Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Morenci Spirit Line members step onto the Wildcat Memorial Gymnasium court to perform their AIA Game Day routine during halftime of a Dec. 6 home game. The Morenci girls placed in the top 10 of 18 Division 3/4 Small preliminaries, tied with Benson at the Glendale Mountain Ridge campus on Dec. 9. Morenci hosts Benson for a region basketball contest on Monday, Dec. 18.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Ruben Leonard-coached Morenci basketball boys host Benson on Monday, Dec. 18. The Wildcats have a dozen games under their belts while the Bobcats have played two less.
The other region contest this week (Dec. 18-23) has Tombstone visiting Willcox on Tuesday, Dec. 19.
In non-region pairings, Valley Union visits Bisbee and Willcox visits Duncan on Dec. 18, Benson visits Apache Junction on Wednesday, Dec. 20, and Bisbee is in the three-day Pima Community College tourney beginning Thursday, Dec. 21.
Benson Bobcats (3-7 overall)
The Alex Montijo-coached Benson Bobcats (3-7 overall, 2-2 seeding, 1-1 East Region) are averaging a 47-53 (474-532) score per game or a 6-point deficit.
The Bobcats have seeding wins over Tucson Santa Rita (55-19, Dec. 7) and Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (61-45, Dec. 8). The losses are to Phoenix Veritas Prep (32-74, Dec. 4) and Bisbee (55-56, Dec. 12).
Additionally, a 1-5 record was posted during their own three-day tourney on Dec. 14-16. The win was over Tucson Saint Miguel Catholic (54-21, Dec. 15) while losses were to Tucson Empire (35-85, Dec. 14), Douglas (45-54, Dec. 14), Sells Baboquivari (42-45, Dec. 15), Sahuarita (49-55, Dec. 16), and Empire (46-78, Dec. 16).
Benson’s roster has seniors Colton Bellmore (2), Dalton Crockett (14), and Gabriel Montijo (33); juniors Mason McIntyre (10), Keelyn Payne (13), Harley Vanwormer (11), and Domonik Villa (4); sophomores Kellen Deskins (23), Dawson Judd (12), and Ruben Navarro (1); and freshman Luke Chapman (3).
The Bobcats close out the month at the three-day, Arizona Lutheran tourney on Dec. 28-30.
Morenci Wildcats (11-1)
The Ruben Leonard-coached Morenci Wildcats (11-1 overall, 5-0 seeding, 2-0 East Region) are averaging a 67-42 (802-509) score per game or a 25-point margin.
Morenci has seeding wins over San Carlos (75-42, Nov. 20), Saint David (74-28, Nov. 27), Elfrida Valley Union (96-21, Dec. 4), Willcox (52-40, Dec. 6), and Tucson Santa Rita (79-52, Dec. 12).
Additionally, the Wildcats posted a 6-1 record during the three-day Round Valley tourney on Dec. 7-9. The wins were over Saint Johns (56-35, Dec. 7), Heber Mogollon (68-43, Dec. 7), Whiteriver Alchesay (52-48, Dec. 8), Fort Thomas (53-42, Dec. 9), Lakeside Blue Ridge (65-40, Dec. 9), and host Eagar Round Valley (71-50, Dec. 9). The lone loss was 60-68 to Round Valley (Dec. 8).
Seniors Tristen Sanchez (22) and Joseph Seballos (5); juniors Noah Chavez (10), Yedidia Laputa Kanyinda (13), and Christopher Lopez (23); sophomores Abraham Cortez (0), Derick Lytle (3), and Adrian McCallum (25); and freshman Aymen Abdulqader (2) make up the squad.
The Wildcats close out December at the three-day, Thatcher-held 60th Eastern Arizona Boys Holiday Tournament beginning on the 27th.
