2014-15 JACKRABBIT ROSTER    
                   
    # PLAYER HEIGHT WEIGHT CLASS POSITION    
    2 Andres Gurrola 6' 0 162 SR PG    
    3 David Cummard 6' 0 180 JR G, PG    
    4 Mark Hatch 5' 11 146 FR PG, G    
    5 Eddie Huff 6' 2 190 JR G, W    
    10 Cam Washburn 6' 0 151 SR G    
    12 DJ Henderson 6' 4 205 SO PF    
    14 Joban Green 5' 11 130 JR PG, G    
    21 Sumeet Khara 6' 2 158 SR SG, G    
    22 Darius Goudeau 6' 4 190 JR W, G    
    24 Kale Abbot 6' 3 206 SR SG    
    25 Byron Whitehead 6' 3 171 SO W    
    32 Drew Hatch 6' 3 171 JR G    
         
     

FEAR THE HOP IN 2014-15
SCHOOL
COLORS: PURPLE & GOLD
MASCOT: JACKRABBITS

   
   

STAFF

   
    Head Coach Shane Burcar    
    Assistant Coach Scott Stansberry    
    Assistant Coach Kirk Hatch    
    Assistant Coach Eddie Huff    
    Assistant Coach Darren Hobbs    
    Assistant Coach Joe Urban    
    Assistant Coach Mark Owens    
           
   

ADMINISTRATION

   
    Principal Mrs. Lisa Creaser    
    Athletic Director Mr. Scot Schmidt    
    Athletic Secretary Beth Forkenbrock    
    .      
    2014-15 JACKRABBIT SCHEDULE    
    NOVEMBER TIME LOCATION OPPONENT RESULT RECORD    
    11/24 Monday 1:30PM Hamilton (W) 64-28 1-0    
    11/25 Tuesday 6:15PM Agua Fria (W) 55-31 2-0    
    11/26 Wednesday 7:45PM Carl Hayden (W) 66-52 3-0    
    11/29 Saturday 7:00PM Red Mountain (W) 53-41 4-0    
    DECEMBER TIME LOCATION OPPONENT RESULT RECORD    
    12/02 Tuesday 7:00PM Away Camelback (W) 61-24 5-0    
    12/05 Friday 6:00PM Away Carl Hayden (W) 84-50 6-0    
    12/09 Tuesday 7:00PM Home Dysart (W) 83-50 7-0    
    12/11 Thursday 7:00PM Away Centennial (W) 67-62 8-0    
    12/12 Friday 7:00PM Home Highland (W) 75-62 9-0    
    12/16 Tuesday 7:00PM Home Westwood (W) 63-29 10-0    
    12/26 Friday 4:00PM Westview (L) 78-84 10-1    
    12/27 Saturday 11:30AM Saguaro (W) 66-40 11-1    
    12/29 Monday 2:30PM Mountain Ridge (W) 74-52 12-1    
    12/30 Tuesday 4:00PM Brophy (W) 64-61 13-1    
    JANUARY TIME LOCATION OPPONENT RESULT RECORD    
    01/02 Friday 6:00PM Home Kofa (W) 63-21 14-1    
    01/06 Tuesday 7:00PM Home Gilbert (L) 56-62 14-2    
    01/08 Thursday 7:00PM Away Desert Mountain (W) 62-55 15-2    
    01/16 Friday 7:00PM Home Dobson (W) 55-45 16-2    
    01/19 Monday 4:30PM Home Pinnacle @ Wells Fargo Arena (L) 47-53 16-3    
    01/20 Tuesday 7:00PM Away Brophy Prep (W) 52-39 17-3    
    01/22 Thursday 7:00PM Home Chaparral (L) 67-69 17-4    
    01/27 Tuesday 7:00PM Away North Canyon (W) 55-20 18-4    
    01/29 Thursday 7:00PM Away Westwood (W) 59-37 19-4    
    FEBRUARY TIME LOCATION OPPONENT RESULT RECORD    
    02/02 Monday 7:00PM Away Hamilton (W) 58-48 20-4    
    02/04 Wednesday 7:00PM Home Mesa Mountain View (W) 68-41 21-4    
    02/06 Friday 7:00PM Home Horizon (W) 73-58 22-4    
    FEBRUARY TIME LOCATION SUPER SECTIONALS RESULT RECORD    
    02/11 Wednesday 5:15PM SDO HS Centennial (W) 66-27 23-4    
    02/13 Friday 7:00PM SDO HS Anthem Boulder Creek (W) 68-52 24-4    
    02/14 Saturday 7:00PM Des. Mt. HS Mesa Mountain View (W) 59-44 25-4    
    FEBRUARY TIME LOCATION STATE RESULT RECORD    
    02/19 Thursday BYE BYE Bye - Round 1 -- --    
    02/21 Saturday 7:00PM MESA HS Boulder Creek (W) 56-46 26-4    
    02/25 Wednesday 4:30PM ASU Desert Vista (L) 40-56 26-5    
    02/28 Saturday -- -- Semi-Finals -- --    
    03/02 Monday -- -- Finals -- --    
 

