. I grew up watching my dad play in tournaments and watched the competitive nature he had in him, said Cooper. Basketball or Nothing is a series that follows the Wildcat team and the journey to the state championships. With him, anything is possible to me, and therefore I go about knowing I can be and do anything. It (the film) opened up a lot for Chinle as far as what its like to be there, he said, other people wanted to see and, like I said, not just locally but across the world. I make sure to stay true to myself always and not be who I know Im not. Sports is not just about the game itself, but it is more than that. Rez Ball Rebirth in Chinle: Navajo Nation Rebounds After Pandemic Takes Toll Basketball helps the Tribe come back to normal, but Covid-19 still casts a long shadow. Instead, it stripped over 90 million acres of tribal land from Native Americans. He became a starter about a third into the regular season and he was the second leading scorer on the team with about 10 points per game., After his freshman year, he led the team in scoring with 18.6 ppg, 20.6 ppg and 21.7 as well in rebounding through his high school career at Chinle HS, said Coach Raul. Theres a lot of hardships out here on the Navajo Nation thats not seen up in the cities, he said. Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. They were back this past season to focus on the team journey through their senior stars and families and with Head Coach Raul Mendoza. My mom was a coach. And Coopers dreams of playing like his idols arent too far off, from the way he is playing. Cooper Burbank does have an Instagram account under@cooperburbank but its private. Lewis and Burbank are a winning combination that has led the Wildcats to victory. Its a special place with a special group of people and I hope that people fell in love with some of the characters there because when you meet a kid like Josiah Tsosie or Chance Harvey or Cooper Burbank away from the camera, Howley said, I personally find them just so easy to root for and cheer for and that was our goal, to present them in that way so that you can see Josiah Tsosie and say, I hope he makes it, and he ends up going away to college. Each year, NCSA educates over 4 million athletes and their parents about the recruiting process through resources on its website, presentations of the critically-acclaimed seminar College Recruiting Simplified, and with Athletes Wanted, the book written by NCSA founder Chris Krause. I had him play with junior varsity during our summer program. Cooper Burbank was a sophomore at Chinle high school while they were filming Basketball Or Nothing and is now a junior. What Happens When a College Town Loses Its College? Howley pitched his idea for the documentary to the three men and they agreed. After graduating in 2020, he joined the Navajo Times as a sportswriter for two years before leaving in September 2022. In 2017, I became a volunteer assistant for the boys basketball program. Partly as some of the Wildcats graduated from Chinle High School and also because new recruits have come through. This year there were four nominees for best sports documentary. I couldnt ask for more time being spent with my grandmother. 52 0 obj <>stream The Falcons advance with a 64-37 win. I find myself watching old game film as if Im still in the season. The series follows coach Raul Mendoza as he tries to take the Chinle Wildcats a basketball team from the Navajo Nation to the championships and beyond. Basketball - Girl's Shadow Ridge Paradise Valley Mountain Ridge Greenway and 4 more Details November 21, 2022 - November 25, 2022 2nd Annual Feast Mode Thanksgiving Tournament Hosted by Horizon High School Horizon High School Basketball - Girl's Liberty Horizon Notre Dame Prep Arcadia and 2 more All members invited Details As I grew up and was about to go into high school, my mom and I would attend games at the school I was likely to be attending. So if they didnt do that, we wouldnt have had a show.. Cooper is never selfish, and he always has the team involved. Quiet, yet focused, the coach stared at the court as his players warmed up. Holbrooks Abigayle Nez exchanged 3-pointers with Jenieth Sanchez and Brandy Edwards, but Alchesay kept up its scoring and built on its lead. This is the place where Buu Nygren chose to celebrate his victory: The "Wildcat Den," a first-rate gymnasium on the campus of the Navajo Nation's Chinle High School, for a community college men's basketball clash between Eastern Arizona College and the College of Southern Nevada. His dedication to the game is impeccable.. Its easy for us, because we as native people are very resilient and have overcome enormous traumas in the past, he said. In his sophomore year, he was selected as the offensive player of the year in our region, junior and senior he was selected as player of the year in the 3A North Region in the state of Arizona. Time is gonna heal us, Chinle womens basketball coach Francine McCurtain said. There, I watched a player named Aaron Husen. Normally he would be up actively communicating with them. Johnson said theyll have a lot of returning players next year, but they will need to work hard to get back to the final four and the championships. He was alsonamed to the 3A all state first team in the past three years., In the 40 years of my coaching career, I will always consider myself very fortunate to have the opportunity of coaching Cooper, said Coach Raul. fT[a:l\]\ AcVwNV|[YNw8Ho;}FxlE;@ Being at home feels great for me, because Im finally back at my original home. That builds resilience.. vs. Bluefield University. It sat idle from March 2020 to Nov. 18 while the city was on . Choice Broadband Tournament Chinle High School Hosted by Chinle Invitational. The film was chosen as the best sports documentary at the 11th Annual Realscreen Awards ceremony. He studied journalism and English for five years while working part-time for NAUs NAZ Today and the Lumberjack newspaper. 