Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Coronado basketball’s appearance in state tournament fueled by loss last season

The Cougars have to get past Carson in semifinals to ‘get another crack’ at Gorman

2015-2016 HS Basketball

Christopher DeVargas

Coronado basketball players Travis Bowman, Jake Desjardins and Kennedy Koehler on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015.

They were a good high school basketball team. Just not good enough. They had to get tougher.

Coronado went undefeated in the Southeast League last season, but couldn’t advance past the regional semifinal round of the playoffs. They ran into a more physical, experienced squad. It was a wake-up call in the program’s development.

Turns out, the Cougars had to take a few steps back in their progression to reach the ultimate goal: The state tournament. Coronado plays at 8 p.m. Thursday against Carson at UNR’s Lawlor Events Center in the state semifinals and two victories away from the program’s first state championship.

The disappointment of losing in last year’s playoffs, and the manner in which they were physically defeated, helped fuel the offseason training to get better. They were determined to be playing this week, and not watching as another team had its chance to shine on the state’s biggest stage.

“We knew starting last year it would take a while. It wouldn’t be greatness right away,” senior post Kennedy Koehler said. “Last year, we came up short in the playoffs. This year we knew we had a better team, we had a better shot. Let’s win the region. Let’s get to Reno.”

Coronado (21-4) again went undefeated in Southeast games this season. But, this time, it was ready for the playoffs. In three of Coronado’s last five games, including the Sunrise Region championship against Eldorado, the Cougars were so dominant they won by the mercy rule of a running clock. That’s triggered when a team leads by 40 points.

Coronado coach Jeff Kaufman, in his sixth season, has been aggressive in making over the program. First, he wanted to be the best team in the Southeast, which meant dethroning perennial league power Foothill. On Feb. 9, Coronado beat Foothill 70-39 on the way to its second straight league crown.

Next, Kaufman wanted a crack at Gorman — the four-time defending state championship, and a national brand. After years of persistently asking Gorman coach Grant Rice for a preseason game, Kaufman finally convinced the Gaels to accept the challenge.

Coronado was outplayed in most facets of the game in early December and lost by 22 points. But Kaufman, always creative in motivating his players, told them he wasn’t discouraged. Coronado struggled with its shooting and suffered through a four-point second quarter. If they could make their shots, they could play with any team, he told them.

“It was this simple, man. Last year, we had a good team, but they got scared when they got to that pressure,” Kaufman said.

They scheduled quality teams during the holiday break, going 2-1 at a tournament in Alaska that not only helped them get better as a team, it helped them bond as a team. They also played in California.

Coronado was blown out just once in four defeats — to Gorman. But before they get another game with the Gaels, they have to get past Carson in the semifinals.

And that won’t be easy.

Carson (24-4), the Northern Region champion, hasn’t lost since Dec. 17. It surrenders just 43 points per contest, relying on strong defense, aggressive rebounding and being the more physical team. Last year, Coronado might not have been up to the challenge. This year, it’s different.

“We learned a lot, especially myself. We can’t go into game thinking we are the top dog,” said Jake DesJardins, Coronado’s leading scorer at 21 points and nine rebounds per game. “We have to come in and work hard every possession. Make every possession count.”

Coronado exploded for 34 points in the second quarter of its victory against Eldorado in the Sunrise finals. It excelled in transition when picking of the game’s tempo, scoring 34 points and making six 3-pointers in the second quarter to build an insurmountable lead. Coronado will surely try the same strategy against Carson, playing to its strength and Carson’s weakness.

Strategy, though, might be secondary to mental preparation. This is Coronado’s first appearance in the state tournament since the school opened in 2001. Players, no matter how battle tested during the regular season, will face nerves. And Coronado will be the distinct underdog — Northern Nevada schools travel well and Carson is expected to pack Lawlor Events Center.

“We have to keep our same mindset and go into it like a normal game,” Koehler said. “Just go in and play our game.”

But if they can get past Carson, a date with Gorman likely awaits. Gorman plays Reno in the other semifinal and it expected easily win. That would setup the game Kaufman so desperately wanted.

“I just wanted another crack at Gorman,” he said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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