By Dave
Ricker
Green Valley
News
SAHUARITA—The
boys’ varsity basketball team at Sahuarita High School will hit the road
Tuesday night for the first of three 3A Copper Region games on the road
this week.
The Mustangs’
season record stands at 3-9, but they are 2-0 in conference play.
All nine of
Sahuarita’s losses came during a very difficult non-conference schedule
that saw the Mustangs lose to mostly teams from bigger schools and play
shorthanded due to illness and injury in all but two of the 12 games.
At one point,
the Mustangs only had one starter available as three were down with sprained
ankles and the fourth was out with a severe case of the flu.
But, the Mustangs
are currently atop the 3A Copper Region standings having beaten two-time
defending 3A state champions Coolidge 67-61 and Safford 44-42 prior to
the holiday break from school.
Both of those
games were at home and now will come the true test as the Mustangs hit
the road.
“We go to Santa
Cruz on Tuesday, and Rio Rico on Friday and Arizona Boys Ranch on Saturday,”
said Coach Ron Boyter.
While Sahuarita’s
conference record stands at 2-0, Eloy Santa Cruz is just the opposite having
lost to Rio Rico and Coolidge prior to the holiday break from school.
Boyter said
the Dust Devils will face more of a challenge this season with the return
of senior center David Burriss to the Mustangs’ lineup.
One of the
things Boyter and the rest of the league learned about the Mustangs prior
to the holiday break was just how good Burriss can be.
Against Coolidge
he scored 27 points and pulled down nine rebounds and against Safford he
scored 19 points and pulled down 19 rebounds.
“Everybody,
to this point, is having trouble defending him,” Boyter said.
Thus, far the
Mustangs have concentrated on getting Burriss the ball and letting him
take it to the basket.
Now, the key
will be alternatives which might develop from that philosophy.
“If our shooting
comes around outside because the longer the game goes the more they make
adjustments the more we’re open in the perimeter,” Boyter said. “We’ve
just got to step up and knock those down.”
“In practice
we do it,” he said. “A year ago we couldn’t even do that in practice.”
The other
challenge Boyter and Assistant Coach Scott Boyter face is getting their
player’s heads into the game.
“They have
to come ready to play every night and they have to come with the intent
of being better,” the coach suggested.
If the mental
part of the game comes around, things could be good for Sahuarita.
“I’ve got
eight kids that I figure can play and get things done,” Boyter said. “It’s
their choice if they want to focus or not.”