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Superior Panthers
The Superior boys’ basketball team will look to rekindle the magical run it had a year ago, when the Panthers got hot at the right time and reached the final four of the 2016 Division V State Championship Tournament.
The No. 14-seed Panthers, who earned one of six at-large bids, will face No. 3-seed Ft. Thomas in the first round of the 2017 1A State Championship Tournament on Thursday at Bradshaw Mountain High School in Prescott Valley. With a win, the Panthers would play the winner between St. Michael and Red Mesa on Friday.
It won’t be easy for the Panthers, who will play the Apaches for the fourth time this season and second time in 10 days. Ft. Thomas has had the Panthers’ number so far this season, winning all three previous meetings, including the most recent on Feb. 7, a five-point 57 – 52 win. If nothing else, Superior is due for a win versus the Apaches.
Thursday’s first-round game is scheduled to tipoff at 6 p.m.
Visit www.azpreps365.com to view the complete state tournament brackets for all conferences.
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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