Pueblo beat Amphitheater 54-48 Friday night to advance to the 4A state playoffs scheduled to start on Wednesday, Feb. 16. The Warriors battled back from an early 7-2 deficit and ultimately built a 17-10 lead to end the first quarter but then the Panthers pushed back and cut the lead down to 24-23 at the half. That’s pretty much how the game played out with big shots falling on both sides.
Pueblo relied on the play of two freshmen in Neveah Sandoval and Sara Galindo and Amphitheater got great action out of seniors Mat’tanaya Vital and Knowledge Smith with freshman Kiara Waters also coming up big….
LINK: GAME STORY AT AZPREPS365
WINTER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11
1A BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 6 Leading Edge 68, No. 3 St. David 63
No. 1 Mohave Accelerated 55, No. 8 Desert Christian 47
Tucson came up short against Desert Ridge in a 6A state playoff play-in game tonight but the Badgers will go on as winners. Seniors Adam Gonzalez and Matias Kroese interviewed with class and coach Eric Langford stayed around long to field questions. Program in good hands.
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) February 12, 2022
5A-6A BOYS BASKETBALL PLAY-IN TOURNAMENTS
6A: No. 21 Desert Ridge 52, No. 12 Tucson 51
5A: No. 10 Catalina Foothills 77, No. 23 Nogales 43
5A: No. 18 Ironwood Ridge 55, No. 15 North Canyon 51
5A: No. 14 Campo Verde 54, No. 19 Sunnyside 52
5A: No. 12 Ironwood 83, No. 21 Marana 67
5A: No. 11 Horizon 68, No. 22 Cienega 55
5A GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
No. 17 Willow Canyon 53, No. 16 Nogales 32
4A GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
No. 17 Pueblo 54, No. 16 Amphitheater 48
No. 13 Poston Butte 55, No. 20 Sahuarita 47
No. 21 Rio Rico 42, No. 12 Lee Williams 21
No. 9 Shadow Mountain 61, No. 24 Mica Mountain 31
GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAY-IN UPDATE!
Rio Rico 42, Lee Williams 21 (Final)@AZPreps365Andy @AZPreps365 @NogalesSports pic.twitter.com/BvHu2PbFvd
— Rio Rico High School Athletics (@RR_Athletics) February 12, 2022
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12
DI-DIV BOYS WRESTLING SECTIONALS
3A GIRLS SOCCER QUARTERFINALS
No. 5 Scottsdale Christian at No. 4 Sabino, noon
4A GIRLS SOCCER FIRST ROUND
No. 10 Lee Williams at No. 7 Salpointe, noon
No. 11 Paradise Honors at No. 6 Walden Grove, noon
No. 9 Sahuaro at No. 8 Mohave, noon
No. 13 Sahuarita at No. 4 Prescott, 2 p.m.
No. 16 Canyon del Oro at No. 1 Notre Dame, noon
4A BOYS SOCCER FIRST ROUND
No. 15 Douglas at No. 2 Salpointe, 2 p.m.
No. 12 Walden Grove at No. 5 Cortez, noon
No. 14 Canyon del Oro at No. 3 Mohave, 2 p.m.
5A GIRLS SOCCER FIRST ROUND
No. 14 Canyon View at No. 3 Cienega, noon
No. 12 Sunrise Mountain at No. 5 Ironwood Ridge, noon
No. 13 Catalina Foothills at No. 4 Arcadia, noon
5A BOYS SOCCER FIRST ROUND
No. 15 Independence at No. 2 Sunnyside, noon
No. 13 Carl Hayden at No. 4 Cienega, 2 p.m.
No. 9 Desert View at No. 8 Horizon, 2 p.m.
No. 10 Catalina Foothills at No. 7 Sunrise Mountain, noon
No. 12 Nogales at No. 5 Campo Verde, 2 p.m.
6A BOYS SOCCER FIRST ROUND
No. 16 Maryvale at No. 1 Tucson, 3 p.m.
No. 9 Chaparral at No. 8 Rincon/UHS, 3 p.m.
1A GIRLS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 8 Desert Christian at No. 1 Fort Thomas, 4:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15
4A BOYS SOCCER QUARTERFINALS
Douglas/Salpointe winner vs. TBD
5A GIRLS BASKETBALL FIRST ROUND
Flowing Wells, Buena, Ironwood Ridge, Catalina Foothills, Cienega, Sunnyside
4A BOYS BASKETBALL FIRST ROUND
Salpointe, Sahuaro, Rio Rico, Pueblo
3A GIRLS BASKETBALL FIRST ROUND
Sabino, Pusch Ridge
2A GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAY-IN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16
6A GIRLS BASKETBALL FIRST ROUND
Tucson
5A BOYS BASKETBALL FIRST ROUND
Buena, Catalina Foothills and Ironwood Ridge
4A GIRLS BASKETBALL FIRST ROUND
Salpointe, Sahuaro, Pueblo and Rio Rico
2A BOYS BASKETBALL PLAY-IN
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017, a 2019 AZ Education News award winner and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girls wrestling. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Andy was named an Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019, became a member of the Sunnyside Los Mezquites Cross Country Hall of Fame in 2021 and he was a member of the Amphi COVID-19 Blue Ribbon Committee and he earned a Distinguished Service Award from Amphitheater. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com