2A East Region Standings
The seven-member 2A East Region standings through Dec. 16 are Morenci (11-1 overall, 5-0 seeding, 2-0 region), Pima (8-2, 3-1, 3-0), Bisbee (7-3, 3-2, 2-1), Benson (3-7, 2-2, 1-1), Tombstone (5-8, 3-4, 0-2), Willcox (3-6*, 2-4, 0-2), and Tucson Santa Rita (0-6, 0-6, 0-2).
Eight region games have been played to date. Morenci (2-0) has wins over Willcox (52-40, Dec. 6) and Santa Rita (79-52, Dec. 12); Pima (3-0) over Willcox (65-31, Dec. 1), Tombstone (71-26, Dec. 12), and Bisbee (55-28, Dec. 15); Bisbee (2-1) over Tombstone (76-43, Dec. 7) and Benson (56-55, Dec. 12); and Benson (1-1) over Santa Rita (55-19, Dec. 7).
Morenci – 79, Santa Rita – 52
Morenci led 17-9 following the opening quarter, 41-24 at halftime, and 57-38 heading into the fourth quarter. Each of the eight Wildcats suiting up contributed to the scoring total, with 23 points added by reserves.
For the game, Morenci connected on 31 field goals (seven 3-pointers) plus 10-24 free throws compared to 23 field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 3-7 free throws by Santa Rita.
Sanchez (22) matched his jersey number with 22 points on nine field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 2-3 free throws, Abdulqader (2) had 12 on five field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 1-1 free throws, and Lytle (3) 10 on three field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 2-2 free throws. Lopez (23) and Cortez (0) added nine points apiece, Seballos (5) eight, Kanyinda (13) seven, and McCallum (25) two.
Santa Rita had four starters totaling 32 points and four reserves adding the other 21. Senior Fabian Noperi Jr. (13) had a team-high 16 points on seven field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 0-1 free throws and senior Jonathan Duran (23) 10 on five field goals. Senior Traiden Taylor (10) added eight points, junior Vernon Johnson (11) six, junior Michael Ross (21) five, junior James Green (3) and sophomore Henry Luna Favela (5) three apiece, and junior David Gonzales (15) two.
Morenci – 71, Round Valley – 50 (Dec. 9)
A 23-11 third-quarter effort expanded the 29-26 halftime edge and allowed a 52-37 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Six different Wildcats had a hand in that effort, with Seballos adding eight points, Lopez five, Abdulqader and Lytle three apiece, and both Kanyinda and Sanchez two each.
Morenci cemented the win with a 19-13 fourth-quarter showing. Round Valley led 17-15 following the opening quarter.
“We played some pretty good defense,” Leonard said, adding “We held their leading scorers below what they had the first time we played them.”
For the evening, Morenci made 27 field goals (nine 3-pointers) plus 8-17 free throws versus 19 field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 10-13 free throws by Round Valley.
Lopez paced the Wildcats with 18 points on six field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 3-5 free throws, followed by Seballos with 13 on five field goals (three 3-pointers), and Chavez with 12 on five field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 1-1 free throws. Lytle and McCallum added eight points apiece, Sanchez seven, Abdulqader three, and Kanyinda two.
For Round Valley, senior Brett Jordan (23) had 11 points on five field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 0-1 free throws. Senior Ryker Marble (1) and junior Tom Cole (5) added eight points apiece, junior Brody Zeigler (12) and sophomore Ryan Rodriguez (30) both had five, junior Gabriel James (15) and junior Staton Wilson (32) four each, freshman Josh Brown (22) three, and junior Kade Latham (14) two.
Morenci – 66, Blue Ridge – 40
The Wildcats limited the Yellow Jackets to single-digit scoring in two quarters, leading 21-14 after the first quarter, 33-23 at halftime, and 46-25 heading into the fourth quarter.
For the game, Morenci made 24 field goals (eight 3-pointers) plus 10-16 free throws versus 15 field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 6-10 free throws by Blue Ridge.
Seballos had a team-high 14 points on five field goals (four 3-pointers) and Sanchez 10 on four field goals plus 2-2 free throws. McCallum added nine points, Cortez and Lytle seven apiece, Abdulqader six, Chavez and Kanyinda five each, and Lopez two.
