Payson has shifted to the 3A Metro Region as the last season. However, that did not reduce the importance of the Longhorns’ 50-39 boys basketball win over the now 3A East rival Show Low on Tuesday night.
Omar Fierro-Nava was the leading scorer with 14 points on the field. The junior guard is the only. coming back player for the Longhorns that was a starter last season. He was happy to be on the winning side against the Cougars.
“They beat us last year,” Fierro-Nava said, reacting to the crowd’s welcome to this year’s qualifiers. That was why we had to get (them) back this year. It was a tough game. I guess it was such a great experience. It was a good win for us. We really needed it. We’ve been competing with them since the time when we began to play with them. It just felt good to get out there tonight with the guys.”
The Longhorns raised their record to 3-1 in ranking games.
Dane White contributed nine points, Landon Hansen eight points while Bryson Echols-Waterman formed the sixth point contributor. five points from Payton Stuart, four from Aldan Parsons and two points from Cadyn Sanchez and Jasper Morgan.
“It’s always nice to beat Show Low, any of those East teams for sure.” said Payson coach Jon Hatch. “So, we’ll take the W.”
Hatch discussed how his team was best on defense as before the reporters was able to interview him.
“Our defence is really what’s sustaining us and aiding us in getting victories in games today,” Hatch said.
He said that Longhorns dominated in the aspect of the game that concerns interior part of the court.
“Well, I really believe that our big guys, you know, Dane White, Landon Hansen, Bryson Echols Waterman they are just beasts defensively,” Hatch said. “They only know how to provide help defense. They slap their hands, they contest every shot the other team attempts to make and they crash the boards as though they were wild beasts. Well, then it is amusing to watch the those guys perform.
“And then the pressure that our guards put on of course kind of does that a little bit.”
The coach of the team also said there is some issues that still need correction when playing on the opposite side of the playing field.
After Thomas’ comment, Hatch added: “We gotta execute better offensively.” We get the shots we want, we just don’t put it in the back of the net. “On occasions, I think we just look a little bit sloppy offensively, but we do correct it.”
He’d like his team to get more points in the paint.
“What we look for really is we want shots in the box,” Hatch said.
Fierro-Nava loved the effort.
“We got after it on defense,” Fierro-Nava said. “We were just discussing, running a lot, passing the ball well, and then we go into attack strong and get the ball up.”
The Longhorns (4-4) travel to Florence on Thursday, December 19. Payson then has no opportunity until the Mike Barr Memorial Tournament on January 3 and 4.
