The Sedona Red Rock High School boys basketball season finished its season with a 7-22 overall record.

The boys had a slow start with one win and nine losses, but they racked up six wins and 13 losses in the latter part of the season. The Scorpions’ second-to-last game of the season Feb. 2 was against Mingus Union High School, and the boys came up short, 63-54.

Senior Ashor Samano helped the team by scoring 19 points and grabbing two rebounds. Senior Bradley Cox scored 11 points and pulled four rebounds.

On Feb. 3, the Scorpions played at rival Camp Verde High School.

Sedona pushed the Cowboys into overtime after losing to Camp Verde a week earlier by 20 points, but the Cowboys were able to defeat the Scorpions again, this time by the final score of 61-55.

Cox had another great showing, scoring 18 points while recording five rebounds and four steals. Senior Chris Oestmann had eight points and 11 rebounds.

“My last basketball season was fun. We weren’t the best team, and everything did not go our way, but we did great with what we had and an amazing bunch of guys who I will miss a lot,” Oestmann said.

Sedona is losing four seniors this year: Samano, Cox, Oestmann and Arley Leyva.

“Our seniors did a great job this season and really helped us improve as a team. We will miss them,” second-year Sedona Head Coach Brian Bergner Jr. said.

Next year Sedona should have eight returners led by Graham McGilvray, Steven Sundberg and Keenan Crans, who all will be seniors.

“I am really good friends with all the seniors this year, and it was a really fun year with them. I am going to miss all of them. It is going to be tough without them, but I expect next year to be great,” Crans said.

Bergner said he was pleased with how his team performed during its last few games and how the Scorpions progressed throughout the season. He added the future is bright for Sedona.

“I expect big things out of our returners next year, three of which will be seniors and many of which will still be underclassmen,” Bergner said. “We struggled this year a bit in the win column, but I believe our kids got better as the season progressed and it really showed on the court. I was happy with the outcome, and our kids should be proud.”

Those expected to help the basketball program grow in the following seasons include underclassmen Carlos Rodriquez — who will be a junior — and next year’s sophomore players Josh Cacciatore, Tristan Decker, Tucker Davis and Wesley Mikulwicz.

Whitney Cooper, a senior at Sedona Red Rock High School, covers the Scorpions boys basketball team this season for the Sedona Red Rock News.