Sedona Red Rock High School’s basketball rivalry with Camp Verde High School was re-defined Thursday, Dec. 17, as the girls lost and the boys won.

An “ecstatic” head boys coach, C.J. Sells, saw his team overcome a seven-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cowboys, 21-9, for a 60-55 win.

But, earlier, although SRRHS head girls coach Dave Moncibaez threw a handsy, scrambling press at the Cowboys, they threw it right back at the Scorpions, who went scoreless for the final 3:26 in a 53-45 loss.

Girls Basketball

Following a fourth-quarter runner by sophomore Joanne Toscano that brought them within a point in a back-and-forth game, the Scorpions would never score again.

“It was just one of those off nights,” a frustrated head coach Dave Moncibaez said. “Unfortunately, it happened against Camp Verde, and at home.”

That would be Toscano’s only points Dec. 17. Junior forward Hannah Ringel was the Scorpions’ leading scorer with 18, while senior guard Annie Parrella added 11 and sophomore Liza Westervelt had eight points.

The rest of the SRRHS varsity mustered just six points. Four of those were scored by starting forward Sophia Perry, who re-aggravated a knee injury that kept her out the final 5:45 of the first half.

“We just could not finish,” Moncibaez said. “We weren’t making our easy ones.”

Senior Gabby Ontiveros then hit the fifth of her six three-pointers to give CVHS a 21-16 lead.

While Perry was off, the press was on, helping to close the deficit to one by halftime. Perry’s return in the third quarter allowed the Scorpions to rally for a lead of as many as seven points.

But when CVHS could set up its offense, a three-pointer from the top of the circle by junior guard Nieja Garner, who had 15 on the night, brought the Cowboys back to within a point on the first possession of the fourth quarter.

Senior CVHS post Allee Drake split the press for six of her eight points late to send the Scorpions into the Lady Badgers Winter Classic with a 6-3 record.

“We’re going to gather up and get ready for our tournament,” said Moncibaez, whose team opens in Prescott at
9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 28, against Glendale Preparatory Academy. “Hopefully, we can shake this one off.”

Win or lose, the Scorpions are guaranteed at least one more game in the two-day double-elimination tournament against host Prescott High School or one of Agua Fria, Bradshaw Mountain, Copper Canyon, Deer Valley, Gila Ridge, McClintock, St. David or Sandra Day O’Connor high schools.

Boys Basketball

Although his two straight jumpers started the Scorpions’ fourth-quarter comeback, freshman Chase Saczalski got the start at guard as much for his ability to be a “chaser” on explosive CVHS senior guard Javier Perez, defending him wherever he went.

“We just needed to make him work, maybe wear him out, tire him out,” Sells said. “We knew he was their best player, [but] he wasn’t going to get 55, and it was going to take more than that to beat us.”

While Perez ultimately got his, scoring 28 points, that was more than five points below his average against the Scorpions [6-3] — with the rest of the team combining for just 27.

Junior forward Walker Cox led all Scorpions scorers with 14, hitting four huge free throws in the final minute to trump two of three free throws by Perez with less than 18 seconds remaining after Saczalski fouled him on a three-point attempt.

“At some point, you just have to kind of tip your hat and say, ‘He’s a good player, and he made a jump shot,’ Sells said. “So long as you had a hand in his face, then do the best you can [to] defend him.”

Cox assisted sophomore forward Wyatt Gregson on his second straight basket with five minutes to play gave the Scorpions a 47-46 lead, one they would never again relinquish.

Sophomore transfer Sebastian Morales, who shadowed Perez when Saczalski was on the bench with foul trouble, also hit two big fourth-quarter jumpers. Sophomores Michael Ortega and Winston Cox added nine and eight points, respectively.

“I’ve got 10 kids that can play,” Sells said. “At one point, we had two starters on the bench, and [assistant coach] Michael [Sells] said, ‘Dad, leave that group on the floor. They’re playing well.’”

SRRHS knew how to close out its cross-Verde Valley rival, outscoring CVHS by 12 points in the fourth quarter. Walker Cox was six-for-six as part of a 14-of-15 night from the free-throw line for the Scorpions.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way we fought back,” Sells said. “I thought everybody busted their rump [and] played well.”

For the most part, the Scorpions rebounded and took care of the basketball, Sells added.

Perez’s first three-pointer of the game put the Cowboys up, 17-9, at the end of the first quarter.

That lead would turn out to be the largest for CVHS, though. Sophomore Hayden Bruce hit a rainbow three-pointer to begin a 22-13 second quarter for the Scorpions.

“Hayden was sick,” Sells said. “He’s coughing up a lung in practice.”

Two free throws by junior Randy Rodriguez would re-take the lead for SRRHS with a minute until halftime.

“We haven’t played that hard all season,” Sells said. “I think we came out ready to play.

“We did what we were supposed to do — we won at home.”

The Scorpions held serve for the second game in the rivalry Friday, Jan. 8, at CVHS.

That game will follow a neutral-site matchup Monday, Jan. 4, at 4:30 p.m. between the Scorpions and Prescott High School at the home of the Phoenix Suns, Talking Stick Resort Arena.

For more photos, please see the Wednesday, Dec. 23, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.