Keaton Magnuson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Campo Verde for AZPreps365.com. 

 

The Sunnyside Blue Devils had a long haul up I-10 for this play-in rematch of December’s 61-46 loss to Campo Verde. This time, Sunnyside didn’t roll over so easily, and forced Coyotes junior guard Isaiah Kai to the bench midway through the first quarter after he picked up three offensive fouls.

Campo Verde was down 17-10 at the end of the first quarter and Sunnyside closed out on a 6-2 run following Kai’s exit from the game. Their struggles lay within the paint, as Sunnyside played a physical style of defense that stalled the Coyotes’ ability to drive inside for much of the quarter.

“We just had to weather the storm,” said coach Mark Martinez of Campo Verde. “It got to the point where we couldn’t wait anymore. When you’re in the playoffs, you gotta shoot all your bullets.”

The team shot with everything they had as the Coyotes brought the score to within one possession, before Kai checked back in late in the second. The run was headed by junior guard Justin Garcia and junior forward Ty McDowell, who combined for 11 of the 14 points the team scored in order to end the half 25-24 with Sunnyside in the lead.

McDowell had to match Sunnyside’s physicality on the boards, while Kai and senior forward Cole Pace took their breathers on the bench, but he was more than up to the challenge.

“If I’m not the one scoring, then I’m going to be the one rebounding the ball,” said McDowell who led the game with nine boards.

You could feel the momentum shift as the Coyotes quickly jumped out to a 34-25 lead in the third when the Blue Devils turned the ball over on multiple lazy cross-court passes. However, Sunnyside was able to rejuvenate its offense with a couple threes before the quarter finished. That included a buzzer beater from senior guard Jesus Martinez after a late foul that put the ball on the Blue Devils’ half of the court. Campo Verde led 40-36.

The fourth quarter brought an epic back and forth shootout, where Sunnyside hit three more treys to knot the game at 52-52, with less than a minute left. Campo Verde’s sophomore guard Cohen Ferguson then turned it over on a controversial traveling call, but redeemed himself by drawing a charge to get the Coyotes the ball back with 15 seconds remaining. Campo Verde then used their final timeout before heading into the closing moments that would decide the game.

“Flatten out and give Isaiah the ball and go to work!” said Martinez about the message in the huddle.

Kai took the inbounds pass, flirted with his defender for a couple seconds, and made his way inside the paint for a tough layup that would give the Coyotes a two-point lead with less than three seconds before the final buzzer.

“I waited till I got some more time off the clock so they couldn’t have a good enough look if it went in,” said Kai.

And wouldn’t you know it, Sunnyside inbounded the ball out of their final timeout and launched a shot, reminiscent of a Hail Mary, that wouldn’t even make it to the backboard. The Campo Verde students and players rushed the floor to celebrate the school’s first ever playoff victory.

  Kai finished with 14 points, including the game winner. Ferguson and McDowell added another 13 each, while Garcia scored 10.

Sunnyside is officially eliminated from postseason contention and the #13 ranked Coyotes will prepare for their first matchup in the 5A State tournament at #4 Sunrise Mountain on Wednesday night.