The Camp Verde men’s recreation league team Unit overcame a first-round forfeit to rise through the consolation bracket and finish six points short of winning the championship of the Yavapai-Apache Nation tournament June 4 at the Middle Verde Recreation Center.
Before falling to Pago’s, 87-81, Camp Verde High School head boys basketball coach Dan Wall teamed up with incoming junior guard Javier Perez and other locals to rally for five wins in a row after being forced to forfeit their opening-round playoff game May 19 against SuddenLink.
Nine days later, Unit regrouped to begin its run to the title game of the nine-team league, the proceeds from which help fund the Nation’s Summer Youth Program. The men’s league also collects proceeds in the form of fines for technical fouls: For the first assessed, each player owed a fine of $20; then, for the second, $40.
“A lot of people complained about that, but money talks,” said Michael Sells, leading scorer for Pago’s, who won his third straight men’s league title with a game-high 30 points on seven three-pointers. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing. The guys that won’t keep their mouths shut, who won’t leave the refs alone, who are always complaining, are the real problem.”
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, June 11, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
