AZSPORTSNETWORK

Hello sports fans:

I have had a few emails asking or possibly questioning our all-state awards. I think this is great and this is usually the case as in any selection process.

I will try and answer some of these questions as to how this works and why we feel we do more and better than any other organization that puts out all-state selections:

1. Committee: Although we get nominations through many avenues, our committee has nothing to do with any conference or teams. The committee is consulted after as we are making our selections. So we are looking for the best players around regardless of school, winning program or conferences.

2. All-Conference Selections: We do not look at what players were selected for their All-Conference awards. I personally do not like looking at these awards because they can be skewed and at times very political. Also, the way awards are done nowadays there is not a real selection of the players but the teams just get so many slots based on winning percentage. This is not what we are about. WE do not want to place a kid just because he was picked in his region. So if a player is 1st team in his conference doesn't make him 1st team All-state, 2nd team all-state or even honorable mention because that player is now going against all players across the state.

3. Conference Strength: If you see more players from one conference than another that is not done on purpose but basically comes down to coincidence but does show more than likely where the top teams were during the season. So in basketball the North is like the East in football. Show Low is a great example of a team that barely made the playoffs in football because the East is so tough but made it all the way to the championship game. I am sure many East football players who were 2nd team all-conference were better than some 1st team conference selections from another conference.

4. All-state selections: All other organizations only give 5 players for 1st team and 5 players for 2nd team all-state. WE do double that and get in more players. So if our list is seen as not having a player on the team just think what the other organizations will be like??!! when they only select 10 total.

5. AZSports has seen EVERY player on their list in person or on film. WE cover the entire state and I know this is not done by any other organization.

6. WE look at all players. This means you may see a few kids who we watched over and over again because we saw something with this player where others did not. WE feel good about looking at all players and giving them a chance.

7. Stats: Just because a player leads the state in points or steals or assists does not mean they will make an all-state team or be higher than a player with less stats. We are looking for the BEST players and not just who leads their team or the state in scoring. Yes at times it plays a part but not all of the time.

WE welcome comments and if a player has somehow been missed and we did not look at him/her send them our way.

Hello sports fans:

I have had a few emails asking or possibly questioning our all-state awards. I think this is great and this is usually the case as in any selection process.

I will try and answer some of these questions as to how this works and why we feel we do more and better than any other organization that puts out all-state selections:

1. Committee: Although we get nominations through many avenues, our committee has nothing to do with any conference or teams. The committee is consulted after as we are making our selections. So we are looking for the best players around regardless of school, winning program or conferences.

2. All-Conference Selections: We do not look at what players were selected for their All-Conference awards. I personally do not like looking at these awards because they can be skewed and at times very political. Also, the way awards are done nowadays there is not a real selection of the players but the teams just get so many slots based on winning percentage. This is not what we are about. WE do not want to place a kid just because he was picked in his region. So if a player is 1st team in his conference doesn't make him 1st team All-state, 2nd team all-state or even honorable mention because that player is now going against all players across the state.

3. Conference Strength: If you see more players from one conference than another that is not done on purpose but basically comes down to coincidence but does show more than likely where the top teams were during the season. So in basketball the North is like the East in football. Show Low is a great example of a team that barely made the playoffs in football because the East is so tough but made it all the way to the championship game. I am sure many East football players who were 2nd team all-conference were better than some 1st team conference selections from another conference.

4. All-state selections: All other organizations only give 5 players for 1st team and 5 players for 2nd team all-state. WE do double that and get in more players. So if our list is seen as not having a player on the team just think what the other organizations will be like??!! when they only select 10 total.

5. AZSports has seen EVERY player on their list in person or on film. WE cover the entire state and I know this is not done by any other organization.

6. WE look at all players. This means you may see a few kids who we watched over and over again because we saw something with this player where others did not. WE feel good about looking at all players and giving them a chance.

7. Stats: Just because a player leads the state in points or steals or assists does not mean they will make an all-state team or be higher than a player with less stats. We are looking for the BEST players and not just who leads their team or the state in scoring. Yes at times it plays a part but not all of the time.

WE welcome comments and if a player has somehow been missed and we did not look at him/her send them our way.

Hello sports fans:

I have had a few emails asking or possibly questioning our all-state awards. I think this is great and this is usually the case as in any selection process.

I will try and answer some of these questions as to how this works and why we feel we do more and better than any other organization that puts out all-state selections:

1. Committee: Although we get nominations through many avenues, our committee has nothing to do with any conference or teams. The committee is consulted after as we are making our selections. So we are looking for the best players around regardless of school, winning program or conferences.

2. All-Conference Selections: We do not look at what players were selected for their All-Conference awards. I personally do not like looking at these awards because they can be skewed and at times very political. Also, the way awards are done nowadays there is not a real selection of the players but the teams just get so many slots based on winning percentage. This is not what we are about. WE do not want to place a kid just because he was picked in his region. So if a player is 1st team in his conference doesn't make him 1st team All-state, 2nd team all-state or even honorable mention because that player is now going against all players across the state.

3. Conference Strength: If you see more players from one conference than another that is not done on purpose but basically comes down to coincidence but does show more than likely where the top teams were during the season. So in basketball the North is like the East in football. Show Low is a great example of a team that barely made the playoffs in football because the East is so tough but made it all the way to the championship game. I am sure many East football players who were 2nd team all-conference were better than some 1st team conference selections from another conference.

4. All-state selections: All other organizations only give 5 players for 1st team and 5 players for 2nd team all-state. WE do double that and get in more players. So if our list is seen as not having a player on the team just think what the other organizations will be like??!! when they only select 10 total.

5. AZSports has seen EVERY player on their list in person or on film. WE cover the entire state and I know this is not done by any other organization.

6. WE look at all players. This means you may see a few kids who we watched over and over again because we saw something with this player where others did not. WE feel good about looking at all players and giving them a chance.

7. Stats: Just because a player leads the state in points or steals or assists does not mean they will make an all-state team or be higher than a player with less stats. We are looking for the BEST players and not just who leads their team or the state in scoring. Yes at times it plays a part but not all of the time.

WE welcome comments and if a player has somehow been missed and we did not look at him/her send them our way.

