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Ray High Bearcats
The 17th-ranked Ray boys’ basketball team improved its chances of securing a state playoff berth following three-straight victories last week against Phoenix Day School for the Deaf, San Manuel and Hayden.
In last Friday’s regular-season home finale, the Bearcats defeated Hayden 43 – 32, sending off seniors Jonah Cude, Kenneth Palmer and Noah Warren victorious in their final home appearance.
The Cats had lost two-in-a-row before winning three straight and can improve their playoff hopes even more with a win on Jan. 31 at Superior, which is also on the cusp of earning a playoff berth.
The state tournament, which begins Feb. 17 in Prescott Valley, will include 10 automatic berths and six at-large berths to form the 16-team field. The Cats can assure themselves being one of the 10 automatic entries by reaching the 1A East Region Tournament finals. The six at-large qualifiers will be based on ranking.
Upcoming schedule: Jan. 31 at Superior, Feb. 2 at Duncan and Feb. 3 at NFL Yet Academy. All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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