***SPECIAL TO ARIZONA PREPS from Guest Analyst: George Courtney
In the first game of this year's 20th Annual Mesa Fear The Hop Tournament, host Mesa High School (1-0) won the jump-ball and striked early with a lay up from McKy Peters. Paradise Valley High School (0-1) answered back with a three from guard Antoine Anderson. The atmosphere was rocking, as this was the “Student Body Game” where Mesa flexed their home-court advantage with having their entire student body attend the game.
Mesa employed defensive pressure to start the game, which flustered Paradise Valley’s offensive timing. Paradise Valley would keep biting at the heels, behind hot shooting from Anderson. Mesa ended up holding the slim lead, 14-11 after the first.
Paradise Valley would start the 2nd quarter with the possession. The Trojans (Paradise Valley) kept the intensity up on both ends of the floor - gaining their 2nd lead of the game, 19 to 17. On the ensuing possession, Jackrabbits (Mesa) wing AJ Seumanu went down hill, before getting fouled. He hit his two free throws, tying the game up at 19. Behind Peters' playmaking ability, Seumanu controlling the glass, two quick field goals by point guard Daijon Grayson and combo-guard Jarren Galarza, the Jackrabbits took the lead 31-23 at the half.
The Jackrabbits started the 2nd half with the possession, and opened up with a layup from combo-guard Conway Cummard. The Jackrabbits would go on a 10-2 run, building a 41-23 lead halfway into the 3rd quarter.
Trojans' guard Brenden Goodman hit two free throws to stop the offensive drought. The Trojans would struggle to contain Jackrabbit guard Peters, as Mesa improved their lead 50 to 32 after three.
The 4th quarter was pretty aggressive with both teams looking to empty the tank on each play. Trojans guard Anderson impressed with his playmaking and scoring ability, and he single handedly chipped away Mesa’s lead to 52-42. Ultimately, the Trojans could not keep Seumanu and forward John Peterson off the glass on both the offensive and defensive end. The Jackrabbits would go on to defeat the Trojans, 63-53.
