Something was off.

Scoring just 21 points in the first half was uncharacteristic for a Canyon View Jaguars squad that scores in bunches. But they faced a very motivated Verrado Vipers team that was seeking to tie the first place Jaguars in the 5A Desert West Region. 

Plus, the home fan support was strong for the opponent in this rivalry matchup. 

Canyon View, which was also backed by a corner section filled with students, trailed by as many as 12 points but rallied to clinch its first basketball region title with a 60-51 victory.

Even if Canyon View (20-1, 10-0 in region) were to lose its final two region games, and the Vipers (12-9, 8-2 in region) won theirs, the Jaguars still hold the tiebreaker.

“We just weren’t playing our game in the first half,” first-year Canyon View coach Ramon Marks said. “We were playing too slow and playing at (Verrado’s) pace.”

For Marks, it was a bit of a homecoming of sorts since he was Verrado’s head coach the previous four seasons.

“I love those kids (at Verrado),” Marks said. “A lot of those kids played for me last year. We saw each other during the summer. So it’s nothing but positive feelings for those guys.”

A couple of things happened Tuesday that allowed the Jaguars to turn the tables in the second half.

For starters, the team’s full-court defensive pressure was effective and elusive point guard Quincy Kirk went to work. From then on the Jaguars were running just as fast the roadrunners the Jaguars often see in their town of Waddell.

The aptly named Connor Hendershot converted back-to-back threes to trim Verrado’s third quarter lead to 35-31. And in the fourth quarter, Hendershot, a 6-3 senior guard, made two free throws after a technical and followed with a reverse layup to pull his team within a point (42-41).

After two missed Verrado shots, 6-4 guard Noah Oliver gave the Jaguars their first lead (44-42) since early in the first quarter with a three with 5:15 left in the game.

Canyon View never looked back after that. 6-5 senior guard/forward Brayden Barrett scored 12 points in the first half for Verrado, but Canyon View limited him to just four points in the second half.

“This team is special,” said Kirk about his Jaguars. “That’s all I can really say, honestly. I love these guys to death, and they are my brothers forever.”