Education/Sports

A surge in COVID-19 and the Omicron variant threw Hopi High School’s academics and athletics into havoc and forced online learning during much of the third quarter of this school year.

The Chinle Lady Wildcats played hard against the Alchesay Falcons Feb. 26 during the AIA 3A state Championship game.

The team beat Fort Thomas 64-43 in the title game.

Tuba City wrestlers Rias and Hunter Merino took first and second place respectively at the 1A Sectionals Feb. 17 and now advance to the state meet.

Although the team ultimately fell to Bourgade Catholic in the 3A State second round, the Lady Scouts proved they were a team to be reckoned with after a convincing 66-11 first round victory over Camp Verde.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Nez were on hand to congratulate the team.

When the Gallup High boys basketball team scores more than 60 points in a game, the Bengals usually win.

Roughly 300 miles north of Phoenix, tucked behind the majestic Canyon De Chelly, sits Chinle in the heart of the Navajo Nation. A lone central two-lane highway leads in and out of the town.

Winslow Coach Art Griffith was named the 2021-2022 Baseball Coach of the Year presented by the NFHS.

The Window Rock Lady Scouts beat the Valley Sanders Lady Pirates 52-44 Dec. 13 in a non-conference basketball game.

The Window Rock Scouts survived a tough Rehoboth Christian School team Dec. 11, getting past the Lynx 42-41 in a non-conference boys basketball game.

On Dec. 9, Klay Tohsonii, 6, of Hatch, Utah won the 2021 Six and Under Stetson Country Christmas World Dummy Roping Champion and the 2021 Six and Under Rope Smart World Champion.

Hopi High School sports has returned this year after athletics were canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tuba City Elementary Schools 5th grader, Layla Curtis is the 2021 girls 4th-6th grade champion in the 2021 Arizona Youth Cross Country Championships.

The Hopi High Lady Bruins jumped into the 2021-2022 season with a third place win in the Route 66 Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament in Williams, Arizona, Dec. 2-4.

Three Native American football players from northern Arizona participated in the 2021 Indigenous Bowl Dec. 5.

The Miyamura Patriots threw everything they had at Window Rock in a Nov. 27 boys basketball intra-state game that went down to the wire on a 52-51 Miyamura loss.

Xander Mitchell and Tryrin Mann have been selected to play in the 2021 Indigenous Bowl hosted by the Minnesota Vikings in Menneapolis, Minnesota Dec. 5.

Winslow Jr. High seventh grade volleyball played Payson Nov. 13.

Winslow Cross Country runners Leon Barton (left)) and Payton Nicholas (right) qualify for state meet held Nov. 13.

Wrestling teams hit the mat for its first week of practice.

Ganado High School won both the boys and girls cross country races at the 2A North Regional meet Oct. 27 at Hopi High School.

The Window Rock Fighting Scouts came away with a 28-22 win over Tuba City in an overtime conference game that saw numerous momentum swings right down to the end.

Senior Night was celebrated Oct. 15 during the varsity football game where the Mogollon Mustangs played the Joseph City Wildcats.

Dave Conatser Cross Country meet.