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Superior Panthers
With the final two weeks of the regular season approaching, the No. 16-ranked Superior boys’ basketball team is clinging to a playoff berth, barely.
The top 16 teams will qualify for the 1A State Championship Tournament, which begins Feb. 16 in Prescott.
Will the Panthers be making the trip?
If they win at least two of the final four games, which includes two teams ranked ahead of them – Ray and NFL Yet – then they figure to be in. If they can win three of four, the Panthers will most likely guarantee themselves a berth.
History shows, especially the last two years, that the Panthers are capable of making a late-season run up to and through the playoffs. They’ll need to do it again, starting with yesterday’s game versus North Phoenix Prep.
The Panthers have only two wins in their last seven games, including a 50 – 7 victory at Phoenix Day School for the Deaf last Friday.
Third-ranked Ft. Thomas defeated Superior in lopsided fashion last Tuesday, 59 – 26, outscoring the Panthers 36 – 9 in the first half.
Superior juniors Kale Major (8) and Cedric Mendoza (7) combined for 15 of the teams 26 points. Mendoza also finished with a team-high six rebounds while Major had four steals to lead the Panthers.
Up next: Jan. 30 at Ray, and Feb. 2 vs. Hayden. All games are schedule 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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