by 
A Superior player goes for the lay up.
The No. 2-seeded Superior Jr. High School eighth-grade boys’ basketball team ended No. 5-seed Mountain Vista’s dreams of a championship, defeating the Cougars in the Central Junior High League Tournament Championship, 32 – 28.
Following a first-round bye, the Jr. Panthers defeated No. 3-seed and tournament host Ray in the semifinals, 31 – 20.
The Cougars pulled upsets in the first two games against No. 4-seed Miami (35 – 30) and top-seeded High Desert (41 – 37) and were looking to make it three-straight against the Jr. Panthers.
Mountain Vista gave a valiant effort but fell short in the end and finished as the CJHL Tournament Runners-Up.
A Cougar looks to avoid being blocked by a High Desert defender.
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.
by by