Coronado basketball ready for another crack at Gorman

By Jesse Granger

Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 | 2 a.m.

As the Coronado High basketball team walked off the court following last season’s state championship game, the players were still hungry.

The Cougars achieved a lot in 2015-16, finishing with a 22-5 record, undefeated league record and the school’s first Sunrise Region championship. But following their 83-63 loss at the hands of Bishop Gorman, they couldn’t wait to get back into the gym.

“I definitely think it was the taste of going to the state game,” senior forward Kennedy Koehler said. “Not necessarily because we didn’t win, but just the taste that we really got that far and we know what it takes now.”

Coronado took only a two-week break before spring exhibition games, summer leagues and out-of-state tournaments.

“Everyone else is back so we had our nucleus together and we were able to get at it right away,” coach Jeff Kaufman said. “The beauty of the team this year and the reason we were able to do that is because we really only lost one player.”

The only starter Coronado loses from last year’s state runner-up team is Jake DesJardins, who walked on at the University of Arizona. Koehler leads the group after averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds per game as a junior.

“Ever since I started when I was young I’ve always been bigger than most players so I have an inside game and can finish around the hoop,” Koehler said. “As I got older I really started developing my skills as far as ball handling.”

Starters Trey Hurlburt, Bryce Savoy and Nick Davis are all returning, along with two towering transfers in 6-foot-9 Will Weems and 6-foot-11 Bryan Penn-Johnson.

“Bryce is a tenacious defender,” Kaufman said. “I think he has the best motor in the city. He’s now improved his game with his ball handling, passing and his shooting is really improved.”

While last season may have been one of the best in Coronado basketball history, it wasn’t enough for the Cougars.

“We had one more game to win that we didn’t, and that has motivated us to come back and work really hard in the offseason,” Kaufman said.

The Cougars will have an early chance at redemption, as they play Bishop Gorman to open the season tonight. It’s the beginning of a gauntlet Coronado will run to prepare itself for another deep postseason run.

Coronado will take trips to Arizona and California and will compete in the Tarkanian Classic and Rock Holiday Classic tournaments as well as a showdown with Centennial at the South Point Arena on Jan. 21.

“It excites me a lot and motivates us to all work hard knowing that we have challenges ahead and we just have to overcome those obstacles,” Savoy said.

The Cougars will face Cathedral Catholic High on Jan. 7, 2017 in a game airing on ESPN.

“It’s exciting but we can’t get in over our heads,” Savoy said. “We have to stay focused, stay calm and come out and get the ‘W’ on ESPN.”

Coronado has all of the pieces to make a run at ending Bishop Gorman’s five-year state title streak, and that’s its goal.

“Last year was one of our best seasons ever as a school, but the taste of not winning (the title) has pushed us to a new level,” Koehler said. “Between all of us pushing each other I think we will have a better outcome this year.”