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				<title><![CDATA[Arizona High School Sports - SportZine Magazine - Articles]]></title>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Baseball&#39;s &#39;Chosen One&#39; wants to skip high school for MLB]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/141/1/Baseballs-Chosen-One-wants-to-skip-high-school-for-MLB/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160;&#160;Bryce Harper, a 16-year old aspiring professional baseball player, has set his sights on getting to the big leagues as soon as possible - by skipping his last two years of high school and inking a pro contract.&#160; He obviously wants to upgrade his locker selection next year.&#160;&#160;&#160; Harper was referred to recently in a Sports Illustrated issue as &#34;the Chosen One&#34; for his phenomenal skills on the field.&#160; He was actually featured on the cover of the June 9 issue of SI and compared to LeBron James of the NBA Cavaliers, who went right from high school to the pro game.&#160;&#160; While playing for Las Vegas High School last year, the 6'3&#34; catcher had a .626 batting average, hit 14 home runs, and added 55 RBIs.&#160; And, oh yeah... he also burned up the base paths, stealing 36 bags.&#160;&#160;&#160; He has signed a letter of intent to play for the College of Southern Nevada, but would prefer to embark on his new game plan: take a high school equivalency test and throw his name into the 2010 or 2011 draft.&#160; MLB rules would allow it since a player becomes eligible to enter the draft at age 16, as long as he has completed his high school studies.]]></description>
					  <author>art.preuss@preppublications.com (Grant Landrice)</author>
					  <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[High school summer champions crowned at Skyline HS]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/140/1/High-school-summer-champions-crowned-at-Skyline-HS/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[

&#160;&#160;&#160; The first annual ABCA Summer State Basketball Championship crowned winners in three divisions this week, as the new summer event made its Arizona debut.&#160;&#160;&#160; Scottsdale Christian Academy became the first boys varsity summer champs with a 43-39 win over Skyline High School.&#160; SCA players were given gold medals and a commemorative t-shirt and silver medals and t-shirts went to the runners-up.&#160;&#160;&#160; Both teams recorded tight wins in the semis, enroute to the championship game.&#160; Scottsdale Christian defeated Flagstaff HS, 59-57, and Skyline squeeked past Williams Field HS, 45-44.&#160;&#160;&#160; The Arizona Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA) teamed with the Grand Canyon State Games to come up with this new event.&#160; Teams qualified through their play in any of 33 different summer tournaments, summer leagues, or team camps around the state.&#160; The single-elimination tournaments were held at Skyline High School and Maricopa high school, with Skyline hosting the championship game.
&#160;&#160;&#160; In the freshman boys competition, Williams Field HS beat Cactus Shadows HS&#160;in the semis and then went on to down Desert Mountain HS, 59,43, in the finals.&#160; In the girls JV division, Highland High School (in photo above) beat Seton Catholic HS in the semis and then &#160;went home with this year's crown via a lopsided 36-4 win over Maryvale HS in the championship game.]]></description>
					  <author>info@sportzinemagazine.com (Dustin P.)</author>
					  <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
					 <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/140/1/High-school-summer-champions-crowned-at-Skyline-HS/Page1.html</guid>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Determination is often key to athletic achievement]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/137/1/Determination-is-often-key-to-athletic-achievement/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160;&#160; Persistence is one of the most important life skills, whether on the athletic field or off.&#160; Quinton Watson learned that early.&#160;&#160;&#160; Watson is the most recent Play It Smart National Student-Athlete of the Month selected by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF).&#160; He's an honor roll student and three-sport star in football, basketball, and track.&#160;&#160;&#160; But it took overcoming a serious setback for Watson, who just finished his&#160;junior year at Huguenot High School&#160;in Richmond, Va., to get where he is today.&#160; And he wants other high school athletes to learn from his experiences.&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; As a freshman, Watson had better than a 3.0 grade average,&#160; was an honorable mention athlete, and a budding football star for Huguenot.