A season ago, Sedona Red Rock High School’s boys basketball team overcame some early season struggles and qualified for a state play-in game, where their season ultimately ended. As the Scorpions look forward to the coming season, they’re hoping to improve even more.
One of the obstacles that the Sedona team is facing is one that every team in the state is familiar with — the COVID-19-related suspension of the season. Things were supposed to get underway for the Scorpions on Dec. 1, but the Arizona Interscholastic Association announced that basketball, like all winter sports, wouldn’t begin until Monday, Jan. 18, at the earliest.
“I’m super passionate about the sport, so I’m disappointed to say the least that it’s been delayed,” senior Jamie Alagna said. “But I just want to make the best of it. I don’t want to think negatively about it. I just want to keep playing how I play.”
His teammate, fellow senior Jaiah Grondin, shared those concerns but also found a silver lining in the delay.
“I’m very disappointed. It’s also concerning being a senior in my last year that there’s a chance that it may not even happen,” Grondin said. “But I feel with the extra time that’s been given to us that it will overall be helpful for coming together as a team. And when the games come we’ll be ready for them.”
The Scorpions have a mix of new and familiar faces to the varsity team. One of the new faces belongs to coach Pedro Ortega Sr. Ortega is a long-time coach at the school and many of the players — including returning players like Grondin, Alagna and fellow senior Joey Johnson — are familiar with his coaching style after playing on the baseball team for him. But this will be his first year running the varsity hoops program.
One of the challenges that Ortega and the Scorpions face will be finding offense. Sedona’s team does have a number of returning players who logged big varsity minutes a season ago. But Jackson Coughlin and Frank Alves — who were generally Sedona’s top two scorers last season — have both graduated. Replacing their offensive output will be instrumental for the Scorpions to have a successful season.
“I think it’s more that everyone has to put in their own,” Grondin said. “He [Alagna] might have a really good game. If he’s hot I’ll give the ball to him. If I’m having a good game, I’ll be getting the ball more. I don’t know if we’re going to have one guy to count on, to pass the ball to on every play to score. I think we’re going to have to do our own work to make shots and put points up.”
Ortega agreed and also noted that Sedona’s play on the other side of the ball will be vital in creating points.
“We have some speed and our offensive structure is there,” Ortega said. “Defense is going to be our key. If we can play defense, the same principles as any sport, defense generates offense. We focus on that.”
Whether spectators will be allowed at games is still to be decided. If they are, Ortega hopes that the people of the community will come out and support the team. He added that “it should be a fun product to watch.”
And it’s a team with big expectations.
One of the big hopes that the Scorpions have is that they’ll not only get into the actual state tournament but go on a run once it begins.
“We want to go further than we’ve gone any year before,” Alagna said. “Maybe even farther than the basketball team in our freshman year, those seniors. We’re hoping to get at least where they were [a state quarterfinalst] if not even better.”
