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With only one starter and one deep bench player back from last year's 4A runners up, Deer Valley boys basketball has a lot to learn this season.
But the inexperienced Skyhawks already play the kind of defense coach Jed Dunn expects, or at least pretty close.
Their lock down abilities were on display at home Dec. 10 throughout a 49-42 Deer Valley victory against a solid Dysart team.
"I'm beating myself up all the time and I look up and they had 18 at halftime. That's pretty good. This group will play hard, that's never a doubt," Dunn said. "We were just talking in the locker room about also playing smart. We have to take away strengths of the other team. We didn't do that tonight and that's why it was close."
Dysart (2-3) coach Keegan Cook's lament was the game's ending sequence, which saw both Demons star juniors off the court in the final minute plus.
With just under four minutes remaining and the Demons trailing 37-35 junior forward Daryian Matthews went up to block sophomore forward Semajay James' shot. He did, but twisted in midair and landed hard and awkwardly on the floor.
Matthews led his team with 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. He spend the rest of the game being tested for a concussion.
"They were checking to see if he had a concussion. He felt pretty good. I couldn't see if he hit his head or not so better safe than sorry. Unfortunately it came at the end of the game," Cook said.
With about 90 seconds left, Demons junior guard Riley Fornerette fouled out. He scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half.
At the time Dysart trailed 42-39. The visitors only scored a late three the rest of the way.
"The bottom line is, we've got to have guys step up every single night," Cook said. " Other guys are getting experience at the varsity level. It's going to take some time at the varsity level but we're going to work at it."
The coach said sophomore forward Damian Lua, junior Richard Gonzales and senior Xavier Mendivil have all stepped into larger roles.
Dysart is changing course this year after last season's leading scorer Nate Pickens transferred to Paradise Honors.
Junior guard Jackson Leyba is the only returning Skyhawk starter and led the team Dec. 10 with 13 points. Senior forward Christian Jurewicz also played some last year and added nine points.
"It's a big adjustment because for three years I had dudes that could just play. We could go on the fly and adjust to anything," Dunn said. "I'm coaching almost every play right now. We're going to be really, really good next and year and could be good this year."
Deer Valley beat Cortez and Washington later in the week to go to 5-0 in the regular season.
They gave up only 34 points to the Colts and 44 to the Rams.
"Any team Jed is coaching is going to be hard working. Defensively they make every single possession is a grind. Offensively they take care of the ball and get good shot," Cook said.
Dunn said several talented younger players have not hit their stride yet.
But a couple play beyond their years, at least most of the time.
"Jadyn Sleeper, the freshman, has a basketball IQ and some toughness to him. Samajay James really gets the game. so when he makes bonehead plays we lose our minds because he can do so many things - he can post, he can bring the ball up and guard the post. And he's only a sophomore," Dunn said.
Richard Smith Associate Editor | Surprise & West Valley Preps @rsmithYWV
Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.
An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.
For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.
As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.
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