Not done yet: No. 6 Chinle moves into 3A state quarterfinals with 58-53 win over Yuma Catholic

By Quentin Jodie
Navajo Times

CHINLE – Chinle head coach CJ Woods has won plenty of basketball games while heading the Wildcat boys program.

Woods took over the reins three years ago, and in that time frame his club has amassed 62 wins. On Tuesday night, the Wildcats (24-6 overall) earned Woods’ first playoff win as No. 6 Chinle survived a late rally from No. 11 Yuma Catholic (18-8) in the first round of the Arizona Interscholastic Association Boys Basketball 3A State Championship.

The Woods-coached team pulled away with a 58-53 triumph at the Wildcat Den.

“We have some good momentum and have some experience now,” Woods said when asked to reflect on Tuesday’s milestone. “It’s a big testament to the boys who practice really hard.”

That milestone didn’t come into fruition until the last two minutes of game as Chinle capped the night on a 6-0 run which was fueled by some clutch free throws and some key steals.

“I think this game was like practice,” Woods said. “We practiced really hard, and we really pride ourselves on defense and so kind in our own fashion, winning on our defensive plays is how we did it.

“I’m very happy because we saved some adjustments for the last two minutes and those two minutes paid off,” he added. “The boys executed and credit the boys.”

The strategy Chinle employed, Woods said, was essentially switching from man into a zone defense.

“It looked like a matchup zone and what we wanted to do was extend them a little bit, force them to catch the ball and wait for two seconds and be ready to trap them in the corner, and rotate from the back side,” he said.

After three lead changes in the fourth, Yuma Catholic took a 53-52 advantage with 1:50 remaining following a baseline basket from junior guard Darwin Welsh, who has roots from the Parker, Arizona area.

The Wildcats took the lead for good with 49 seconds left on a putback from junior forward Kollin Laughing. Following his basket, Laughing came up with a key steal near the top of the key as he fed the ball to teammate Bradley McCurtain, who was immediately fouled, while looking at an open court.

McCurtain upped Chinle’s lead to 56-53 by knocking a pair at the charity line with 25 seconds left, which gave Yuma Catholic plenty of time to tie the contest.

The visiting Shamrocks, however, turned the ball over as they tried to get the ball to an open Welsh, but the intended pass was overthrown.

Still, the Wildcats gave the ball back on the inbounds play as Laughing caught the ball while his shoes toed the outside line with 14.8 seconds.

On the ensuing inbounds play by Yuma Catholic, McCurtain got in the passing lane for another key takeaway as the Shamrocks sent senior Ranen Parker to the free throw line with 9.2 seconds.

The Chinle guard sank both free throws as that sent the Wildcats into the state quarterfinals where they will face No. 3 Coolidge on Friday night at 7 p.m. as the Bears defeated Winslow, 76-60, in its first-round game. Earlier this season, Coolidge defeated the Wildcats by a 60-43 count during the 2025 Partain Classic on Nov. 28.

“I’m glad that we get a rematch,” Woods said. “I mean, they got a great coaching staff in (Dave) Glasgow and (Raul) Mendoza. They have two freshman kids that can play hard, and they have the best post in 3A, however, the adjustments we had to make is because of Coolidge.

“We’re excited to see if what we’ve done is going to pay out,” he added. “We’re going to have to do some incredible scouting, and we’ve got to eat right and sleep right. We got to have a lot of good things happen, but I think it’s going to be a very good game.”

In Tuesday’s contest, Chinle senior Jaiden Lee provided an early spark as he scored nine points in the opening quarter with the Wildcats taking a 13-10 lead.

“I was in a flow,” Lee said. “You know, my mom and dad told me that this could be my last game so gave it my all and I left everything on the court.”

In the second, McCurtain and Laughing paced the Wildcats with seven points each while Lee added five. On the defensive end, Chinle held the Shamrocks to 11 points as the Wildcats opened a 36-21 cushion at the break.

The lead hovered around a dozen points for much of the third quarter before Yuma Catholic used an 8-2 run to get within 45-38 with 48 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Thomas Crase, who finished with a team-best 12 points.

In a frantic finish, Chinle capped the period with a pair of baskets from Lee for a 49-38 advantage.

Behind an 11-1 run to start the fourth, Yuma Catholic took its first lead of the second half on a basket by senior guard Noe Zamudio with 2:45 left. The lead exchanged hands two more times before Chinle ended the contest on a 6-0 run.

“Our brand of basketball decided to show up late,” Yuma Catholic coach Thurman Schaetzle said. “That is what we tried to do at halftime, which was to challenge our guys to step up.

“I’m proud of how they stepped up to the challenge and fought in the second half,” he added. “But credit to Chinle. I mean, they’re obviously a tough team and coach Woods does a great job in preparing those guys.”

Lee led all scorers with 22 points while Laughing added 11. McCurtain finished with nine and Parker had eight.

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