For the fifth time in Canyon boys’ basketball history, the Cowboys are advancing to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section semifinals following a 60-55 win over the visiting Vista Del Lago Ravens of Moreno Valley Tuesday night.
“Vista Del Lago was a tough team, they put a lot of pressure on us defensively, and I was just proud of our guys because it was an ugly win,” Canyon head coach Ali Monfared said. “We had to find a way to overcome some adversity in the third quarter, and our guys never really put their heads down.”
In the win, senior guard Isaac Yuhico led the Cowboys in scoring with 26 points and added to his list of already prominent performances he’s displayed throughout this postseason.
In the first round win over Bell Gardens, Yuhico dropped a 43-point performance. And in the second-round win over Anaheim, he led the team again with 26 points.
Monfared said that every night opposing teams are throwing themselves at Yuhico, but his senior guard keeps on having significant performances by being aggressive.
“We always know that teams are going to gear up on Isaac Yuhico. We’ve seen it all season long and even parts of last season,” he said. “He’s done such a great job of being aggressive. And when he rebounds, he also is able to push the ball. And when he does that, it opens up a lot for our team.”
Along with the win, the Cowboys advanced to the semifinals and with finishing as a top-four team in Division 7, clinched their bid into the CIF state playoffs, the team’s second-ever in program history.
The CIF state playoffs are set to begin on March 3 with seeding yet to be determined.
With at least another week of basketball to play for the Cowboys, Monfared is grateful he gets to spend more time with this season’s group, especially the seniors such as Yuhico.
“We get more time together as a team, so qualifying for state is a special, obviously, because it’s challenging to do, but it gives you another week guaranteed to be around these special guys,” he said. “The seasons come and go really quickly, and any extra time you get to spend with these special guys is really bonus time, and that’s what I value the most, is that by finding a way to win last night, we just guaranteed more time around each other.”
The Cowboys are set to host their semifinals matchup against the visiting Salesian Mustangs of Los Angeles on Friday.
While the team prepares for the semifinals, Monfared is glad to make another deep run with three players who won the Cowboys’ Division 2A Southern Section championship last season such as Yuhico, Alex Lazo, and Adam Graham.
All three players that Monfared believes contributed to this year’s playoff run.
“Isaac Yuhico was really the only one last year that played heavy minutes. So, for everybody this year, it was an adjustment,” he said. “We learned a lot of hard lessons in the league, but they were lessons we needed, and the team has really grown up a lot this year. I’m really proud because they never allowed what everybody else thought they were going to be this year dictate them.”
The semifinals matchup between the Cowboys and Salesian Mustangs is set to tip off 7 p.m. Friday at Canyon High School with the winner advancing to the Division 7 championship.
