Pedro Ortega Sr. has worked his way back to the good side of the sports gods.

The athletic director for Sedona Red Rock Junior High School has, on his own, coached two Scorpions volleyball teams to eight wins.

“So far, it’s working out,” he said. “We all help each other out: B team helps the A team with pregame drills, and vice versa. It’s a pretty good system, up to this point.”

While Ortega’s 10 B girls fell to 4-2 with a loss at Camp Verde Middle School, his smaller but more experienced A team matched that record Tuesday, Sept. 20, with its first tiebreaker win of the fall, 25-27, 25-15 and 15-7 over the Cowboys.

“We started a little slow, then we picked up the intensity,” Ortega said. “Their work ethic is there; we’ve just got to teach them how to be more precise in their serves and be quick to their feet to get to the ball.”

A win Thursday, Sept. 22, at Clarkdale-Jerome School would not only avenge a 25-22, 25-19 loss Sept. 14 to the Mingus Rams, it would vault the Scorpions back into contention with the Mingus Rams for the lead of the Verde Valley Athletic Association.

“The first game, I thought we had them, but we made a couple mental errors,” Ortega said. “They have some pretty big girls; it was up and down. We were hanging right there.

“To be honest, Clarkdale is going to be the team to beat. No doubt.”

Either way, Ortega is looking forward to the second half of the season, which opened with road wins at Oak Creek School and Pine Strawberry Elementary.

After that, SRRJHS slumped with two straight losses, including an unexpected home loss Sept. 8 to Mayer Elementary School.

“Mayer surprised us,” Ortega said after falling in the tiebreaker, 25-22, 19-25 and 15-11. “Close game — just something we learn from.”

The Scorpions hit their stride, 25-14, 25-12, in Cornville after a slow start at Pine. SRRJHS had to go two extra points to win the first set, 27-25, before putting more distance between themselves and the Buffaloes in the second set, 25-20.

“All the girls [were] pretty nervous,” Ortega said. “I said, ‘Don’t worry about it. Just go one serve at a time, one possession at a time.’

“After that, we kind of settled down.”

Ortega recently added seventh-grader Carla Gonzalez from the B team in support of the A team off the bench. That team’s only other seventh-graders are co-captain Emma Beattie, who opens serve every game for the Scorpions, and co-captain Stephanie Medel.

“She has a good attitude, intensity [and] work ethic,” Ortega said of Medel. “We have three or four, from the B [girls], slowly coming up to the A team.”

If they improve their skills enough and show the necessary mental toughness, seventh-graders Sarah Frey, Kelly Mendez, Sierra Woods, Caitlin Elshiz and Anna Shimkus, who is doing “excellent,” Ortega added, would be the top candidates for A team time by next month’s VVAA tournament.

“When the tournament comes, that’s what it’s all about,” Ortega said. “That’s when I do my best work.”

Also the Scorpions’ primary setter, Beattie has been flanked, at the net, by co-captain Audrey Veliz and fellow hitter Tiana Trujillo.

When they are not backing up Beattie, Ortega rotates two other eighth-graders, Rain Henry and Molly Wiseman, to the back line. Joining them are defensive specialists Julissa Galaz and Jocelyn Robledo.

“I think we’re going to make the adjustments necessary to get to the next level,” Ortega said. “Good team chemistry, that’s the key.

“If we do everything we’re supposed to, I believe we should compete with Clarkdale, at the end.”