YAKIMA - Davis is dialing it in at the perfect time. With Tuesday’s 2-0 win over crosstown rival Eisenhower, the Pirates have won five in a row and sit all alone at the top of the CBBN at 7-1 (9-2-1 overall). They’ve beaten defending league champion Wenatchee twice and also took down Eastmont, at the time the No. 5 team in the latest Class 4A RPI rankings, on the road last month. Sure, there’s still work to be done, including a rematch with the Wildcats on Tuesday at Zaepfel Stadium (Davis’ home field for the remainder of the season). But with eight shutouts to their credit, the No. 5 RPI Pirates feel like they are primed for a deep postseason run. “We knew we had a good team, but we didn’t know things would work out as well as they have,” said fourth-year head coach Cristian Gonzalez, who led Davis to a third-place state finish in 2023. “After graduating so many guys last year, it’s nice to see the pieces fitting into place.” As Gonzalez is quick to point out, the Pirates’ success starts with their defense, led by center backs Aiden Munoz and Osmar Perez and outside defenders Omar Alvarez and Yosgardt Badillo. They’ve also leaned heavily on the goalkeeping tandem of David Marin and Gabe Paulani, who have settled into a shared role, with Marin manning the box in the first half and Paulani finishing out the game. But with seven goals in the past two games, the offense is also showing signs of rounding into form. Junior transfer Lino Stevenson has begun to find his rhythm after sitting out the first six games due to eligibility reasons, scoring three goals and delivering two assists since his debut in late March. “Bringing in Lino has been huge,” Gonzalez said of the first-team all-league midfielder. “Once he finally got out there with us, we started to feel it. He’s such a good teammate and the guys love him.” Junior forward Jaime Alcocer is the team’s leading scorer with four tallies and is among the team leaders in assists. Senior captains Diego Aguirre and Jose Cuevas have been steady in the midfield, while junior mid Carlos Benitez has also been getting into the act of late, scoring two goals in the past two games. “For us, it’s not just a few guys, it’s the whole team,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone understands their role and they all want the team to succeed. We’ve built a really good culture here, and I think that’s going to help us come playoff time.” Munoz, the Pirates’ senior defensive leader, believes the Pirates’ camaraderie is going to be the difference-maker down the stretch. “We're all friends outside of school and we communicate really well with each other,” he said. “We play with a lot of confidence and we believe in each other. I think that’s our biggest strength.” ...

The whirlwind year for Davis graduate Esmeralda Enriquez continued Sunday when she committed to Houston. Her pledge to the Cougars came within three weeks of her leading Eastern Arizona College to the NJCAA Division I championship, being named tournament MVP, and earning All-America and national Player of the Year honors. All this after committing to EAC late in the recruiting cycle. "It was different, and it was also challenging but the adversity is what really helped me grow," Enriquez said. "Winning the chip and earning scholarships just proved what I have always been capable of and how far I’ve come." She picked Houston from a list of offers that included Tennessee, Southern Mississippi and Seattle. Enriquez averaged a team-best 15.7 points a contest in leading the Gila Monsters to the No. 1 ranking this winter. She added 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 per game, and connected on nearly 45% of her 3-point attempts. In four games in the NJCAA tournament, Enriquez averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals for second-seeded EAC, which rallied past New Mexico Junior College in the championship game. With the Gila Monsters trailing by eight points late in the second quarter, Enriquez battled through shooting struggles, sinking two 3-pointers before halftime and another early in the third quarter as Eastern Arizona took the lead shortly after intermission and held on for its first national title. "She was just a game-changer for us, plain and simple,” Eastern Arizona head women's basketball coach Angelica de Paulo, the NJCAA Coach of the Year, said in a news release. “Winning a national title is incredible, but what she did for this program goes way beyond that." Houston finished 1-17 in conference play and 7-23. Much in the way she helped turn the tides with the Pirates program, Enriquez will look to help build a tradition with the Cougars, who haven’t been to the NCAA tournament since 2011, the last year they won a conference championship. "I trust the vision and winning culture that is being built," she said. "It’s got everything to help me develop as a person and player." At Davis, Enriquez was the CBBN Player of the Year during her 2022-23 junior season in leading the sixth-seeded Pirates to their first trip to the Tacoma Dome for the Class 4A state tournament. She was a first-team all-conference selection the following season, as Davis returned as the fifth seed, and eventually finished third. She scored a tournament high 86 points and averaged 21.5 points, which was second-best in the tourney. She spent her freshman season at North Idaho College, where she was voted the Scenic West Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and earned second-team NJCAA Division I All-America honors after averaging more than 18 points per game for the Cardinals. Her older brother, former Pirates star and boys assistant coach Robert Galindo, voiced his pride and excitement in what his sister has earned. "It means the world not only to me but to everyone that knows her and who she is outside of basketball," he said. "She’s worked so hard for this and never gave up, no matter the circumstances and I’m just so grateful Houston gave her this opportunity to showcase what she’s all about, not only to the Big 12 but to all kids that feel like they don’t have enough exposure or the odd are stacked against them." And Enriquez embraces her journey. "I bring everything because I come from nothing," she said, thanking the schools she attended -- Adams Elementary, Washington Middle School and Davis -- as well as Madison House, and the coaches and trainers she worked with. "My story makes me different, it’s what makes me a competitor and winner."...

