Preview: Cicero Prep Academy Centurions vs. Fort Thomas Apaches
The Cicero Prep Academy Centurions are on the road again on Thursday and plays the Fort Thomas Apaches at 4:30 p.m. on February 1st. Cicero Prep Academy will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Arizona Rankings (they are ranked 298th, while the Apaches are ranked 104th).
Winning is just a little bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 16 to 1 on the offensive boards, a fact Cicero Prep Academy proved on Tuesday. They walked away with a 31-19 win over Phoenix Day School for the Deaf. The victory was just what Cicero Prep Academy needed coming off of a 47-10 defeat in their prior contest.
Cicero Prep Academy got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Maggie Hooppaw out in front who scored 13 points along with five assists and four steals. Hooppaw has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. Alyse Nap was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with eight steals and two blocks.
Meanwhile, Fort Thomas put the finishing touches on their 11th blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They blew past Dishchii'bikoh 58-32. The victory was familiar territory for Fort Thomas who now have four in a row.
Fort Thomas' success was spearheaded by the efforts of Kaylee Benally, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and four steals, and Tyesha Wilson, who scored 17 points along with five rebounds and four steals. Wilson is crushing the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Adaia Lorenzo, who scored five points along with four steals.
Cicero Prep Academy's win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-13. As for Fort Thomas, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-9 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Cicero Prep Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Fort Thomas struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Cicero Prep Academy was dealt a bruising 62-7 defeat at the hands of the Apaches in their previous meeting back in February of 2023. Can Cicero Prep Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