Hello 3A Sports Fans!!!

Today we are announcing our 3A Boys All-State Team for the 2009-2010 basketball season. I wanted to explain how we do our all-state team so that you can understand why it is not only different in our opinion, but we feel it is the best around for obvious reasons. being a coach for 25+ years I have always believed the following:

1. Each classification should have their own All-state Players without being linked to the other classifications.

2. Basketball teams should consist of 1st and 2nd teams.

3. Basketball teams should have 10 players for 1st and 2nd teams. My reasoning is how many teams do you see around that only use 5 players? Even if you do have a few teams the best team usually is a team that has 10 players where you have depth to rotate in and out of the game. Thus we select the top 10.

4. We do include honorable mention but our honorable mention is not just players we throw in. The honorable mention is a spot for those who make the cut from one level to the next for us. We do not throw 20 names out just to mention them.

5. A committee of coaches and other very credible sources are involved in the process. But mainly coaches who are active and retired select players.

6. Personally I do an in depth look at all teams thru video, phone calls and actual watching of players. We feel with our rankings and great coverage across the state that we get most players who deserve these awards.

7. This year we have included our 9th grade phenom team. WE did switch things around but we looked at overall games played and how much playing time plus stats they accumulated, plus their overall contribution to a team.

8. Our Coach of the Year Award is not just blindly thrown out to conference or state championship winners. We are looking for the coach who has done the best job in all areas. Sometimes that is a coach who wins it all but also that coach who did the best in changing their team around from previous years as well.

9. Player of the Year: WE select a player of the year by the fans from each conference. Then a selection is made based on the OVERALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR in each classification.

10. We strongly believe all-state players can be from non-playoff or non-winning teams. The facts prove that although success as a team is important, there are some players who fit all-state caliber but do not have the supporting players to make staff. We make sure we do not overlook those players.

Here is a list of the selections. WE will also have a spot on our website with pictures, stats and videos as well throughout the week: Please remember the top 5 are those who we feel would be the starting lineup 3A Boys 1st Team All-State:

3A 1st Team All-State:

1. Estrella Foothills: Corey Hawkins
2. Estrella Foothills: James Pierce
3. Chinle: Koyai Clauschee
4. Alchesay: Rasta Nashio
5. Winslow: Kraig Shirley

6. Florence: Kyle Washington
7. Chinle: Laine Yazzie
8. Safford: Brandon Mcuen
9. Round Valley: Brett Haws
10. Blue Ridge: Kenny Kellywood

3A 2nd Team All-State:

1. Round Valley: Dustin Donaldson
2. Fountain Hills: Jordan Henslin
3. Globe: Billy Kidd
4. Estrella Foothills: Troy Coleman
5. Chinle: Brandon Yazzie
6. Window Rock: Todd Perkins
7. Holbrook: Tyler Stingley
8. Payson: Ever Figueroa
9. Ganado: Marcus Begay
10. Winslow: Lakota Shirley

Honorable Mention:

Santa Cruz: Bobby Flemons, Sedona: Kevin Cox, Show Low: Josh Weeks, Parker: Sean Golding, River Valley: James Remmel, Blue Ridge: nate Johnson, Fountain Hills: Alex Forehand, Payson: Dakota Marshal, Waterman Coolidge: Rhakeem Mathis, Sam Buchanan, Holbrook: Jalen jackson, Chinle: Steven Halwood, William Wilson, Empire: Demitri Hayes, Safford: Matt Hart, Wickenburg: Justin Bergman, Monument Valley: Preston Parrish, Shayn begay, Jonathon Delmar, Window Rock: Josh Billison, jaydiamond Talliman,

Freshman Phenom All-State team:

1. Estrella Foothills: Devon Hawkins
2. Window Rock: Kyler Ashley
3. Parker: Louis Golding
4. Parker: Michael Carter Jr.
5. Payson: Chase Walden
6. Chinle: Aaron Halwood

Defensive Player of the Year:

Round Valley: Rulon Udall

Region Players of the Year:

West: Estrella Foothills: Corey Hawkins
East: Alchesay: Rasta Nashio
South: Florence: Kyle Washington
North: Chinle: Koyai Clauschee

3A Overall Player of the Year:
West: Estrella Foothills: Corey Hawkins

Coach of the Year: Round Valley: Chris Mathews

3A Girls All-State:
Here is a list of the selections. WE will also have a spot on our website with pictures, stats and videos as well throughout the week: Please remember the top 5 are those who we feel would be the starting lineup 3A Girls 1st Team All-State:

3A 1st Team All-State:

1. Winslow: Kourtney Shirley
2. Monument Valley: Bradley Nash
3. Safford: Shaysea Alba
4. Alchesay: Marie Lupe
5. Window Rock: Ashley Mitchell

6. Window Rock: Violet Wood
7. Chinle: Nicole Tsosie
8. Winslow: Shernise Ward
9. Holbrook: April Lester
10. Safford: Bea Villalba

3A 2nd Team All-State:

1. Winslow: Paige Shirley
2. Holbrook: Samantha Yazzie
3. Sedona: Katie Adams
4. Tuba City: Angel Tacheene
5. Monument Valley: Destiny Holiday
6. Coolidge: Miranda Moore
7. Round Valley: Nikki Buck
8. Snowflake: Brittany Titus
9. Window Rock: Coralie Clark
10. Tuba City: Vernene Sheppard
* Safford: Jessica Hancock

Honorable Mention:

Payson: Maddie Nossek, Sedona: Rita Clancy, Florence: Kim Munoz, Round Valley: Lauren Buseman, Show Low: Rebekah Haley, Blue Ridge: Theresa Vataha, Snowflake: Reagan Godfrey and Jessica Johnson, Wickenburg: Kellsi Olsen and Phoebe Blakeley, River Valley: Katie Simpson, Empire: Dani Hawley, Safford: Lexi Peru and Shannon Bingham, Holbrook: Amanda Chee

Freshman Phenom All-State team:

1. Estrella Foothills: Savannah Eklund
2. Empire: Sonique Middleton
3. Coolidge: Hope Johnson
4. Winslow: Mattea Begaii
5. River Valley: Elizabeth Estes
6. Sedona: Sierra Hatler-stefick
7. Sedona: Tiana Hatler-stefick
8. Tuba City: Tristan Tsosie
9. Estrella Foothills: Caitlyn Byrne
10. Payson: Chioya Hill

Defensive Player of the Year:

Tuba City: Jamie Roe

Region Players of the Year:

West: Sedona: Katie Adams
East: Alchesay: Marie Lupe
South: Safford: Shaysea Alba
North: Winslow: Kourtney Shirley

3A Overall Player of the Year:

North: Winslow: Kourtney Shirley

Coach of the Year: Holbrook: Greg Perkins

Hello 2A Sports Fans!!!

