcox visits Tombstone on Sept. 9; Safford hosts 3A East Region Apache Junction and Thatcher visits 3A East Region Coolidge on Sept. 10; Thatcher will be participating in the 36-team, 2-day Mesa Westwood tourney on Sept. 11-12; Morenci hosts Benson, Pima visits Sierra Vista American Leadership, Willcox hosts Bisbee on Sept. 14; and Willcox visits Fort Thomas and Thatcher hosts Safford on Sept. 15.
2A Morenci Wildcats (1-2 seeding)
The Jasmine Aguinaga-coached Morenci Wildcats (2-5 overall, 1-2 seeding, 0-0 region) have seeding wins over Miami of 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-10) on Sept. 2 and losses of 1-3 (25-23, 27-29, 21-25, 18-25) to Willcox on Aug. 26 and 1-3 to Eagar Round Valley on Aug. 31.
In addition, Morenci went 0-3 in pool play and finished seventh during an 8-team Second Cochise County Round-up in Willcox on Aug. 29. The Wildcats fell 31-34 to Sierra Vista American Leadership, 30-36 to Willcox, and 29-36 to Tombstone. The placement win was 2-1 (25-13, 17-25, 15-7) over Bisbee.
There are 11 Wildcats on the varsity roster with a lone senior, three juniors, four sophomores, and three freshmen. The senior is Kailee Sandoval (11); juniors Ava Basteen (2), Jayliana Guzzo (1), and Taytum Porter (8); sophomores Araceli Cuhen (4), Analisa Cuhen (6), Kendall Merrill (3), and Justine Tartaglia (5); and freshmen Serenity Chavarria (9), Sophia Davis (6), and Jazmin Williamson (13).
Morenci is competing in the 7-member 2A Southeast Region with the Benson Bobcats, the Bisbee Pumas, the Pima Roughriders, the Sierra Vista American Leadership Guardians, the Tombstone Yellow Jackets, and the Willcox Cowgirls.
2A Pima Roughriders (1-4 seeding)
The Ruthie Butler-coached Pima Roughriders have a 3-0 seeding win over Fort Thomas on Aug. 26 and losses to Safford of 0-3 (19-25, 14-25, 13-25) on Sept. 1, 1-3 to Willcox on Sept. 2, 1-3 to Round Valley on Sept. 4, and 2-3 (22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-11, 12-15) to Benson on Sept. 8.
There are 11 Roughriders on the varsity roster with five seniors, three juniors, and three sophomores. The seniors are Cheyanne Alder (1), Shantea Butler (15), Demi Derrick (5), Trista Hatch (4), and Morgan Russell (9); juniors Audrey Brimhall (6), Elle McRae (8), and Ashley Payne (7); and sophomores Taylor Ashby (3), Tynzli Hatch (11), and Harlee McBiles (2).
Pima is competing in the 7-member 2A Southeast Region with the Benson Bobcats, the Bisbee Pumas, the Morenci Wildcats, the Sierra Vista American Leadership Guardians, the Tombstone Yellow Jackets, and the Willcox Cowgirls.
2A Willcox Cowgirls (2-1 seeding)
The Shaye Klump-coached Willcox Cowgirls (4-3 overall, 2-1 seeding, 0-0 region) have 3-1 (23-25, 29-27, 25-21, 25-18) seeding wins over Morenci on Aug. 26 and Pima on Sept. 2, along with a 0-3 loss to Safford on Aug. 31.
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 fell 2-0 (27-25, 25-12) to Fort Thomas 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.
2A Southeast Region
The region standings as of Sept. 8 were Benson (4-0 overall, 4-0 seeding, 0-0 region), Sierra Vista American Leadership (5-1, 2-0, 0-0), Willcox (5-1, 2-1, 0-0), Bisbee (2-6, 2-2, 0-0), Tombstone (3-7, 2-4, 0-0), Morenci (2-5, 1-2, 0-0), and Pima (1-4, 1-4, 0-0).
3A Safford Bulldogs (2-2 seeding)
The Makenna Farr-coached Safford Bulldogs (6-6-2 overall, 2-2 seeding, 0-0 region) have 3-0 seeding wins over Willcox on Aug. 31 and Pima (25-19, 25-14, 25-13) on Sept. 1 along with losses of 1-3 (25-22, 20-25, 18-25, 23-25) to Benson on Aug. 26 and 0-3 (23-25, 11-25, 12-25) to Gilbert Christian on Sept. 8.
In addition, the Bulldogs went 3-2 during pool play and 1-2-2 during bracket play in the 2-day Payson Invitational on Sept. 4-5. Safford had 1-0 wins over Fountain Hills (25-20), Flagstaff Northland Prep (30-10), and Joseph City (26-24) and 0-1 losses to Phoenix Northwest Christian (10-30) and Payson (11-30). The Bulldogs went 1-0-1 in bracket play, defeating Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin 2-0 (21-5, 17-12), fell0-2 to Phoenix Northwest Christian and 0-1 to Phoenix North Valley Christian, and tied 1-1 with Lakeside Blue Ridge (16-21, 10-8) and with Show Low (9-21, 16-12).
Safford lists a 13-member roster of five seniors, five juniors, and three sophomores. The seniors are Jaycee Gable, MacKenna Macario, Gabriella Moreno, Jazzlyn Mortensen, and Lanae Shurtz; juniors Kassity Anderson, Kailana Beck, Jaydyn Coy, Martina Reyes, and Alicia Torres; and sophomores Aubri Bonilla, Milee Carter, and Kalia Cordova.
The Bulldogs are competing in the 9-member 3A South Region with the Thatcher Eagles and Tucson schools: the Amphitheater Panthers, the Andrada Polytechnic Mustangs, the Empire Ravens, the Palo Verde Magnet Titans, the Pusch Ridge Christian Lions, the Sabino Sabercats, and the Tanque Verde Hawks.
3A Thatcher Eagles (3-0 seeding)
The Marcie Lopeman-coached Thatcher Eagles have seeding wins of 3-0 (25-12, 25-6, 25-13) over Sabino on Aug. 27, 3-1 over Florence on Sept. 1, and 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-21) over Show Low on Sept. 8.
Thatcher lists a 13-member roster of five seniors, five juniors, and three sophomores. The seniors are Tessa Bryce (1), Marlie Farris (7), Matti Gallett (8), Taylor Henrie (9), and Lillie Welker (14); juniors Jordin Bedford (5), Alli Jihnson (11), Jocelyn Lunt (12), Payten Lunt (3), and Brinlee Skousen (10); and sophomores Makayla Cash (15), Rylen Montoya (4), and Charlotte Tysoe (2).
The Eagles are competing in the 9-member 3A South Region with the Safford Bulldogs and Tucson schools: the Amphitheater Panthers, the Andrada Polytechnic Mustangs, the Empire Ravens, the Palo Verde Magnet Titans, the Pusch Ridge Christian Lions, the Sabino Sabercats, and the Tanque Verde Hawks.
3A South Region
The region standings as of Sept. 8 were Thatcher (3-0 overall, 3-0 seeding, 1-0 region), Tucson Tanque Verde (5-1, 2-1, 0-0), Tucson Empire (4-4, 2-2, 0-0), Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (9-4-1, 1-1, 0-0), Safford (6-6-2, 2-2, 0-0), Tucson Palo Verde Magnet (0-9, 0-4, 0-0), Tucson Amphitheater (2-2, 2-2, 0-0), Tucson Andrada Polytechnic (0-2, 0-2, 0-0), and Tucson Sabino (2-6, 1-3, 0-0).