Blue Ridge got double-figure scoring from only Aurielano Cruz (20). The junior had 10 points on four field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 1-2 free throws. Senior Caleb Mink (13) added nine points, junior Xavier Golter (33) six, senior Ralph Dominguez (24) and sophomore Elijah Danford (35) four apiece, juniors Kellan Adams (21) and Trevor Bires (2) three each, and senior Jason Benito (3) one.
Morenci – 53, Fort Thomas – 42
A 20-8 second-quarter effort erased the 4-point, 10-14, first-quarter deficit and gave the Wildcats a 30-22 halftime advantage. Morenci led 42-38 heading into the fourth quarter.
For the game, the Wildcats got 20 points from their bench compared to one for the Apaches and totaled 21 field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 13-17 free throws versus 21 field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 5-6 free throws by Apaches.
Sanchez netted 22 points on seven field goals plus 8-11 free throws, Lopez 12 on four field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 3-4 free throws, and Kanyinda 10 on four field goals plus 2-2 free throws. Abdulqader added six points, Seballos five, and both Chavez and McCallum two each.
The Fort got 21 points from sophomore Channing Wilson (11) on eight field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 2-2 free throws, 14 from sophomore Demare Dosela (31) on seven field goals, and 10 from senior Kyle Secody (23) on four field goals plus 2-2 free throws. Sophomore Justin Olivar (35) added four points and junior Allen Gilbert (14) one.
Round Valley – 68, Morenci – 60 (Dec. 8)
A 23-22 fourth-quarter edge was not enough to offset the 9-point deficit at the start of the final frame. The Elks led 15-14 following the first quarter, 31-25 at halftime, and 46-37 heading into the final eight minutes.
For the game, Morenci made 25 field goals (six 3-pointers) plus 4-14 free throws compared to 24 field goals (seven 3-pointers) plus 13-25 free throws by Round Valley.
Sanchez netted 21 points on eight field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 4-8 free throws and Chavez 16 on six field goals (four 3-pointers). Lopez added nine points, Kanyinda and Lytle four apiece, and Cortez, McCallum, and Seballos two each.
For Round Valley, Wilson (32) netted 29 points on eight field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 9-13 free throws, and Zeigler (12) 16 on seven field goals plus 2-4 free throws. Marble (1) added eight points, Jordan (23) seven, Brown (22) four, Cole (5) and Rodriguez (30) two each.
Morenci – 52, Alchesay – 48
A 17-13 fourth-quarter outing broke a 35-35 three-quarters deadlock and proved to be the difference in the game. The Wildcats also broke a 14-14 first-quarter tie with a 14-8 second-quarter effort to lead 28-22 at halftime.
For the game, Morenci connected on 16 field goals (six 3-pointers) plus 14-28 free throws compared to 17 field goals (six 3-pointers) plus 8-12 free throws by Alchesay.
Sanchez contributed 19 points on seven field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 4-7 free throws and Lopez 15 on four field goals (three 3-pointers). Chavez added six points, Lytle five, Seballos four, Kanyinda two, and McCallum one.
Two senior Falcons had double-digit scoring. Chauncey Newhall (12) netted 15 points on six field goals three 3-pointers) and Homer Fall (10) on five field goals plus 0-1 free throws. Senior Jeremiah Lavendar (2) added six points, senior Azarye Alchesay (4) and junior Texas James (1) five apiece, senior Brent Aday (3) three, and both junior Keiron Duncan (42) and sophomore Maxiell Antonio (30) two each.
Morenci – 68, Mogollon – 43
The 19-11 second-quarter effort helped break the 9-9 first-quarter tie and gave the Wildcats a 28-20 halftime advantage. A 26-8 third-quarter outing allowed the 54-28 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
For the game, Morenci tossed in 29 field goals (six 3-pointers) plus 4-13 free throws versus 15 field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 9-19 free throws by Mogollon.