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Fear The Hop Holiday Tournament
Mesa High School - November 24, 25, 26, & 29 2014
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First team in the bracket is designated home team and will wear light (white) colored uniform.
Game ball will be provided PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN WARM-UP BALLS.

 

 
    2014-15 JACKRABBIT GAME RECAPS    
   


Mesa Advances in Division I Super Sectional I PLAY -
February 11, 2015 By Richard Smith, West Valley Preps

Mesa is not the basketball program and Shane Burcar is not the basketball coach that believes in throttling down.

So even with a No. 6 ranking in Division I and the state playoffs a week away, the Jackrabbits approached this week's Super Sectionals at full speed. It showed in Wednesday's 66-27 dismantling of Centennial at O'Connor High School in Phoenix.

Mesa (18-4) will face Anthem Boulder Creek in the semifinals Friday at O'Connor. And Burcar wants his squad to continue building toward its peak before state — on the court and in the rankings.

"The AIA takes some heat for the sectionals, but I like the sectionals. I like that you earn your way in," Burcar said. "We take it serious. Right now we're the sixth seed and if we lost tonight we'd drop. If we lose Friday, we drop. I've been following sports my whole life and I'd rather be a higher seed."

Centennial (13-13) sprung to life late in the first quarter after falling behind 9-0. The Coyotes pressed and pushed the pace to draw within 11-8 at the period's end.

Then the Jackrabbits began to break the press and convert layups or three-point shots. Mesa's half-court defense swarmed the Coyotes, forcing turnovers and poor shots.

Senior point guard Andres Gurrola poured in 12 of his 14 points in the quarter as Mesa burst to a 32-15 halftime advantage.

"We thought our half-court defense could be better this time and make them make shots over us," Mesa coach Shane Burcar said. "I thought our guys competed a whole time. Our kids take pride in that effort."

This gap only grew as the Jackrabbits continued to bury threes and clamp down defensively.

Three of Mesa's nine treys on the night landed early in the third quarter as the lead ballooned to 42-18. Senior shooting guard Sumeet Khara led all scorers with 15 points, all coming on five three-pointers.

"That's a phenomenal basketball team. They're No. 6 in the state for a reason and they're going to make a good, long run," Centennial coach Michael Gahan said. "We just couldn't get the ball to go in and were a little nervous at the start. The kids got the shots they wanted in the second half but it just wasn't our night."

Free throws, late-game execution helps Mesa edge Desert Mountain
January 8, 2015 by arizonavarsity.com

The combination of sounds that filled the gymnasium at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain Thursday night was consistent with the hard-fought battle being waged by two well-respected programs inside the black lines.

The evening was full of whistles, candid remarks from the crowd, fidgety coaches, bodies hitting the floor and careless basketballs drifting to unmarked areas on the hardwood floor. It's greatest crescendo, however, managed to last the entire second half -- a 16-minute, head-to-head stalemate that needed to be decided in the final minute.

Ultimately by someone not something.

Mesa (Ariz.) High senior guard Sumeet Khara sensed the moment with the clock winding down and single-handedly snatched a victory with his two bare hands.

