1A Semifinal: Joseph City/Ash Fork

On February 21st, the 1A semifinals took place at Millennium High School in Goodyear. In the opening matchup, the Joseph City Wildcats and the Ash Fork Spartans battled for a spot in the 1A Championship game, which takes place on February 27th at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. The game was the fourth matchup between the opponents this season. The game was close throughout, with the Wildcats pulling away in the last few minutes and winning 62-47.   Here, I look at some of the standouts of this contest    Despite being in foul trouble for stretches, Audrey still left her imprint on the game. She didn't force the action and showed real patience, taking what the defense gave her. Facilitated well, kept the offense organized, and made timely decisions. She still finished with a team-high 17 points.     This was my first time seeing Acosta, and I came away impressed. She changes speeds well, gets downhill, and has range on her shot. Even when double-teamed, she found seams in the defense and made plays inside the paint. High-level poise for a sophomore.     Amber's length and activity jumped out immediately. She impacted the game on both ends—disrupting passing lanes on defense and staying active on offense. Her motor and wingspan create problems, especially at this level.     Vasquez shot it confidently, especially from three. She was active without the ball and understands spacing. Andrea displayed a good nose for the ball. Solid guard prospect who can stretch a defense and keep it moving.     Jesmer gave the Wildcats a steady, all-around floor game. She rebounded well in her area and showed a soft touch from the mid-range. She didn't try to do too much—just played solid, efficient, championship basketball.     Jaydiana handled the toughest assignment on the floor defensively and delivered. Strong ball handler who controlled tempo, but what stood out most was her on-ball defense. She shadowed Ash Fork's top option and made every catch, every dribble tough by often picking up defensively the full length of the court.

On February 21st, the 1A semifinals took place at Millennium High School in Goodyear. In the opening matchup, the Joseph City Wildcats and the Ash Fork Spartans battled for a spot in the 1A Championship game, which takes place on February 27th at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. The game was the fourth matchup between the opponents this season. The game was close throughout, with the Wildcats pulling away in the last few minutes and winning 62-47.