Welcome back to Notes from the North! As previewed last week at the end of my first column, Mingus Union High School wrestling had its toughest test, and passed it with flying colors. 

Props go out to head coach Klint McKean, undefeated through seven duals. Also undefeated is his son, Isaac. The 138-pound junior gained six pounds from last season to allow 132-pound female wrestler Aleana Cricks to slide into the lineup.

McKean’s Mingus Marauders aren’t the sole wrestling stars of Northern Arizona in February, though--or even the Verde Valley, for that matter. 

Camp Verde High School sophomore Angel Casillas has demonstrated both control and determination at 113 pounds, going 7-1 with four pins and a technical fall after getting pinned in his opening match Jan. 20 by his Morenci Junior/Senior High School opponent.

Casillas and junior Steven Bahe were the only Cowboys to get the better of their dual opponents from 9-1 visiting power St. Johns High School on Tuesday, Feb. 16. The Redskins bounced back from their only setback of the season in their previous dual Feb. 10, as visiting Snowflake took full advantage of the Redskins’ season-long deficit of 106- and 113-pound wrestlers as well as split decisions at five of the higher weight levels.

The Lobos, like St. Johns, have just one team loss to date in their eight duals. Leading their way is freshman Troy Kinlicheenie. The Winslow native has pinned five of his six 120-pound opponents, rivaled in his weight class along the Mogollon Rim only by Cole Housley, a Show Low High School junior, who has pinned all of his first seven opponents. St. Johns counters with junior Wesley Scarbrough, undefeated at 132 pounds through his first nine duals, including five pins. More on these and other wrestlers to come Feb. 18...

On that day, when the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s new 4A Conference soccer power rankings come out at 10 a.m. on your AzPreps365 app, it’s a safe bet the Prescott High School boys and girls teams will continue to be atop both--with Grand Canyon Region rival Flagstaff High School right behind.

Undefeated owners of regional tiebreakers over the one-loss Eagles, both Badger teams bestride their power rankings like a soccer colossus. The 8-0 girls are especially dominant, averaging five goals per game while allowing just five total goals all season, with goalkeeper Charlotte Osburn amassing five shutouts and fellow juniors Kari Kasun and Nicole Raiss combining for more than half the Prescott offense.

The margin of error is thinner for the Prescott boys, who have won three of their four Grand Canyon Region games by just one goal--two of those in overtime. Senior striker Brayden Nelson, junior forwards Frank Castro and Edgar Martinez and senior goalkeepers Lance Scalabrine and Azra Twombly Ellis have made all the difference for the resurgent Badgers. 

But although both teams own the tiebreaker over Flagstaff by virtue of their one-goal victories two weeks ago, the boys still need to take care of business in four more games to clinch their second regional championship in three years...  

Speaking of power rankings, there should be some interesting shifts to target in basketball, especially with the postseason less than a month away and, slowly but surely, fans being allowed back into the action.

The big change has been atop 3A Conference girls hoops, where Snowflake High School got knocked down a peg after scoring just 21 points in its first loss of the year at Page--the Lobos’ replacement atop the rankings.

The Sand Devils shot up from No. 4 to No. 1 after the 40-21 trouncing Saturday, Feb. 13, of Snowflake, which scored a scant five second-half points without the services of star forward Emily Davis, who did not score and was severely limited by a sprained ankle to just a handful of gimpy minutes in the second and third quarters.

In the junior’s absence, Page senior Torrance Begay took full advantage. The 5-foot-11-inch post had a double-double in the paint, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds in addition to a pair of blocks and assists along with a steal to run away with player of the night honors.

Senior Emma Yazzie and junior Miquedah Taliman added 7 points a piece to keep the Sand Devils undefeated through seven games going into their non-conference track meet Thursday, Feb. 18, against St. Michael. 

The 5-2 Cardinals, whose full-court, full-time press is very similar to the Page pressure that chewed up Snowflake, are ranked No. 4 in the 1A Conference…

Snowflake’s boys team continues to make the argument for the top spot in the 3A boys rankings, outscoring No. 10 Page by 11 in the fourth quarter for a 76-69 road win.

The No. 2 Lobos retained their grip on the 3A Conference’s best record, forcing 23 turnovers to help overcome 25 points from 6-foot, 10-inch senior post Stuart Sandall, an “athletic...good back-to-[the]-basket shooter,” according to Page’s second-year head coach, Justin Smith. 

“We are much further along than I expected to be with us not knowing we were going to have a season until mid-December,” Smith said prior to his team’s first home loss. “We have a long ways to go, but I am happy with our progress so far.”

But, even at home, Sandall did not have enough support from his backup, junior Hunter Richardson, nor from his assist men on the perimeter to hand Snowflake its first loss in 10 games. 

