Last week was the end of the regular season for Camp Verde High School’s basketball teams.
The boys team finished third in the Central Region with a 3-5 record, getting two more wins than last season. Different from last year, there was a Central Region tournament at the conclusion of the regular head-to-head matchups.
The Cowboys, who finished the year 8-10 in power-point games overall, drew the second place finisher in Sedona Red Rock High School. Red Rock swept the season series, defeating Camp Verde 70-49 in the region tournament semifinal on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Three seniors: Guard Payton Sarkesian, guard Chase Decker and forward Ryan Loza are the only players to depart the team. A core of sophomores and juniors, led by sophomore guards Jason Collier and Abe Gonzalez, will return with more experience next year.
Girls Move On
The Camp Verde girls basketball team again qualified for the Arizona Interscholastic Association Conference 2A tournament. It has qualified at least every season dating back to the 2010-11 season, but maxpreps.com’s archives do not record back further.
It took second place in the regular part of the region schedule at 8-2.
It beat the Paradise Honors High School Panthers 50-33 in the region tournament semifinal on Feb. 7, then lost to region champion Sedona Red Rock High School 51-31 on Friday, Feb. 9.
The Cowboys finished their power-point schedule at 16-3 and ranked No. 6 in the entire conference, and they will have a first round game in the state tournament on Friday, Feb. 16, in the Prescott area. The brackets were not released before press time.
