Don Ketchum
Former Staff Writer, AZPreps365.com

North spoils debut of Chaparral boys hoops coach

December 8, 2011 by Don Ketchum, AZPreps365


By Don Ketchum

The boys’ basketball team from Scottsdale Chaparral wanted to present its new coach, Damin Lopez, with a victory in his first game on Thursday night (Dec. 8).

North High’s Mustangs had other plans, however.

Using balance on offense and an aggressive defense at key moments, host North turned away the Firebirds 55-48 in a Division I non-section game.

North (5-4) had a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter, but Chaparral (4-3) stormed back with a 13-3 run to tie it at 31 at intermission.

After a halftime talk by coach Joseph Bustos, when he urged better defense and rebounding, the North players complied.

They went on a 10-0 run to begin the third quarter for a 41-31 lead. Jonah Legg scored nine of the points during that span. He finished with a game-high 20 points.

Chaparral pulled to within 45-44 with 4:30 left in the game and was within 50-48 with two minutes to go. But five free throws down the stretch, two by Cody Williams and three by Felipe Corral, iced the game for the Mustangs.

“They (Chaparral) have good shooters and we knew they would try to come back on us,’’ said Bustos, who led North to the old Class 5A Division I title in 2010 and the 5A Division II crown in 2009.  “We played better defense and we rebounded better.’’

North appears to have more balance in all facets of its game, compared to last season, when it relied on big man Alan Williams (now graduated), Cody Williams’ brother.

“We’re kind of like a brand-new team,’’ Bustos said. “We’re learning more and more all the time and we’re gaining more experience. It is our goal to make the state tournament.’’

North hit nine 3-pointers, seven of them in the first half.

Chaparral might reach the state tournament as well if Lopez can stabilize the team in the wake of the resignation of coach Aaron Windler, who had led the team to the 5A-II finals the last two seasons. Windler resigned shortly before the season began, and Commander King did a solid job on an interim basis.

Lopez was an assistant coach at Pepperdine in California. He played at Glendale Apollo for his father, David, who later coached at Phoenix St. Mary’s.

Lopez agreed to take over the Chaparral program earlier this week and led the team for the first time on Wednesday.

Chaparral was led by big man Jarvis Lewis, a defensive tackle for the Firebirds’ Division II state champion football team (the school is Division I in basketball) who transferred from Glendale Raymond S. Kellis.  The 6-foot-6 Lewis scored 16 points, and 6-7 Eric Conklin had 12.