Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Tristen Sanchez (22) looks downcourt for an open teammate against Saint David. The Morenci senior totaled 22 points against the Tigers on Nov. 27 and 20 against San Carlos on Nov. 20. Morenci visits the 3-0 Elfrida Valley Union Blue Devils on Monday, Dec. 4 before hosting the 2-4 Willcox Cowboys on Wednesday, Dec. 6.
Morenci basketball boys open 2024 with two wins
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Ruben Leonard-coached Morenci basketball boys opened the 2024 season by toppling a pair of underclassmen-laden teams, the San Carlos Braves 75-42 on Nov. 20 and the Saint David Tigers 74-28 on Nov. 27.
The Wildcats visit 1A Elfrida Valley Union on Monday, Dec. 4 before hosting region opponent Willcox on Wednesday, Dec. 6.
Morenci heads to the 3-day Eagar Round Valley tourney on Dec. 7-9, visits Tucson Santa Rita on Dec. 12, hosts Benson on Dec. 18, and closes out the month at the 3-day, Thatcher-held 60th Eastern Arizona Holiday Tournament on Dec. 27-29.
In January, the Wildcats visit Round Valley on the 2nd and Tombstone on the 5th, host Bisbee on the 8th, visit Pima on the 11th and Willcox on the 16th, host Santa Rita on the 19th, visit Benson on the 23rd, and host Tombstone on the 29th.
Morenci visits Bisbee on Feb. 1 and Tucson San Miguel Catholic on Feb. 3 and hosts Pima on Feb. 7 to conclude the regular season.
2A East Region Standings
Morenci is competing in the 7-member 2A East Region, along with Benson, Bisbee, Pima, Tombstone, Santa Rita, and Willcox.
Following two weeks of competition, region standings through Dec. 2 are Pima (1-0 overall, 1-0 seeding, 1-0 region), Morenci (2-0, 2-0, 0-0), Tombstone (2-2, 2-2, 0-0), Bisbee (4-2, 0-1, 0-0), Willcox (0-1, 0-1, 0-1), Benson (0-0, 0-0, 0-0), and Santa Rita (0-1, 0-1, 0-0).
The lone region game played to date is Pima at Willcox on Dec. 1. The Roughriders left Cochise County with a 65-31 triumph.
This week, Willcox visits Morenci on Wednesday, Dec. 6 and Tombstone visits Bisbee on Thursday, Dec. 7.
In non-region pairings, Benson visits Phoenix Veritas Prep, Bisbee visits San Carlos, Santa Rita visits Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic, and Patagonia visits Willcox on Monday, Dec. 4; Tombstone visits Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic on Tuesday, Dec. 5; Morenci faces Saint Johns and Heber Mogollon while Pima meets Camp Verde and Holbrook for the Round Valley Tourney on Dec. 7; Benson visits Saint Augustine, Morenci pairs off with Whiteriver Alchesay and Pima draws Mogollon for the Round Valley Tourney on Friday, Dec. 8; and both Morenci and Pima continue in the Round Valley Tourney on Saturday, Dec. 9.
Morenci – 74, Saint David – 28
It was very evident the Tigers lost a great deal of height, experience, and firepower through graduation, trailing by 38 points, 8-46, before reaching double-digit scoring with 1:07 left in the first half.
The host Wildcats enjoyed a 10-point, 12-2, advantage with 3:26 elapsed in the game. Morenci led 20-6 following the opening quarter, 49-12 at halftime, and 64-22 heading into the fourth quarter. The entire 9-member roster, consisting of two seniors, three juniors, three sophomores, and a freshman contributed to the scoring total.
Senior Tristen Sanchez tossed in 11 of his game-high 22 points during the second quarter as six Wildcats contributed points. Junior Christopher Lopez added eight points, junior Noah Chavez and sophomore Abraham Cortez three apiece, and both sophomore Derick Lytle and senior Joseph Seballos two each.
For the game, Morenci connected on 27 field goals (four 3-pointers) plus 16-20 free throws compared to 10 field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 6-10 free throws by Saint David.
Sanchez (22) totaled 22 points on seven field goals (one 3-pointer) plus 7-10 free throws, Chavez (10) 14 on six field goals (two 3-pointers), Lopez (23) 12 on five field goals plus 2-2 free throws, and Cortez (0) 11 on five field goals (one 3-pointer). Seballos (5) added five points, sophomore Adrian McCallum (25) four, and freshman Aymen Abdulqader (2), junior Yedidia Laputa Kanyinda (13), and Lytle (3) two apiece.
Seven of nine Tigers scored, led by freshman Keston Richardson (15) with eight points, senior Austin Parker (13) with six, sophomore Jaxon Brogan (24) and sophomore Jayden Johnson (10) with four each, and junior Gannon Carrafa (12), freshman Atticus DeMil (35), and sophomore Chase Pacheco (5) two apiece. Junior Cooper Merrill (2) went 0-2 from the free throw line.
Morenci – 75, San Carlos – 42
A 22-3 second-quarter effort allowed the visiting Wildcats to take a 45-19 advantage into the locker room at halftime. Seven different Wildcats found their range and added to the scoring total. Lopez, Lytle, McCallum, and Seballos had four points apiece, and Chavez, Kanyinda, and Sanchez had two each.
Morenci led by seven, 23-16, heading into the second quarter and outscored its host 30-23 in the second half.
On the evening, Morenci made 31 field goals (five 3-pointers) plus 8-14 free throws versus 16 field goals (six 3-pointers) plus 4-4 free throws by San Carlos.
Sanchez totaled 20 points on eight field goals (two 3-pointers) plus 2-4 free throws and McCallum 11 on five field goals (one 3-pointer). Chavez and Seballos added nine points apiece, Lopez eight, Kanyinda and Lytle six each, Abdulqader three, and Cortez one.
For San Carlos, freshman Leandro Simbalo had a team-high 23 points on nine field goals (five 3-pointers). Sophomore Leshawn Browning added seven points, freshmen Christian Champman and Herschel Thompson Jr. four apiece, and both junior David Dude III and sophomore Nathan Coser two each.