Today we are announcing our 2A Boys All-State Team for the 2009-2010 basketball season. I wanted to explain how we do our all-state team so that you can understand why it is not only different in our opinion, but we feel it is the best around for obvious reasons. being a coach for 25+ years I have always believed the following:

1. Each classification should have their own All-state Players without being linked to the other classifications.

2. Basketball teams should consist of 1st and 2nd teams.

3. Basketball teams should have 10 players for 1st and 2nd teams. My reasoning is how many teams do you see around that only use 5 players? Even if you do have a few teams the best team usually is a team that has 10 players where you have depth to rotate in and out of the game. Thus we select the top 10.

4. We do include honorable mention but our honorable mention is not just players we throw in. The honorable mention is a spot for those who make the cut from one level to the next for us. We do not throw 20 names out just to mention them.

5. A committee of coaches and other very credible sources are involved in the process. But mainly coaches who are active and retired select players.

6. Personally I do an in depth look at all teams thru video, phone calls and actual watching of players. We feel with our rankings and great coverage across the state that we get most players who deserve these awards.

7. This year we have included our 9th grade phenom team. WE did switch things around but we looked at overall games played and how much playing time plus stats they accumulated, plus their overall contribution to a team.

8. Our Coach of the Year Award is not just blindly thrown out to conference or state championship winners. We are looking for the coach who has done the best job in all areas. Sometimes that is a coach who wins it all but also that coach who did the best in changing their team around from previous years as well.

9. Player of the Year: WE select a player of the year by the fans from each conference. Then a selection is made based on the OVERALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR in each classification.

10. We strongly believe all-state players can be from non-playoff or non-winning teams. The facts prove that although success as a team is important, there are some players who fit all-state caliber but do not have the supporting players to make staff. We make sure we do not overlook those players.

Here is a list of the selections. WE will also have a spot on our website with pictures, stats and videos as well throughout the week: Please remember the top 5 are those who we feel would be the starting lineup 2A Boys 1st Team All-State:

2A 1st Team All-State:

1. Scottsdale Christian: Hayden Johnson
2. Scottsdale Christian: Jake Cipolletti
3. San Carlos: Levi Antonio
4. Precision: Jaques Patton
5. Westwind Prep: Q Johnson

6. Northwest Christian: Dakota Anderson
7. Many Farms: Garriot James
8. Benson: Tyler Deneworth
9. WestWind Prep: Donovan Christensen
10. Precision: Brandon Ehlinger

2A 2nd Team All-State:

1. Bourgade Catholic: Tony Hammons
2. Valley Christian: Jeff Reinhart
3. Pima: Dillon Goodman
4. Yuma Catholic: Bradley Crye
5. Scottsdale Christian: John Irvine
6. San Carlos: Jalen Victor
7. St. Johns: Britton Patterson
8. Thatcher: Mitchell Goodman
9. PRCA: Trevor Cook
10. Benson: Daine Dastrup

Honorable Mention:

GreyHills: Tremayne Yazzie, Desert Christian: Daniel Boice, San Manuel: Zac Dale, Desert Christian: Myles Mayfield, PRCA: Jeremy Courtney, Willcox: Rudy Verdugo, Benson: Kyle Graf , Many Farms: Jon Jones, NPP: Collin Weaver, PCDS: Matt Selling, PC: Daniel Grundmeier NWC: Hayden Anderson, VC: Austin Phillippe, SCA: Judah St. Amand, PC: Austin Consier, WWP: Matt Williams, Williams: Guy Forbis and Jr Esparza, GreyHills: Brandon Whiterock, Phoenix Country Day: Tyler Drew

Freshman Phenom All-State team:

1. Willcox: Jacob Drage
2. Canyon State: D Barnes
3. Phoenix Christian: Nick Johnson
4. San Carlos: Timothy Johnson
5. Benson: Derek Elsmore
6. Ray: Del Conteras
7. SCA: Mike Sendra

Defensive Player of the Year:

Benson: Tyler Deneworth

Region Players of the Year:

West: WestWind Prep: Q Johnson
East: Benson: Tyler Deneworth
South: San Carlos: Levi Antonio
North: Many Farms: Garriot James
Central: Scottsdale Christian: Hayden Johnson

2A Overall Player of the Year:

South: San Carlos: Levi Antonio

Coach of the Year: Many Farms: Alistair Mountz

Week 2 Baseball Rankings:
3-8-2010

1A Baseball

1. Valley Lutheran (5-1)
2. Gila Bend (5-0)
3. Valley Union (0-2)
4. Tanque Verde (6-0)
5. Bagdad (3-3)

6. Superior (0-4)
7. Duncan (1-2)
8. Joe City (4-1)
9. St. David (3-0)
10. Northland Prep (0-2)-Sleeper Pick

11. Mogollon(0-4)
12. St Augustine (0-1)
13. Ft. Thomas (0-0)
14. San Pasquel (2-0)

2A Baseball Rankings

1. Bourgade Catholic (5-1)
2. SCA (0-0)
3. Yuma Catholic (2-1)
4. Bisbee (4-1)
5. Valley Christian (3-2)

6. PRCA (1-0)
7. San Manuel (2-3)
8. NWC (4-1)
9. St. Johns (3-0)
10. Morenci (5-0)

11. Thatcher (0-4)
12. Willcox (1-0)
13. Hayden (2-3)
14. DC (1-0)
15. Camp Verde (2-1)

Looking In: Williams (0-4)

3A Baseball Rankings:

1. Blue Ridge (4-1)
2. Fountain Hills (6-0)
3. Chino Valley (1-1-1)
4. Winslow (4-0)
5. Florence (5-0)

6. Snow Flake (2-0)
7. Empire (3-2)
8. Santa Cruz (5-0)
9. Safford (2-2)
10. Show Low (0-1)

11. Wickenburg (0-1)
12. River Valley (4-2)
13. Globe (1-1)
14. Holbrook (1-1)
15. Coolidge (2-3)

Looking in: Payson (2-3); Sedona (2-4)

Hello 1A Sports Fans!!!

