Piñon boys looking to build team chemistry

By Candace Begody
Special to the Times

PIÑON, Ariz.

There are “three Ps” that Piñon head coach Alonzo Bert has been stressing to his players.

“Each season, it takes a lot of patience, practice and a lot prayer,” said Bert, head coach for the Piñon boys’ basketball team. “That’s not just from me but from the players, the parents, and the fans.”

Especially as it relates to patience, Bert said it has taken a lot in order to rebuild a team.

“They’re quick, fast, and have been playing together, but the only thing we’re lacking is chemistry,” Bert said of his current squad. “They know each other, but on the court, they don’t have the chemistry. We’re slowly trying to get there. It’s going to take a lot of work and patience.”

Last year, the Piñon boys’ won three games and the team was made up of mostly freshmen, in addition to two juniors and one senior. All players have returned including four seniors and two new players, Aariah Yazzie and Kaleel Begay.

This year’s team is made up of Tyler Yazzie, Llewellyn Badoni, Adriano McLaughlin, Tylan Bahe, Christian Bert, Murphy James, Ken Whitehorse, Noah Yellowhair, and Dean Klah.

Despite having several seniors, Bert said he was waiting for someone to step up.

“I am still looking for leaders,” Bert said. “I want someone to take control of the team. Maybe mid-season, I will see the leader. The leader needs to be able to control the tempo, control the team, bring the team together and get them to play better.”

On the court, there is at least one leader in scoring – senior Christian Bert, who led his team to victory over Red Mesa on Dec. 19 with 28 points.

“There have been some issues with grades,” said senior Christian Bert. “Because of that, some JV boys have had to come up to help with the shortage.

“We are slowly getting the hang of each other and how we play,” he added. “We are still building up the chemistry. We’re not looking too far ahead and were not looking back at the games we’ve lost. We are looking forward and using each game as a steppingstone.”

State is already something that is on everyone’s mind.

“We want to make it to the playoffs,” said Christian Bert. “As a JV player, I watched the varsity teams and they kept getting out so now that I am a senior, that is the spot we are heading for.”

Last time Piñon made an appearance was in 2016. The year before that, in 2015, Piñon brought home the 2A North state championship title, when Alonzo Bert was coaching.

To get there, sophomore Adriano McLaughlin said, “We need to correct our passes, we need to keep working as a team, and keep our grades up.”

Piñon’s overall record is 2-3, with losses against Chinle (84-35), Valley (69-30), and Rock Point (80-48). Their wins were against Greyhills Academy (58-32) and Red Mesa (53-51).

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