The Shadow Mountain group will be the state's top team for the next two seasons in the Division-II Class, and this year they are proving just how good they will be, as they are utilizing their young talent to come from behind consistently to win ball games. But they could win it all this season - setting up a possibility for three state titles with their current group.
On Wednesday evening, after coming from behind against a talented and tough Catalina Foothills HS team in the state playoffs, Shadow Mountain would do it again late against top-rated Salpointe Catholic HS, 76-66, to advance to the Division-II state semi-finals.
Shadow Mountain (27-3) took the game's lead late in the game, despite a lackluster shooting night from talented 6-foot sophomore guard Michael Bibby Jr. But Bibby, like he did against Catalina Foothills, would hit a late three-pointer - giving Shadow Mountain a 62-57 lead with 2:23 left in the game. Bibby would then convert 8 free-throws in the final 2 minutes of the game. Bibby would finish the game with 17 points.
The talented sophomore trio for Shadow Mountain of Bibby, 6-foot-4 sophomore JJ Rhymes (25 points) and 6-foot-3 sophomore post Carlos Johnson (24 points) would finish with an amazing total of 66 of their team's 76 points in the win.
Shadow Mountain will now advance to the Division-II state semi-finals where they will now face a game Cienega High School team - the best match-up of the season for the Division-II ranks.
