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I am anchor
Boys hoops ready for sectionals
Austin Keating battles for the rebound.
Matt Fisher goes up against three longhorns and actually sinks the shot.
Danny Fifield drives in. He is one of three seniors who is playing in his last high season of basketball.
Zac Lusk and Cole Miles kepe the pressure on Payson.
Posted
Ryan Winslett
The final week of the regular season saw two more wins added to the boys basketball team’s season totals.
After beating both Payson and Salt River, the Falcons are now ready for the sectional tournament seeded at number five.
The Falcons play this evening, Feb. 6, at Valley Vista High School. This will be a 5:45 p.m. game versus Estrella Foothills.
Head coach Matt Johnson said the Falcons are currently seeded 21st for the state tournament and hope to improve that standing through the sectional tournament.
Payson
The Falcons hosted senior night on Tuesday, Jan. 29, celebrating the high school careers of Daniel Fifield, Matt Fisher and Zac Lusk.
Fountain Hills got off to a quick start over the Longhorns, taking an 18-7 lead into the second quarter.
“Payson put on a small run in the second quarter, but we were able to extend our lead to 18 by halftime,” Johnson said.
Play went back and forth through the third quarter with Payson only able to take a one point bite out of the difference heading into the final minutes of play.
Payson managed to creep a little closer to the Falcons through the fourth, but the local boys managed to stay out ahead and claim the win, 77-64.
Fifield led the Falcons with 24 points this outing with Fisher netting 21.
Johnson said his boys shot an impressive 55 percent from the floor and, while they committed 27 turnovers of their own, they managed to force 28 against the Longhorns.
Salt River
The final game of the regular season was another big win for the Falcons as the local boys once again jumped out to an early lead.
The Falcons would stretch the difference to 12 by the half, with the third quarter once again seeing play stay even between the two teams.
“In the fourth quarter, Salt River was able to cut the lead to six, but we used timely defense and solid free throw shooting down the stretch to finish off the game,” Johnson said.
In the end, the Falcons claimed another commanding victory at 61-47.
The Falcons had four players in double figures this outing including Danny Fifield with 15, Austin Keating and Cory Kukkola with 11 apiece and Cole Miles at 10.
The Falcons shot 44 percent from the field this outing and committed just 13 turnovers.