Today we are announcing our 1A Boys All-State Team for the 2009-2010 basketball season. I wanted to explain how we do our all-state team so that you can understand why it is not only different in our opinion, but we feel it is the best around for obvious reasons. being a coach for 25+ years I have always believed the following:

1. Each classification should have their own All-state Players without being linked to the other classifications.

2. Basketball teams should consist of 1st and 2nd teams.

3. Basketball teams should have 10 players for 1st and 2nd teams. My reasoning is how many teams do you see around that only use 5 players? Even if you do have a few teams the best team usually is a team that has 10 players where you have depth to rotate in and out of the game. Thus we select the top 10.

4. We do include honorable mention but our honorable mention is not just players we throw in. The honorable mention is a spot for those who make the cut from one level to the next for us. We do not throw 20 names out just to mention them.

5. A committee of coaches and other very credible sources are involved in the process. But mainly coaches who are active and retired select players.

6. Personally I do an in depth look at all teams thru video, phone calls and actual watching of players. We feel with our rankings and great coverage across the state that we get most players who deserve these awards.

7. This year we have included our 9th grade phenom team. WE did switch things around but we looked at overall games played and how much playing time plus stats they accumulated, plus their overall contribution to a team.

8. Our Coach of the Year Award is not just blindly thrown out to conference or state championship winners. We are looking for the coach who has done the best job in all areas. Sometimes that is a coach who wins it all but also that coach who did the best in changing their team around from previous years as well.

9. Player of the Year: WE select a player of the year by the fans from each conference. Then a selection is made based on the OVERALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR in each classification.

10. We strongly believe all-state players can be from non-playoff or non-winning teams. The facts prove that although success as a team is important, there are some players who fit all-state caliber but do not have the supporting players to make staff. We make sure we do not overlook those players.

Here is a list of the selections. WE will also have a spot on our website with pictures, stats and videos as well throughout the week: Please remember the top 5 are those who we feel would be the starting lineup 1A Boys 1st Team All-State:

1A 1st Team All-State:

1. Gibert Christian: Dillion Currior
2. Valley Union: Saul Mancinas
3. St. Michaels: Kurtis Silversmith
4. St. Gregory: Frank Mgbolu,
5. Valley Lutheran: Matt Gabrielson

6. Gibert Christian: Connor Patterson
7. Patagonia: Ryan Schrimpf
8. Valley Lutheran: Sam Voas
9. Joe City: Justin Clifford
10. St. Mikes: Samuel Hardy

1A 2nd Team All-State:

1. Mogollon: JT Slade
2. Gilbert Christian: Logan Fougnies
3. St. Gregory: Blake Gephart
4. Tanque Verde: Luke Herchenroeder
5. Valley Union: Jason Collins
6. Veritas: Mark Promberger
7. Orme: Metehan Akcam
8. Duncan: Rustin Jones
9. Ft. Thomas: Troy Stanley
10. PDSD: Francisco German

Honorable Mention:

St. David: Paul Kartchner, St. Gregory: Matt Fox, Joy Christian: Christian Almgren, Mayer: Tony Warburton: Rock Point: Quanah Yazzie, Gilbert Christian: Brandon Palacio, Mogollon: JT Maner, Orme: Theo Turner, Ft. Thomas: Estevan Mesa, Valley Lutheran: Hraunar Gudmundsson, St. Michaels: Tywray Hardy, St. Augustine: Patrick Johnson

Freshman Phenom All-State team:

1. Patagonia: Bethel Romero
2. St. David: Myka Campbell
3. Superior: Mario Padilla
4. Bowie/San Simon: Vince Woodcox
5. Valley Lutheran: Aaron Koehne
6. Superior: Jesse Aguilar
7. St. David: Shane Bradford

Defensive Player of the Year:

Orme: Metehan Akcam

Region Players of the Year:

West: Valley Lutheran: Matt Gabrielson
East: Gibert Christian: Dillion Currior
South: St. Gregory: Frank Mgbolu
North: St. Michaels: Kurtis Silversmith

1A Overall Player of the Year:

St. Michaels: Kurtis Silversmith


Coach of the Year: Gilbert Christian: Steve Currier

Coach P 3-8-2010 Monday 2A Prep Notes

Hello 2A Sports Fans!!!

Today we are announcing our 1A Girls All-State Team for the 2009-2010 basketball season. I wanted to explain how we do our all-state team so that you can understand why it is not only different in our opinion, but we feel it is the best around for obvious reasons. being a coach for 25+ years I have always believed the following:

1. Each classification should have their own All-state Players without being linked to the other classifications.

2. Basketball teams should consist of 1st and 2nd teams.

3. Basketball teams should have 10 players for 1st and 2nd teams. My reasoning is how many teams do you see around that only use 5 players? Even if you do have a few teams the best team usually is a team that has 10 players where you have depth to rotate in and out of the game. Thus we select the top 10.

4. We do not include honorable mention because we feel strongly about our selections that those who would be honorable mention are either on our teams or just do not make it based on our high expectations.

5. A committee of coaches and other very credible sources are involved in the process. But mainly coaches who are active and retired select players.

6. Personally I do an in depth look at all teams thru video, phone calls and actual watching of players. We feel with our rankings and great coverage across the state that we get most players who deserve these awards.

7. This year we have included our 9th grade phenom team. WE did switch things around but we looked at overall games played and how much playing time plus stats they accumulated, plus their overall contribution to a team.

8. Our Coach of the Year Award is not just blindly thrown out to conference or state championship winners. We are looking for the coach who has done the best job in all areas. Sometimes that is a coach who wins it all but also that coach who did the best in changing their team around from previous years as well.