Trailing the Jackrabbits 58-55 with just over 15 seconds to play, Wolves senior guard Grant Fogerty drove the right side of the lane toward the basket before kicking the ball out to sophomore wing Jordan Phelps-Castro, who was open on the left side of the arc for a game-tying three-point attempt.

Unfortunately, Fogerty's pass never arrived to its final destination -- as Khara intercepted the potential connection near the baseline with 10.6 seconds remaining. The senior proceeded to put the game away with four straight free throws, as Mesa hung on for a much-needed road victory, 62-55.

"Last game against Gilbert, we didn't get enough stops and missed some crucial shots, which is why we lost," said Khara, who finished with a team-high 18 points. "I think we did a better job of executing late in this one. We got stops when we needed to and made free throws.

"A win like this gives us a big boost. We needed a win right here on the road, because we have three tough games coming up against Chaparral, Pinnacle and Brophy. This was big for us."

Thursday's triumph pushed the Jackrabbits to a pristine 15-2 but more than anything it put Shane Burcar's squad back in the right frame of mind after Tuesday's tough home defeat to the Gilbert (Ariz.) Tigers.

"Desert Mountain is a tough place to play," said Burcar. "We knew coming in that this is one of the hardest places to win in the state. That was our big concern. We knew we had to get over Tuesday night. It was a tough loss, but we had to move on.

"Our performance was good, but we still have to work on our execution."

While Mesa turned it over 16 times on the night, it also managed to turn Desert Mountain over on 18 occasions -- including three late in the third quarter which led to seven straight points and a huge shift in momentum.

"We took a timeout after going down 44-40 [in the third quarter]," said Burcar. "But then I think we came out and finished the quarter on a 7-0 run. It wasn't anything we said or did. Our guys just responded, didn't turn the ball over and made plays."

In the win, Drew Hatch had 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Kale Abbott knocked down three of six attempts from beyond the three-point arc, and Andres Gurrola added seven assists and two big free throws with 2:45 to play.

On the flip side, the Wolves spoiled a great performance from junior forward Adam Rees, who had a game-high 19 points but failed to score in the final period. Fogerty also pitched in with 15 points and three assists, though his night was marred by Khara's last-minute steal.

Gilbert stops Mesa High in overtime
January 6, 2015 by Les Willsey, AIA365

Gilbert boys basketball coach Jay Caserio thought he saw daylight Tuesday night in his team's struggle to protect leads and win a few more close games. A seven-point lead with 2:55 to play in regulation was Caserio's reason for optimism.

Well, that lead vanished as time ran out in regulation, but his Tigers executed enough in overtime to pull out a 62-56 victory over Mesa High in a Division I game at Jackrabbit Gym.

"We've come close a few times closing games out and I thought we might be over the hump up eight," Caserio said of a 48-40 edge with 4:29 to play. "We did better tonight. We won. We're not quite there yet, but we made progress."

Gilbert (9-5, 5-1 power-ranking games) got clutch scoring in the fourth period and overtime from Chris Bowling and reserve Byron Hurd. They also got a handful of rebounds from 6-8 senior post Truman Moore (10 points), who twice got the ball back for his team in overtime after teammates missed the front end of one-and-ones. Bowling finished with a game-high 20 points -- 16 in the second half. Hurd scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, including two 3s that left with with three treys for the game.

Bowling, a 6-foot-7 junior, made the biggest shot of the night, swishing a 3 with 39 seconds left in overtime to put Gilbert ahead to stay, 55-53. Mesa had taken its final lead of the night at 53-52 on Drew Hatch's third trey of game with 1:58 left. Mesa (14-2, 7-1 prg) had a chance to extend its lead to three with 1:04 left in OT, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. It wasn't until Bowling sank two free throws and Moore one in the final 10 seconds that Gilbert was home free.

"Chris made some big shots and we rebounded well," Caserio said. "We needed to. We had a size advantage, and looked to take advantage of that."

Gilbert did just that as they fed Moore in the post for seven first-quarter points and nine overall in the first half. Gilbert led at hafltime 27-25, but Mesa managed to rally and lead 40-36 after three periods. That was courtesy of eight points from its big man -- Darius Godeau and 6-of-6 free-throw shooting by the Jackrabbits in the quarter.

