Whitehorse basketball teams host Monticello in matchup of Region 23 teams

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The Monticello girls and boys basketball teams visited Montezuma Creek this past Tuesday, February 7 for a couple spirited local rivalry matchups and key 1A Region 23 games also.
Both games were exciting from start to finish. In the opening contest of the night between the girls teams Monticello led for most of the game, though it was tight and the teams traded the lead at times.
But the Lady Raiders seized the momentum late in the game, taking a 50-49 lead on a Heidi Clark three-pointer with 1:45 to go.
In the final minute Monticello had a chance to tie but Kenlee Atwood was only able to make one of two free throws, leaving the score 51-50 in favor of Whitehorse.
As the Lady Raiders inbounded and moved the ball across the time line with 26 seconds remaining, Monticello elected not to foul.
Whitehorse found a wide open Shania Mitchell under the basket. She received a pass and laid it up for her first points of the night, sealing a thrilling 53-50 comeback win and a sweep of the season series with their rivals to the north.
It was Monticello’s best game of the season and their highest scoring output of the season, so understandably there was heartbreak. But Whitehorse fans were on their feet making lots of noise in the uplifting victory.
Lady Raider senior Shelby Vasku scored a game-high 18 points in the win. Heidi Clark poured in ten, including a three-pointer. Shunbaah Begay scored nine points on the night for Whitehorse.
Lamyia Benally scored five, including a three-pointer. All three of Layla Etsitty’s points came on a three-point basket. Harmony Thomas scored three, Deiondra Billjohn and Shania Mitchell both got two, and Kadence Lansing added one.
For Monticello three players scored in double digits. Kenlee Atwood led with 11 points and Rosy Beh and Jemma Robison got ten apiece.
Nikki Gomez poured in eight for the Lady Buckaroos, Avery Shumway scored six, Braylee Freestone added three, and Kahryme Alvarado rounded out the MHS scoring with a couple.
In the nightcap the boys teams put on another thriller in front of the raucous Whitehorse crowd. Again, the teams played each other tightly, trading the lead for most of the game, and the hometown team held a one-point advantage at halftime.”
The play that set the tone for the remainder of the game came with time running down in the third quarter. Whitehorse was up by three as Monticello junior Curtis Bunker fearlessly drove the bucket from the left side.
He was fouled hard but somehow found a way to lob the ball up, making a circus shot as the buzzer sounded and he tumbled out of bounds. Bunker sunk the add-one bucket also, tying the game 45-45 headed into the fourth quarter.
The Buckaroos seized the momentum in the final frame, exploding for 21 points and holding Whitehorse to 13 for a 67-58 win. According to Monticello Head Coach Josh Keyes, the biggest story of the game was the defense of Landon Ewart.
“What a job Landon did on [Whitehorse leading scorer D’Wayne] Nakai there, Nakai couldn’t get anything,” Keyes said. “It was Landon’s length and relentlessness and it was just amazing.”
Keyes was very excited about the win. “You come down here on senior night when it’s packed and lively like this, and this one feels as good as they ever do,” he explained.
“Both teams fought hard tonight,” Keyes added. “It was a lot of high energy, back and forth, big buckets. I’m just proud of my kids for how hard they played the whole night.”
Four Buckaroos scored in double digits in the win. Tommy Sheeran led with 21 points, Easton Young scored 14, and JD McDonald and Donovan Atwood had ten apiece.
Curtis Bunker added eight for Monticello and Landon Ewart scored four. Another huge takeaway from the game according to Keyes is that the team knows they have six players who can contribute in a major way down the homestretch of the season.
Kai Yazzie led scoring for the Raiders in the game with 19 points. D’Wayne Nakai poured in 15, Lyric Phillips added 12, Kalin Tohonnie collected eight, and Dominic Dance got three.
The Monticello boys are #11 in the 1A standings with nine wins and eight losses as they prepare to close out the regular season this week.
It’s not likely they will move up enough in the standings to earn a bye, but if the current standings hold, they’ll host a first-round matchup in the MHS gym against the #22 team in the state.
The Monticello girls are 3-14 following the past week’s action and are ranked 19th in their standings. They’re looking at a first-round matchup on the road against #14, possibly at Milford.
Both teams hosted Monument Valley in a showdown between local teams on Tuesday, February 14, too late for the San Juan Record press deadline.
They’ll close out their regular seasons with a Region 23 road trip to Price to take on Pinnacle this Friday, February 17. You can see those games live on pictureitpalmer.com starting with the girls game at 5:30 p.m.

For Whitehorse, a very busy week was long from over after their meeting with Monticello. Both teams hit the road for region games against Pinnacle and Green River on Friday and Saturday, February 10-11.
The boys split games, suffering a 63-58 loss to Pinnacle but beating Green River 66-55. The difference in the Pinnacle game was the second quarter when the Panthers mustered 20 points to the Raiders’ 16.
Every other quarter was separated by just one point, alternating between the teams. Not having to deal with Landon Ewart, D’Wayne Nakai was back to form, leading Whitehorse with 26 points in the loss.
Lyric Phillips scored 12, Kai Yazzie poured in 11, Kalin Tohonnie scored five, and Dominic Dance rounded out the Raider scoring with four points.
The following night in Green River, Whitehorse outscored the Pirates in all but the fourth quarter, but it was the second frame that again told the tale.
The Raiders scored 17 in that quarter while allowing just seven from the home team to take a commanding 30-17 lead at halftime. The teams traded points in the second half.
Eight Raiders appeared on the score sheet and interestingly Nakai wasn’t one of them. Freshman Brayden John led the way with an impressive 26-point afternoon.
Phillips scored 12, Yazzie got eight, and Dance added five. A trio of Whitehorse players – Kaleb Joe, Camron Nakai, and Kalin Tohonnie – scored four points apiece, and freshman Tristan Black rounded out the onslaught with three.
The Lady Raiders dominated their road trip this past weekend, spanking Pinnacle 58-13 and Green River 82-59.
No statistics are available for the Pinnacle game, but against Green River an astounding 11 Whitehorse girls factored in the scoring.
Shunbaah Begay led the way with 21 points, including four three-point buckets. Heidi Clark poured in 16 with three threes. Shelby Vasku scored 12 points and Shayla Miller hit one three on her way to nine points.
Shania Mitchell added six for the Lady Raiders, Kadence Lansing scored five, Harmony Thomas got four, Lamyia Benally hit a three-pointer, and three players scored two points apiece: Laila Etsitty, Alyssa Eltsosie, and Deiondra Billjohn.
Following the past week the Whitehorse girls are 8-12, ranked 15th in the 1A standings. If that holds, they’ll host #18 in the first round of the 1A state tournament.
As of the start of this week that is Tintic, but it could be Water Canyon or even Monticello depending on how this week goes.
The Raider boys sat in 12th at the start of this week. They’re also set for a home game in the first round of the state tourney, against the #21 team in the state.
Both teams will close out their regular seasons this Thursday, February 16 with one final Battle of the Drum (barring a state tournament meeting) against Monument Valley in Monument Valley.
It’s a 5:30 p.m. tip with the girls game on Thursday and it’s our High School Hoops matchup of the night on Redrock 92 Radio with streaming video at pictureitpalmer.com.