Sydni Griffin is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Edge High School for AZPreps365.com

The Desert Edge badminton team fought to the end Tuesday, but lost 9-0 to South Mountain.  

The Scorpions’ senior leaders, No. 1 Alexa Carrillo-Cortez and No.2 Gabriela Gonzalez, were tied in their match, 21-16, 20-22, when they dropped their third set 21-16 to Maria Alvarado and Dania Casimiro, the Jaguars' No. 2 and No. 3 players. 

Despite the loss in the competitive doubles match, Carrillo-Cortez and Gonzalez say they can balance being fierce competitors on the court with having fun. 

“If you're not having fun you're playing the game wrong,” Gonzalez said. “We've been partners for two years now, so we've learned to communicate. If you're not having fun, sometimes you get too much in your head, and you're losing at that point.” 

Carrillo-Cortez said it’s important to learn from her defeats in hopes of gaining insights into how she can grow as a badminton player for the Scorpions’ next match. 

“I definitely learn from every game,” Carrillo-Cortez said. “Competing against different opponents shows me new strategies while also working on my own. I feel like I become a better player at the sport every day.”

Desert Edge head coach Stephen Kraynick was proud of how the team leaders continued to compete and was undeterred by the loss to Alvarado and Casimiro. 

“I thought the girls persevered today," Kraynick said. “All the way through, their focus and concentration, but most of all they kept their fun, which is what being a Scorpion is all about, rising to the occasion and overcoming challenges.”

The Scorpions are competitors even though it might not show in the final score. Despite the team loss, Gonzales said she was grateful for her teammates and their effort. 

“Everyone on this team wants to win, we truly give it our all each time we come out and compete,” Gonzalez said. “The standings don't show it but as individuals and a team, every single one of us gets better every time we play.”

It has been a challenging season for the Scorpions and after the loss to the Jaguars, they currently stand with an overall record of 1-11. With only two games left in the season, Kraynick’s “play-to-get-better” mindset has not changed. 

“The goal every day is to get better,” Kraynick said. “Looking back on the season, I believe most of the girls would agree that they've improved, and for me, that's all we can ask for now that we are out of the playoffs.”

Kraynick said he gained many insights after watching his team compete against the Jaguars that will help him and his players better prepare for their last two games of the season. 

“There are things we need to continue to work on in practice for our next game,” Kraynick said. “We've been working hard on our defensive skills; we are certainly good at smashing but we especially need to work on returning and blocking.” 

The Scorpions’ fourth consecutive shutout was delivered by the 6-7 Jaguars, but now the team is looking ahead to its next match, when Desert Edge hosts the 2-11 Youngker Roughriders. 

At that match, the badminton team will honor its four senior players at Senior Night, starting at 4 p.m. Thursday.