6A Round 2 Review

Last night, the 6A playoffs kicked off the second round with 7 exciting and intriguing matchups. The round was full of upsets and shockers, and some incredibly tense games. Here is a recap of the games that happened last night. 

Cesar Chavez 66, Highland 70

Highland narrowly avoided a monumental upset last night, as Lex Clontz and the Champions led a furious attempt at pulling off a miracle. Highland is the 1 seed in this tournament and were the heavy favorites going into this one, and Cesar Chavez showed they are no joke and not to be reckoned with. Cesar Chavez flew under the radar of many people this year, quietly winning big game after big game in the 6A metro region. Unfortunately, their season comes to a close after a valiant effort against Highland.

Casteel 49, Williams Field 56

Casteel and Williams Field battled in one of the games of the year last night, but Williams Field would come up victorious after this bout between former 5A foes. Williams Field was led by Caron Perez and Patty Mpouli, as they had phenomenal games on both ends of the court and played complete basketball. Casteel was led by the dynamic duo of the Lazor brothers, Makenzie and Maddox. Casteel would hold a lead going into the fourth and throughout much of the quarter, but clutch buckets from Mpouli and Karson Reid would help the Blackhawks squeak by against the Casteel Colts.

Apollo 50, Brophy 58

Brophy nearly was upset by Apollo in this one, only winning by 8. Brophy was led by their senior leadership of Ryan Burbach and Luke Wieskamp, along with significant contribution from two sport star Daylen Sharper. Apollo was led by Isaiah and Elijah White, along with Cristian Acevedo. Sharper would get some clutch buckets in the end to propel the Broncos to the next round, narrowly escaping this one.

Pinnacle 74, Higley 62

In a shocking turn of events, the 3 seeded Higley Knights dropped their first 6A playoff game to the 14 seed, the Pinnacle Pioneers. Pinnacle played a perfect game, severely limiting the Dabney twins and making it tough for star point guard Noah Gloor to score. Higley was limited to only 62 points, a low mark for the Knights. Pinnacle was led by Ryan Nelson in this one, as he dominated from start to finish. Pinnacle pulled off the big win in enemy territory, keeping their season alive.

Mesa 52, Tucson 46

Mesa pulled off yet another upset in this one, defeating Tucson after taking the long trip down from the valley. Mesa was without top rebounder John Petersen, but Kyi Kyi Miles came through yet again for the Jackrabbits, showing off his talents to the people of Tucson. Tucson could not get going offensively and neither could Mesa for a good chunk of this one, but the Jackrabbits would come out on top in the end.

Red Mountain 44, Hamilton 52

Red Mountain’s magical season which saw them go undefeated in region play came to an end last night, falling to the Hamilton Huskies by 8. Hamilton was led by Davion Harris and Marquice Cole, and Red Mountain had contributions from Drew Hall and Bjorn Molenaar. Hamilton would suffocate the Mountain Lions in the second half, playing tenacious defense. Hamilton proved to have clutch scorers in the final moments, as they would win this one by eight. 

Mountain View 54, Liberty 71

Liberty left no doubt in this one, dominating the Toros behind Stephan Miller and Jackson Hunter. Mountain View was close with Liberty in the first half, but Liberty would pull away in the second after making crucial halftime adjustments and changes. Mountain View had a great season, but Liberty is the one surviving and advancing in this one.