2024 Pirate Graduate Esmeralda Enriquez earns National Junior College Player of the Year!!...

2024 Graduate Esmeralda Galindo (Enriquez) earns Tournament MVP after she leads Eastern Arizona College to its first ever National Championship! LAKE CHARLES, La. — The Eastern Arizona College women’s basketball team etched its name into the history books Tuesday night, capturing the program’s first NJCAA Division I National Championship with a hard-fought 57-51 victory over New Mexico Junior College in the title game at the Lake Charles Arena. The Gila Monsters, representing Thatcher and the entire Gila Valley, showed the heart and resilience that carried them through the entire tournament, pulling away in the second half and sealing the deal at the free-throw line in the closing seconds. It was a back-and-forth battle early on, just as expected in a national championship tilt. EAC and New Mexico traded punches throughout the first quarter. Eanae Dagons knocked down a 3-pointer, and Danaeja Romero-Ah Sam went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, but the Thunderbirds answered with four field goals from Jada Graves and a deep ball by Madison Wilson. The score sat knotted at 15-15 after one. New Mexico grabbed the early edge in the second quarter, pushing ahead 17-15 and then 18-15. But Trinity Alex-Mayer snagged a rebound and drained a 3-pointer to knot it at 18-18. The Thunderbirds responded immediately with a triple from Addison Edwards to go back up 21-18 with 7:04 left in the half. New Mexico took a slim 29-27 lead into the locker room. The Monsters came out firing in the third quarter. They stormed back to take the lead for the rest of the game at 38-33 with 3:56 remaining in the period. Romero-Ah Sam added another 3-pointer moments later to stretch it to 41-35. By the end of the third, EAC held a 41-37 advantage. EAC kept the momentum rolling into the fourth. The Monsters pushed their lead to 51-42 with 5:33 to play, looking like they might pull away for good. But Graves, who led all scorers with 21 points, answered with an and-1 play at the 3:33 mark to cut the deficit to four and keep New Mexico alive. Romero-Ah Sam responded with a layup to make it 53-47. Luisa Amaral hit a jumper for the Thunderbirds to close it to 53-49. From there, New Mexico was forced to foul as the clock ticked under 30 seconds. Romero-Ah Sam went 1-for-2 at the line to push the lead to 54-49 with 25 seconds left. Wilson answered with a layup for New Mexico, making it 54-51 with 12 seconds remaining. The Thunderbirds then intentionally fouled Esmeralda Enriquez, who stepped up and knocked down both free throws to make it 56-51. After a New Mexico miss, Enriquez was fouled again and made 1-of-2 to set the final score at 57-51 as time expired. The celebration began for the Gila Monsters. Enriquez finished with a game-high 16 points on 5-of-20 shooting, including 3-of-10 from 3-point range, while grabbing five rebounds. The championship caps an outstanding season for the Monsters, who entered the national tournament as the No. 2 seed and showed they belonged among the best teams in the country from start to finish. For the first time in school history, the EAC women’s basketball program can call itself national champions. The Gila Valley has another reason to be proud tonight....