9. Player of the Year: WE select a player of the year by the fans from each conference. Then a selection is made based on the OVERALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR in each classification.

10. We strongly believe all-state players can be from non-playoff or non-winning teams. The facts prove that although success as a team is important, there are some players who fit all-state caliber but do not have the supporting players to make staff. We make sure we do not overlook those players.

Here is a list of the selections. WE will also have a spot on our website with pictures, stats and videos as well throughout the week: Please remember the top 5 are those who we feel would be the starting lineup

1st Team 2A All-State:

1. Valley Christian: Ashton Wolf
2. Valley Chrisitian: Stacey Jones
3. Pima: Kitt Bryce
4. Pima: JayAnn Kieffer
5. Phoenix Christian: Felicitas Gratzhoff
6. ALA: Kristen Schulz
7. Many Farms: Brittny Clah
8. Valley Christian: Quinn Robertson
9. Pima: Shayla Hancock
10. Phoenix Chrisitian: Victoria VanHofwegen
*10. Scottsdale Chrisitian: Anna Long

2nd Team 2A All-State:

1. San Carlos: Latricia Long Knife
2. Pima: Corley Lines
3. San Miguel: Maciel Moreno
4. Many Farms: Chantel Becenti
5. Phoenix Christian: Brandi Adams
6. PRCA: Cheyenne Link
7. Horizon Honors: Sara Ellenberger
8. Ajah Edwards: Tombstone
9. Valley Christian: Kristen Johannsen
10. St. Johns: Jenna Udall

Freshman Phenom All-State Team:

1.Valley Christian: Tana Kemmer
2. Scottsdale Chrisitian: Anna Long
3. Marissa Rich: Tempe Prep
4. Valley Sanders: Chelena Betoney
5. Desert Christian: Alexa Arndt
6. San Manuel: Maritza Encinas
7. Valley Sanders: Adriannia Nez
8. Horizon Honors: Gina Garvey
9. Tempe Prep: Lisa Dischinger
10. Arizona Lutheran: Emily Neeb

Region Players of the Year:

East: Pima: Kitt Bryce
Central: Valley Christian: Ashton Wolf
South: San Miguel: Maciel Moreno
North: Many Farms: Brittny Clah
West: Phoenix Christian: Felicitas Gratzhoff

Overall Player of the Year: East: Pima: Kitt Bryce

Defensive Players of the Year: Literally a 3 way tie!!
Valley Christian: Ashton Wolf & Quinn Robertson & Pima: Corley Lines

Coach of the Year: Many Farms Tracy Todecheene

Hello 1A Sports Fans!!!

Today we are announcing our 1A Girls All-State Team for the 2009-2010 basketball season. I wanted to explain how we do our all-state team so that you can understand why it is not only different in our opinion, but we feel it is the best around for obvious reasons. being a coach for 25+ years I have always believed the following:

1. Each classification should have their own All-state Players without being linked to the other classifications.

2. Basketball teams should consist of 1st and 2nd teams.

3. Basketball teams should have 10 players for 1st and 2nd teams. My reasoning is how many teams do you see around that only use 5 players? Even if you do have a few teams the best team usually is a team that has 10 players where you have depth to rotate in and out of the game. Thus we select the top 10.

4. We do include honorable mention but our honorable mention is not just players we throw in. The honorable mention is a spot for those who make the cut from one level to the next for us. We do not throw 20 names out just to mention them.
5. A committee of coaches and other very credible sources are involved in the process. But mainly coaches who are active and retired select players.

6. Personally I do an in depth look at all teams thru video, phone calls and actual watching of players. We feel with our rankings and great coverage across the state that we get most players who deserve these awards.

7. This year we have included our 9th grade phenom team. WE did switch things around but we looked at overall games played and how much playing time plus stats they accumulated, plus their overall contribution to a team.

8. Our Coach of the Year Award is not just blindly thrown out to conference or state championship winners. We are looking for the coach who has done the best job in all areas. Sometimes that is a coach who wins it all but also that coach who did the best in changing their team around from previous years as well.

9. Player of the Year: WE select a player of the year by the fans from each conference. Then a selection is made based on the OVERALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR in each classification.

10. We strongly believe all-state players can be from non-playoff or non-winning teams. The facts prove that although success as a team is important, there are some players who fit all-state caliber but do not have the supporting players to make staff. We make sure we do not overlook those players.

Here is a list of the selections. WE will also have a spot on our website with pictures, stats and videos as well throughout the week: Please remember the top 5 are those who we feel would be the starting lineup

1A Girls 1st Team All-State:

1. Gila Bend: Ashley Wirtzberger
2. Gila Bend: Alex Wirtzberger
3. Salt River: Mikki Ramirez
4. Salt River: Monique Newton
5. Salome:Taylor Maynes
6. Rock Point: Chelsea R. Begay
7. Patagonia: Sheila Oliver
8. FT: Laiken Molina
9. Seligmen: Shae Alvirez
10. St. Mikes: Mariah Begay

1A 2nd Team All-State:

1. Salt River: Britney Hanna
2. Gilbert Christian: Annie Pinkerton
3. Ft. Thomas: Nakia Moses
4. Valley Lutheran: Emily Ehles
5. Valley Union: Gwen Murphy
6. Grand Canyon: Tiffany Kerr
7. Joy Christian: Alana Kempf
8. Duncan: Ashlin Merrell
9. St. David: Kayla Carpenter
10. GB: Genesis Fernandez

Freshman Phenom All-State team:

1. Patagonia: Amanda Gamez
2. Clifton: Julia Chavarria
3. Patagonia: Crianna Padilla
4. Salt River: Gabby Ramirez
5. Joy Christian: Mariah Kempf

6. Salome: Tracy Edmonds
7. Greenfields: Olivia Snyder
8. Northland prep: Morgan Horn
9. Valley Lutheran: Jennifer Butzbach
10. Joe City: Lexi Edwards

Defensive Player of the Year:

Gila Bend: Ashley Wirtzberger

Region Players of the Year:

West: Salome:Taylor Maynes
East: Salt River: Monique Newton
South: Gila Bend: Ashley Wirtzberger
North: Rock Point: Chelsea R. Begay

