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Sports report...with Brian Gomez
Holiday ‘shootout’ a hopeful turning point for Aztecs

Corona del Sol High School’s boys varsity basketball team has again reached an early turning point in its season with enough optimism to pack the walls inside Sammy Duane Gymnasium.

Only this time, the No. 7-ranked Aztecs aren’t overconfident heading into the McClintock Holiday Shootout, arguably the state’s most competitive tournament. After all, they need just one finger to count the number of wins they’ve garnered in the annual event over the past two seasons.

Enlivened by a new coach and a blossoming group of playmakers, Corona will attempt to make memories out of nightmares next week at McClintock.

“That thing is loaded,” said Corona head coach Sam Duane Jr., whose Gilbert Mesquite teams never participated in the McClintock Holiday Shootout. “We’ll get tested in there, and that’s what we want going into league. We want challenges.”

This year’s 16-team field features 10 schools ranked in the top 20 in the Class 5A power ratings, a new system that’s being used to seed teams for the state tournament. From 4A, No. 1 McClintock and No. 3 Scottsdale Saguaro are also in the mix.

Corona (7-2) opens the four-day tournament at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 26 in a rematch against No. 8 Phoenix St. Mary’s, then plays either the winner or loser of the McClintock-Phoenix Goldwater game on Dec. 27.

Earlier this season, Corona beat St. Mary’s 55-49 behind junior forward Alex Wentis’ team-high 12 points. Senior power forward Craig Borengasser marked a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

For the Aztecs, getting a chance to redeem themselves in the McClintock Holiday Shootout is gratifying enough, regardless of what teams they play.

Last season, Corona beat Tempe High in the tournament, before falling to Chandler Hamilton and Desert Vista, setbacks that marked the beginning of a 10-game losing streak. The Aztecs went winless in three tournament games in the 2001-02 season, and eventually endured defeats in five of six outings over a two-week stretch.

“This year is going to be different,” said Corona senior point guard T.J. Benson, who saw his first significant action on the varsity team as a sophomore in the McClintock Holiday Shootout.

In sharp contrast to last season, much of Corona’s success this year has come from its ability to create momentum on the defensive end. The Aztecs are allowing only 54.9 points per game, which puts them painstakingly close to the school-record set by the 1980-81 team, which yielded 53.2 points over 27 games.

Corona has thrived by switching from man-to-man to zone defenses, mainly as a way to stop athletic teams from penetrating inside. Borengasser has established himself as a force on the glass, along with senior center Josh Spence.

On offense, Duane has trimmed the rotation to about 10 players, and has continued installing more sets in an effort to keep opponents guessing. Benson has run the floor with relative ease, and senior swingman Dan Winterbottom has been effective, averaging 14.2 points over his last six games.

“We’re playing better now than we ever have,” Winterbottom said. “If we go out and play hard, we can beat any team.”

Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@wranglernews.com.

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