Four Wildcats each had double-digit scoring. Cortez had 13 points on six field goals (one 3-pointer), Seballos 13 on five field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 0-2 free throws, Lopez 10 on five field goals, and Sanchez 10 on three field goals plus 4-10 free throws. Abdulqader and McCallum added eight points apiece, and Chavez, Kanyinda, and Lytle two each.
For the Mustangs, senior Kyson Owens (3) had a game-high 22 points on eight field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 3-7 free throws. Sophomore Quinn Tenney (12) added six points, sophomore Stetson Owens (5) five, junior Brett Parry (22) four, senior Gabe Talerio (21) three, sophomore Eric Storkes (0) two, and junior Cort Porter (2) one.
Morenci – 56, Saint Johns – 35
Although trailing 14-16 in their tourney opener, the Wildcats picked up their defense and limited the Redskins to single digits in the other three quarters. A 12-6 second-quarter effort gave Morenci a 26-22 halftime edge, and a 14-6 third-quarter outing allowed a 40-28 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The 16-7 fourth-quarter showing sealed the win.
Morenci connected on 25 field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 2-8 free throws compared to 15 field goals (three 3-pointers) plus 2-2 free throws by Saint Johns.
Sanchez totaled 18 points on eight field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 1-2 free throws and Chavez 13 on five field goals (three 3-pointers). McCallum added nine points, Kanyinda eight, Seballos four, and both Lopez and Abdulqader two each.
Saint Johns got 11 points from junior Dane Avila (3) on four field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 2-2 free throws. Seniors Gabe Alford (4) and Tristen Mineer (22) both added eight points, junior Ethan Skousen (5) six, and senior Preston Lindsey (20) two.
Morenci – 52, Willcox – 40
Following three early ties, a Chavez long-distance shot gave the Wildcats a 13-10 advantage with 19 seconds left in the first quarter, and the lead for good. Morenci led by 14, 30-16, with 2:30 left in the half, but the margin was pared to seven, 30-23 at halftime by a 7-0 Willcox run. The Wildcats led by 11, 38-27, heading into the fourth quarter and by 15, 50-35, with 2:23 left to play.
On the evening, the Wildcats connected on 19 field goals (eight 3-pointers) plus 6-10 free throws compared to 15 field goals (five 3-pointers) plus 5-10 free throws by the Cowboys.
Sanchez notched 13 points on five field goals plus 3-4 free throws and Chavez 12 on four 3-pointers. Kanyinda added nine points, Lopez seven, Lytle five, Cortez three, Seballos two, and McCallum one.
For the Cowboys, senior Jacob Kauffman (5) had 10 points on four field goals (two 3-pointers). Junior Caden Hooper (20) added nine points, juniors Jovani “JoJo” Rodriguez (10) and Alan Solis (1) six apiece, senior Lane Whetten (14) five, and both juniors Avery Edinston (11) and T.J. Ward (3) two each.
Morenci – 96, Valley Union – 21
The Wildcats totaled double-digit scoring in each of the 8-minute segments while limiting the Blue Devils to single-digit scoring in each. Morenci led 28-6 after the first eight minutes, 49-10 at halftime, and 78-16 heading into the fourth quarter.
Morenci connected on 44 field goals (five 3-pointers) plus 3-7 free throws versus 8 field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 4-8 free throws by Valley Union. The entire 9-member squad etched its name on the scoring column with five in double figures.
Chavez netted 18 points on nine field goals, Lopez 18 on eight field goals (two 3-pointers), Abdulqader 14 on six field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 1-1 free throws, Kanyinda 14 on seven field goals, and Sanchez 11 on five field goals plus 1-2 free throws. Lytle added eight points, McCallum and Seballos four apiece, and Cortez one.
The Blue Devils got nine points from senior Glenn Landon (23), four from sophomore Christopher Gonzalez (15), three each from senior Braydon Draybeck (00) and junior Dylan Mitchell (5), and two from junior Riley Hooper (12).
