Chinle girls, Page boys expected to earn top seeds for 3A North Region tournament

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Jan 31, 2025 | Sports |

WINDOW ROCK – With one game remaining, the Chinle girls and Page boys have already clinched the top seeds for next week’s 3A North tournament.

Both teams have been tested, but they still remain unbeaten in region play.

The Lady Wildcats will play their final regular season game at Ganado on Friday night at 6 p.m. The Page boys, meanwhile, will host Tuba City on Monday night for its finale.

Behind a veteran squad headed by seniors Dizhoon White and Qoah Yazzie, the Wildcats have won six region games by five points or less. White is leading the way by averaging 15.3 points per game while Yazzie is at 11.8 per clip.

Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Chinle Lady Wildcat Noelle Walker (11) drives the baseline against Tuba City’s Taimani Tso (right) on Friday, Jan. 17 at the Wildcat Den in Chinle. The Lady Wildcats enter Friday’s finale against the Ganado Lady Hornets at 17-0 overall and 9-0 in 3A North play.

Chinle is also receiving contributions from seniors Jayden Lynch, Noelle Walker and Allysa Williams. The three players are averaging a combined 13.6 ppg for veteran coach Francine McCurtain.

Entering Friday’s games, Chinle heads the region race with at 17-0 overall and 9-0 in league play. Page, Tuba City and Ganado have 5-4 marks in region games, but the Lady Sand Devils (10-6 overall) owns the tiebreaker with a 3-0 record over Tuba City (10-6) and Ganado (11-5).

At 3-6 in 3A North play, Monument Valley (9-8) is holding down the fifth spot ahead of Window Rock (4-13, 0-9).

The Page boys are getting things done with some familiar faces in senior Tyree Stingley and junior Joseph Benally. Stingley is leading the Sand Devils with a team-high 20.3 ppg while Benally is at 15.4 ppg.

Page coach Justin Smith is also getting good minutes from senior Talon Herder (8.0 ppg) and junior Maximus Reid (6.0 ppg).

The 3A North boys standings has Page in front with a 14-2 record, which includes a 9-0 slate in league games.

Chinle (10-7) and Tuba City (9-6) comes in next at 6-3 in league play followed by Monument Valley (7-10, 4-5), Window Rock (3-14, 2-7) and Ganado (0-16, 0-9).

Once the regular season concludes, the teams from the 3A North will be seeded in its six-team regional bracket tournament, which starts on Thursday, Feb. 6 with the championship game slated for Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Bee Hóldzil Fighting Scouts Events Center in Fort Defiance.