&#160;&#160;Then he broke his left femur in his sophomore year and was sidelined from sports.&#160;&#160; &#34;When I broke my leg, I was really upset, and completely shut down.&#160; I didn't know how to deal with the injuries,&#34; he says now.&#160;&#160;&#160; Watson says&#160;Play It Smart, an eductional program developed by NFF and targeted at high school football players from economincally disadvantaged environmens,&#160;helped him realize that things don't always work out with sports, and it's important to have a back-up plan.&#160; So he began working with his academic coach (provided by Play It Smart)&#160;and teachers to improve his time management and study skills, which enabled him to renew his focus and raise his GPA back to a 3.4 this past year.&#160; He also got back on the football field and racked up three touchdowns and 230 yards.&#160; (continued&#160;next page...)]]></description>
					  <author>editor@sportzinemagazine.com (Staff Writer)</author>
					  <pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Junior Sunbelt squad finishes 3rd in Oklahoma]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/136/1/Junior-Sunbelt-squad-finishes-3rd-in-Oklahoma/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160;&#160; The Arizona Junior Sunbelt Team has returned from its title defense at the 13th annual Junior Sunbelt Classic in McAlester, Okla., with some success - but not the repeat championship it was looking for. Last year&#8217;s Junior Sunbelt team was the first Arizona team since the state joined&#160;the tournament in 1997&#160;to win the event.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Team Arizona, which included players from 13 different high schools, finished third after defeating Team Tennessee, 9-7, in the prestigious10-team event that included teams from Oklahoma, Tennessee, Canada, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Missouri, and Ohio.&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160; This year&#8217;s title went to Team Georgia, which scored 12 runs in the second inning of the championship game against Team Texas, and then went on to a 21-2 route in just five innings of play.&#160; The final was played at Eastern Oklahoma State College.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160; In addition to Mountain Ridge pitcher, Cody Gray, pictured here (photo by Porky Falcon, McAlester News-Capital) the Arizona roster included: Josh Alexander, p/of, Mountain Pointe HS; Austin Arias, c, Centennial HS; Jaycob Brugman, p/of, Desert Vista HS; Kasey Coffman, 1B/3B, Brophy Prep; Jake Cole, p/1B, Sahuaro HS; Joey Danner, p/1B, Horizon HS; Zach Davies, p/If, Mesquite HS; Taylor Erwin, p/1B, Willow Canyon HS; Dillen Everett, If, Horizon HS; Travis Flores, p/3B, Desert Ridge; Rocky High, p/of, Mesquite HS; Jacob Hunter, p/If, Salpointe HS; Tyler Kamtz, p/of, Gilbert HS; Taylor Lindsey, If/of, Desert Mountain HS; James McDonald, If, Chaparral HS; Jake Peevyhouse, p/of, Pinnacle HS; D.J. Peterson, If, Gilbert HS; Greg Ryan, p/of, Corona del Sol HS; Jose Sierra, c, Tolleson HS.]]></description>
					  <author>editor@sportzinemagazine.com (Staff Writer)</author>
					  <pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[High school basketball looking for summer champ]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/135/1/High-school-basketball-looking-for-summer-champ/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160;&#160; The playoff games to determine first-ever Arizona high school summer champions in several divisions will begin Monday (29th)&#160;in gyms at Skyline High School and Maricopa High School.&#160;&#160;&#160; This year, the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association teamed with the Grand Canyon State Games to create this summer championship program.&#160; State champs will be crowned in freshman, JV, and varsity divisions, with the boys playing at Skyline and the girls at Maricopa.&#160;&#160;&#160; Teams have qualified for tournament play through their participation in any of 33 different summer leagues, summer tournaments, or team camps throughout the state.&#160; Winners will be crowned July 2 after advancing through a single-elimination tournament.&#160; The &#34;Indiana Old-school&#34; style of tournament (think the movie, &#34;Hoosiers&#34;)&#160;was picked because organizers felt it allowed teams from any high school division to advance to the title.&#160;&#160;&#160; If you plan to attend as a spectator, bring a little cash with you; there is a $5 daily gate fee.]]></description>
					  <author>valerie.preuss@gmail.com (Hoops Derda)</author>
