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POSTON BUTTE
Girls’ Basketball – The Broncos are closing in on a berth in the season-ending sectional tournament after wins last week against Section V foes Payson and Tempe.
The Broncos, now 3 – 1 in section, are just a game out of first place with four of their final five regular-season games coming against sectional opponents, including the finale versus Alchesay, currently one of two teams ahead of the Broncos in the standings.
The Broncos have only two remaining home games, the first against Show Low on Jan. 26 and the other on Feb. 2 vs. non-section Higley.
In addition to being Senior Night, the game against the Knights is a Breast Cancer Awareness game and will feature survivors from the disease that statistics show will affect about 1 in 8 U.S. women over their lifetime.
Go show your support and send off the Broncos’ seniors in style.
Upcoming schedule: Jan. 26 vs. Show Low, Jan. 29 at Blue Ridge, and Feb. 2 vs. Higley. All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
COMBS
Girls’ Basketball – After wins last week against Gilbert Christian and Globe, the sixth-ranked Lady Coyotes have now won six of their last seven games, including the last three straight, and are tied with Coolidge atop the Section V standings with a record of 3 – 0.
In perhaps their biggest win of the season so far, the Lady Yotes defeated No. 4 Gilbert Christian at home last Wednesday, 33 – 25. Both teams entered the game unbeaten in section games.
With the game tied 21 – 21 at the end of three quarters, the Lady Yotes outscored the Knights 12 – 4 in the final quarter to earn the win that catapulted them in the most recent Division IV rankings.
Combs followed Wednesday’s win with a lopsided 38 – 20 victory at Globe on Friday night to improve to their overall record to 16 – 6.
Another important game awaits the Lady Yotes this Wednesday when they host Coolidge in a game that could decide the sectional title.
Upcoming schedule: Jan. 26 at Payson (6 p.m.), Jan. 27 vs. Coolidge (7 p.m.), and Jan. 29 vs. ALA (5:30 p.m.). All games are scheduled as listed.
SAN TAN FOOTHILLS
Boys’ Basketball – The Sabercats picked up their first win of 2016 and snapped a six-game losing streak at the same time after a 45 – 32 victory at Ray last Tuesday.
The win was only the Cats’ second in their last nine games, the last coming Dec. 15 at Odyssey Institute.
The Cats have five games left in their season with three of them at home, beginning on Tuesday vs. top-ranked San Carlos.
Upcoming schedule: Jan. 26 vs. San Carlos, Jan. 29 at Ft. Thomas (7 p.m.), and Feb. 1 vs. Florence. All games are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.
Girls’ Basketball – The Lady Cats suffered back-to-back losses last week versus Ray and at Duncan, two teams ranked in the top seven of the Division V rankings.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier this week for the Lady Cats with games against three teams that figure to reach the postseason and perhaps contend for a state title, including No. 2 San Carlos and No. 3 Ft. Thomas.
Upcoming schedule: Jan. 25 vs. Santa Cruz Valley, Jan. 26 vs. San Carlos, and Jan. 29 at Ft. Thomas. All games are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
QUEEN CREEK
Girls’ Basketball – The top-six teams will earn berths in the Division II Section VI tournament and currently the Lady Bulldogs sit in seventh place, a half-game behind McClintock. The Chargers have played one less section game than Queen Creek to date.
That makes Tuesday’s game versus the Chargers doubly important as a win would move the Lady Bulldogs into sixth place and also give them the tiebreaker against the Chargers if it’s needed to secure a spot in the tournament.
Queen Creek split two games last week, defeating Westwood 47 – 41 at home last Tuesday before falling at Skyline last Friday, 56 – 25.
Jayden Kartchner (17) and sophomore Joey Snow (14) combined to score 31 of the Lady Bulldogs’ 47 points in the win against the Warriors. The duo combined to make 10 of 18 shots from the field. Snow was 6-for-8 from the free throw line and pulled down a team-high six rebounds as well. Junior Amanda Allison had three of the team’s 11 steals in the game.
Upcoming schedule: Jan. 26 vs. McClintock, Jan. 27 vs. Catalina Foothills, Jan. 29 at Desert Ridge, and Feb. 2 at Marcos de Niza. All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
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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