Rams watch the action from the bench as the MHS record moves to 5-4. Photo by Adam Wolfe

The Maricopa High School boys’ basketball team (5-4) has played nine games in two weeks to start the 2015-16 season.

It began with a Thanksgiving tournament at Independence High School in Glendale, and it hasn’t slowed down since. The Rams played Apache Junction High School, Westwood High School (Mesa) and Casa Grande Union High School between Dec. 1 and Dec. 4, and they are now in the middle of an eight-day span where they will travel to Yuma three times.

However, despite the ferocious schedule, Maricopa has shown flashes of brilliance and resilient play.

“The season is going good so far,” MHS boys’ basketball head coach Jacob Neill said. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs. My goal coming into the season was to compete every night, and with exception of the Casa Grande game, we’ve been in every single game at the end with a chance to win.”

Last Friday, the Rams lost to the Casa Grande Cougars by 22 points. Casa Grande was able to pull away with a 23 to 4 run in the third, but outside of those eight minutes, the Rams were within one point of the Cougars.

Blowout losses are out of character for this team. Throughout the season, Maricopa has won five games by an average of 11 points, and they’ve lost three games by an average of five points.

The feisty play is spear headed by senior guard Johnny Johnson Jr. and sophomore guard Josh Johnson. The two guards, like the team as a whole, are undersized, but use strength and determination to attack the basket.

Sophomore Josh Johnson leads the Rams' scoring early in the season. Photo by William Lange
Sophomore Josh Johnson leads the Rams’ scoring early in the season. Photo by William Lange

“Our strength is our guard play,” Neill said. “Going into the season I knew our guard play would be strong and we’d be lacking in the big man department. We really don’t have a true big man, but we have had a few guys step up and rebound the ball.”

Maricopa compensates for its lack of size with tremendous speed. The Rams often try to push the tempo of the game. However, late in the game, fatigue visibly sets in on the team and the players begin to force bad shots from distance instead of driving inside for higher percentage field goals.

Throughout the early part of the season, the Rams have shown they can play with anyone.

“As long as we continue to improve, we’ll be good to go and be able to handle the teams that are bigger than us,” Neill said. “We’ve been able to score the basketball; we just have to learn to close games.”

Through nine games, sophomore Josh Johnson leads the Rams in scoring with 173 points, averaging 19.2 per game, and hitting 23 3-point field goals. He also leads in assists with 2.6 per game.

Senior Johnny Johnson Jr. has scored 118 points, a 14.8 average, and leads in steals with 3.4 per game. He averages 4 rebounds per game. Sophomore El Jones leads the rebounding with 42, averaging 4.7 per game, and has the highest field-goal average at 57 percent.

Senior Jalen Lee is averaging 9.8 points per game, and senior Isaiah Soriano has hit 16 3-pointers and is averaging 6.3 points per game.

Maricopa will travel to Yuma for the second time this week to take on the Cibola High School Raiders on Friday, and then return to Yuma for the third time in eight days to play Yuma High School on Dec. 16.

The Rams will return to Maricopa for a Thursday night matchup against Dysart High School (El Mirage) at 7 p.m. on Dec. 17.

Adam Wolfe
Adam Wolfe
http://inmaricopa.com
Adam was born in New Haven, Connecticut, but spent the majority of his young life in Lakeside, Arizona. After graduating from Blue Ridge High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He has been working in the field of journalism since 2010. Adam has worked in a wide range of fields including professional sports and international media relations. He has also been a breaking news reporter, sports columnist, government reporter and community reporter. He spent a year in Denver, Colorado before coming to Maricopa in 2015. In his spare time, he will often be found enjoying the great outdoors. If he isn’t hiking or fishing, he is likely hopelessly cheering on his Arizona sports teams. Adam was born in New Haven, Connecticut, but spent the majority of his young life in Lakeside, Arizona. After graduating from Blue Ridge High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He has been working in the field of journalism since 2010. Adam has worked in a wide range of fields including professional sports and international media relations. He has also been a breaking news reporter, sports columnist, government reporter and community reporter. He spent a year in Denver, Colorado before coming to Maricopa in 2015. In his spare time, he will often be found enjoying the great outdoors. If he isn’t hiking or fishing, he is likely hopelessly cheering on his Arizona sports teams. Adam was born in New Haven, Connecticut, but spent the majority of his young life in Lakeside, Arizona. After graduating from Blue Ridge High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He has been working in the field of journalism since 2010. Adam has worked in a wide range of fields including professional sports and international media relations. He has also been a breaking news reporter, sports columnist, government reporter and community reporter. He spent a year in Denver, Colorado before coming to Maricopa in 2015. In his spare time, he will often be found enjoying the great outdoors. If he isn’t hiking or fishing, he is likely hopelessly cheering on his Arizona sports teams.
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