Mesa coach Shane Burcar, who saw his team drop its first game of the season on its home floor, was disappointed with his team's execution in overtime. .

"You have to make free throws and get the rebounds when they miss," Burcar said. "We did make some big shots to get back in it, but we had the opportunity to win this one. We got a good shot off at the end of regulation., too. We had chances."

Mesa was led in scoring by David Cummard with 14 points, 12 in the first half. Kale Abbott added 12 and Goudeau chipped in with 10. Mesa made 10 3s in the game -- five in the first half and five in the second half and overtime.

Westview hands Mesa High first loss
December 26, 2014 by Les Willsey, AIA365

Westview’s boys basketball team didn’t flinch at an early nine-point deficit Friday afternoon in its matchup with unbeaten Mesa High. And once they rallied and took the lead late in the third period they didn’t blink when Mesa attempted a comeback.

Sparked by scoring binges from Kendall Barnes in the third period and Daniel Arce in the fourth, Westview dealt Mesa an 84-78 loss in first-round action at the McClintock Holiday Shootout at Doc Zinke Gym.

Westview improved to 6-5 on the season and takes on McClintock in the late quarterfinal Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Mesa, which won its own Jackrabbit Invitational Thanksgiving week, saw its 10-game winning streak end. Mesa plays again Saturday in the loser’s bracket at 11:30 a.m. against Saguaro.

Westview didn’t start strong, falling behind 16-4 in the game’s first four minutes. That was due to fast starts by Mesa guard Sumeet Khara and Darius Goodeau, who combined for 17 of the Jackrabbits’ 20 first-period points. Khara sank three 3s to ignite a 13-4 lead.

But Westview gradually rallied cutting the lead to 20-19 at quarter’s end. The Knights managed to lead at halftime, 33-32, as all seven players who saw time scored. It was the final four minutes of the third period that ultimately decided this one.

Barnes, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, keyed a 13-2 run with seven consecutive points. That run culminated with back-to-back steals near mid-court he took the distance for lay-ups. Barnes score 10 of his game-high 24 points in the quarter.

Mesa was forced to play catch up the final period, something it rarely had to do in its first 10 games. Mesa pulled within 62-58 with 5:06 to play, but that was while Arce was lighting up the scoreboard.

Arce, who was averaging around seven points a game and had just three points in the first three quarters, scored 14 points in the final period. He tallied the Knights’ first 12 of the quarter and the lead grew to 72-62 with 2:07 left. Mesa fouled frequently the final two minutes trying to make it a one-possession game and hoping missed free throws would help. Westview shrugged that notion off, hitting 16 of 17 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Westview had four of its starters score in double figures led by Barnes, Dom Sesma with 23 ( three 3s in the third period and 6-of-6 free throws in the fourth), Arce and Jakarie Alexander (10). Westview made 12 3s in the game and Mesa connected on nine. Mesa was led in scoring by Goudeau with 22, Khara and Kale Abbott with 13 apiece and David Cummard with 10.

Free throws, late-game execution helps Mesa edge Desert Mountain
January 8, 2015 by arizonavarsity.com

The combination of sounds that filled the gymnasium at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain Thursday night was consistent with the hard-fought battle being waged by two well-respected programs inside the black lines.

The evening was full of whistles, candid remarks from the crowd, fidgety coaches, bodies hitting the floor and careless basketballs drifting to unmarked areas on the hardwood floor. It's greatest crescendo, however, managed to last the entire second half -- a 16-minute, head-to-head stalemate that needed to be decided in the final minute.

Ultimately by someone not something.

Mesa (Ariz.) High senior guard Sumeet Khara sensed the moment with the clock winding down and single-handedly snatched a victory with his two bare hands.

Trailing the Jackrabbits 58-55 with just over 15 seconds to play, Wolves senior guard Grant Fogerty drove the right side of the lane toward the basket before kicking the ball out to sophomore wing Jordan Phelps-Castro, who was open on the left side of the arc for a game-tying three-point attempt.

Unfortunately, Fogerty's pass never arrived to its final destination -- as Khara intercepted the potential connection near the baseline with 10.6 seconds remaining. The senior proceeded to put the game away with four straight free throws, as Mesa hung on for a much-needed road victory, 62-55.

