(Rancho Solano Prep won the 2A Conference title Saturday at the Prescott Valley Events Center.)

Rancho Solano Prep controlled the first half. The second half belonged to Alchesay.

Ultimately, all that matters was what the scoreboard read: Rancho Solano Prep 69, Alchesay 62. A furious rally by the losing team, fueled in part by a near capacity crowd, fell short.

But Alchesay’s fans, who took up almost every seat at the Prescott Valley Events Center, and Rancho Solano Prep rightly saluted the state runner-up’s effort after the 2A boys state championship game Saturday.

Alchesay did all it could to chip away at a 23-point deficit.

“Holy cow,” Rancho Solano coach Aaron Trigg said. “That was unbelievable. Hats off to Alchesay. They are an unbelievable team. They are so tough. So well coached. They make things so difficult on you, and the crowd just amplifies it by a 100. The best fans and environment I’ve ever coached in.”

Rancho Solano Prep’s boys basketball team also deserves to be applauded.

It won that school’s first ever team championship behind talent that can give 5A and 6A programs a game. Air Force Academy commit Nick Jackson is the big man on the team that finished 30-5, but the talent is spread out.

Rancho Solano’s emotional leader, senior guard Caden Hoffman, attempted to silence the crowd as much as possible in the first half with his drives and outside shooting. Alchesay never got Rancho Solano’s lead below 10 until Tyreck Cosay’s lay in with 2:28 remaining.

The lead eventually was cut to six points, but Hunter Ruck’s put back after a missed free throw with about 50 seconds left gave Rancho Solano a 65-57 advantage.

Leading Edge Academy 50, Sedona Red Rock 44

Leading Edge Academy also had to hold off its opponent in its first championship victory.

A 15-point first half lead nearly vanished in the second half. Sedona Red Rock trailed 41-39 after a runner in the lane by Jo Toscano with 4:57 left in the fourth period.

But Daija Sample and Emily Broos converted a couple of three-point plays to foil Sedona Red Rock’s attempt at completing a comeback in the final stretch.

“Some of our baskets started falling,” Sedona Red Rock coach Dave Moncibaez said. “We missed a ton in the first half. But these girls have that will to win. We talk about that and not letting up, fighting through it and taking it one quarter at a time.”

Sedona Red Rock almost cancelled its season because it didn’t have enough players.

Leading Edge Academy (27-4) lost last year’s 2A championship game, but it didn’t lose its grip on this year’s final.

“I’m speechless at this point,” Leading Edge Academy coach Erik Gray coach said. “I always knew that we had a good group of girls that can compete. And when we were playing in the charter league we did well and had a lot of success. Being in the (Arizona Interscholastic Association) last year (for the first time), I think kind of opened our eyes that hey we can possibly compete at this level. Watching my girls rise to the occasion was really amazing.”

The Gregory School 65, Fort Thomas 46

(The Gregory School)

The Gregory School’s bench was thin but Adisson Mort and Tobari Harris had their fill.

The duo scored a combined 45 points in The Gregory School’s 65-46 victory over Fort Thomas in the 1A championship game for boys. Sebastian Quintana, The Gregory School’s third leading scorer, suffered a knee injury in the semifinals and didn’t play Saturday.

Another contributor, Demari Harris, writhed in pain after suffering a knee injury himself in the second quarter of Saturday’s game. Mort was called for his third foul at the end of the second quarter, but when he returned in the second half he and Harris took over.

Mort launched NBA threes and made some.

“There was a lot of chemistry off the court with the team this year,” Mort said.

The Gregory School’s bench may have been lacking players but not energy.

That was evident as soon as junior Conner Heros checked in during the final seconds. Heros was born with cerebral palsy and, apparently, an abundance of spirit.

The junior guard celebrated with his teammates every chance he got after the game. While on the floor, he gave it his all and even scored the final basket for his team.

“The basket was nice,” Heros said. “But what we wanted was to win this game.”

The Gregory School finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 29-4 record.

St. Michael 60, Baboquivri 44

St. Michael went on a 15-0 run in the second quarter, but Baboquivri closed with a run of its own to keep the game close heading into halftime.

Then the third quarter started. That’s when St. Michael took over and never looked back as it claimed its second consecutive title.

Baboquivri made its first trip to a final in the school’s history.

“There was more pressure on us this year,” coach Carl Adams said. “Last year we were the underdog.”

Adding to the pressure, the first girls basketball team at St. Michael to win a championship was present Saturday at the Prescott Valley Events Center. The 1993 team was celebrating its 25th anniversary and was honored at halftime.

This season’s team has a close connection to the 1993 St. Michael team.

The MVP of the 1993 team, Reynalda Terry, has a daughter, Sydney, who is on this season’s team.

1. "Who would have ever imagined it,” Reynalda said.
2. (Reynalda Terry (right) won a state championship with St. Michael 25 years ago. On Saturday, it was Terry's daughter's turn to help St. Michael secure another title. Sydney is a senior. Photo by Jose Garcia/azpreps365.com)