To begin his competitive tenure as head coach at Sedona Red Rock High School on Saturday, Nov. 21, Dave Moncibaez had some old issues to work out with his new players.

“The first game, we were a little nervous,” Moncibaez said following a scrimmage against Wednesday,
Jan. 13, opponent Chino Valley High School. “It wasn’t until we started pressing them and got the blood flowing that we got into the game a lot more and started playing on our toes, rather than flat-footed.”

That was with an experienced, engaged varsity group with a high basketball IQ playing three back-to-back scrimmages of two eight-minute quarters each, Moncibaez said.

“They know the game, we know the game,” he said. “If we draw it up, they can run it.”

A full-court press was the first of what Moncibaez hopes will be many new looks his team will show opponents following two more 16-minute contests against Monument Valley and Tuba City high schools.

“They definitely gave us different looks,” he said. “Chino Valley has some size on them, a pretty big girl.

“Tuba City was very quick and pressed us in man-to-man [defense] the whole time. Monument Valley was a smart, savvy, very handsy team.”

Although none of the four teams scrimmaging each other kept scores or statistics, Moncibaez came away impressed with his team’s speed and ability to limit the scoring of teams such as Tuba City, the Division III state runner-up last season.

“I believe we have the top speed in the state,” he said. “We can run and gun with anyone in the division. Staying healthy is a key factor, and if we get in too much of a hurry, too much speed can hurt.”

But SRRHS has the talent, if not yet the depth, to counter whatever challenges the Scorpions may face on the road back to the Division IV state tournament after ending their last two seasons in its first round.

For the full story, schedule and more photos, please see the Wednesday, Nov. 25, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.