This contest was the battle of the top (2) teams in the 4A Kino Region in Salpointe Catholic and Pueblo. The marquee match-up was inside between Salpointe’s 6-foot-9 senior post Myles Hersha, and Pueblo’s 6-foot-11 senior post Zach Morgan. Both teams entered the contest undefeated, but the Lancers from Salpointe utilized impressive ball movement and patience to beat the Warriors of Pueblo 67-44.
In the first half Pueblo kept it close, utilizing their size and athleticism with their stifling zone defense - forcing Salpointe to take low percentage shots. Pueblo’s 1-2-3 punch combo of Zach Morgan, Marcus Coleman and Armari Carraway proved to be effective with the two and three-man pick-and-roll game on offense. Salpointe has their own 1-2-3 punch in Myles Hersha, Tommy Irish and Brady Ramon.
The second half looked to be tough on Pueblo, since Coleman got into foul trouble early, and Salpointe took advantage of his absence. Salpointe started moving the ball a lot better, which diced up Pueblo’s zone defense. The result was Salpointe hitting perimeter shots, after Irish would drive to collapse defenses to kick out to Ramon.
Hersha had an impressive performance with his shot-blocking and rebound ability, mid-range jumpers and two massive two-hand throw downs off of his drop-step. Salpointe used a huge second half to pull away from Pueblo.
Here were the top individual performers:
2021 - Salpointe Catholic - 6’9 C Myles Hersha - He improved his footwork tremendously from the summer. Plays with greater confidence, I love his soft touch and mid-range scoring abilities. He proved to be a strong presence inside with his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. Had two game-changing two-hand dunks off of the drop-step, which fired up his team. A solid Division-2 prospect.
2022 - Pueblo - 6’11 C Zach Morgan - Showed he can score inside, as well as from mid-range. Cleans the glass well and has bulked up since last year. I love his IQ in the pick-n-roll - a nice upcoming prospect.
2023 - Pueblo 5’10 - G - Armari Carraway - A great facilitator who can create scoring opportunities for himself or teammates. Elite vision, anticipation and IQ. He is sneaky quick with great leadership ability. He has a high ceiling and is a special player.
2021 - Salpointe 6’0 G Brady Ramon - One of the best catch-and-shoot scorers I have seen in a long time. Has a quick release and plays with a lot of confidence. I love his ability to move without the ball in filling transition lanes. A pure scorer.
2021 - Salpointe 6’2- G- Tommy Irish - Plays with a lot of heart and energy. I love his motor on both ends of the floor. He is very fundamentally sound with a nasty mid-range jumper and ability to penetrate.
I look forward to their 2nd match-up. I am sure Coach Harry Whitaker Jr. will have his Warriors ready, and legendary Coach Jim Reynolds does a fantastic job with his Lancers. Arizona Preps looks to cover the rematch on March 3rd.
