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

The #13 Coyotes rolled into Wednesday night’s 5A State playoff game against #4 Sunrise Mountain with a lot of momentum from their play-in win over Sunnyside last week. This Campo Verde squad had already gone deeper than any other team in program history, but it had its sights set on a deep playoff run. That would be immediately tested as the Mustangs and their rowdy student section welcomed the challenge from their cross-town visitors.

The Coyotes got to where they are because of the balanced scoring attack from their starters. To open the game, the starting five all had one basket before anyone else on the Coyotes would record their second. That translated to a strong 6-0 run out of the gate, which they turned into a 13-9 lead by the end of the first quarter.

The Coyotes offense kept up a steady pace over the course of the second period, in part due to junior guard Isaiah Kai’s 10 of his overall 20 points. However, the game took a wrong turn when junior forward Ty McDowell injured his ankle going up for a layup on the fast break. He did not return to the game and senior guard Talen Moody would shoot and make both free throws in his absence. Junior forward Garrett Ahern would also enter the game to pick up some of the slack. Campo Verde headed into the intermission up 31-25. 

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“I just wanted to contribute as much as I could,” said Ahern. “I tried to step up my game, and I tried to encourage other people to step up too.”

Following the break, Sunrise Mountain knotted the game at 31-31, after capitalizing on a couple of Campo Verde turnovers, and the game really kicked into gear. There were five lead changes, and Coyotes junior guard Justin Garcia’s continuous efforts on the offensive glass and from behind the arc were the difference in a Campo Verde 44-43 lead going into the fourth quarter. Garcia finished with 19 points, including five baskets from the three-point line.

“They were running like a really wide zone,” said Garcia. “Isaiah can go middle and I’ll just keep relocating, cutting, diving, and just trying to make something happen.”

Unfortunately, the Sunrise Mountain zone tightened and the Coyotes fell into a seven-point hole that teased them for the remainder of the game. The Mustangs hit enough of their free throws and thus, Campo Verde’s season had come to an end. The Coyotes finished with a 15-9 record, including a postseason berth.

These kids played in a lot of meaningful basketball games this season and there’s no telling how much further they could’ve gone without McDowell’s injury. This won’t be the last we hear of Campo Verde, as they’ll welcome back four of their five starters as seniors next season.

“I think having this whole year under their belt is huge,” said Coyotes coach Mark Martinez. “I think the sky’s the limit for our team. And I’m ever so grateful to our seniors who helped build and put this thing where it needed to be.”

The graduating class of the 2021-2022 Campo Verde Coyotes includes forwards Cole Pace and Blake Montague and guards Lucas Hisle, Will Clark, Zachary Bower and Talen Moody.