Region basketball finals packed with history
Although region tournament games do not impact team's AIA power rankings, a region tournament championship automatically qualifies a team a spot in the 5A-II state basketball tournaments.
That's good news for all four teams involved in tonight's Gila Valley Region boys and girls championship games.
Kofa and Cibola will meet in the girls final for the third straight season at Raider Gym at 6 p.m., and Yuma and Kofa will battle for the boys championship at 7 p.m. at The House on the Arizona Western College campus.
"I know Cibola's been waiting for this and we've been waiting for this, so it should be a great night," Kofa girls coach Eric Krepps said.
The Kings have to most to gain or lose from tonight's finals as the only team still competing without a top-16 power ranking. Cibola, the No. 4-ranked team in the Arizona Republic and top seed in the region, are fifth in the AIA rankings and will almost certainly host their state tournament opener regardless of tonight's outcome.
Region tournament history is most definitely on the Kings' side. While Cibola is a remarkable 26-0 in regular-season region games since the 2006-07 season, Kofa has won the last three region tournament championships.
"A couple of our players had older sisters on those teams, and (former Kofa player) Liz Moreno's been assisting us all season, so they certainly know the history," Krepps said. "But they also understand they are way different than those teams experience-wise and in their overall make-up. They know what they have to do and hopefully they're ready for it."
Much of Kofa's team has been fighting illness since last weekend - including Krepps - as the Kings beat Yuma and Gila Ridge to reach the finals, but adversity is nothing new to this year's squad.
"All of the summer stuff we worked on is not remotely close to what we've got now because it was a whole new crop once the season actually started," Krepps said. "It's taken a season for them to figure it out and for me as a coach to figure out what we can do, and even the last couple days people have been doing good things in positions I never would have thought to put them in."
On the boys side, Yuma and Kofa both appear to be locks for state with No. 8 and No. 13 power rankings. The Criminals are tied with Willow Canyon at No. 8 and will have to wait until Saturday's bracket is released before learning which of the two team's will host their probable first-round matchup.
Kofa and Yuma have split their four previous meetings this season, the Kings taking the most recent one 60-53 on Feb. 12 at Castle Dome Middle School.
"People forget we played in the Southwest Rotary tournament, so this is kind of the rubber match," Pisano said. "It's Yuma-Kofa. You have to throw out the records and the history because you never know what'll happen."
Kofa coach Danilo Montiali said getting off to a good start will be crucial for the Kings after their week away from competition. The top-seeded Kings did not lighten their practice schedule this week, and Montiali attended Wednesday's Yuma-Cibola game to prepare for tonight.
"I just wanted to see the players that would step up," Montiali said. "Every game it's somebody new for Yuma. They have so much depth and chemistry."
Though tonight's final at AWC creates a neutral site, the Kings have used The House at times this season for practices. In some ways, the Kings have been playing without a home-court advantage all season, not being able to use the Kofa High gymnasium.
"I think it'll be neat for the kids to play at AWC," Pisano said. "They all go out to watch the college games there, so it's a place they enjoy."
