Three high school boys basketball teams — Catalina Foothills, Sabino and Salpointe Catholic — hope to punch their tickets to a state final Tuesday, but only one of the three is guaranteed to advance.
For Sabino, the road to the Class 3A final goes through Prescott, where the No. 5 Sabercats hook up with No. 4 Paradise Honors. The winner will play Friday in Phoenix against the winner of No. 1 Page and No. 8 Snowflake.
Back in Tucson, the showdown Tuesday night between the two top local teams, No. 2-seeded Salpointe and No. 3 Catalina Foothills, will determine more than just who gets to compete for a state championship, or even bragging rights since both teams defeated the other in home matchups.
For the Falcons, given the makeup of their roster with key juniors returning next season and a strong JV program ready to fill in the gaps, it’s the opportunity to start a run of championships.
On the other side of the court, based on their local dominance in recent years but failure to win a state championship, this year may be the Lancers’ last, best chance as all of their five senior starters will leave the program at the end of the season.
“The game on Tuesday against Foothills will be a real challenge for us,” said Salpointe coach Jim Reynolds. “They are an excellent team who are always ready to play when facing Salpointe.”
Although pleased with his team’s play in Friday’s 82-54 blowout win over Buckeye Union, Reynolds knows there are still aspects of the team’s game that need improving, particularly against a team like Foothills, which boasts a height advantage with 6-foot-9-inch center Will Menaugh and a second big, Trace Comeau.
“Our 3-point defense was good but we will need to improve our interior defense against the drive,” Reynolds said. “(Buckeye’s) Tay Boothman broke us down successfully for too many easy baskets. We will also need to do a better job on the defensive boards.”
For Catalina Foothills, the game comes on the heels of a tough win against Gilbert Mesquite 66-62, which required the Falcons to grit it out in the fourth quarter, when they outscored the visitors 17-11 after falling behind by two after the third.
“I was proud of the players’ ability to execute under pressure and make big shots when needed,” said Falcons coach Doug D’Amore. “Mesquite was very talented and well-coached. It was a battle from the tip.
“Trace (Comeau) had a great game for us, he was very efficient inside and out. Carson Peabody made some key shots.”
For Sabino coach Martin Roth, Tuesday’s semifinal follows a toughly contested quarterfinal win, 56-50, over No. 12 Holbrook on Saturday.
“They brought a huge and enthusiastic crowd that, along with our fans, created a great atmosphere,” the coach said.
Roth described his players as being “uncharacteristically ... a bit tight” in the quarterfinal.
As a result their play was marred by turnovers and “less than fluid shooting.”
Nonetheless, the coach said the team stepped up in the end.
“Our boys kept their poise well enough...(to) make the winning plays when they were needed most.”
Girls basketball
One local girls basketball team made it to the finals, only to lose, while two others still entertain hopes of a state championship following playoff action on Saturday.
No. 4 Sells Baboquivari ended its season on the short end of a 69-61 score against No. 2 Rock Point in the 1A championship.
In 4A, No. 3 Sahuaro takes on No. 2 Shadow Mountain on Tuesday in a semifinal in Phoenix. Two other schools, Salpointe and Rio Rico, lost in quarterfinal games.
No. 1 Sabino advanced to the 3A semifinal, where it will play No. 8 Chinle. No. 11 Tanque Verde bowed out to No. 6 Tuba City 66-25 in the quarterfinals.
No. 2 Bisbee lost to No. 10 St. Johns 42-26 in the 2A quarterfinals
In 5A, the last local team fell by the wayside last week as No. 6 Sierra Vista Buena lost to No. 3 Cave Creek Cactus Shadows 64-54. Sunnyside, Cholla and Rincon University lost in first-round games.
Rim shots
Among the interested spectators at last Friday’s Salpointe game was the Star’s 2011 Arizona High School Player of the Year, Tim Derksen, who was home for a week from his Swiss pro team. Derkson knows the grind involved in contesting a state championship having played for Amphi in three successive finals between 2010-12, winning a title in 2011.