1A Overall Player of the Year:

South: Gila Bend: Ashley Wirtzberger

Coach of the Year: Patagonia: Ralph Padilla

Thursday Results:

Empire 18 Superior 7
Bisbee 7 Window Rock 3
San Manuel 10 Window Rock 0 3innings
Florence 7 Coolidge 0

Lets now break down Day 2:



#11 Empire 18 #6 Superior 7

Game 2 between Empire and Superior started off fairly close. However, Fox from Superior had Elder on the ropes and eventually had a 3-2 count but he would dish up a pitch right at his sweet spot and Elder took it deep for a 2 run shot that would give Empire the early lead in the game.
Superior had chances as B. Williams had some control issues and had 3 walks in the first but the Panthers could not get the timely hit to break thru for any runs. Later in the game Superior would tie it up at 2 but that was as close as they would get as D. Williams matched Elder with a 2 shot dinger of his own to give Empire the lead for good as the Ravens show why they have the power to make a run for the South division with 18 runs for the day.

Delgado from Superior and D. Williams from Empire were named the AZSports Players of the game. B. Williams got the win for Empire and Fox got the loss for Superior.

#4 Bisbee 7 Window Rock 3

Bisbee got off to another strong start as they were able to use their speed to manufacture runs. Welcome to the NEW and IMPROVED Bisbee team who will not have the power of past teams but will have speed to kill as they use all means at their disposal to get runs across the plate. A Player to look for is Anthony Rivera, younger brother of Serg Rivera, who is the leader of this Bisbee team. Anthony has speed and a tremendous display of baseball awareness that is hardly seen for a freshman player. In the not so distant future he will be able to be called Anthony Rivera instead of Serges little brother! Window Rock came in and stayed with Bisbee for 4 innings until Bisbee exploded for 5 runs at the bottom of the 4th to take a 7-2 lead. The Scouts did show they will have their act together once they compete in the 3A North as they are much improved for the 2010 season.

AZSports Players of the Game were Anthony Rivera from Bisbee and Ty from Window Rock. I did not have a lineup card for WRock and did not want to misspell Tys last name.

#7 San Manuel 10 Window Rock 0 3innings

This game was over before it got started as Window Rock had to play back to back games after a long 5 hour road trip from the tundra up North. The Scouts are basically using this tournament to get into baseball form as the snow has been on their field and they had 2 practices before they left for Florence. San Manuel can just plain HIT THE BALL!! Padilla once again showed why he is a terror at the Plate as he went 3 for 3 with a stand up triple! Segovia got the win for San Manuel and PAWS got the loss for Window Rock.

#5 Florence 7 #14 Coolidge 0

WE started off the day with a pitching gem and we ended with nothing more than an outstanding game between two rival teams! Florence, on a mission to show they are a legit contender threw their #2 Touhey vs Rico from Coolidge. From the beginning it was the speed and aggressiveness of Florence vs Coolidge who could not get anything happening vs the young Touhey. Last season Touhey was named our All-state Frehman of the Year and this season he has shown we were correct with our pick. He basically dominated the game with 9 straight putouts while collecting 7 Ks during that span. He ended up going 10 straight put-outs before Coolidge finally broke through for a hit. By that time the Florence onslaught had already begun as the Gophers ran by, around and even thru the Bears to get the first early win vs their conference rival. Rico from the bears did a good job but combined with errors and good hitting he just did not have enough to shut down the Gophers.

Touhey was named our AZSports Player of the Game for Florence while Murrieta from Coolidge was named as well.

Hello baseball fans!

Day 2 of the 23rd Annual Joe S. Padilla Florence Baseball Tournament is over and what an exciting day of baseball!

Thursday Results:
Empire 18 Superior 7
Tombstone 16 Patagonia 0 5innings

#11 Empire 18 #6 Superior 7

Game 2 between Empire and Superior started off fairly close. However, Fox from Superior had Elder on the ropes and eventually had a 3-2 count but he would dish up a pitch right at his sweet spot and Elder took it deep for a 2 run shot that would give Empire the early lead in the game.
Superior had chances as B. Williams had some control issues and had 3 walks in the first but the Panthers could not get the timely hit to break thru for any runs. Later in the game Superior would tie it up at 2 but that was as close as they would get as D. Williams matched Elder with a 2 shot dinger of his own to give Empire the lead for good as the Ravens show why they have the power to make a run for the South division with 18 runs for the day.

Delgado from Superior and D. Williams from Empire were named the AZSports Players of the game. B. Williams got the win for Empire and Fox got the loss for Superior.

So for a great baseball tournament going on in Florence.

Here is some video for you to look at as we get you more updates.

San Manuel vs Hayden
http://azsportsnetwork.com/videos/366/san-manuel-vs-hayden-2010-joe-s.-padilla

Bourgade Catholic 3 Wickenburg 2:

Our #1 team got their season rolling towards a great start by defeating Wickenburg
by the score of 3-2.

Now a recap from the Joe S. Padilla Baseball Tourney

Thursday Results:

Bisbee 1 Hayden 0
Bisbee 7 Window Rock 3
San Manuel 10 Window Rock 0 3innings

Lets now break down Day 2:

#4 Bisbee 1 Hayden 0

This was a great game to start off day 2 of this tournament. What a great pitchers match-up for such an early game in the season. Bisbees Mendez and Haydens Formo gave us a display of two of the top pitchers in the 2A classification for 2010! Neither team could do much against either pitcher for most of the game. Hayden did leave runners on base early in the game before Mendez settled down to throw gem of the game. No wait! Mendez and Formo threw one gem of a game which would be a start to more of the same on Thursday. In the end Mendez was able to get one run to help him defeat Formo of Hayden. Both players were named AZSports Players of the Game. Mendez had 11 Ks For Bisbee and Formo added 8 for Hayden.

