Nogales surprised many, but not themselves last February when the Apaches' boys basketball team pulled off upsets in the 4A-I semifiinals and title game against Raymond Kellis and Saguaro high schools, respectively.

Coach Ricardo De La Riva has Nogales, with several key members of his title team back, playing well again. Nogales brings a 13-3 record overall and 8-0 mark in power-point game record to the Valley on Wednesday night where the Apaches visit Cactus Shadows (6-2 ppg) in a Division II matchup. Nogales was 25-5 last year and 16-2 in power-point games.  Nogales only losses this year are to Saguaro, which it beat in the 4A-I title game last year, Amphi and Cibola HS (Albuquerque, N.M.).

"We have three starters back and they are playing well," De La Riva said. "We last played in a tournament in Clovis New Mexico. We should have won the tournament, but lost because of a mental error in the last 19 seconds agaisnt Cibola, we ended up losing the game in double overtime."

Leading the way for Nogales this season in the scoring department is senior guard Joseph Monreal, who is averaging 18.5 points a game. De La Riva's best all-around player is 6-foot-4 junior forward Brian Cervantes (13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds). Point guard Cesar Soliz (10.5 points) combines to forge a solid scoring trio.

Nogales has not played since the Clovis New Mexico Shootout Dec. 27-29. The Apaches have knocked off Amphitheater -- last year's 4A-II champion in one of two meetings between them this season. Nogales won a power-point game and Amphi won a matchup in the Salpointe Tip-Off Classic. Nogales and Amphi are competing in the newly formed Division II this year.

Speaking of Amphitheater, the Panthers venture to the Valley on Friday taking on Westwind Prep. Amphi outlasted Division I Buena on Saturday night, 74-70, behind a 35-point effort from standout Tim Derksen. Amphi is currently No. 3 in D-II in the power rankings and Westwind Prep is No. 4 in the D-I power-rankings.