It is a rebuilding year for the Scorpions with the focus of changing the mentality of the team.

The Sedona Red Rock High School boys basketball team [1-8] are struggling offensively, averaging just 39 points a game, but they are learning to play together as a team and play competitively.

“I just wanted to compete,” new Scorpions head coach Greg Strickling said. “All year long we’ve been fighting the epidemic of not competing among boys teams. First things first. I just want to compete. Once we learn how to compete consistently we can learn how to win.”

The Scorpions most recently lost to the Bradshaw Mountain Bears [5-4], 78-34, and the Prescott Badgers [6-3], 73-38 — teams that are in a higher division than SRRHS.

Despite the score of the Prescott game, the Scorpions played strongly and with more intensity on defense considering that Prescott has a 6-foot-10-inch junior center and six other players over 6 feet 1 inch who are not only tall, but are quick and can shoot from the inside and outside.

“I felt they came out trying to win,” Strickling said. “My hat’s off to Prescott. They’re very good for their level.

“I felt my boys came out and competed. They did what I asked them to do on defense, to take their guy out and they did a good job of that. So I was pleased with that.”

The game was played on Friday, Dec. 7, at SRRHS.

When Scorpion senior Steven Sundberg faced the 6-foot-10-inch Badger, Cameron Gilbert, on the tipoff, Gilbert was a head taller than Sundberg.

The Badgers were able to put up nine points before Sundberg scored the first points for the Scorpions after being fouled on a layup.

For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Dec. 12, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.