The Sunnyslope Vikings boys basketball team was No. 1 in the initial AIA 6A rankings, has gone undefeated through nine games in its first year in the conference with wins against several quality teams and appears to be rolling mid-way through the shortened 2021 high school season. There is confidence exuding from the team's players and coaches.
But, at least in hearing the way many of the Vikings spoke after a tight 55-54 victory over 4A heavyweight Paradise Honors, there is still a lot of work to do to reach the team's goals.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best yet. When we get there it’s a lot of ball movement, inside-outside game and hitting shots, which we haven’t done yet. You see little moments of it, but we haven’t put it together a whole game yet," said junior guard Oakland Fort.
The Vikings boast one of the most talented rosters in 6A, with several double-digit scorers and a size advantage over most teams they go up against. But Sunnyslope's offense has, on occasion, missed shots and not put up the same point totals its skill level would suggest possible.
Meanwhile, solid half-court defense has kept the Vikings above water and able to pull out tough victories, with forwards like senior Grady Lewis and junior Elijah Saunders -among others - securing the inside and helping on drives while the guards attack opposing dribblers.
Coach Zach Hettel's Paradise Honors Panthers were able to attack it better than most in the second half of the teams' recent game, leading the Panthers back from a double-digit deficit to nearly close the gap in the final seconds. Even still, he was complimentary to the Vikings' defensive output.
“Sunnyslope is always tough. They pack it in, they make you earn everything you get,” Hettel said.
After missing several games due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Vikings played eight in 13 days. There has been minimal practice time to fix any issues coach Ray Portela has seen from his squad, though he admits nearly every team has been similarly-affected.
A fluid roster that saw some players leave due to injury or transfer is still finding its identity outside of its stellar defense, he said. But, even through the strangest season anybody in Arizona high school athletics has faced and growing pains on the court, the "0" in the loss column still looks pretty beautiful.
“It’s nice to make so many mistakes and still pull out a victory," Portela said.
In the meantime, with eight games still on the schedule before playoffs in early March, the Vikings are in position to make a deep playoff run in their initial foray into 6A play, should this output continue.
There are still plenty of tough games to come, including five of the remaining eight contests on the road. But for now, things look good for undefeated Sunnyslope.
"I feel really good about our chances for state," said Lewis.
"We still have room to improve, but we're winning games and I think we can keep getting better."
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