#4 Bisbee 7 Window Rock 3

Bisbee got off to another strong start as they were able to use their speed to manufacture runs. Welcome to the NEW and IMPROVED Bisbee team who will not have the power of past teams but will have speed to kill as they use all means at their disposal to get runs across the plate. A Player to look for is Anthony Rivera, younger brother of Serg Rivera, who is the leader of this Bisbee team. Anthony has speed and a tremendous display of baseball awareness that is hardly seen for a freshman player. In the not so distant future he will be able to be called Anthony Rivera instead of Serges little brother! Window Rock came in and stayed with Bisbee for 4 innings until Bisbee exploded for 5 runs at the bottom of the 4th to take a 7-2 lead. The Scouts did show they will have their act together once they compete in the 3A North as they are much improved for the 2010 season.

AZSports Players of the Game were Anthony Rivera from Bisbee and Ty from Window Rock. I did not have a lineup card for WRock and did not want to misspell Tys last name.

#7 San Manuel 10 Window Rock 0 3innings

This game was over before it got started as Window Rock had to play back to back games after a long 5 hour road trip from the tundra up North. The Scouts are basically using this tournament to get into baseball form as the snow has been on their field and they had 2 practices before they left for Florence. San Manuel can just plain HIT THE BALL!! Padilla once again showed why he is a terror at the Plate as he went 3 for 3 with a stand up triple! Segovia got the win for San Manuel and PAWS got the loss for Window Rock.

Day 1 of the 23rd Annual Joe S. Padilla Florence Baseball Tournament is over and what an exciting day of baseball! The reason I love this tournament is because you never know what to expect.

We were able to see 3 of our 3A top 15 teams in this tournament:


#11 Empire 3 #14 Coolidge 0

Game 2 was between conference foes as Empire and Elder dominated the Bears from Coolidge and went on to win by the score of 3-0. This was pretty much all Elder as he dominated Coolidge not allowing them to get in any hitting groove during the day. Elder, working from the stretch all game did a great job mixing his pitches not allowing the Bears to get comfortable in the box. His fast-ball had great movement and when the hitters tried to sit on that pitch, Elder was able to keep them on their heels with a great breaking pitch.

Coolidge did not do a bad job but Bowles was in trouble all day working very slow on the mound and getting behind the hitters. In the end this gave him trouble as the Ravens used their speed on the base paths to get 3 runs which is all they needed on the day.

Even though Bowles lost this game he showed he will be able to help the bears this season. On the other side Elder will be counted on to carry his team with his bat and arm as Empire looks to get back into the playoffs after having a very rough 2009 season.

Josh Elder for the Ravens and Justin Rico for the Bears were named AZSports Players of the Game.

#5 Florence 4 #6 Superior 1

Our nightcap game featured 2 top ranked teams from their respective divisions. Florence who is ranked #5 in 3A and Superior who is ranked #6 in 1A showed why they are ranked so high.

The Gophers threw Marrufo, who had 6 K's in the first 2 innings and 8 for the game as he totally dominated the Panthers who could not adjust to his fast-ball or breaking pitches all night. Marrufo showed us why he will be one of many pitchers from Florence who will help lead them to the playoffs for the 2010 season.

On the other side Superior threw their ace, Ortega, who also showed he will be a forced in the 1A division this year. With a nice fast-ball, and a breaking pitch that will buckle the hitters at the knees, he was able to keep the 1A Panthers in the game. If not for errors this game could have been 0-0 going into the 5th as the Gophers timing was a bit off since they had not played this season.

One of the areas that Florence shines is with their tremendous power from 1-9 in the batting order. The Gophers have so much talent that any pitcher facing them this season will have to deal with a top hitter at every single spot. They have so much depth that even the players off of the bench come in and have a chance to hurt you as well.

With strong contact the Gophers were able to get 4 runs vs Superior, who showed much improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Last year you were on the edge of your seat with any ball that was put into play because the focus and fundamentals of the Panthers were their Achilles Heel. But this year the Panthers have shown their focus and fundamentals have changed and they are ready to have a great tournament and move on to a possible state championship in 2010!

Marrufo who was on a strict pitch count went 4 innings and not allowing any runs with 8 strikeouts for his effort. Murphy came in relief for Marrufo in the 5th.

Ortega for Superior and Marrufo for Florence were named AZSports Players of the Game for their pitching efforts.

Day 1 of the 23rd Annual Joe S. Padilla Florence Baseball Tournament is over and what an exciting day of baseball! The reason I love this tournament is because you never know what to expect.

We were able to get a good look at San Manuel and Hayden:

#7 San Manuel 6 Hayden 3

This was a great game to start off day 1 of this tournament. We knew that SM was going to be a tough hitting team and they showed us right away why this would be the case for the 2010 Miners team. Early in the 1st with 2 men on, Padilla from San Manuel connected for a deep center-field shot which gave the Miners a 3-0 early lead.

The Lobos threw Menno and the Miners went with Vigil on the mound. Both pitchers played with fire all day as both pitchers got themselves in trouble by getting behind the hitters in the pitch count. Vigil especially lived on the edge as he escaped a first inning bases loaded jam while escaping without giving up a run.

The 2nd inning would not be any better for Vigil, as he allowed runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs. But then he got an Early Christmas present as the Miners defense came thru and after a hard shot up the middle, the Miners Zac Dale snagged the line drive and tagged 2nd base and threw to first base to secure the seasons first triple play not only of the tournament but of the 2010 season!

Vigil from San Manuel came through to get the win and Menno from the Lobos got the loss. Formo from Hayden came in relief to shut down the Miners in the 5th but it was not enough.

The Miners Daniel Padilla and Lobos Gabriel Encinas were named AZSports Players of the Game for the game!

We should see Formo from Hayden vs Bisbee in our first day game on Thursday at 12:00noon.

Day 1 of the 23rd Annual Joe S. Padilla Florence Baseball Tournament is over and what an exciting day of baseball! The reason I love this tournament is because you never know what to expect.

Lets take a look at Superior:

#5 Florence 4 #6 Superior 1

Our nightcap game featured 2 top ranked teams from their respective divisions. Florence who is ranked #5 in 3A and Superior who is ranked #6 in 1A showed why they are ranked so high.

The Gophers threw Marrufo, who had 6 K's in the first 2 innings and 8 for the game as he totally dominated the Panthers who could not adjust to his fast-ball or breaking pitches all night. Marrufo showed us why he will be one of many pitchers from Florence who will help lead them to the playoffs for the 2010 season.

