Arizona High School Sports - SportZine Magazine

The first annual ABCA Summer State Basketball Championship crowned winners in three divisions this week, as the new summer event made its Arizona debut.

    Scottsdale Christian Academy became the first boys varsity summer champs with a 43-39 win over Skyline High School. SCA players were given gold medals and a commemorative t-shirt and silver medals and t-shirts went to the runners-up.
    Both teams recorded tight wins in the semis, enroute to the championship game. Scottsdale Christian defeated Flagstaff HS, 59-57, and Skyline squeeked past Williams Field HS, 45-44.
    The Arizona Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA) teamed with the Grand Canyon State Games to come up with this new event. Teams qualified through their play in any of 33 different summer tournaments, summer leagues, or team camps around the state. The single-elimination tournaments were held at Skyline High School and Maricopa high school, with Skyline hosting the championship game.

In the freshman boys competition, Williams Field HS beat Cactus Shadows HS in the semis and then went on to down Desert Mountain HS, 59,43, in the finals. In the girls JV division, Highland High School (in photo above) beat Seton Catholic HS in the semis and then went home with this year's crown via a lopsided 36-4 win over Maryvale HS in the championship game.

    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 & Field teams. Chase, who was named boys Track Athlete of the Year, broke a state record in the 400 meters (46.47) that had stood since 1977 and Tonn, the girls Track Athlete of the Year, had the fastest times in the state in two events, the 1600m (4:57.67) and the 3200m (10:25.85). She is ranked second in the state for all-time in both events.
    Named to the All-Arizona Girls Track & Field Team: (100m) Serene Williams, Peoria HS, 12.03 sec. and Tamara Pridgett, Rincon HS (Tucson), 12:12.  (200m) Serene Williams, 24.78, and Mackenzie Flannigan, Chandler HS, 24.79. (400m) Mackenzie Flannigan, 56.36, and Bianca Lewis, Xavier Prep, 56.47. (800m) Chloe Phillips, Flagstaff HS, 2:11.76, and Jessica Tonn, 2:14.84. (1600m) Jessica Tonn, 4:57.67, and Jessica Rydberg, Lakeside HS (Blue Ridge), 4:58.34. (3200m) Jessica Tonn, 10:25.85, and Jessica Rydberg, 10:32.23. (100 hurdles) Larissa Matthews, Chandler HS, 13.97, and Callie Davis, Gilbert HS, 14.60. (300 hurdles) Kala Stepter, Canyon del Oro (Tucson), 43.64, and Kathy Fisher, Sahuaro HS (Tucson), 43.84.
    In the field events: (High jump) Rachel Orr, Thatcher HS, 5'8", and Samantha Collins, Westwood HS, 5'8". (Long jump) Samantha Collins, 18-8 3/4, and Alexis Clay, Chandler HS, 18-7. (Triple jump) Jasmine Todd, Chandler HS, 37-11, and Essence Johnson, Amphitheater HS (Tucson), 37-9. (Pole vault) Shaylah Simpson, Desert Vista HS, 12-9 3/4, and Lacey Palmer, Westwood HS, 12-6. (Shot put) Omotayo Talabi, Chandler HS, 42-0 1/2, and Hannah Carson, Chandler HS 40-8. (Discus) Hannah Carson, 138-1, and Leah Graziano, Deer Valley HS, 134-6.
    Boys All-Arizona Team... (continued next page)

    Corona del Sol HS mercy-ruled defending champion Hamilton HS, 11-1, to take the 5A-I state title, while Desert Ridge HS and Horizon HS stacked up 17 runs before Desert Ridge won out in a 9-8 decision in 5A-II. In 4A play, Canyon del Oro HS (Tucson) downed Cactus HS, 15-5, for the Division I title, and Mingus repeats as the 4A-II state champion with a 7-4 victory over Notre Dame Prep.
    An eight-run outburst in the sixth inning propelled Desert Ridge, while Corona used a four-run rally in the fifth inning to begin its offensive downpour over Hamilton - finishing with 19 hits!  Canyon del Oro was up 10-4 over Cactus by the fourth inning, and Mingus was able to hold down the usually potent bats of Notre Dame, which entered the contest as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation. The Saints didn't help their cause any by giving up four unearned runs to fall a game short of the title for the second year in a row.
    Memorable moments from the title runs...a big-stage performance for Corona's senior pitcher, Tyler Giannonatti, who held Hamilton to two hits, and then contributed at the plate with three hits, a run, and an RBI... Doug Steele and Hayden Cota-Robles chipping in 7 hits for Canyon del Oro, as Steele went 3-for-5 and had six RBIs as the dh and Cota-Robles added four more hits... Travis Flores providing the winning hit to defeat Horizon, with a double in the two-out seventh inning... Greg Ryan's three-run double for Corona del Sol in a two-out rally in the fifth... a blue-collar effort by Mingus' pitcher Tony Vocca, who struck out nine and held Notre Dame in check for five innings before allowing the Saints to score, and then went 2-for-4 at the plate... and a clutch catch by Desert Ridge center fielder Kyle Raidy of a blast off the bat of Horizon's Dylan Scott that could have scored runners on first and second.

