Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

high school basketball:

Mojave basketball expects to compete for Division I-A championship

2015-2016 HS Basketball

Christopher DeVargas

From left, Mojave’s mens basketball players; Chrishawn Thomas, Daryl Adams and LJ Cunningham, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015.

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

Last season, the Mojave High basketball team finished only two games behind eventual state champion Clark in the Sunset League.

This season, the Rattlers return one of the strongest senior classes in the division, and feel they are primed for a run at a league title.

“We have a very complete team headed by a group of seniors that are some of the toughest in the state right now,” said Colin Darfour, who is entering his fifth season as the Mojave coach. “We have seven seniors coming back this year and six of them are major contributors. We had some really key wins over some competitive teams from Division I-A league and Division I.”

Leading the group will be senior Daryl Adams..

The 6-foot-1 guard has led Mojave in scoring in each of its initial four games, including a 36 point effort last week.

“I feel like I can score the ball and also get others involved,” Adams said. “I’m definitely eager to see how this year pans out. I also think we actually got better.”

Also returning for his senior season is Lamaja Cunningham, who is more of a pass-first guard and will be key to the Rattlers.

“LJ has been our starting quarterback for the football team, so it’s like having a quarterback out there and another point guard on the court,” Darfour said. “He’s not going to turn the ball over because of his training as a football quarterback so he understands the importance of possessions.”

Cunningham’s football season came to an end when he broke his collarbone against Faith Lutheran on Sept. 25. Now he is more motivated than ever to make up for last year’s shortcomings on the hardwood.

“It’s all about being on top. That’s our mindset,” Cunningham said. “Last year was a good thing for us. We lost in the first round but that motivated and pushed ourselves. We hit the weight room and got more conditioning.”

After last year’s 66-61 playoff loss to Del Sol, the team has honed in on the defensive side, with Cunningham leading the way.

“Defense. Defense. Defense. Defense. That’s what I like to do,” Cunningham said.

But it will take a team effort on that side of the court, and Darfour believes his team has what it takes.

“Defense is very important to me and my coaching philosophy, so from day one defense is something that is very much ingrained into their personality and their DNA as basketball players,” Darfour said.

Mojave also returns senior forwards Crishawn Thomas and Richard Edwards, who bring leadership to the frontcourt. The one thing the Rattlers lack severely is size, with the tallest player on the roster listed at 6-foot-4.

But with all of their experience, the Rattlers are confident in having a memorable season.

“(There’s) only one goal with our team and that is to win state,” Adams said. “We want to go out in our senior year with a bang.”

Jesse Granger can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Jesse on Twitter at twitter.com/JesseGranger_.

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