For the girls basketball team at Mingus Union High School, a new year means a new defense.
Head Coach Art Moncibaez rolled out a 1-2-2 zone defense for the first time in game action Saturday, Jan. 4, just in time for a 52-32 victory over Bullhead City Mohave High School.
“It’s kind of new to us,” said Marauders senior forward Heather Calandra. “Teams are kind of shocked to see us play it. We just put it in right before break.”
Although Flagstaff and Bradshaw Mountain High Schools showed that a new defense won’t win games by itself — beating the Marauders 58-46 and 68-50, respectively, on Jan. 6 and 7 — both Moncibaez and his two senior posts in the defense agree that quicker reactions to shooters will solve that problem.
“The key is just getting out on the shooters fast enough and getting back on defense,” senior Lexie Kleinman said.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Jan. 8, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
