Anytime the Canyon Cowboys can get another game together this late into the season is a win for everyone in the program, according to head coach Ali Monfared.
Following a 67-56 win over the Victor Valley Jackrabbits of Victorville in the second round of the California Interscholastic Federation Division 5 state playoffs, Monfared is grateful for his Cowboys to get to keep on playing.
“They’re just really buttoned in, and they deserve all the credit,” Monfared said after the game about his team’s performance. “Credit to Victor Valley, they gave us a battle, very athletic and gave us a lot of challenges … we have another day together and another game and I’m just proud of them.”
In the win, senior guard Isaac Yuhico recorded 41 points over the Jackrabbits’ defense with 26 of the points coming in the first half.
Yuhico also ended the day with five assists.
After the game, Yuhico said there was extra motivation to have a big night offensively as he thought Thursday’s win could be his last-ever game at Canyon High School.
“I’m not going to be able to play here at Canyon anymore,” Yuhico said. “So, being able to have that and win in a close game, it just means the world to me.”
Yuhico added winning in the state playoffs meant a lot to him and to represent the Canyon County community.
Yuhico said many in the high school basketball scene didn’t believe this year’s Cowboys team had what it took to make a run, and Yuhico is glad to be proving them wrong.
“Everybody wrote us off this year. We were projected to go last in league. We weren’t supposed to be in the playoffs,” he said. “We weren’t supposed to win. So being able to make history with this team and win two playoff games, it’s awesome.”
The Cowboys advanced to the SoCal regional semifinals, the first-ever appearance in program history.
Monfared echoed Yuhico’s sentiment about people writing off Canyon this year. Monfared also said that it’s been a season to remember and is glad to have his team make history after an overtime loss in the Division 7 Southern Section semifinals.
“It took us some time, and we had to learn some lessons, but to me, it just means that you can do whatever you want,” he said. “It sounds very cliche, but if you don’t allow people to make your mind up for you and you show up day after day, after tough losses or big wins, and you just buy in and get better, then this is the result.”
In the regional semifinals, the Cowboys are set for a trip down to the San Fernando Valley and match up against the Sylmar Spartans on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m.
The Spartans won the Division 2 Los Angeles City Section championship in February and are coming off a double-digit win over the Preuss UCSD Tritons of La Jolla in the regional second round.
Monfared said the team will prepare the same as they’ve done all playoffs and are looking forward to making more history.
“We’ll prepare the same. We’ll focus on what we can do better, and then we’ll try our best to limit what their other team’s best players do,” he said.
