Andy Romike is a Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Combs High School.

SAN TAN VALLEY -- No scorebook in a preseason scrimmage could deter some teams from giving their all. That was far from the case for the Combs Coyotes.

From the opening tip to the final buzzer in their bout against Benjamin Franklin High School, the Combs Coyotes played with nothing but intensity on both sides of the ball on Tuesday.

“That’s all I was looking for really: aggressiveness,” Combs head coach Hosea Graham said. “We have to play aggressive on defense and we have to play scrappy and intense on offense.”

Though it took some time for the Coyotes’ offense to get into a rhythm, the shotmaking of seniors Kamren Dubose and Logan Tuckfield is what allowed Combs to keep its composure and confidence.

“This squad will always have knock-down shooters on the floor that can drain the three-point shot at any given time,” Graham said about his team’s offensive capabilities. “They all have the green light.”

Graham’s confidence in his players is undoubtedly understood, especially by Dubose, who shot the ball from all over the court in both high volume and high efficiency.

“Hours in the gym with the coaching staff, working on my game, working on my jump shot and just trusting myself, that’s where my confidence comes from,” Dubose said about the “green light” he displayed during Combs’ scrimmage.

Dubose’s scoring is far from the only thing he provides to his team. He a vocal leader as well. Any time one of his teammates scored, Dubose’s praise drowned out any other noise in the gym.

Combs' Kamren Dubose and Jaimin Amador talking in the backcourt during a BFHS free throw“Shoot that … There you go, baby!” Dubose said as Tuckfield buried a catch-and-shoot three from the corner pocket.

Like Dubose, Tuckfield shot with the green light. His off-the-ball movement made an impact on the game. Constantly moving on offense, diving for loose balls and skying in for rebounds, Tuckfield’s energy was tangible.

“I try to model my game after Steph Curry,” Tuckfield said. “I hear he runs like nine miles a game, so that’s what I try to do. Just run, run, run and bring all the energy that I can.”

This scrimmage had a different format than a typical basketball game, consisting of four 12-minute quarters followed by an extra eight-minute period at the end in which both teams allowed their junior varsity players to get playing time.

Combs' bench players being prepped to enter the game for the first time as a unit

“I’m looking for that sixth, seventh and eighth man,” Graham said about this extra period.

“Watching this game tonight helps me go back to the drawing board to them during practice this week and say ‘this is gonna be your role.’ That’s why this was an important showcase for us.”

Among these younger players who played in the scrimmage, freshman Skyler Lawrence and sophomore Daniel Washington had impressive outings on both sides of the ball, following suit with a high effort level.

Though his scoring display was not as flashy and explosive, senior Johnathon Byaus, Combs’ leading scorer in the 2022-23 season, also had a productive offensive night, finishing down low and drawing fouls at a consistent clip.

Combs senior Johnathon Byaus at the scorers' table getting ready to check inWithout a final score, Combs gauged their performance with the eye test. The consensus among the team was that the Coyotes passed the test.

Combs opens up its regular season play on Nov. 30, facing Red Mountain at home.