Both Fort Thomas basketball teams will play for 1A state championships on Friday at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix on Friday, February 27th.
The Fort Thomas girls (29-6), the No. 2 seed, will face No. 1 Joseph City at 1 p.m. The boys (32-5), the top seed, will take on No. 10 St. David at 3:30 p.m. Both games will air live on KATO 1230 AM throughout the Gila Valley.
The Fort Thomas girls advanced with a 59-31 win over Williams in the first round, a 66-30 victory over Mogollon in the quarterfinals and a 50-41 semifinal win against St. David.
Raeleigh Hawkins scored 13 points in the win over Williams, while Kynnedee Bryce added 11. In the quarterfinals, Hawkins finished with 21 points, Jamie Johnson added 14 and Leilynn Wesley had 13 as Fort Thomas outscored Mogollon 44-13 over the final three quarters.
In the semifinals, St. David led 13-10 after the first quarter before Fort Thomas rallied for a 17-15 halftime advantage. The Apaches pushed the lead to four entering the fourth quarter and sealed the win at the free-throw line.
Friday’s appearance marks the seventh championship game in program history for the Fort Thomas girls. The Apaches have won three state titles, in 1986, 2006 and 2021.
Joseph City has won seven state championships, including last season, and is making its 13th championship appearance. The Wildcats defeated Fort Thomas 46-30 during the regular season on January 30th.
The Fort Thomas boys are making their 18th championship appearance. The Apaches have won 12 state titles, most recently in 2020.
Fort Thomas opened the tournament with a 76-43 win over BASIS Flagstaff, defeated Mogollon 72-35 in the quarterfinals and beat defending 1A champion The Gregory School 71-58 in the semifinals. The Hawks had won the previous two 1A state titles.
In the first-round win, Michael Olivar scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Damarae Dosela added 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Channing Wilson and Malachi Johnson scored 13 points each.
Fort Thomas defeated St. David 64-47 during the regular season on January 20th. St. David has won two state titles, in 1998 and 2002, and is making its sixth championship appearance.
