GATOR WINTER CLASSIC: Being on sideline helps ease coach’s sorrow

Understandably, basketball hasn’t been at the front of Chris Williams’ mind for the past two weeks.

Yet a day after the funeral for his son Stephen, Williams was back on the sideline Wednesday, continuing to help his Sunrise Mountain girls basketball team improve.

Williams, whose 22-year-old son died in a car accident in Southampton, Va. on Dec. 21, is teaching his girls lessons more important than just basketball fundamentals, and the Miners are helping him cope.

Both coach and players got a small reason to smile Wednesday when the Miners held on for a 44-37 win over Shadow Ridge in the Gator Winter Classic at Green Valley.

“I’ve had a difficult time focusing; it’s even hard to get out of bed some days.” Williams said. “The living have to keep living. I have seven other kids I have to take care of, and the team needs me. I’m doing everything I can to hold on, and they’re getting me through it. They’re a good group of girls.

“It’s hard. When we do practice or I’m at home on Sunday, it drains me. I just stay in bed all day. Any time is bad, but during the holiday season, it’s really rough.”

In his first year in the program, Williams, who guided Chaparral to a 19-7 record last year, is helping the Miners drastically improve. Sunrise Mountain (5-5) never has come close to a winning record in its short history, and its highest win total came last year in a 7-20 season.

And walking the sideline, giving his players encouragement and attempting to help them correct their mistakes, has been therapeutic.

“This definitely helps me,” Williams said. “The girls understand my commitment to them, as well as my family obligations. I think they came out and played harder for me today than they’ve played in a while, knowing the situation with the funeral being yesterday and it being really rough for me.”

For the first 2½ quarters, the Miners couldn’t have been better on defense, forcing 28 turnovers and building a 36-16 lead over the Mustangs, who rallied late to pull within 42-37 on Amira King’s free throw with 1:11 left.

“They played hard, and they played well,” Williams said. “We had some problems with turnovers and substitutions late in the game, and it put us in a situation we didn’t want to be in. I have to pay a little better attention to that.”

Jasmyn Rodriguez had 13 points for Sunrise Mountain, and Brittany Veal and Jennifer Smith each scored eight. King led the Mustangs (5-3) with 10 points

“It was a good start to the new year,” Williams said.

Coronado 63, Durango 52 — Grace Green netted 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter, and the Cougars never trailed en route to a win over the Trailblazers.

Dajah Washington added 13 points, and Karlie Thorn scored 11 for Coronado.

Jazmin Chavez paced Durango with 21 points, and teammate Brittany Romo scored 19.

Green Valley 70, Durango 59 — Maggie Manwarren had 18 points, and the Gators made all nine of their free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter to turn back the Trailblazers.

Rianna Rudolph added 14 points for Green Valley.

Romo had 28 points, and Chavez scored 20 for Durango.

Green Valley 71, Canyon Crest (Calif.) 35 — Rudolph scored all 17 of her points in the first half as the Gators built a 47-19 halftime lead and routed the Ravens.

Manwarren added 13 points, and Gwen Garcia scored 10 points for Green Valley.

Grace Weinzette led Canyon Crest with nine points.

Western 58, Spring Valley 31 — Destiny Gonzalez had 22 points to lead the Warriors by the Grizzlies.

Capricia Pierce added 16 points, and Guadalupe Herrera scored 11 for Western.

Kalynn Lesley and Asiah Stone each had six points for Spring Valley.

Cimarron-Memorial 33, Moapa Valley 20 — Shataya Harper had nine points, and the Spartans outscored the Pirates 22-9 during the final three quarters to earn the win.

Kyla Shumway and DaniElle Russo each had five points for Moapa Valley.

Rancho 44, Needles 36 — Tatianna Lee had 14 points as the Rams topped the Mustangs.

LaKissa Martin added 10 points for Rancho.

Demi Limon and Caitlyn Courtwright each scored 10 points for Needles.

Rancho 39, Cimarron-Memorial 33 — Martin had 15 points, and the Rams used a 15-0 run from late in the first quarter until past the midway point of the third quarter on their way to a win over the Spartans.

Harper had 11 points for Cimarron.

Sierra Vista 40, Del Sol 38 — Danielle Morrow scored all 11 of her points in the second half as the Mountain Lions battled back from a 20-13 halftime deficit to nip the Dragons.

Kimayah Love also had 11 points for Sierra Vista.

Sayanna Roy led Del Sol with 19 points.

South East (Calif.) 40, Chaparral 32 — Lupe Cruz led a balanced attack with 10 points, and the Jaguars outscored the Cowboys, 25-12 in the middle quarters en route to the win.

Marcia Hawkins had 23 points for Chaparral.

Del Sol 47, Chaparral 39 — Roy had 14 points, and the Dragons used an early 11-0 run to top the Cowboys.

Alina Marruffo added 12 points, and Azhwalaee Oliver had 10 points for Del Sol.

Hawkins had 17 points, and Abigail Delgado added 14 points for Chaparral.