Goodyear, Az — In a commanding semifinal display at Millenium High School, the #2 Fort Thomas girls delivered a statement performance, defeating the #3 Mogollon squad 50-37 in the 1A bracket on Saturday. Fort Thomas got off to an early start, leading 12-4 after the first quarter, and continued to pull away with scores of 23-9 by halftime and 38-18 after the third quarter. Their dominance was further underlined by a 46-29 rebounding advantage, which was key in the victory.
Kaylee Benally led the charge with 14 points and 8 rebounds, while Jaimie Johnson contributed 10 points and 5 boards. Despite a spirited performance from Mogollon’s Heidi Perry, who posted 10 points and a team-high 12 rebounds, the Mustangs were unable to bridge the gap.
Now, Fort Thomas sets its sights on the 1A State Championship against Joseph City on Friday, February 28th at 1pm at Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. This matchup carries extra intrigue—Joseph City beat Fort Thomas 63-40 during their regular season meeting, marking an 18th meeting in a rivalry where Fort Thomas currently leads 9-8. With this win marking their 30th of the season and their sixth appearance in a title game (having won three, including their last title in 2021), Fort Thomas is eager to turn the tables and etch another historic chapter in their program’s legacy.
