An 18-2 start by the Camp Verde High School boys basketball team proved too much for visiting rival Sedona Red Rock High School to overcome in a 61-57 loss.

“If we had played the first 10 minutes like we played the last 10 minutes, we would’ve been OK,” said C.J. Sells, Scorpions head coach. “We did not practice well Monday, and they came out and played like they practiced.”

With just over 12 seconds remaining, senior Tristan Decker’s three-point shot drew the Scorpions [9-8] to within three. Cowboys junior guard Thomas Herrera hit his second of two subsequent foul shots, however, and two more three-point attempts by Decker, who finished with 18 points, fell short before the final buzzer.

“I think my biggest disappointment for the year is we just can’t get them to play hard — with energy, emotion and some passion,” Sells said. “At some point, they’ve just got to get it [and] learn from their mistakes. I thought we really had turned the corner, but coming out and laying an egg like this is disappointing.”

For the full story, please see the Friday, Jan. 16, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.