"Last game against Gilbert, we didn't get enough stops and missed some crucial shots, which is why we lost," said Khara, who finished with a team-high 18 points. "I think we did a better job of executing late in this one. We got stops when we needed to and made free throws.

"A win like this gives us a big boost. We needed a win right here on the road, because we have three tough games coming up against Chaparral, Pinnacle and Brophy. This was big for us."

Thursday's triumph pushed the Jackrabbits to a pristine 15-2 but more than anything it put Shane Burcar's squad back in the right frame of mind after Tuesday's tough home defeat to the Gilbert (Ariz.) Tigers.

"Desert Mountain is a tough place to play," said Burcar. "We knew coming in that this is one of the hardest places to win in the state. That was our big concern. We knew we had to get over Tuesday night. It was a tough loss, but we had to move on.

"Our performance was good, but we still have to work on our execution."

While Mesa turned it over 16 times on the night, it also managed to turn Desert Mountain over on 18 occasions -- including three late in the third quarter which led to seven straight points and a huge shift in momentum.

"We took a timeout after going down 44-40 [in the third quarter]," said Burcar. "But then I think we came out and finished the quarter on a 7-0 run. It wasn't anything we said or did. Our guys just responded, didn't turn the ball over and made plays."

In the win, Drew Hatch had 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Kale Abbott knocked down three of six attempts from beyond the three-point arc, and Andres Gurrola added seven assists and two big free throws with 2:45 to play.

On the flip side, the Wolves spoiled a great performance from junior forward Adam Rees, who had a game-high 19 points but failed to score in the final period. Fogerty also pitched in with 15 points and three assists, though his night was marred by Khara's last-minute steal.

Gilbert stops Mesa High in overtime
January 6, 2015 by Les Willsey, AIA365

Gilbert boys basketball coach Jay Caserio thought he saw daylight Tuesday night in his team's struggle to protect leads and win a few more close games. A seven-point lead with 2:55 to play in regulation was Caserio's reason for optimism.

Well, that lead vanished as time ran out in regulation, but his Tigers executed enough in overtime to pull out a 62-56 victory over Mesa High in a Division I game at Jackrabbit Gym.

"We've come close a few times closing games out and I thought we might be over the hump up eight," Caserio said of a 48-40 edge with 4:29 to play. "We did better tonight. We won. We're not quite there yet, but we made progress."

Gilbert (9-5, 5-1 power-ranking games) got clutch scoring in the fourth period and overtime from Chris Bowling and reserve Byron Hurd. They also got a handful of rebounds from 6-8 senior post Truman Moore (10 points), who twice got the ball back for his team in overtime after teammates missed the front end of one-and-ones. Bowling finished with a game-high 20 points -- 16 in the second half. Hurd scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, including two 3s that left with with three treys for the game.

Bowling, a 6-foot-7 junior, made the biggest shot of the night, swishing a 3 with 39 seconds left in overtime to put Gilbert ahead to stay, 55-53. Mesa had taken its final lead of the night at 53-52 on Drew Hatch's third trey of game with 1:58 left. Mesa (14-2, 7-1 prg) had a chance to extend its lead to three with 1:04 left in OT, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. It wasn't until Bowling sank two free throws and Moore one in the final 10 seconds that Gilbert was home free.

"Chris made some big shots and we rebounded well," Caserio said. "We needed to. We had a size advantage, and looked to take advantage of that."

Gilbert did just that as they fed Moore in the post for seven first-quarter points and nine overall in the first half. Gilbert led at hafltime 27-25, but Mesa managed to rally and lead 40-36 after three periods. That was courtesy of eight points from its big man -- Darius Godeau and 6-of-6 free-throw shooting by the Jackrabbits in the quarter.

Mesa coach Shane Burcar, who saw his team drop its first game of the season on its home floor, was disappointed with his team's execution in overtime. .

"You have to make free throws and get the rebounds when they miss," Burcar said. "We did make some big shots to get back in it, but we had the opportunity to win this one. We got a good shot off at the end of regulation., too. We had chances."

Mesa was led in scoring by David Cummard with 14 points, 12 in the first half. Kale Abbott added 12 and Goudeau chipped in with 10. Mesa made 10 3s in the game -- five in the first half and five in the second half and overtime.

