The San Carlos Braves hit the road on Monday, November 24th, traveling down to Tucson to take on The Gregory School - one of the toughest small-school programs in Arizona. Not only did the Braves show up ready to play, they walked away with a clean sweep. All three San Carlos boys’ teams - Varsity, JV, and Freshman/Sophomore - earned victories, making it a great night for Braves basketball.
The Varsity game was fast, physical, and filled with highlight moments. Junior guard Talen Pechuli lit up the scoreboard with 26 points, while senior guard Leshawn Browning delivered a monster all-around performance with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Junior guard Leandro Simbolo nearly notched a triple-double with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and an impressive 9 steals. Junior guard Herschel Thompson Jr. added 7 points of his own, helping round out the balanced attack.
San Carlos’ defense was the key difference throughout the night. The Braves were able to disrupt The Gregory School’s offense with pressure, active hands, and smart rotations. Multiple steals turned into fast-break layups that helped San Carlos build and maintain momentum. One of the biggest accomplishments of the evening was successfully containing the Hawks’ 6’5” forward Razin Smith, who has been a difficult matchup for many teams.
It’s worth noting that The Gregory School is no pushover - they’ve won six 1A boys’ state championships since 2008, including the last two seasons. That makes the Braves’ 83–71 varsity win even more impressive.
The winning continued across the board. The Junior Varsity Braves claimed a solid 51–31 victory, led offensively by junior point guard Dakota Edwards. The Freshman/Sophomore team dominated in a 67–16 win, with sophomore guard Dante Dewey scoring 13 points to pace the group.
San Carlos is opening the year with five straight road games before heading into the Copper Cities Tournament hosted by Globe High School December 12th and 13th. The Braves’ first home game is set for Tuesday, December 16th, when fans can finally pack the stands and cheer on a team that’s already showing they’re ready for a special season.
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