PRESCOTT — Winners of eight straight and achieving a No. 1 overall ranking in 4A as of Monday, the Prescott boys basketball team continues its path toward a potential state title come February.

To get there, however, head coach Travis Stedman believes every Grand Canyon region game matters, despite the league’s overall ability to really give the Badgers a game. And with state a little over three weeks way, it might be easy for those within the Prescott program to focus on the future, instead of the present.

“Winning the Grand Canyon region is our first goal every year, so every game matters to us,” said Stedman, who led the Badgers to a Grand Canyon region title a season ago. “That’s what drives us. We are all gas, no brakes.”

Take for instance the recent debacle against Mohave, a 109-29 victory for Prescott (13-5, 5-0 Grand Canyon) on Jan. 24. In region play, the Badgers are averaging 82 points per game, allowing only 36.6 points per game defensively and sport an average point spread of 45.4 points per game.

Stedman added that his club does not “power point watch,” so the No. 1 ranking in 4A doesn’t seem effect anything the Badgers are doing on a daily basis.

“Everyone sees them, but we only care about what we can control. We want to win the Grand Canyon region, host an open playoff game, and move on from there,” Stedman said, adding that he doesn’t care what bracket the team ends up in, whether in 4A or the Open (ranked No. 12).

“Whatever bracket we’re in, we want to win it,” Stedman said. “[We] play hard, and control the controllables.”

URIAH

Senior guard Uriah Tenette scored 28 points against Mohave last week, a game when the team sunk 18 3-pointers, tying a state record for eighth best in a game among all conferences. Liberty hit 25 in a game against North in 2021-2022.

Tenette also had a recent standout performance, scoring 54 points in a 93-87 overtime win over Chatsworth (Calif.) in the Classic at Damien tournament in December.

The 5-foot-11 guard gained national attention for the performance as he did it against five-star guard recruit Alijah Arenas, the son of former Arizona and NBA standout Gilbert Arenas.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

With seven games to play, the first against Coconino on the road Tuesday, Jan. 28, Prescott faces all Grand Canyon region opponents.

The Badgers host rival Bradshaw Mountain on Jan. 30, travel to Lee Williams on Jan. 31, then return home to face the Volunteers again on Feb. 4. From that point it’s a road game at Flagstaff on Feb. 6, a home game against Mingus on Feb. 11 and wrapping up the regular season against Mohave on Feb. 13.

As for the Open tournament, the top eight seeds in each of the 6A, 5A and 4A conferences make the bracket in addition to the next eight highest rated clubs from the same conferences will make up a 32-team field.

Teams that lose the first round of the Open tournament will return to their respective conferences.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.