Although guard Jonah Holiday had 15 points to go with a co-team-high six rebounds, fellow senior and playmaker Robert Smith--praised before the season by his head coach for his “court vision” as a “great shooter” who “attacks [the] basket well”--was forced into an uncharacteristic 11 turnovers. 

Senior Monument Valley High School transfer Dahntay Dugi and sophomore wing Orlandon Yazzie--both of whom share Smith’s passing and ball handling skills, according to their head coach--couldn’t pick up enough of his slack, scoring six points each but combining for four turnovers, three assists, three rebounds and just one steal on the night. 

The Sand Devils were looking to take the next step toward their first state boys title and improve on a 29-2 debut season under Smith, who had previously won more than 81 percent of his games as the Page girls coach in seven seasons.

“I feel like, with COVID-19 hitting the Navajo Nation so hard, and all of the other 3A North schools not playing ball this year, we are playing for a lot more this year than we have in the past,” he added.

Instead, on top of road losses to North Central Region leader Fountain Hills and Winslow--a six-point opening-night setback in which Smith said the team “had way too many turnovers and not enough rebounds” and “played really bad on the defensive end of the floor”--Page faces a must-win over the Falcons in their next region home game Friday, Feb. 19...

An argument for another ascension in the rankings could be made in the 1A Conference, where undefeated Mohave Accelerated Learning Center has done everything it can to earn the top boys ranking through its first 11 games.

Still, despite sweeping a pair of games from 2A postseason contender River Valley High School and allowing just 17 points in their three blowouts of their Central West Region opponents, the Patriots remain No. 3 in the power rankings, behind a pair of one-loss teams: St. David and North Valley Christian high schools.

The Patriots have defeated opponents up and down the Colorado River from not just their conference, but from the 2A, 3A and even 4A ranks after edging the Mohave Thunderbirds, 62-57, on the road Wednesday, Feb. 3. 

Junior forward Josh Neal led the way with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while his counterpart in the post, fellow honorable mention all-region sophomore Lucas Leslie, outmuscled 6-foot, 6-inch sophomore Frederick McCoo, making a living from the free-throw line with 10 of 13 on his way to a game-high 19 points.

Their efforts bonded with 11 points from prolific junior guard Aden Honegger to outduel the winless Thunderbirds, who have struggled under second-year head coach Kyle Morse with only one returning starter, junior shooting guard Hayden Williams.

The true strength of Mohave Accelerated patriotism should be measured in its next two games, both against regional challengers: the Williams Vikings at home, followed the very next day, Friday, Feb. 19, with a five-hour bus ride (by way of Las Vegas) to Fredonia High School... 

As for Morse’s Thunderbirds, while senior Ethan Williams provides “high-energy defense” along the perimeter and junior point guard Adam Trindad can “dominate the ball, facilitate pick-and-rolls [and] shoot at a high percentage from deep,” Morse said, a region-heavy opening schedule has done the team no favors.

Tuesday, Feb. 9, six nights after the loss to the Patriots, Mohave would fall out of contention in 4A with its sixth straight Grand Canyon Region loss Tuesday, Feb. 9, 64-34, at Bradshaw Mountain High School...

The Bears have stayed on the heels of undefeated and fourth-ranked region leader Coconino led by the scoring efforts of senior guard Carter John, who continued his third season as the team leader in that category with 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting against Mohave.

Embry-Riddle University commit Nathan Summit, a 6-foot, 8-inch senior, controlled the interior with 9 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. He and John, returning first-team all-region performers, are forging a breakout spring for third-year head coach Blair Hillig, enjoying his most successful season after finishing just two and three games over .500 in his first two respective seasons.

The difference this season in Prescott Valley has been a supporting cast of accurate shooters “who will help us spread the floor,” Hillig said, including senior guards Anthony Folkestad and Tyler Stegall, “a good defender and slasher,” Hillig added, along with scrappy junior Josue Luna. 

Summit’s little brother, Nick, who matched Luna’s 13 points in the Mohave win, provides Nathan interior backup as a junior, while sophomore wing Ben Wilder is a good scorer off the bench “and will help us in the paint,” Hillig said.

“We, potentially, will be better offensively this year than the last two years,” he added. “Health concerns could play a part [in] team depth.

“We are hoping to stay healthy and continue to grow as a team.” 

Next time: More monster Mogollon wrestlers and a wrap-up of Prescott’s undefeated soccer seasons. If you have other stories or tips on Northern Arizona prep players or coaches you feel deserve the spotlight, follow me on Facebook and Twitter at @ProfGWerner, or email me at gwerner@azpreps365.com.