'Basketball or Nothing' wins sports documentary of the year Navajo groups get new 'Liberated Paths' grants Next Police Blotter: Hopi officer shot during traffic stop About The Author David Smith. @E?{EwScT|uws'9rWoD9KcO.].K3IPus/ }A endstream endobj 1 0 obj <> endobj 4 0 obj <>stream sits Chinle High School. This point guard may not be as tall as his teammates, but hes an invaluable player and a dual-threat as a track and field star. He is one individual that I never had to worry about in terms of attitude. The non-scripted reality television documentary series airs on Netflix and first premiered on August 2, 2019. He is now playing basketball for Pima Community College. Now that I am, I get to do more things. Using its speed and shooting, Coolidge took a 21-11 first-quarter lead. Being away from the weight room, I felt was a factor lost from this. here for you as soon as you turn 13. In addition to basketball, the documentary also reveals the hardship of the people, the struggles kids on the reservation had to face and how despite those struggles they emerged victorious. GRV Media Ltd, 18 Mulberry Avenue, Widnes. Weve done some digging into Chinles basketball team to find out what theyre up to post-Basketball Or Nothing and what lies ahead for the next season. Its the type of game you want to play as a little kid. Non-native kids will be a lot more readable as far as body language and emotions.. Cooper Burbank, #10, Is the Wildcats Captain Height: 6'1" Sophomore Advertisement 2022-2023 SCHEDULE Tweet Post Sms Email Copy Print Season He took advantage of getting to know the team, the area and other team players. Dont Miss:Malik Henry Wiki,Former ICC Quarterback from Netflixs Last Chance U, Posted by Curtis Begay onFriday, December 28, 2018. File photoA Netflix crewmember gets footage of Chinle basketball coach Raul Mendoza talking to his team during filming of the documentary Basketball or Nothing, in this file photo last year. I want to be the teammate that individuals want to be on the same team with. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association as a. It was different for Mendoza. However, the Bears took back the ball and made last-minute shots to keep Holbrook at bay as halftime rolled in. Lady Wildcat Aisha Ashely made a variety of shots from the free-throw line, inside the paint, and the 3-point line. Its a school, its a hospital, I dont want to say its a church, but a place of healing, Martin said. Thatcher defeated Chinle in the opening round of the 3A State Boys Basketball Championship playoffs 83-64 but fell in the next round to eventual 3A State Champion Valley Christian, 36-79. . Because of the film and production crew who took a chance on this, now many people know how it is on the reservation playing basketball and what it means for Native Americans.. Cooper averaged 23 ppg and 8 rpg. Throw in a global pandemic, and missing her entire junior season, and many would expect her to struggle. We apologize for this inconvenience and invite you to return as soon as you turn 13. This is a story that director and producer Matthew Howley wanted to share when he first heard about the Navajo Nation when he read a New York Times article about rezball, and the community that surrounded it. The show has made stars of sophomore Cooper Burbank, graduate Josiah Tsosie and head coach Raul Mendoza. Being at an apartment for school, has be aching to go home. profile and get matched with the right choices. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. by Gabrielle Ducharme, The Daily Yonder December 28, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. He mentioned that Coop was very coachable and that he was willing to put in the hard work, added Joni. David Smith is Tdchinii and born for Dzitaad. Cooper has always put school first in everything he does. It faces Highway 191, and during the throes of the pandemic, it was a window into the state of his city. The Chinle Girls are the #8 seed and get a first round bye. They are warriors because their normal lives would be challenging to others. NCSA College Recruiting (NCSA) is the nations leading collegiate recruiting source for more than 500,000 student-athletes and 42,000 college coaches. The Wildcat Den at Chinle High School is arguably the largest one in town, the 7,500-seat arena that is home to Chinle basketball. The pandemic was hard on the community. Getting back to the season is how we move forward. Brandon Napier drives during Thursday night's 3A Boys Basketball State Playoffs opening-round win 83-64 over the No. All these people that say, Yes, youre allowed to come and tell these stories, theyre the stars of this show, he said. Chinle High School is a public high school (grades 9 to 12) in Chinle, an unincorporated area of Apache County, Arizona, United States. The Holbrook Roadrunners was the only boys team from Navajo that made it to the semis, and it played its hardest against the Coolidge Bears. Navajo traditions preach living in a Matriarchal society, where family lineage is passed down through the mother, rather than the father. Rezball 33m Used to playing a looser style called "rezball," Chinle players try to adjust to coach Raul Mendoza's more structured system as the season approaches. She understands the magnitude of rez balls return, of the Wildcat Den reopening, and prays her athletes do, too. JV Var. When I first heard the news, it was really crazy, Burbank said. They rely heavily on a small lineup dominated by guard play. In January 1805, Spanish troops attacked the Navajo Nation at the Battle of Canyon De Chelly to retaliate against the Navajo for their defense attacks against a Spanish military post. Varsity Basketball . As the Wildcats won the 3A North regionaltitle, they had their sights set on higher goals. Yet during quarantine, the senior captain trained in the desert and spoiler alert dominated in her first game back. If you're receiving this message in error, please call us at 886-495-5172.