It is time to start zeroing in on making a run to a league title for the Yuma High School boys basketball team.
The Outlaws are 12-2 after this past Tuesday’s non-league home win over Merino. They are 4-0 in the 3A Patriot after last Friday’s 55-41 win at then-No. 2 Highland. They entered the week tied with Resurrection Christian for first place, each at 4-0. However, Rez hosted Windsor Charter Academy, 3-0 in league play, this past Tuesday night.
Yuma, No. 5 in the 3A CHSAA Seeding and Selection Index, is at Frontier Academy on Friday, then hosts Wray on Tuesday. Frontier entered this week 1-3 in league play, 8-6 overall, and Wray was 0-5, 5-0 overall.
“It’s an every week deal,” coach Dave Sheffield said of the challenges in the 3A Patriot.
The league still holds the top spots in the 3A Index. Entering this week, Windsor Charter was No. 1, Resurrection Christian No. 2, Strasburg No. 3 and Highland No. 4. Plus, Liberty Common is sticking around at No. 9.
“We need to take care of business in these next weeks,” Sheffield said.
The Outlaws have had different players step into rotational roles as the season nears February, and the mixing and matching will continue.
“It’s not firm, but our rotation is solid,” Sheffield said. “It’s still in flux, it’s not completely set yet.”
Yuma faced its first major road challenge in league play last Friday in Ault. Highland came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 2.
However, it was the Outlaws that pretty much controlled the game from start to finish. They held Highland to six points in the first quarter, and led 23-17 at halftime.
They then broke it open in the third quarter. They again held the Huskies to single digits in a quarter, seven points, and scored 20 of their own. It was a decisive 15-3 run to end the third that stretched their lead to 19 points, 43-24.
Highland finally loosened up on offense in the fourth, scoring 17 points, but the damage had been done as the Outlaws claimed the 14-point win on the road.
“Our defense and rebounding was the best it’s been all year,” Sheffield said. “That was a huge win for us in every respect.”
Highland shot just 33 percent from the floor, while Yuma was a bit better at 42 percent. Highland made just two of 15 three-point attempts, while Yuma made six of 15 from deep. That was mostly the difference as all other statistics were fairly even.
Brody Sheffield had 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals, Alex Pensado 13 points and three rebounds, Jonathan Thomson nine points, eight rebounds and four assists, Reyli Trejo five points and two rebounds, Iann Duran four points and three rebounds, Jalen Rose three points, Silas Baucke two points, two rebounds and two steals, and David Covarrubias two points.
Merino has been a painful sticker in Yuma’s shoes recently, beating the Outlaws the past two years. The Rams came to town Tuesday with a 3-8 record, but still gave the Outlaws all they could handle in a 48-44 Yuma win. Merino led 26-25 at halftime. Yuma finally opened up a 42-33 lead with a quick flurry at the start of the fourth, but Merino kept sticking around to the end.
Sheffield scored 24 points and five rebounds, Pensado 10 points and 10 steals, Thomson six points and seven rebounds, Baucke two points and two rebounds, Trejo two points and two rebounds, Rose two points and two rebounds, and Covarrubias two points.