Page plays for state title, Coconino loses in semifinal

 

CHINLE

On Thursday night, Coconino High went up against St. Mary’s Catholic in the 4A boys’ state semifinals while Page High battled Gilbert Christian in the 3A semifinals.

At the end of the night, Page won 54-35 while Coconino ended the season with a 69-46 loss.

The Page boys game started off well. The Knights made the first score of the game, a three-pointer, but Page quickly answered.

Senior Stuart Sandall, working the inside, scored a majority of the points in the first period while senior Dahntay Dugi made the Devils’ first three-pointer, ending the first quarter with the lead, 22-12.

From there Page didn’t let go. The Sand Devils worked through the Knights’ defense and in the interior, notably by Sandall and fellow senior Jonah Holiday.

Gilbert Christian tried but the Sand Devils’ defense smothered the Knights’ offense. By halftime it was 31-16 Sand Devils.

Dugi kicked off the third period with another three-pointer. Evidently, Gilbert Christian caught its second wind and was able to score points. But Page didn’t let up with their offense and Sandall, Holiday and senior Robert Smith scored.

The last shot of the quarter was another three-pointer by sophomore Nolan McCormick, ending third period with Page leading, 47-31.

In the final period, the Knights made one last desperate attempt. They moved faster, slipping through Page’s defense and making quick baskets.

But Page pushed back with its own effort with Holiday hitting another shot.

At the buzzer, the final score was 54-35.

Coach Justin Smith was pleased with the boys’ performance and happy that they worked together as a team.

“The boys executed what we wanted to offensively and defensively so it went well,” Smith said. “I just thought the effort in the battle was pretty hard, but we played with emotion and passion.”

With their victory at the semis, the Sand Devils will now play for the state championship on Saturday against the Snowflake Lobos.

“It feels good, but we still got work to do,” Smith said. “Getting there is one thing. What are you going to do when you get there? – We still got work to do.”

 

Coconino loses

 

Down in Phoenix, the Coconino Panthers faced St. Mary in the 4A semifinals.

From the start it was a fast paced, high-tension game as the two teams raced to the championships.

The Knights made the first two baskets but minutes later senior Jacob Begay made a three-pointer and the Panthers were suddenly on St. Mary’s heels.

The Knights would pull away but Coconino followed, creating a pattern where every time one team scored the other quickly retaliated.

Senior Preston Olney led the Panthers through the whole game, downing his own three-pointer in the opening skirmish.

In the final minutes, a Knight fell hard and the game was halted briefly as he was tended to. But the injury didn’t hamper St. Mary as the first quarter ended with the Knights leading, 16-11.

The second period however was when things got tense. When the ball was knocked loose at one point, three players dove for it.

The teams ran back and forth with the score separated by no more than one point.

Seniors Hayden Nez, Manuel Cardoza and Begay brought their team close with Nez making a basket that put them ahead, 25-23. At halftime, the game was tied 26-26.

At the beginning of the third, St. Mary changed tactics. They rapidly scored as Coconino struggled to keep up. The Panthers took risky shots and attempted half-court passes.

St. Mary started to use athletic ability as they jumped high and worked to keep the ball out of Coconino’s hands.

At one point, a Knight was able to intercept a half-court throw in midair for a dramatic turnover.

Olney, Begay and junior Andy Ruiz worked hard in this period trying to make up lost ground with Preston making another three-pointer for Coconino. But the period ended with St. Mary ahead, 50-39.

In the fourth period, the Panthers pushed to score but the Knights’ defense was solid as they blocked shots and caused turnovers.

Junior Mitchell Jacobson and Begay scored but St. Mary kept pulling away.

Olney made Coconino’s final shot, a three-pointer, that ended Coconino’s season. The final score was 69-46.

Coconino coach Mike Moran was nevertheless proud of his boys’ performance.

“The Panthers never quit,” he said. “They played with great heart. Preston, Mitchell, they’re great kids, great athletes and competitors.

“I’m just so proud of what we done in the last four years,” Moran said. “I know we took it on the chin in the second half but we finished in the final four in the 4A conference and we played with a lot of pride this year. So I’m proud of what we have been able to do.”

The Panthers ended their season with a 14-1 record and ranked No. 4 in the 4A Division and No. 2 in the 4A Grand Canyon standings.

The Panthers overcame challenges both on and off the court, playing the best of the division and with some players who persevered over the COVID-19 virus.

Overall, Moran said he couldn’t be prouder of the amount of heart and dedication his boys have shown this season.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment to have played this year, during the pandemic,” Moran said. “The difficulty of living in a bubble trying to stay healthy … somehow, we managed to practice and play hard and stick together. It was an amazing year overall.”

He mentioned Preston Olney, Jacob Begay, Hayden Nez, Manuel Cardoza and Aidan Roig – the starting lineup.

“I’m just so proud of the people on this team,” he said. “One of my proudest teams of all time.”

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