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Cowgirls refuse to quit
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| You know you've arrived for the Willcox Cowgirls when you join the Bruise Sisters club. Roxanne McInnes (above) become the newest member when she endured an elbow to the face Friday against Morenci. However, she wasn't "lucky" enough to earn the fashionable faceguards currently sported by Kaitlyn Patterson and Michaela Scott. (Dave Brown/ARN) |
By Steve Reno/Arizona Range News
A solid win over Valley Union and a forfeit win from San Simon had the Willcox Cowgirl basketball varsity on the edge of the play-off picture until reality sunk in on Friday.
That's when a quick little Morenci squad snuck into town, took advantage of starting guard Nikki Dunlap's absence, and stung Willcox 57-23 before sneaking back out of town.
"Yes, we kind of missed Nikki's quickness. She's the quickest on the floor for us. But 34 points? Gosh, we we're walking in jello," said coach Crandall Aaron. "We couldn't keep up with their energy and their speed."
Dunlap attended a club softball tournament and Larae Harguess and Roxanne McInnes played hard in her absence. Both had bruises to show for it. Harguess banged heads with teammate Kaitlyn Patterson and chipped a tooth. McInnes took an accidental elbow to the nose from an opponent.
But that happened late. Early in the game, it was the tenacity of the Morenci running game that led to an early 15-point advantage.
"We got off to a really poor start. I took all five starters out and let another five try," said Aaron. The back-ups also struggled and "then I asked if the starters were ready to play this time. They said yes and they did play better from then on, but I can't understand how they beat us by 30 points."
Especially one night after the Cowgirls "were firing on all cylinders against Valley Union," the coach said.
"We passed well, rebounded well. Played defense. We never got in that big turnover funk where we turn it over three or four times in a row. I've been preaching that we need to play well for all four quarters in a game, so they asked me 'did we play all four quarters tonight?' I said 'you sure did'."
Willcox (3-9) won 35-24 against a Valley Union team they beat twice before, but never by more than one point. Patterson scored 12 and Dunlap 9, while D'Angela Franco added 8. Yesenia Gomez had 8 for Valley Union (5-8).
Despite the loss to Morenci (2-10) and allowing 18 points to leading scorer Julia Chavarria, the Cowgirls still rank number-12 in the section. Courtney Purcell scored 9 points and Harguess, 6, for Willcox (6-13 overall).
"The Willcox girls don't quit. We were getting beat by 30 and they were still giving me everything they had. We have the biggest heart. I give them credit for that. I'm proud of them."
But their bid for a top eight finish and play-off berth is hampered by the fifth toughest schedule of the region, as Benson, Safford and Thatcher, their next three opponents, rank 2-3-1 in the section. Duncan and Pima, two of the top six from Division four's southern section, are also part of the final five on their daunting schedule.
"We just have to put the Morenci game behind us, because that was an aberration. Five games left, five chances. I'd love to have at least another win," said Aaron.
That's when a quick little Morenci squad snuck into town, took advantage of starting guard Nikki Dunlap's absence, and stung Willcox 57-23 before sneaking back out of town.
"Yes, we kind of missed Nikki's quickness. She's the quickest on the floor for us. But 34 points? Gosh, we we're walking in jello," said coach Crandall Aaron. "We couldn't keep up with their energy and their speed."
Dunlap attended a club softball tournament and Larae Harguess and Roxanne McInnes played hard in her absence. Both had bruises to show for it. Harguess banged heads with teammate Kaitlyn Patterson and chipped a tooth. McInnes took an accidental elbow to the nose from an opponent.
But that happened late. Early in the game, it was the tenacity of the Morenci running game that led to an early 15-point advantage.
"We got off to a really poor start. I took all five starters out and let another five try," said Aaron. The back-ups also struggled and "then I asked if the starters were ready to play this time. They said yes and they did play better from then on, but I can't understand how they beat us by 30 points."
Especially one night after the Cowgirls "were firing on all cylinders against Valley Union," the coach said.
"We passed well, rebounded well. Played defense. We never got in that big turnover funk where we turn it over three or four times in a row. I've been preaching that we need to play well for all four quarters in a game, so they asked me 'did we play all four quarters tonight?' I said 'you sure did'."
Willcox (3-9) won 35-24 against a Valley Union team they beat twice before, but never by more than one point. Patterson scored 12 and Dunlap 9, while D'Angela Franco added 8. Yesenia Gomez had 8 for Valley Union (5-8).
Despite the loss to Morenci (2-10) and allowing 18 points to leading scorer Julia Chavarria, the Cowgirls still rank number-12 in the section. Courtney Purcell scored 9 points and Harguess, 6, for Willcox (6-13 overall).
"The Willcox girls don't quit. We were getting beat by 30 and they were still giving me everything they had. We have the biggest heart. I give them credit for that. I'm proud of them."
But their bid for a top eight finish and play-off berth is hampered by the fifth toughest schedule of the region, as Benson, Safford and Thatcher, their next three opponents, rank 2-3-1 in the section. Duncan and Pima, two of the top six from Division four's southern section, are also part of the final five on their daunting schedule.
"We just have to put the Morenci game behind us, because that was an aberration. Five games left, five chances. I'd love to have at least another win," said Aaron.
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| Cowboys jumping up in basketball rankings |
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