					  <pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Football is back, as All Star games kick off]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/134/1/Football-is-back-as-All-Star-games-kick-off/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Contrary to logical assumptions, football doesn't die out in the heat of an Arizona summer.&#160; The Arizona Football Coaches Association All Star games will be played this weekend at Surprise Stadium.&#160; Two teams from&#160;a combined&#160;2A-3A division&#160;will take the field Friday&#160;night at 7 pm, and the 4A-5A squads play&#160;Saturday night at the same time.&#160;&#160;&#160; Fans of high school football will get a chance to see some of the state's best&#160;offensive running back and quarterbacks&#160;on the same field, including&#160;Centennial High School's&#160;talented tailback John Hughes,&#160;who&#160;was instrumental in the school winning this year's 5A-II title; halfback Shad Bride of St. Johns High&#160;School; and quarterback&#160;Matt Inman&#160;from Yuma Catholic&#160;High School.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Bride racked up 105 touchdowns during his career, a state record, while Inman set his own career passing and scoring records this year. ]]></description>
					  <author>editor@sportzinemagazine.com (Staff Writer)</author>
					  <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Hard to believe a 1-2 pitching punch like this!]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/133/1/Hard-to-believe-a-1-2-pitching-punch-like-this/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160; Imagine being able to build a softball team around two pitchers that are arguably the best in the state - and one hits home runs for you in her spare time!&#160;&#160;&#160; That was&#160;the case when Hayley Temple and Kenzie Fowler played on the same&#160;club team.&#160; And now, in their final year of high school ball, each earn the coveted 'Player of the Year' honor at&#160;different schools.&#160;&#160;Fowler was named the Arizona Republic's Big Schools Player of the Year for&#160;an outstanding senior year at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, and Temple snagged the Small Schools Player of the Year playing her last year&#160;at Valley Christian High School.&#160;&#160;&#160; Fowler, who has decided she will play for the University of Arizona, had an unbelievable 0.048 ERA, which means she allowed just one earned run the whole season!&#160; Temple, who signed with Wichita State, notched three no-hitters as she compiled a O.60 ERA - and also contributed to the offense with five home runs and a .624 batting average!&#160;&#160;&#160; Joining Fowler on the All-Arizona team is&#160;the&#160;complete battery from Basha High School: Sam Parlich, pitcher, and Desiree Meija, catcher.&#160; Also: Dallas Escobedo, pitcher, St. Mary's HS; Katie Asher, infield, Canyon del Oro HS; Brigette DelPonte, infield, Sunrise Mtn HS; Sierra Rodriguez, infield, Basha HS; Kelsey Rodriguez, infield, Seton Catholic HS; Mel Aphayrath, outfield, Xavier Prep; Lisa Tarnowski, outfield, Mountain View HS; Kayla Ensminger, outfield, Red Mtn HS; MacKenzie Popescue, DP, Chaparral; Jamie LaBovick, UT, Sunrise Mtn HS.&#160;&#160;&#160; First-team and Second-team selections... (continued next page)]]></description>
					  <author>art.preuss@preppublications.com (Grant Landrice)</author>
					  <pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Free physicals for athletes who will play JUCO]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/139/1/Free-physicals-for-athletes-who-will-play-JUCO/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; This year, the Team of Physicians for Students (T.O.P.S.) program gave free physicals to 2,328 Arizona high school athletes from 68 different schools.&#160; And on July 18 the free physicals will be offered for junior college athletes at Midwestern University in Glendale.&#160;&#160;&#160; Program representatives estimate that each physical would cost about $1,000 if administered by private physicians.&#160; This is the 44th year for the program and this year there were about 250 medical students and a similar number of physicians participating.&#160; All volunteered their time, as did the cardiologists from the Arizona Heart Institute who read the ECGs.&#160; 
&#160;&#160;&#160; What&#8217;s important to note is that roughly 25%of all those tested showed abnormal electrical activity in the heart!&#160; More than 100 athletes tested had high blood pressure&#8230; and almost 600 had abnormal electrical heart activity.&#160; The program is even credited with saving at least one athlete&#8217;s life when, several years ago, the physicals uncovered a life-threatening genetic disorder in one participant!
&#160;&#160;&#160; Each year the TOPS program gains in popularity and attendance.&#160; This year, many students stood in lines for five hours to receive the free physicals.
