Arizona HS basketball week in review: McClintock takes a big step back to relevance

Tempe McClintock needed only a year to regroup and get back to playing the kind of basketball that brings a community together and leads to championships.

Pulling out a gritty 53-52 win at Phoenix Central on Friday night in a state playoff atmosphere, McClintock is back to the team is was before its two biggest starts left in the summer of 2022 to play at local prep academies.

After going 24-4, losing to Gilbert in overtime in the 5A state semifinals, the Chargers went 12-13 last season. Now they seem to be back on track at 17-4 and ranked 11th by the AIA this week in the 5A seedings.

The Chargers, beating a good Central team, are part of the Arizona high school boys basketball week in review:

What we learned this week in Arizona HS basketball

There's resiliency taught by coach Sam Dentz at McClintock to not look back, keep your eyes ahead and work towards the next day, getting better with who you've got. That's been so evident this year. They got to the final of their Christmas tournament before losing to a tough Casteel team.

"As a program, you always have to keep moving forward," Dentz said. "I think it's a credit to our kids for accepting the challenge and being willing to do the work that it takes to be successful."

On Friday night, Central (13-5) led 12-9 after a quarter, McClintock took a 27-20 halftime lead, and it was tied at 39 heading into the final quarter. Josh McManaway, a sophomore, had 17 points, making five 3-pointers in the first half. Sophomore Kyler Frye had 20 points, and senior Taimari Jones added 16 points.

Frye gave the Chargers a 53-52 lead by making one of two free throws with 9 seconds left. Central missed a shot at the buzzer.

"It was a great atmosphere and a tremendous win for our team on the road," Dentz said. "Central is a very good team and this experience will definitely help us as we prepare for the playoffs."

Central won the earlier meeting at McClintock 65-60. Central coach Darren Bustos felt Friday's game went along the same way, except this time his team couldn't maintain a lead.

"We are very evenly matched with them so I figured it would be a good game," Bustos said. "We hope with the competition we play down the stretch that it gets us ready for the postseason if we get in."

Power statement

Goodyear Millennium coach Ty Amundsen isn't too concerned now with his team seeded 14th by the AIA in the 32-team Open state tournament, despite being ranked No. 2 overall by The Arizona Republic in the Super 10.

The schedule starts to ramp up beginning with Saturday's game against a top California team, 20-1 Salesian College Prep. Amundsen said that game will count for AIA power points. The Tigers (15-3) still have to play Canyon View (18-2) twice, Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep (19-3) and Scottsdale Desert Mountain (15-4).

Those games should improved Millennium's strength of schedule and get the team ranked higher before the tournament starts.

"But who knows how the schedules affect the power points," Amundsen said. "Never had and never will. I just know if we end up 15, 14, 13 that will be bad news for some teams who have to play us early in the Open and could change the bracket entirely.

"In the end, we have to play the best teams to win the Open anyways."

Staying together with Preston Lord in their hearts

This is the most grueling week of San Tan Valley Combs' difficult basketball season, players grieving their way to the finish line. They'll have played five games in six days after Saturday's game at Phoenix Mountain Pointe. Before Saturday, the Coyotes (15-8) were 3-1 on the week with wins over Tempe, Arizona College Prep and Poston Butte. They're playing with heavy hearts with the beating death of teammate Preston Lord weighing on them. Mountain Pointe took this game with Combs and made it a teenage violence awareness game. It helps Combs fill some lost games, cancelling with Mesquite and American Leadership Gilbert North.

Coach Hosea Graham is in the conversation for Coach of the Year the way he's led this team through such a difficult season with one of Lord's best friend, junior Logan Tuckfield, leading them with 14 points a game.

"My boys are staying focused," Graham told The Republic after Monday's win over Tempe on Martin Luther King Jr., Day. "They're not trying to retaliate. They stay calm. They understand, 'Be kind.' That's what's going to heal."

Ironwood's 3-point shooting record

Glendale Ironwood won the 5A state championship in 2020, before COVID changed the world. During the season, Ironwood made 17 3-pointers in a game, which was then a state record. The AIA hasn't posted team records since then, but on Friday, in Ironwood's only game of the week, an 86-60 rout of rival Peoria Centennial, Ironwood made 18 3-pointers, coach Jordan Augustine said.

This team might play itself out of the 5A tournament with a good run in the Open. The Eagles were ranked No. 7 this week by the AIA in the Open. I'yar Shadowvide had 25 points and eight assists, Blake Carabio had 28 points, two assists and two rebounds and senior guard Noah Gifft had 18 points and three assists. Last week, he broke the career school record for 3s made and is currently with 220. In the Centennial game, the broke the single-season school record with 92 made 3s.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: HS hoops rewind: McClintock takes a big step back to relevance in win