Coyotes fall to Broncos in tight district title battle

link The Floyd Broncos’ Josue Gonzales (21) chases the San Jon

Coyotes’ D.C. Lee, with the ball, during Saturday’s District 4 1A championship game. The Broncos won 67-64.

QCS Managing Editor

The San Jon Coyotes almost pulled a district championship out of a last-minute lead Saturday, but the Floyd Broncos scored during the closing single-digit seconds, edging out a championship at 67-64.

The Broncos held the lead throughout the game until the Coyotes tied it up at 61 with 1:09 left. In the last 30 seconds, San Jon momentarily outscored the visitors from Floyd 64-63. That would turn out to be the Coyotes’ last score of the game, however. The Coyotes scored one more basket from the field, and on two tosses from the free-throw line to take home the trophy.

Broncos coach Steve Foust, however, was quick to praise the Coyotes.

“San Jon has a heck of a team,” Foust said of the Coyotes. “It could have gone either way. It came down to who had the ball last,” he said.

Foust singled out Coyotes Gage Conway and Joey Benevidez as “great players.”

“Both teams are going to do very well in the state playoffs,” he said.

He attributed the Broncos victory to “mental toughness and persevering through the ups and downs.”

“We stayed the course,” he said. “I couldn’t be prouder of these guys.”

Coyotes Coach Jeremy Stoner was not available for comment.