The perfect season was nearly complete. 16 wins, 0 losses. Two All-State players. Five All-Region players. The 2A Central Region Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. And with a single tick left on the clock in the 2A State Championship Game, all that separated Sedona Red Rock High School girls basketball from the title was that low-percentage desperation shot inevitably bouncing off the rim.

But it didn’t.

Sedona led by a point with a tenth of a second left against Pima. But they weren’t the ones celebrating. The wrong team was giving hugs and holding the trophy.

No team had threatened the Scorpions all season. Their closest game up to this point was a nine-point win over Glendale Prep. in February. But on March 20 Pima did the unthinkable. The Rough Riders rallied from a 6-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Then, in that overtime period, Pima’s Aubrie Sherwood hit a desperation three pointer off the backboard as the buzzer sounded and the red glow signifying the end of the game lit up the room. Pima defeated Sedona 50-48.

“My immediate reaction was, ‘it’s not going in’,” said now-sophomore forward Rachel Roderick. “And then it did. No one makes those kinds of shots.”

The feeling for Pima was joy. For Sedona — disbelief.

“When [Sherwood] was dribbling down I was just thinking ‘we’re going to win this game’,” said now-senior guard Nyah Valdez. “When it went in, I couldn’t even process it. It kind of took me a couple of minutes, and when their fans kept rushing down I was like, ‘oh my gosh that just happened’.”

In quite literally one-tenth of a second, that 16-0 record became 15-1. The bus ride home from Avondale went from loud and rowdy to silent and somber. The Scorpions couldn’t be mad or angry about the result because they couldn’t even process how they could have lost that game.

Well, eight months later, the loss has been processed. The team has moved on, and they’re ready for the revenge tour.

“[There’s] a chip on our shoulder,” said junior guard Helen Westervelt. “I feel like we’re more focused because we realized how far we can go … I think we can do it again.”

That feeling is encapsulated by a certain energy at practice. There’s a distinct confidence around this squad of players. In the 2020-2021 season, Sedona’s state runner-up team had just one senior on the roster. This upcoming season’s team is nearly identical — and they know it. The Scorpions’ core remained intact and added another offseason’s worth of growth and improvement.

“No one is going to bow just because you made it to the finals,” said head coach Kirk Westervelt, now in his third season at the helm of Sedona’s girls team. “You got to earn it every single game. Trust the process of what we’re doing in practice … We’re not good enough to walk in and do it halfway.”

This team doesn’t expect any “championship hangover” to bog them down. Each opponent is placing a target on the backs of Sedona every game this season. That’s why their focus is so deep. It’s championship or bust.

“We have all our seniors this year and we have a lot of great players,” Roderick said. “If we don’t make it this year, we won’t really have a chance the next few years.”

Roderick, a sophomore, is going to be a centerpiece of this year’s squad. She was already a starter last year as a freshman, but coach Westervelt says she grew a few inches between seasons. Now standing at 6-foot-3, Roderick’s role as a floor-stretching power forward will expand.

“She’s been playing in those big games,” Westervelt said. “She can step out and hit that outside shot, which has improved a lot … She’s got more arc and consistency [to her shot].”

The hope is that with her height, the opponents’ tallest defender will need to guard Roderick. With her newfound shooting ability, she’ll draw those sizable defenders away from the paint, paving the way for driving lanes for Sedona’s guards or easier paths for rebounds.

Having a floor-spacer like Roderick will make life easier for the Scorpions’ guards, Helen Westervelt and Annabelle Cooke. Their speed and court vision is a necessity to Sedona’s free-flowing, activity-based offensive system.

“[Helen] has the best handles, and is the best passer in 2A,” said Kirk, who’s also Helen’s father.

Helen is coming off an All-2A Conference Second Team selection in her sophomore season. She’s a player that can score and distribute the ball while adding value on the defensive end.

Speaking of defense, Sedona has that covered. Senior Stephanie Medel, reigning Red Rock News Player of the Year for her contributions in basketball and volleyball, was the 2A Central Region Defensive Player of the Year last year. Kirk compares her to Mikal Bridges of the Phoenix Suns.

“She’s not flashy, she’s not going to hit the threes all the time,” he said. “She doesn’t even like shooting. But she’s always got 10 rebounds and a few blocks … She’s one of the glue players that you need.”

That returning class, among others, makes for one of the better rosters Westervelt has coached, he says.

The Scorpions have a chance to prove it coming up. The opening stop on their revenge tour won’t be an easy one, as Sedona travels up to Page to take on the Sand Devils, defending 3A State Champions who completed a perfect, undefeated season last year. The Scorpions aren’t bowing down, however. They’re chasing perfection too.

“I’m going up there to win,” Kirk said.