Rock Point, St. Michael girls earn bids to 1A state playoffs
Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Rock Point Lady Cougar Taylyn Woody puts up a two-point shot during the championship game of the 1A North Canyon Super Regional Tournament against the St. Michael Lady Cardinals on Saturday night at Flagstaff High School. Rock Point won 49-41.
WINDOW ROCK
On Sunday morning the Arizona Interscholastic Association released the boys and girls 1A state playoff brackets.
The Rock Point and St. Michael girls were the only area teams that were included in this year’s field. The first round games will be played on Tuesday night with the higher-seeded teams hosting.
Rock Point, the defending state champs, received the No. 11 seed. The Lady Cougars will travel to play at No. 6 Mogollon with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
St. Michaels earned the No. 5 seed and will play No. 12 Baboquivari, also at 7 p.m. The site of that first round game is yet to be determined as of Monday morning.
St. Michaels athletic director Carl Adams sent a request to both the Sanders Unified School District and Ganado Unified School District for use of their facility. (The high school gym at St. Michaels does not meet the basketball court dimensions set by the National Federation of State High School Associations.)
Over the weekend, Rock Point beat the Lady Cardinals for the first time in three tries this season in the championship game of the 1A North Canyon Super Regionals at Flagstaff High School.
Rock Point avenged a pair of stingy losses to St. Michaels with a 49-41 win on Saturday night, earning the school’s second consecutive super regional championship.
“This means a lot because during the season there were a lot of teams that pushed us around,” said Rock Point coach Andrew Reed, whose team improved to 16-9 overall. “We just told ourselves that this was a fresh start, and so we got after it.”
The Cougars had three players finish in double figures headed by senior Taylyn Woody, who finished with 19 points. Senior Kamry Yazzie and junior Tayleen Woody (Taylyn’s younger sister) added 11 points apiece.
Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Rock Point Lady Cougar Taylyn Woody puts up a two-point shot during the championship game of the 1A North Canyon Super Regional Tournament against the St. Michael Lady Cardinals on Saturday night at Flagstaff High School. Rock Point won 49-41.
“I just fell into a groove,” Taylyn said of her point production. “I just tried to push for points because we needed to score.”
St. Michaels was led by senior Siara Manuelito with 16 points. Seniors Cameron Hanley chipped in 13.
“We just didn’t look like ourselves,” St. Michaels coach Carl Adams said. “I mean, in the first quarter we looked like we were asleep, to be honest with you. It looked like we barely got out of bed. We just looked tired.
“Give credit to Rock Point, they came to play,” he added. “Tonight we got out-hustled. You know, we have a lot of talent on this team, but tonight we didn’t put that into use.”
Afterward, the Cardinals had plenty to reflect on as the Adams-coached team is looking to turn things around for the playoffs.
“I told the girls that our job is not done yet,” he said. “This loss definitely humbles us, but we have to make sure that we have our ducks in a row. We have to show up for state. We can’t end our season like this. What we’re feeling now is not what we want to feel during the playoffs.”
Behind a five-game winning streak, Rock Point enters the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the state. The Cougars have not lost since a 42-37 setback to St. Michaels on Jan. 13.
“I think we can get far,” Yazzie said of the playoffs. “(Winning this tournament) is our first step. If we can continue what we’re doing I think we can win the whole thing.”
“We can be very dangerous,” Tayleen Woody added. “We’re hungry to get to the playoffs, and I think we can be a really solid team.”
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