High school tennis is one of those sports that has a tendency to showcase power programs year after year. This year's 5A state championships did little to change that image, as Ironwood Ridge HS won its second consecutive boys title in 5A-II, Salpointe Catholic HS earned its third girls title in 5A-I in five years, and 5A-I Brophy Prep returned to the top of the game with its first boys title since 2003 - but its 13th overall state title. And the Salpointe Catholic boys team fell just short of making it to the championships, to try for a sixth consecutive state title.
    The exception this year was Pinnacle HS, when its 5A-II girls team brought home the school's first state title in tennis. The Pioneers took down the 2008 title holder, Horizon HS, with a 5-2 win at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale. The win wasn't wrapped up until Priscilla Annoul and Kaila Knopf combined in the doubles competition to defeat Horizon's Jessica Trink and Brianna Forster, 10-3.
    No. 2-ranked Brophy defeated top-seeded Corona del Sol HS, 5-4, for its title; Ironwood Ridge defended its crown against No. 2 Horizon HS, winning handily 5-1; and Salpointe Catholic HS took down Corona del Sol HS, 5-1, for its girls title.
    Other key match-ups on the day:
    Brophy's Ben Burdick def. Corona del Sol's David Choi, 7-6, 6-3, in No. 6 Singles... Brophy's doubles win at No. 3, when Michael O'Connor and Travis Robinson def. David Choi and Daniel Larsson, 10-6... A 3 hour, 45-minute singels match that was won by Salpointe's Lillian Bour over Corona del Sol's Michelle Wellnitz, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4... a final-match victory for Ironwood Ridge's Dylan Vo, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, over Horizon's Adam Waltz to clinch the title...an opening round battle-of-the-best, as Horizon boys No. 1 player, Nicholas Montoya, defeated Ironwood Ridge's No. 1, Timothy Holton, 6-2, 6-2... Corona del Sol's girls' hopes were buoyed early on by a victory by its No. 1 ranked Kelsey Lawson, who defeated Salpointe's Maggie McGeorge, 6-4, 6-4... Salpointe's No. 2 player, Christine Mourdant defeated Danielle Hoyme, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 and No. 3 ranked Courtney Amos had little trouble defeating Libby Vogt, 6-0, 6-2... In addition to Annoul and Knopf's doubles win for Pinnacle, Annoul also beat Kendra Ross, 6-1, 6-0, in No. 1 singles, and Knopf defeated Trink, 6-2, 6-0, in No. 2 singles... and a couple of bright spots for the Horizon girls were victories by Taylor Kessler over Pinnacle's Corina Yeh, 7-5, 7-6, (7-3) and Carrie Plungis' win over Emily Barkenbush, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

    Kate Murphy of Notre Dame Prep HS and Daniel Boice from Desert Christian HS will each receive a $5,000 scholarship for their selection as the Qwest Leadership Challenge winners.
    The program, sponsored by Qwest Communications and the Phoenix Suns, awards the scholarships annually to a male and female varsity basketball player. The selection is based on the student's exemplary services, leadership, and commitment to the communities.
    Each student-athlete

was required to submit an essay and complete 30 volunteer hours of combined community service to a non-profit or school-related cause.
    Murphy and Boice were recognized in a ceremony prior to the April 1 game between the Suns and the Houston Rockets at US Airways Center. They also got to meet Suns guard, Leandro Barbosa, following the game. The winners are shown at the game with Jim Campbell, Qwest President for Arizona.
    But perhaps the biggest thrill on the evening for Murphy was seeing her favorite basketball player, Suns point guard Steve Nash, in person. "I couldn't believe it," she told her coach later, "I actually was within 3 feet of him!"
    As part of the Challenge, the participants were asked to inspire their teammates, classmates, and community members to use leadership skills and abilities to better the communities in which they live.
    "This program challenges young athletes to volunteer within their communities, to serve as role models, and to demonstrate the character that is crucial to real success in their lives," explained Campbell.

    Stacie Chambers is still putting up the numbers and earning the honors, just like she did a few years back at Cactus High School in Glendale.
    Chambers, the junior catcher for the University of Arizona's softball team, was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week and the Pac-10 Player of the week. She bagged six home runs and 15 RBIs while playing in the Judi Garman Classic softball tournament in Fullerton, Calif., which brings her season output so far to 19 home runs and 66 runs batted in.
    That display of firepower is nothing new to those who remember Chambers from her days at Cactus HS, when she converted from shortstop to catcher in her junior year and, together with pitcher Katie Holverson, formed one of the most potent batteries in high school softball on one of the winningest teams. Cactus won state titles in her freshman, sophomore, and senior seasons. She was the featured athlete on the cover of the May/June 2005 issue of SportZine Magazine.

    There was no lack of drama at this year's Doug Conley Invitational cross country event over the weekend.
    Tucson Ironwood Ridge HS edged out defending champion Xavier Prep HS, 107-109, on the girls' side, while the Shadow Mountain HS boys team also held off last years' defending champion, Rio Rico HS, for a 129-133 win.
    The annual event, held at Tempe's Kiwanis Park, invites the top 20 cross country teams from around the state, regardless of class or division. Selections are based on a coaches' poll. There were 174 runners in the field this year, the 36th annual Conley, competing on the newly-designed 3.1-mile Kiwanis Park course.
    Shadow Mountain had four runners finish in the top 26, including senior Cody Smith, who finished in fifth place. Four of the Ironwood Ridge runners posted top-15 finishes, as Sarah Miville came in sixth with a 19:17.30 time and Kat Howard finished in 19:26:29 for an eighth-place finish.

For those who haven’t already played it, this review is for Madden NFL 2007 for the Nintendo GameCube. This is the latest installment of the legendary Madden series, and brings with it everything you would expect. The things that make this edition new are the Superstar mode, along with lead blocking.