By Greg Perkins Joseph City’s boys’ team may be holding their collective breaths until the 1A state bracket is released. The Wildcats finished the regular season with two losses and one win over the course of their final three games. They entered that final game ranked 11th in the 1A rankings. A loss to fifth ranked Ray in that regular season finale has left them sitting fourth in the northeast region. In 1A this year the top three teams from each of the four regions automatically make the final 16 team state tournament bracket. The four remaining at large births will be up to the discretion of the 1A leadership team. Several factors are supposed to go into that decision and one would think the Wildcats with their 9-5 overall record would be a tough team for the leadership group to keep out of the bracket. The Wildcats state tournament hopes will be in the hands of that leadership team. The 1A state tournament begins on Friday with all eight of the higher seeds hosting the lower-seeded opponents. If the Cats get in they will more than likely be on the road to face a top-five opponent in the first round. Joseph City faced Mogollon twice last week splitting the two contests. The first meeting was in Heber on Tuesday where the Mustangs prevailed 74-60. Jay Edwards finished with 19 point and 16 boards, Bannon Johnston netted 15, Karter Lampsa, Avery Buckley and Blake Palmer each counted for 8, and Tyler Penrod helped with 2. Two days later the same two clubs met in Joseph City where the Wildcats prevailed by four 61-57. Mogollon held a four-point lead after the first and pushed that margin to 10 by the end of the third. Joseph City made a furious comeback outscoring the Mustangs by 14 in the final eight minutes to win the game. Johnston paced the team in scoring with 14; Edwards added 13; Bryce Bushman, 10; Avery Buckley, 9; Jareon Miller, 5; Lampsa, 5; Penrod, 3; and Blake Palmer chipped in 2 in the win. Joseph City traveled to Ray for their final regular-season game Friday. The Bearcats entered the game ranked fifth and lived up to their lofty ranking with an 85-59 thumping of the Wildcats. Edwards did his part with 28 points and 10 boards. Buckley helped with 10; Bryce Bushman added 8; Jareon Miller, 5; Lampsa, 4; Johnston, 3; and Travis Wilson scored 1. If the 9-5 Wildcats get into the state tournament, they will play a first-round game on the road at 7 p.m. Friday night at the site of a higher-seeded team. With a win in the first round they would again play at a higher seeded team in the second round, which will be played on Tuesday.
