by 
N. Waddell
The Hayden Jr. High Lobo and Lady Lobo basketball teams opened their season with games against the Eloy Jr. High Blue Devil basketball teams on Wednesday Nov. 28.
The Lady Lobo seventh grade basketball team was on the court first taking on a taller Eloy team. The height advantage posed no problem for the Lady Lobos who jumped out to a 10 to 2 lead after a quarter of play behind the scoring of Brandi Lopez.
The Lady Lobos defense held the Lady Blue Devils in check for the rest of the first half taking a 14 to 4 lead into the halftime break. The Lady Lobo defense continued to play tough in the third quarter increasing their lead to 20 to 6 after three quarters before putting the Blue Devils away with a score of 24 to 12.
Brandi Lopez led Lobo scoring with 14 points followed by six points from Aliyana Perez. Brittney Arbizo and Jaden Gonzales each had two points.
The seventh grade boys’ basketball team was on the court next coming out playing hard and hitting the boards and coupled with the three-point shooting of Robert Bohrn took a first half lead of 12 to 10 into the halftime break.
The Lobos looked like an entirely different team in the second half unable to find the basket and turning the basketball over time and time again. The Blue Devils finally put their game together taking a 16 to 22 lead after three quarters on their way to a 19 to 32 win.
Julian Cruz led the Lobo scoring with nine points with Robert Bohrn getting six points. Joaquin Camarena and Gavin Torrez each scored two points for the young Lobos.
The Lady Lobo dominance continued in the eighth grade game with the Lady Lobo defensive game coming up strong in the second half. The first quarter was close with the Lobos taking a 7 to 4 lead at the end of the quarter.
Brandi Lopez got a hot hand in the second quarter scoring seven of the Lobos’ 13 second quarter points to give the Lady Lobos a 20 to 6 lead going into the halftime break. The Lobo scoring cooled down in the second half but their defensive play really picked up holding the Lady Blue Devils to only one second-half point on their way to a 31 to 7 win and a sweep of their games.
Brandi Lopez led the scoring for the Lobos with 12 points followed by eight points from Lexy Gomez and seven points from Leticia Vargas. Brittney Arbizo and Jaden Gonzales each scored two points.
The high tempo, running game of the eighth grade Eloy Blue Devils was a little bit too much for the Lobo eighth grade basketball team. The first quarter of play was close but it would be as close as the Lobos would get trailing 5 o 6 at the end of the first quarter.
The running and high intense defensive play of the Blue Devils finally got to the Lobos scoring only one point in the second quarter to fall behind 6 to 16 at the end of the first half.
The basket turned out to be a problem for both teams in the third quarter as both team combined for only seven points increasing the Blue Devil lead to 9 to 20 at the end of the third quarter. The play by both teams got more intense in the fourth quarter with the Lobos unable to cut into the Blue Devil lead finally losing with a score of 17 to 30.
Chris Rabago led Lobo scoring with six points followed by Santiago Pina with five points. John Henry Gaona and Julian Cruz each added three points.
The Hayden Jr. High Lobos and Lady Lobos will be on the court next this coming Wednesday Dec. 5 taking on the rival Ray Jr. High Bearcat teams with the girls seventh grade team on the court at 3:30 p.m. followed by the seventh grade boys game at 4:30 p.m. The Lady Lobos eighth grade team will be on the court at 5:30 p.m. with the boys’ eighth grade game at 7 p.m.
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