Story and Photos by Rusty Ellis
The Jackson County Blue Devils will take on York in the District 5/AA Championship game after defeating Monterey on Friday 60-43.
The game started out as a back-and-forth slugfest, but it was Jackson County who came out of the first quarter with a 17-13 lead over the Wildcats.
The second was where the Wildcats’ struggles on offense began to take their toll, as the Blue Devils stretched the lead out to 31-19 and held Monterey to just six points in the frame. This led to a double-digit halftime lead for Jackson County.
The third quarter saw the Blue Devils break the game wide open, as they outscored Monterey 19-5 to take a 50-23 lead into the fourth, and it was smooth sailing from there as Jackson County clinched their spot in the district championship game with a 60-43 victory.
Tre Monette led a balanced scoring effort for JCHS with 20 points, while Ramon Cuevas scored 13 of his own. Hayden Stacy added 12 points, and Jordan Arroyo rounded out the quartet with 10 points for head coach Kevin Thomas.
“We decided to play a little more zone on defense,” Thomas said of the defensive key to the game. “Silas Randolph had hurt us a little bit driving the ball, so we felt like we could limit his touches there. If he was going to catch it in the high post, we could collapse on him a little more there.”
The third quarter ultimately proved to be the difference-maker, as Thomas feels like the difference in the frame was that his guys finished plays and were more relentless on offense.
“We finished shots,” Thomas said. “Jordan Arroyo had a tough game in the first half, but him and Ramon really finished well in that third quarter…we were able to push the lead out because of that.”
Jackson County now has a date in the championship with York Institute, a team Thomas knows his team will need their best effort and then some to take down.
“They’re a tough basketball team,” Thomas said. “They really rebound the ball well, and we’re a good offensive rebounding team. I really think it’s going to be who takes care of the ball and out-rebounds the other.”
