Both Holbrook basketball teams saw their seasons come to a close in the second round of the 3A State playoffs. While both outcomes were disappointing to Roadrunner fans, the two teams came into the state tournament on the heels of two very different seasons.
Holbrook’s boys team was fairly dominant all season long, posting a 16-9 overall record and collecting their third consecutive East Region title in the process. The boys went 8-3 in regional play. Their 13-5 regular season record earned them the No. 4 overall seed in the state tournament and with it a first-round bye.
The Lady Roadrunners struggled throughout the season going through multiple lineups just trying to keep enough bodies on the court to play games. They finished the season with just five regular season wins, but due to the toughness of their schedule, they found themselves in the state tournament for the 15th consecutive season, this time as the No. 22 overall seed. While the boys had a first-round bye, the girls, playing as a low seed had to travel to Tuba City on Tuesday last week for a first-round game. The Ladies managed to upset the 11th-seeded Warriors by one point 53-52 to advance to the second round on Friday night.
Friday night’s game vs No. 6 Fountain Hills was close at the half, with Holbrook leading 24-23, but in the second half, the higher-seeded Falcons pulled away ending Holbrook’s season by a final of 52-37. The Ladies finished the season with an overall record of 10-20.
The boys used that first-round bye to host 20th-ranked Thatcher on Saturday night. Playing in front of a full house Holbrook battled a more athletic Eagles team to a 2-point margin at the half. In the second half, Thatcher’s quickness and height were too much for Holbrook, the Eagles upset the fourth-seeded Roadrunners 65-48, bringing the boys’ season to a close just one day after the girls had ended their season. Holbrook’s boys team finished with an overall record of 16-9.
