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Braves Win First-Ever Basketball State Championship
The San Carlos boys’ basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the Division V rankings for most of the regular season and the Braves demonstrated they were deserving of the top spot, defeating No. 4-seed Bisbee 57 – 53 in overtime of the 2016 Division V State Championship game, which took place at the Prescott Valley Event Center last Saturday.
The Braves didn’t miss the opportunity to bring home the championship in their first appearance in a state title game.
Junior John Cutter proved to be the difference for the No. 3-seed Braves, hitting a free throw at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime and then made four more free throws in overtime to lead the Braves to the win. He also dished out the assist on Wilbur Benally III’s go-ahead layup with a minute remaining in overtime.
Cutter was one of three Braves to reach double figures, scoring a team-high 21 points. Sophomore Al Case finished with 18 points and Leo Pechuli added 13.
Certainly the Braves will enjoy this championship, their first but perhaps not their last. They’ll return all five starters next season.
“We start four sophomores and a junior,” head coach Terry Antonio told AZPreps365.com writer Les Willsey. “We’ve built a trust in one another. We put in the time and the work, and got it done.”
Indeed they did.
Can they repeat the performance in 2017?
Only time will tell, but the pieces are in place.
Congratulations Braves!
Lady Braves’ Season Ends at State Semifinals
After two lopsided victories in their first two games of the 2016 Division V State Championship, the No. 4-seed San Carlos girls’ basketball team had its season ended by No. 1-seed and eventual State Champion Valley (Sanders) last Friday at the Prescott Valley Event Center, 69 – 60.
The loss was only San Carlos’ fourth of the season.
The Braves, who finished the season with a 27 – 4 record, had only two losses of more than six points this season, including the state semifinals’ loss and a season-opening eight-point home loss to Safford.
In the first half of last Friday’s game, the Pirates showed why they are the state’s best team, opening a 14-point lead at halftime against the Braves, who spent the entire season at or near the top of the Division V rankings.
San Carlos kept things close in the second half, even outscoring Valley in the fourth quarter, 21 – 16. But it was simply a matter of too little, too late against one of only a few teams that could be considered more dominant than the Lady Braves this season.
Senior Mariah Kozie ended her high school career with a game-high 24 points, two rebounds and two assists. Adrianna Haozous, who also played in her last high school game, finished 14 points, a team-high seven rebounds, a team-high three assists, and a steal.
Kelsey Martin, a sophomore, added seven points while freshman Beyonce Cutter and Kayla Dosela, a junior, had five points each.
Congratulations Lady Braves on a great season!
Copper Town Soccer Players Earn Postseason Recognition
Soccer players and coaches from area high schools were honored for their performance this season, earning recognition after the Arizona Interscholastic Association recently released its All-Division and All-Section teams.
The following is a list of players, by school, who were named by the AIA:
GLOBE
AIA Division IV Section V Boys’ First Team – Jacob Flores (Goalie).
AIA All-Division IV Girls’ Second Team – Caresa Shipley (Defender).
AIA All-Division IV Girls’ Honorable Mention – Corrinn VanBuskirk (Defender).
AIA Division IV Section V Girls’ Player of the Year – Bethanie Hudson (Goalie)
AIA Division IV Section V Girls’ First Team – Caresa Shipley (Defender), Victoria Mata (Forward), and Ashley Polkabla (Midfielder).
AIA Division IV Section V Girls’ Second Team – Corrinn VanBuskirk (Defender), Anjali Das (Forward), Bethanie Hudson (Goalie), Yvonne Lonnie (Midfielder), and Rachael Sluyter (Midfielder).
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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