EVAN MCNELIA Special for the Daily Sun
Friday was Senior Night for Flagstaff High School, where both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams faced Lee Williams in a doubleheader. Each game was preceded by ceremonies honoring the seniors of the teams.
“It’s always bittersweet,” said sporting director Jeannine Brandel. “We hate to see them go. They have been a huge part of our community and team, we will miss them but we look forward to their future as well.”
Both Flagstaff teams won their games, leaving the doors open for both teams to become Grand Canyon Region Champions.
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The fifth-placed Eagles beat No. 34 Lee Williams 50-35.
Flagstaff is now 13-1 overall and 9-0 in the Grand Canyon Region standings and is trying to resolve any issues ahead of the 4A Conference postseason.
The first quarter was a defensive battle and after five minutes of play both teams were tied 6-6.
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A 3-pointer corner after a nice assist from senior guard Gracelyn Nez got Flagstaff’s offense moving, and the Eagles ended the period on a 10-3 run. At the end of the first quarter, the hosts were leading 16:9.
It took more than a minute to see points in the second quarter, but a steal and a near-complete pass from Nez resulted in an easy layup for junior guard Sage Begay that got Flagstaff rolling again.
Begay led the game with 15 points and Nez finished the game with 10 points. The latter also had plenty of assists and big plays at the defensive end of the pitch.
Both teams struggled to maintain possession — Lee Williams more so than Flagstaff — but most attempts to play fluid basketball were lost to clogged passing lanes and aggressive ball defense. That and the various Senior Night rotations for Flagstaff held the chemistry down a bit compared to the usual rotations and kept the game interesting through one-sided competition. Flagstaff extended their lead by two in the quarter and was up 24-15 at halftime.
Flagstaff had Lee Williams on the ropes. It just needed to keep forcing turnovers and keep its offense going enough to build a lead.
Both teams appeared to be sluggish going into the second half; Lee Williams couldn’t do anything offensively and seemed frustrated with the physical play of the Flagstaff defense. Flagstaff seemed to focus most of their energy on defense and also started the quarter slowly as both teams scored just two goals in the first four minutes of the second half.
After a timeout, both attacks found some light and the quarter ended with the Eagles leading 35-26.
The Eagles started the fourth quarter by knocking down two 3s, one by Nez and one by Begay, extending the lead to double digits again.
“It felt good,” said Flagstaff coach Tyrone Johnson, “It’s seniors night, they got to start some girls who hadn’t started all season and they got to have a moment in front of their families. This is always fun at seniors night when you can lure in a few minutes for a few girls who have worked hard in training and can now come out in front of their family and show off what they’ve done.
Boys
The No. 15 Eagles boys followed the girls’ success with a stunning win, 45-24.
Flagstaff recorded their tenth win of the season, taking their record to 7-2 in the region.
The first quarter for the boys’ game started tight as a couple of baskets late in the quarter gave Flagstaff a 9-5 lead before a 3 from Lee Williams sent the game into the second quarter just 9-8.
The Eagles got off to a hot start in the second game, running 6-0 in the first two minutes. A three-point chance from senior guard Nick Sneezy gave Flagstaff a 15-8 lead, forcing Lee Williams to call a time-out. Flagstaff ended the quarter on a 9-3 run and led 24-11 at halftime.
Lee Williams struggled to find the bottom of the bucket as inconsistent shooting coupled with a tough Flagstaff defense took the Volunteers to just three points in the second quarter.
“I think we’ve started to move the ball a little bit better,” said coach Nick Walton. “Obviously our defense kept us on the ball, kept them on 11 points, transitioned our defense to offense and started moving the ball better, helped us look better.”
Lee Williams opened the third quarter with a 3, but Flagstaff immediately responded with one of their own, putting on a 12-0 run over the next five minutes. Flagstaff refused to give Lee Williams an inch, it would have to earn every single point of the night. At the end of the third quarter, the Eagles were up 38-15.
Lee Williams struggled to stem the bleeding in the fourth quarter as Flagstaff jumped to a 5-0 run in the first minute of the final quarter.
As the substitutions rolled in, both teams were able to find scoring chances, but it was far too late to mention a comeback from Lee Williams. Flagstaff finished the game with a 45-24 victory.
The Eagles girls will host #19 Bradshaw Mountain on Tuesday. The boys will face No. 1 in Prescott Valley on the same day. Play 14 Bears.
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