As the eighth graders from Sedona Red Rock Junior High get promoted to high school, summer ball is heating up in Sedona.

“We will find out this week if our turnout will increase, as the eighth graders are officially high schoolers this week,” Sedona coach Kirk Westervelt said. “We have a text message sent out to all 20 girls not in junior high, so the invitation is out there.”

Despite fielding an undermanned team, NAZ Select went 4-1 at the AZ Elite Spring Classic on Friday, May 17.

“The only team that defeated us was the Arizona Soldiers team out of Phoenix,” Westervelt said. “They have been our nemesis for a while, we have beaten them once in a tournament, while they have beaten us twice.”

Westervelt hopes to get more girls acclimated with the team before basketball tryouts in October.

“I would say we fared well last week, we were down three of our guards but we really competed,” Westervelt said. “We did not expect to defeat Arizona Soldiers but our bench players had an opportunity to contribute.”

“I know a lot of girls participated in track, so hopefully they will start to attend practice as well,” Westervelt. “I had a lot of them last year, and they all know how to compete and give it their all.”

Twenty-three girls took part in the Sedona girls’ basketball informational meeting, including 16 underclassmen and incoming freshmen.

While the girls continue to learn the flex offense, Westervelt has been impressed by their passing.

“I like how well the ball has moved and how the girls have found the options within our offense,” Westervelt said. “Instead of just Xs and Os, they can freelance within the offense and use their mind.”

“At the varsity level, they will need to rely on their creativity more and less on my play calling,” he continued.

For NAZ Select, the biggest obstacle that has come with learning the flex offense has been their screen setting.

“Setting hard screens without moving has been tough, along with screening a person instead of an area,” Westervelt said. “Even though they might not take up a certain spot on the court, you have to screen that girl without committing an offensive foul.”

“They also have to remember to roll after the screen as they have not expected the pass on multiple occasions,” the coach added.

Up next for NAZ Select is a tournament at Flagstaff High School on Friday, June 14.

“We have Emma Beattie and Stephanie Medel returning to the team, and I expect them both to make a big impact,” Westervelt said.

Senior Mary Westervelt may also join the team in the near future.

“She has been running over the last week and a half, so I think she is 75% recovered from her ACL injury,” Westervelt said. “I cannot run her that much, but she is able to suit up in these tournaments.”

“Hopefully Morgan Fritz returns as well, we can hang with those bigger schools if we have those girls on our roster.”

With Sedona’s key veterans returning, the team cannot wait to compete in June.

“The tournament is comprised mostly of 3A and 4A teams, so I believe we are the smallest school,” Westervelt said. “We have two and half weeks to prepare and we look forward to the challenge.”

After that, NAZ Select will participate in the Bradshaw Mountain Tournament on Tuesday, June 25.

“The emphasis at practice has been competing, as we have two pretty big tournaments coming up,” Westervelt said. “Bradshaw Mountain is perennial 4A powerhouse, so we will definitely get tested next month.”

“I do not expect us to win every game but we will compete,” Westervelt said. “We are and good shape physically, can run the floor and play solid defense, so we will see how it turns out.”

Currently, 13 Arizona Select 2019 graduates have signed to play college basketball.