&#160;&#160;&#160; For more information about the program: www.aztops.org or 602-336-7840.]]></description>
					  <author>editor@sportzinemagazine.com (Staff Writer)</author>
					  <pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Desert Ridge gets lion&#39;s share of All-Arizona picks]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/132/1/Desert-Ridge-gets-lions-share-of-All-Arizona-picks/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160;&#160; Desert Ridge HS not only won the 5A-II state baseball title this year, but the was the only team to place more than one player on the All-Arizona Team.&#160; The Big Schools Player of the Year Jake Barrett, Desert Ridge's senior pitching sensation, joined with teammate, Alex Villar, a senior outfielder who hit .505 in his final season, on this year's All-Arizona roster.&#160;&#160;&#160; Barrett had 96 strike-outs this season - but also contributed big-time at the plate, with a .510 batting average and 20 home runs (highest in the state).&#160; And add to that 66 RBIs in 104 trips to the plate!&#160;&#160;&#160; It was a different story in the 'small school' division, where Jay Baumgardner, the Small Schools Player of the&#160;Year, was the only representative of Scottsdale Christian Academy&#160;on either the first or second team All-State rosters.&#160;&#160;The outfielder&#160;racked up 11 home runs and 60 RBIs (10 of those in one game).&#160;&#160;&#160; While the All-State teams are made up of the best players from each conference, the All-Arizona team represents those considered the best, regardless of the conference in which they play.&#160; Sports writers at the Arizona Republic make the selections for both squads.&#160;&#160;&#160; In addition to Barrett and Villar, the All-Arizona roster includes: Joey DeMichele, Arcadia HS,&#160;infield; Mike Felton, Corona del Sol HS, infield; Trey Ford, Chaparral HS, infield; Taylor Lindsey, Desert Mtn HS, infield; Jaycob Brugman, Desert Vista, outfield; Tony Vocca, Mingus HS, outfield; James Pazos, Highland HS, pitcher; Andrew Walter, Cactus HS, pitcher; Tom Joseph, Horizon HS, catcher; Sergio Burruel, Trevor Browne HS, DH; and Jordan Luvisi, Notre Dame Prep, UT.&#160;&#160;&#160; Selections to the All-State teams included... (continued next page)&#160;]]></description>
					  <author>valerie.preuss@gmail.com (MVP Preuss)</author>
					  <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[All-Arizona track and field teams announced]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportzinemagazine.com/articles/126/1/All-Arizona-track-and-field-teams-announced/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[&#160;&#160;&#160; Desert Vista's Spencer Chase and Xavier Prep's Jessica Tonn took top honors as the selections were announced for this year's All-Arizona Track &#38; Field teams.&#160; Chase, who was named boys Track Athlete of the Year,&#160;broke a state record in the 400 meters (46.47) that had stood since 1977 and Tonn, the girls Track Athlete of the Year,&#160;had the fastest times in the state in two events, the 1600m (4:57.67) and the 3200m (10:25.85).&#160; She is ranked second in the state for all-time in both events.&#160;&#160;&#160; Named to the&#160;All-Arizona Girls Track &#38; Field Team: (100m) Serene Williams, Peoria HS, 12.03 sec. and Tamara Pridgett,&#160;Rincon HS (Tucson), 12:12.&#160;&#160;(200m)&#160;Serene Williams, 24.78, and Mackenzie Flannigan, Chandler HS, 24.79.&#160; (400m) Mackenzie Flannigan, 56.36, and Bianca Lewis, Xavier Prep, 56.47.&#160; (800m) Chloe Phillips, Flagstaff HS, 2:11.76, and Jessica Tonn, 2:14.84.&#160; (1600m) Jessica Tonn, 4:57.67, and Jessica Rydberg, Lakeside HS (Blue Ridge), 4:58.34.&#160; (3200m) Jessica Tonn, 10:25.85, and Jessica Rydberg, 10:32.23.&#160; (100 hurdles) Larissa Matthews, Chandler HS, 13.97, and Callie Davis, Gilbert HS, 14.60.&#160;(300 hurdles) Kala Stepter, Canyon del Oro (Tucson), 43.64, and Kathy Fisher, Sahuaro HS (Tucson), 43.84.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;In the field events: (High jump) Rachel Orr, Thatcher HS, 5'8&#34;, and&#160;Samantha Collins,&#160;Westwood HS, 5'8&#34;.&#160; (Long jump) Samantha Collins, 18-8 3/4, and Alexis Clay, Chandler HS, 18-7.&#160; (Triple jump) Jasmine Todd, Chandler HS, 37-11, and Essence Johnson, Amphitheater HS (Tucson), 37-9.&#160; (Pole vault) Shaylah Simpson, Desert Vista HS, 12-9 3/4, and Lacey Palmer, Westwood HS, 12-6.&#160; (Shot&#160;put) Omotayo Talabi, Chandler HS, 42-0 1/2, and Hannah Carson, Chandler HS 40-8.&#160; (Discus) Hannah Carson, 138-1, and Leah Graziano, Deer Valley HS, 134-6.&#160;&#160;&#160; Boys All-Arizona Team... (continued next page)&#160;&#160;&#160; ]]></description>
					  <author>info@sportzinemagazine.com (Dustin P.)</author>
					  <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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