WHITERIVER – The population of Whiteriver, part of the Fort Apache Tribe in eastern Arizona, equals roughly half of what an average regular-season game of Phoenix Mercury drew last season.

But those 4,300 people in the community share a passion for basketball that is every bit as intense as the Mercury’s “X-Factor” following.

Basketball is revered on all of Arizona’s tribal lands, and the Alchesay Falcons are benefitting from that enthusiasm at Chief Alchesay Activity Center in Whiteriver, where nearly 3,400 typically pack into the building for nearly every home game to support the boys and girls teams.

However, that level of excitement and support also comes with high expectations.

“It’s exciting for them, but it’s really difficult because this town puts a lot of pressure on these athletes because they are expected to do so much,” said Alchesay varsity girls basketball coach Rick Sanchez.

Victories have been sparse for the boys this season, and the girls are just a few games above .500, but the Falcons have been competitive, dropping most games by single-digit margins.

Basketball is part of the community – one can’t walk down a street without seeing a few homemade, store-bought or park hoops. Most are showing their age with some no longer having a net, but that doesn’t stop the kids from picking up a ball to play a few games.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar even came to town in the late 1990s and spent a season as an assistant coach on the team that featured now-varsity boys head coach Kyle Goklish. He had come to the reservation to work on a book about the Buffalo Soldiers, Black U.S. troops who fought from the Civil War through World War II, and quickly learned about the community’s love of basketball.

Goklish has brought structure to the program, according to athletic director Chris Johnson. The team has come together under Goklish, and the seniors have stepped up as leaders, including senior center Homer Fall, who also serves as the student body president.

Fall has felt that pressure to succeed that comes with playing basketball on the reservation.

“The crowds here are really big. So, yeah, I feel pressure,” they said. “But it’s good pressure because it pushes me to try harder. I just tell myself, ‘Don’t listen to the crowd. They are just here to watch,’ and to focus on the team and what we can do to win.”

When game time came around Friday, the community and team were ready for the action. Crowds arrive early, and those who skip the lower-level games might not find a seat. Beginning with the junior varsity girls, junior varsity boys and girls varsity games, the stadium started reaching capacity and was full by the time the boys varsity team took the court.

The Alchesay teams hosted the Ganado Hornets, a team from the Navajo Nation. The boys varsity team needed a win to jump to fourth place in the rankings for the Arizona Open Championship and to end Senior Night on a positive note.

The Falcons walked away with a 62-54 victory in their previous meeting, but Ganado entered the matchup on a four-game winning streak, including a big upset of the Page Sand Devils, who were ranked second in the 3A North Region.

The Falcons started strong and fast. Brent Aday was able to drive down the court multiple times in the opening minutes for an early lead, and Homer Fall followed with two of their own.

The Falcons held a 10-point lead at halftime, much to the approval of the fans.

“I’ll put my energy in there. Use it. Let’s go out there and get it,” Goklish said at halftime, while emphasizing the need to play for each other.

However, the Hornets had other plans, taking over in the third quarter and scoring 29 points while the Falcons kept up, resulting in a tied score of 55-55 going into the final quarter of play.

Ganado eventually took the lead, but big defensive plays by Aday and junior guard Texas James, along with costly penalties by the Hornets, allowed the Falcons to keep it close.

Falcons senior guard Ty Gushoney was called for a charging foul on a basket that would have put Alchesay ahead, but the Falcons ultimately fell, 73-71.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t want to work hard is what it came down to,” Goklish told his team in the locker room after the game, quoting Kevin Durant.

He also thanked the seniors for their hard work and commitment to the program, but the sentiment of his speech was that they were not done yet. They still have the regional tournament to play, and the top two teams from the region advance to the state playoffs.

It was somewhat poetic that it snowed that night creating a beautiful scene the next morning. A clean start, with hope in the distance.