Westview hands Mesa High first loss
December 26, 2014 by Les Willsey, AIA365

Westview’s boys basketball team didn’t flinch at an early nine-point deficit Friday afternoon in its matchup with unbeaten Mesa High. And once they rallied and took the lead late in the third period they didn’t blink when Mesa attempted a comeback.

Sparked by scoring binges from Kendall Barnes in the third period and Daniel Arce in the fourth, Westview dealt Mesa an 84-78 loss in first-round action at the McClintock Holiday Shootout at Doc Zinke Gym.

Westview improved to 6-5 on the season and takes on McClintock in the late quarterfinal Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Mesa, which won its own Jackrabbit Invitational Thanksgiving week, saw its 10-game winning streak end. Mesa plays again Saturday in the loser’s bracket at 11:30 a.m. against Saguaro.

Westview didn’t start strong, falling behind 16-4 in the game’s first four minutes. That was due to fast starts by Mesa guard Sumeet Khara and Darius Goodeau, who combined for 17 of the Jackrabbits’ 20 first-period points. Khara sank three 3s to ignite a 13-4 lead.

But Westview gradually rallied cutting the lead to 20-19 at quarter’s end. The Knights managed to lead at halftime, 33-32, as all seven players who saw time scored. It was the final four minutes of the third period that ultimately decided this one.

Barnes, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, keyed a 13-2 run with seven consecutive points. That run culminated with back-to-back steals near mid-court he took the distance for lay-ups. Barnes score 10 of his game-high 24 points in the quarter.

Mesa was forced to play catch up the final period, something it rarely had to do in its first 10 games. Mesa pulled within 62-58 with 5:06 to play, but that was while Arce was lighting up the scoreboard.

Arce, who was averaging around seven points a game and had just three points in the first three quarters, scored 14 points in the final period. He tallied the Knights’ first 12 of the quarter and the lead grew to 72-62 with 2:07 left. Mesa fouled frequently the final two minutes trying to make it a one-possession game and hoping missed free throws would help. Westview shrugged that notion off, hitting 16 of 17 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Westview had four of its starters score in double figures led by Barnes, Dom Sesma with 23 ( three 3s in the third period and 6-of-6 free throws in the fourth), Arce and Jakarie Alexander (10). Westview made 12 3s in the game and Mesa connected on nine. Mesa was led in scoring by Goudeau with 22, Khara and Kale Abbott with 13 apiece and David Cummard with 10.

 

   
   
    2014-15 JUNIOR VARSITY    
       
    2014-15 FRESHMEN    
       
    MESA JACKRABBIT COACHING STAFF    
       


Coach Stansberry - Coach Owens - Coach Hatch - Coach Hobbs - Coach Huff
(Not pictured Coach Urban)

HEAD COACH
Shane Burcar
 

       
               
               
               
               
   

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2014-15 GAME GALLERIES

Photos courtesy of Marc Washburn
 

   
    MESA - CAMELBACK
December 02, 2014
   
   
   
   
MESA - CARL HAYDEN
December 05, 2014
       
   
   
   
    MESA - DYSART
December 09, 2014
   
   
   
   
MESA - CENTENNIAL
December 11, 2014
   
   
   
MESA - HIGHLAND
December 12, 2014
   
   
   
MESA - WESTVIEW
MCCLINTOCK HOLIDAY SHOOTOUT
December 26, 2014
   
   
   
MESA - BROPHY
MCCLINTOCK HOLIDAY SHOOTOUT
December 30, 2014
   
   
   
MESA - GILBERT
January 06, 2015
   
   
   
MESA - DOBSON
January 16, 2015
   
   
   
   
MESA - BROPHY
January 20, 2015
   
   
MESA - CHAPARRAL
January 22, 2015
   
   
MESA - NORTH CANYON
January 27, 2015
   
   
MESA - MOUNTAIN VIEW
February 04, 2015
   
   
MESA - HORIZON - SENIOR NIGHT
February 06, 2015
   
   
MESA SUPER SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS
February  2015
   
   
   
   
STATE TOURNAMENT
February  2015