Coronado is state basketball tournament’s most experienced team

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017 | 11:59 p.m.

The loss was still fresh.

When Coronado High basketball players gathered for offseason workouts a few days after returning from last season’s state tournament, part of preparing for a new season included digesting the one that just ended. Powerhouse Bishop Gorman led by 19 points after the first quarter of the championship game in a blowout win, giving the Cougars plenty of motivation to prepare for a new season.

You could easily argue Coronado players were simply happy to be part of the school’s first team to reach the tournament, and not ready in their progression to battle Gorman’s roster of bluechip college recruits.

“It was definitely humbling going in there for the first time ever for our school,” senior forward Kennedy Koehler said of last season’s state appearance. “This year we are going in with the mentality that we have a shot to win the whole thing.”

Coronado has the most experienced team in the four-team class 4A state tournament with five senior starters, including four who played pivotal roles last year. It plays Clark at 8 p.m. Thursday at Cox Pavilion in the state semifinals.

“We have been going nonstop,” Coronado coach Jeff Kaufman said. “This group is the hardest working group we have had.”

One game showed their progression.

Coronado opened the season with a narrow loss at Gorman, erasing a 20-point second half deficit to lose at the buzzer. While they lost the game, they gained confidence.

“We want revenge on them really bad,” senior guard Trey Hurlburt said.

Coronado went undefeated in Southeast League play for the third straight season, has two college-caliber players occupying the post in Koehler and Will Weems, and won’t be intimidated in the big-game setting because they know what to expect having played at state last season.

Coronado wasn’t at its best in last week’s Sunrise Regional finals and trailed Foothill by 13 points at halftime. The Cougars wound up winning by nine points for the regional title — a sign they are a contender. If they can play bad and still win, imagine the result when they are at their best.

“There is no question experience pays off,” Kaufman said. “We will be a lot more relaxed going into state.”

Bishop Gorman plays Reno High in the other semifinal Thursday. The championship game is 8 p.m. Friday.

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