Bordow: Travis Flake, Snowflake get redemption in Division III win

Travis Flake placed his right hand over his heart and waited for the national anthem.

The music began and Flake stood still for a moment. But his nervous energy got the best of him. He lifted his left foot four, five times and tapped it against the floor. He grabbed his jersey with his left hand.

Three months ago – almost to the day – Snowflake lost the Division IV state championship football game, falling to River Valley 28-21. Six of the players on that team – including Flake – now had a second chance, a second opportunity to bring a title back to the White Mountains.

"I was so nervous. I felt sick the entire day. I thought I was going to puke," Flake said.

The six – Flake, Porter Black, Kurt Wood, Jake Lyman, Kegan Bjornn and Eldon McCray – had tried not to let the heartbreak of their football season spill into the basketball season. But it was impossible. Snowflake's power-points games started just three days after the football finale. The six had one practice – one – to try to shake the cobwebs out.

"It was difficult," Wood said. "We were watching film recently from the beginning of the year and we were rough. We were so rough."

"It was a really hard transition," added Flake, the nephew of U.S. Senator Jeff Flake. "I would go into games and score one point. It was difficult to concentrate."

By February, their focus had turned squarely to basketball. Until this weekend. Until Snowflake rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat Phoenix Cortez in the quarterfinals. Until it rallied again to beat Tucson Palo Verde in the semifinals. Until Saturday, when the thought of another agonizing loss inevitably crossed the players' mind.

"That's all we've been thinking about," Wood said. "Let's get it done this time. We fell short in football and that was a crappy feeling inside."

That moment, that terrible disappointment, is now a distant memory. The six have their championship. Snowflake beat San Tan Valley Combs, 57-52, to win the Division III state title game at Gila River Arena.

"This is a lot better," Flake said, a wide smile across his face.

You think?

It had been a long time coming for Snowflake, a lot longer than three months. The school's last team title was in 1993. Like many rural schools, Snowflake has found it difficult to compete with private schools that often have greater resources and can attract kids from a larger geographic area. Before Saturday, the last true rural school to win the Class 2A/Division IV boys state title was Superior in 1998.

Coach Andy Wood wasn't thinking about that as he sat on the bench, in tears, as his players waited to accept the championship trophy. For him, it was the joy on his kids' faces and the memory they'll carry with them forever.

"I've got great guys. No superstars, but superstars can go jump in the lake," Andy Wood said. "I'll take a team any day. These guys have all the heart in the world."

As is its nature Snowflake made things difficult for itself. It trailed 16-9 after one quarter and 28-19 at halftime. It couldn't stop Combs' Carter Aby, who would wind up with game highs in points (21) and rebounds (18), and it couldn't make a shot, going 0 for 9 from 3-point range in the first half.

When Combs stretched its lead to 35-21 midway through the third quarter Kurt Wood admitted wondering, 'Is it going to happen again?'

Instead of succumbing, Snowflake attacked. It played at a frenzied pace defensively, its half-court trap forcing 22 Combs turnovers. At times it looked like Snowflake had six players on the floor. Finally, Snowflake went ahead, 46-45, with 3:14 left on a layup by Flake.

The final three minutes had to seem like an eternity to Snowflake and its green-clad fans. It wasn't until guard Tanner Crosby made two free throws with 8.6 seconds left that the victory - and the championship - was secure.

The football season was laid to rest.

"We wanted to give it everything we had," Flake said. "We wanted to make sure we never had that feeling again."

Reach Bordow at scott.bordow@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/sBordow.