For much of the Camp Verde boys basketball team’s playoff game against Page on Wednesday, March 10, it looked as though the No. 12-seeded Cowboys would pull an upset over the No. 5 Sand Devils. But while Camp Verde led throughout the game, Page remained close enough to steal it in the end.
The Cowboys led by as much as 12 in the third quarter and while the Sand Devils cut that lead, Camp Verde still led by six heading into the fourth. The Cowboys remained in the lead until the final minute when the Sand Devils hit a pair of free throws to go up by one. After a Camp Verde miss, Page again knocked down a pair of free throws to go up 57-54. When a last second desperation three-pointer from the Cowboys was off the mark, that stood as the final.
“I’m very proud of the kids’ effort,” Camp Verde coach Dan Wall said. “The second time we played them this year we went up there and got drilled by 23. We didn’t play with the effort we needed. But when they came out on Wednesday, they had the effort. I was very proud of all the boys and the effort that they put forth.”
The Cowboys offensive attack was balanced, with four players finishing in double-digit points. Junior forward Devon James led the way with 14, junior guard Chino Salas-Zorrilla was right behind him with 13, senior swingman Mason Rayburn had 11 while junior guard Alex Dale had 10.
By contrast, only two Sand Devils hit double digits, though both did so with ample room to spare. Senior forward Jonah Holiday led the way with 22. Fellow senior Stuart Sandell was right behind him with 21. Both were also efficient in their scoring, shooting 67% and 70%, respectively, from the field.
Holiday was also a monster on the glass, hauling in 16 rebounds. For comparison’s sake, Camp Verde’s top three rebounders, sophomore center Chito Herrera, James and Rayburn, combined for 14 boards.
The loss brought an end to the Cowboys’ season. It was Camp Verde’s first year in the 3A North Central Region and the 3A Conference. The Cowboys finished the regular season at 11-7 overall with a 9-5 record in 3A and a 4-4 mark in the region, good enough for third place.
“It was a really fun year,” Wall said. “Our region was so tough. We had the coach’s meeting on Thursday and were all talking as coaches about how fun it was to prepare for each other. The kids were going to have to make plays, and game plans were so important. It was a different experience from last year when region was down, with the exception of Glendale Prep.”
Another difference from last year is that Camp Verde’s team was young — so most of it will be back in 2022.
Wall did note how much of the loss of Rayburn — the team’s only senior — will be felt. But he also liked the growth that his team showed throughout the season.
“Mason will be a really big loss,” Wall said. “That kid is an absolute competitor and a great athlete. But everyone will be back besides him. We had a huge amount of growth this year with the kids in our group. It was a great building block moving into the future.”
“This is one of the most fun years I’ve ever had coaching,” the coach added. “This group had great attitudes every day at practice. It was a pleasure to coach these kids.”
