When the Foothill High basketball team scored just four points Thursday in the second quarter of its Sunrise Regional semifinal game against defending state champion Canyon Springs, the Falcons’ players could have easily become frustrated. But they didn’t. That’s especially true for senior guard Greg Cox, who despite being one of the best 3-point shooters in Southern Nevada, misfired on several long-range attempts in the quarter.
The defending state champion Canyon Springs High basketball team appears primed to make another run at the title. The Pioneers opened the Sunrise Regional playoffs Wednesday by leading visiting Silverado for virtually the entire game in a 71-62 quarterfinal victory.
Welcome to a new era of Canyon Springs basketball, where the faces have changed but the mentality has stayed the same. This year’s Pioneers showed they had every bit the courage and tenacity as last year’s senior-laden state championship team in their Northeast division opener Tuesday night. Canyon Springs rallied past the majority of conceivable adversities to beat rival Las Vegas High 86-83 in double overtime.
Karen Weitz can’t help feeling this rule was created partially with her Centennial High School girls basketball team in mind. The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s Board of Control Monday approved a mercy rule for Nevada high school basketball games, which calls for a running clock when one team is ahead by 40 or more points in the second half. To be implemented this winter, the clock would only stop for timeouts and continue to run during fouls shots — comparable to a recreation-league game where teams have the court for one-hour blocks.
All year long, Canyon Springs believed it was the best basketball team in Nevada. The Pioneers proved it Friday night at the Orleans Arena. Canyon Springs won the 2011 Nevada state championship in dominant fashion, besting Reno's Bishop Manogue 82-47.
Canyon Springs High senior guard Trey Evans inadvertently forgot his game shoes at home Thursday for the Pioneers’ state semifinals contest at the Orleans Arena. So, he borrowed a pair of pink high-tops from teammate Michael Thompson, then borrowed a play designed for Thompson in saving the season for his team.
Freddie Banks doesn’t hesitate responding when asked who is the best high school basketball player to come out of Las Vegas. Banks smoothly answers the question with the same confidence he displayed in taking a crucial shot with the game on the line. “Freddie Banks, that is who is the best,” said Banks, who enjoyed a storied career at Valley High in the early 1980s before becoming one of UNLV’s all-time greats. He earned the right to talk about himself in the third person one unforgettable night in the March of 1987, when he seemingly couldn’t miss in knocking down ...
Donald Anderson isn’t sure if he’s the quickest player on the Canyon Springs High basketball team. It just appears to be that way, especially when the senior guard is presenting match-up problems for the opposition.
Michael Thompson and Jared Brandon leading the Canyon Springs High basketball team to victories is nothing new. But they are far from a two-man show. That’s something that was obvious Friday in the Sunrise Regional championship game. Post player Chris Willis scored nine points for the Pioneers in the initial five minutes, and guard Marquon Webster sparked a decisive third-quarter rally in leading Canyon Springs past Eldorado 78-66 for its second straight Sunrise title.
Canyon Springs High guard Trey Evans says it best when describing the play that led to his game-winning shot Thursday in the Sunrise Regional semifinals. “It is not the size of the dog in the fight. It is the size of the fight in the dog,” said Evans, a 5-foot-11 senior. “I took that mentality with me.” With Canyon Springs trailing Foothill by one point and time quickly ticking off the clock, Evans out-jumped a pair of Foothill defenders in traffic to grab an offensive rebound with about three seconds remaining. He immediately banked the ball off the backboard and ...
The Canyon Springs High basketball team is widely considered the lone squad that can give two-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman a challenge this basketball postseason. But early in Canyon Springs’ first playoff game, it looked like the Pioneers might not get that chance. The Northeast Division champions trailed Silverado by one-point at halftime before dominating the second half in a 60-39 victory.
Michael Thompson couldn’t lose track of where Canyon Springs teammate Jared Brandon was on the floor even if he wanted to. At this point, it’s become second nature. Thompson and Brandon have developed a feel for how each other that few can match after playing hundreds of games together over the course of many years. Valley knows about it all too well after Tuesday night. Thompson and Brandon, both seniors, led Canyon Springs to a 93-73 beat down against the team that’s supposed to cause it the most problems in the Northeast division.
The Canyon Springs boys basketball team advanced to the championship game of the Foothill Holiday Classic with a 77-53 victory over Redondo Union of California on Tuesday.
The Canyon Springs boy’s basketball team improved to 3-0 on the season with a 102-52 victory over Palo Verde on Thursday. The Pioneers were led on offense by shooting guard Michael Thompson, who had a team-high 17 points.
In case anyone needed a reminder of how dominant last year’s state runner-up was, Canyon Springs provided it Tuesday night against Liberty. The Pioneers used a relentless defensive effort to frustrate the Patriots and take an impressive 101-58 victory.