No. 2 Catalina Foothills scored 40 points in the paint but it was the 12 3-pointers that completely turned the game against No. 15 McClintock Thursday night with the Falcons pulling away with a 79-59 win in at home in the first round of the 5A state playoffs.

University of Arizona preferred walk-on Will Menaugh (6-10) was practically unstoppable underneath with 20 points, with one of those buckets being an early dunk, to help pace the Falcons to 9-2 lead but the Chargers did just that with a 3 from junior Pascal Volz and a bucket from sophomore Davion Butler to cut the lead down to 9-7. Cody Blumenthal responded with a 3 of his own and that spurred a run that helped lead Catalina Foothills to an 18-9 margin after the first.

Menaugh picked up a quick foul after putting the Falcons up 20-11 and McClintock took advantage of his absence from the court again to cut the lead down to 21-19 with 4:56 left in the half. It looked like Menaugh might have to enter the game again but the bombs started to rain down with Carson Peabody hitting three shots from beyond the arc and Dylan Hadley hit another and the Chargers never recovered and went into the half down 35-23.

The Falcons hit five more 3-pointers in the third and the game was effectively over with a 60-32 lead heading into the fourth. The Charges outscored Catalina Foothills in the fourth but the margin was too much to overcome and the team's season ended on the 79-59 final. The loss dropped McClintock to 10-8 on the year but the team is young with only one senior on the team in Darius Ward.

Ward scored 12 points in the game including four free throws with 5.5 seconds left in the game. Sophomore Erenzo Scroggins and Volz had 16 points each, Jr. Jaylen Wesley added 8 and Butler finished with 5 points. Expect the Chargers to be back for another run next winter.

(Erenzo Scroggins goes up/Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

Catalina Foothills, on the other hand, sports nine seniors and one junior in Hadley. It’s a dominating and experienced lineup with Menaugh and Trace Comeau controlling the paint and Peabody, Blumenthal and Hadley running a constant motion offense that either results in a bomb or a cut to the basket that most people familiar with the Falcons are aware of. It wears you down and tasks you mentally and physically.

Menaugh had his 20, Comeau added 20, Peabody scored 17, Blumenthal had 15 and Hadley scored 9. This group has come close many times before in the 4A Conference with a semifinal finish last year and the year before, a quarterfinal finish in 2018 and semifinal losses in 2017 and 2016. Salpointe stood in the way in 2017, 2018 and 2020 but a move to the 5A Conference has the Falcons exploring a new frontier.

No. 2 Centennial lost handedly in the first round of the 5A playoffs last year but the Coyotes are 16-1 this year after squeaking past No. 16 Gila Ridge 68-66 in their first game. That would have been a monumental upset in the 5A ranks but there were three upsets in the conference on opening night starting with No. 5 Buena falling to No. 12 Sunrise Mountain 60-56. No. 6 Desert Mountain needed overtime (60-58) to avoid an upset to No. 11 Arcadia but No. 7 Nogales fell to No. 10 Willow Canyon 65-63. The last upset was a minor one with No. 9 Cactus Shadows taking out No. 8 Williams Field 60-59.

Willow Canyon (15-2) travels to Catalina Foothills (16-1) this Saturday at 7 p.m. for a quarterfinal battle. The Wildcats did not make the state playoffs last year, in fact, the program last made the playoffs in 2011 as a No. 16 seed.

Will Menaugh (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)