By Don Ketchum

FLORENCE – One end of the Florence High gymnasium is completely wallpapered with red championship banners in sports of all sorts.

Fans of the school’s boys basketball team figured there was room for one more as the Gophers prepared for its opening-round game in the Class 3A state tournament on Saturday night (Feb. 19).

But visiting Kayenta Monument Valley had other ideas. The Mustangs wear red, too, and certainly have more room on their wall for another banner after winning titles in 1997, 1996 and 1993.

With dozens of noisy fans along for the ride, 11^th-seeded Monument Valley used a blistering 25-6 second quarter run and all-around hustle to stun the sixth-seeded Gophers 74-60.

Monument Valley (14-8) advances to the quarterfinals on Tuesday (Feb. 22) at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. The opponent in the 2 p.m. game will be third-seeded Fort Defiance Window Rock, one of the Mustangs’ rivals in the tough Class 3A North Region. The teams played three times this season, with Window Rock winning twice.

“We had to hustle because we are smaller. Everybody in our region is taller than us,’’ said Monument Valley coach Perry Francis. “The guys had been bumping each other around in practice this week, and they wanted to play somebody. They were ready.’’

Florence’s Kyle Washington, one of the state’s best all-around athletes and a recent football signee with the University of Colorado, showed he is a pretty good basketball player, too. He began the game with a three-pointer and added another long shot in the first quarter as the Gophers built a 25-18 lead entering the second.

Monument Valley battled back with its big second quarter, as Zack Keith scored 13 of his 26 points. He and his teammates outhustled the Gophers at virtually every turn, seemingly tracking down every loose ball and being aggressive on the glass.

Florence (18-11) did not help its cause by hitting just two of 12 free throws in the period.

The Gophers were within range in the third quarter and got within 56-53 with 6:20 left in the game, but Monument Valley went on an 8-0 run to regain its momentum.

“We had to keep our composure,’’ Francis said. “I told them that we can’t be turning the ball over. We have to take care of the ball.’’

Of his team’s overall approach going into the game, Francis said, “I told them, “This is what you work for all season.’ ’’

Chad Keith had 18 points for Monument Valley and Preston Parrish had 14. Washington was the only player in double figures for Florence with 26 points.

 

It was a long but happy ride back to Kayenta. The Mustangs had begun their trip at 6 a.m. and had to travel slowly through northern parts of the state due to bad weather. The team came through Phoenix, which added about another hour to the trip.