Tohatchi outlast Wildcats in season opener
TOHATCHI – The Tohatchi boys basketball team picked up its first signature win of the young season on Saturday afternoon.
The Cougars (1-0) received a game-high 20 points from Kyle Yazzie and 19 from Josh Dawes as the two guards led Tohatchi to a 68-62 win over the Chinle Wildcats. The Cougars also collected 10 from senior post Adriano Begay.
“This game got scheduled late on us, and it really tested our discipline, and it really tested our defense,” Tohatchi second-year coach Kendall Livingston said. “It really tested my bench, too, because I had to go deep into my bench.
“Everyone played great, including my bench,” he added. “We just kept the momentum going, and it was a real testament for the guys and my coaching staff. I’m just proud of how the guys played today.”
And while Dawes steadied the Cougars by scoring at least four points in each quarter, Yazzie played an instrumental role in keeping the momentum on Tohatchi’s side in the second half.
After being held to five points in the opening half, Yazzie scored eight in the third stanza, which included a pair of treys from the baseline. He added another seven in the final quarter, tallying the last five points of the interstate contest before a capacity crowd at Tohatchi High School.
“I was feeling nervous in the first, second quarter,” Yazzie said. “I was really nervous, and I couldn’t shoot the ball; it wasn’t falling, and I kind of lost my confidence. After halftime, my boys kept telling me to shoot, and I was open in the corner, and I kept shooting.”
In the fourth, Chinle made one final push as the Wildcats erased an eight-point deficit and came within 61-60 with an inside bucket by senior post Aiden Kinlichee with 1:43 left.
But a two-point basket by Dawes earned Tohatchi a 63-60 cushion with 1:13 to go. The visiting team had a couple of opportunities to cut that margin, but it missed on a pair of open looks.
Chinle had another opportunity as it picked up a key steal with its trapping defense with 25 seconds to go as head coach CJ Woods burned a timeout to set up a final play.
But on the ensuing inbound pass, Dawes stole the ball and fed Yazzie for a breakaway layup as the old-fashioned three-point play sealed the win for Tohatchi.
“Josh made a good play at the end,” Yazzie said. “He saw me, and I just booked it, and he threw the ball to me, and I got the and-1.”
“That was the turning point,” Livingston said. “After Kyle made that and-1, I was able to breathe a little better.”
Chinle, which graduated 12 seniors last season, was led by senior Jaiden Lee, who finished with 13. Renen Parker and Kinlichee added a dozen each as the Wildcats fell to 1-1 overall.
“We have two guys that really have experience on this team, which is Kaleb Denetsosie and Aiden Jaden,” Woods said. “Jaiden (Lee) got a tiny bit, so we’re really young. We have five freshmen that swing between JV and varsity.
“For all these kids, playing varsity is a new experience for them,” the Chinle coach added.
Woods said he scheduled Tohatchi for a reason, and despite coming up short, he was pleased with the effort he saw from his young team.
“I think Tohatchi is going to put themselves to potentially win the 3A championship this year in New Mexico,” Woods said. “We really believe they are a team that is a strong contender for the championship, so we were excited to play them because they have a lot of experience. I think their coaching staff is great.”
Despite carrying a young team, Woods believes they can be in the mix for the 3A North title.
“I think we are,” Woods said. “I think the 3A North is going to be really interesting this year. Actually, just watching the film early, I think it looks like every team that has played now is gonna be much better in February. Kind of like how Monument Valley was last year.
“I think everyone is gonna be like that, so the 3A North tournament might turn into a very interesting tournament this year,” he added. “What was weird tonight is we didn’t execute. This team executed all summer, so we’re gonna have to string some things together for us to be in the mix.”
Both teams will be in action on Tuesday night, with the Wildcats hosting Snowflake while Tohatchi entertains Rehoboth Christian.
Tohatchi will then play in the eight-team Rehoboth Christian tournament, opening up with Hózhó Academy at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
“We have six seniors on the team, and they’re stepping up,” Livingston said. “They’re really determined this year. We’re going to key off of them. They’re locked in, and they want to win.”