On the other side Superior threw their ace, Ortega, who also showed he will be a forced in the 1A division this year. With a nice fast-ball, and a breaking pitch that will buckle the hitters at the knees, he was able to keep the 1A Panthers in the game. If not for errors this game could have been 0-0 going into the 5th as the Gophers timing was a bit off since they had not played this season.

One of the areas that Florence shines is with their tremendous power from 1-9 in the batting order. The Gophers have so much talent that any pitcher facing them this season will have to deal with a top hitter at every single spot. They have so much depth that even the players off of the bench come in and have a chance to hurt you as well.

With strong contact the Gophers were able to get 4 runs vs Superior, who showed much improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Last year you were on the edge of your seat with any ball that was put into play because the focus and fundamentals of the Panthers were their Achilles Heel. But this year the Panthers have shown their focus and fundamentals have changed and they are ready to have a great tournament and move on to a possible state championship in 2010!

Marrufo who was on a strict pitch count went 4 innings and not allowing any runs with 8 strikeouts for his effort. Murphy came in relief for Marrufo in the 5th.

Ortega for Superior and Marrufo for Florence were named AZSports Players of the Game for their pitching efforts.

#4 TV14-3 over #11 St. Augustine:

IN an early match-up from top teams in the 1A South TV defeated St. Augustine 14-3 in 7 innings. WE have to look at what this means in the scheme of things: 1st TV is still a ways ahead of the THE TEAMS who are in the 2nd tier of the South, but St. Augustine is definitely closing the gap.

Valley Lutheran 9 PCDS 8:

We mentioned that this was a good early test for our top ranked VL team and we were not wrong! VL was down 6-2 and scored 7 runs in top of the 7th to get the 9-8 win! This is an example of why we have this team at the top spot in 1A. PCDS is not a bad 2A team. They traditionally have one stud pitcher who can beat any top team at the 2A or other levels. Thanks to sundevil for this report from the VL game.

Patagonia 11 San Miguel 4:

Need to give some kudos to the Lobos for getting a win in their season opener. Coach Spencer gets his first win which we hope is many to come during the rest of the season.

Softball:

St. Augustine 14 TV 2:

The machine we know as Brink continues to show us why she is one of the top pitchers not only in 1A but in all classifications.

What a great day for baseball and softball in Arizona.

Baseball:

Kofa 2 YC 1:
There was a huge game last night as we got to see how really good Yuma Catholic will be in baseball. They lost 2-1 to Kofa which shows they will be a force in 2A this season.

Read the story from the Yumasun:
http://varsity.yumasun.com/sports/game-2725-leon-sanchez.html

BY EDWARD CARIFIO, SUN STAFF WRITER

Even in a game with four outstanding pitching performances, Sergio Sanchez stood out on top.

The Kofa starter struck out 11 in six innings as the Kings topped Yuma Catholic 2-1 in the first meeting between the two schools' baseball teams Monday.

The Shamrocks were playing in their first game of the year, but the visiting Kings (2-4 overall, 1-0 AIA) had already played at the Adam Donnenfield Memorial Tournament at Phoenix-Brophy. Sanchez started one of those games and gave up one run in a no decision to defending 5A Division I state champion Tempe-Corona del Sol.

"Sergio pitched really well, he had to," Kofa coach Richy Leon said. "He's come out strong out of the gate."

The Shamrocks struck first when Eric Garcia singled, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a single by Josh Evans - who started for YC.

Despite allowing runners to reach in every inning, Evans kept the Kings scoreless until the third, when Hector Valenzuela - the only player for either team with a multihit effort - led off with a single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Kane.

Evans started the fourth, but was lifted after his sixth walk of the game to pinch hitter Simon Corea, who had just returned to the Kings' roster Monday after basketball season ended last week. YC coach Curt Foppe brought Matt Koppinger on to pitch. Koppinger allowed back-to-back infield singles, then Sanchez flew out to center field to bring home Corea.

Koppinger only allowed three hits the rest of the game, but Sanchez and closer Mario Rivera combined to keep the Shamrocks off the scoreboard.

"Josh and Matt, I'm relying on them to be our two best this year," Foppe said. "(Koppinger) came in and did his best. He showed us what he can do for us this year. That's a very good ballclub over there, and I'm proud of my guys because we stayed with them.

"Sergio is a great pitcher. He's going to be one of the best pitchers we see all year," he said. "He did a great job throwing strikes. He did a great job going after us. He's a great strikeout pitcher, but I felt our guys didn't have a great approach. Maybe that has to do with it being the first game."

Sanchez threw 116 pitches in six innings. He walked five and allowed three hits. Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the season.

"(Rivera has) been our go-to guy, and we saw that early that he could be our go-to guy late in the ballgame," Leon said. "He throws a lot of strikes and is funky enough, throws a slider for strikes. So far so good with Mario."

Even though the season isn't a week old, Leon said there was a lot riding on the game. YC and Kofa have a strong football rivalry, having played three times.

"It's the first time we've ever played them," Leon said. "And you have the whole 2A-5A kind of thing. But a win's a win. They're a good ballclub and they're going to beat a lot of people."

That may have led to a little big of pressing on the part of the Kings, Leon said. Kofa stranded 11 runners, eight in scoring position.

"We stress every day we compete against the baseball and we don't worry about who we're playing against," Leon said. "But it was very hard to ignore. I'll be honest. You've got a little rivalry going and it's going to brew and it's a good thing for our programs. It was hard to ignore and I think our guys were trying to do a little too much."

Evans lasted 3 1/3, allowed two earned runs, two hits and struck out two. Foppe said it was a hard choice to take him out of the game.

"He's my senior leader, and I knew he was struggling, but I was looking at the scoreboard and it was 1-1," Foppe said. "He was finding his way out of innings ... but I felt we were to a point I think they were ready to possibly knock it around a little bit."

But Koppinger came on and pitched well, despite the two quick hits. He surrendered five hits in the game, managed a strike out and walked none. All 10 hits in the game were singles.

SanManuel:
The Miners will have a good hitting team but pitching could be their downfall this season.

Camp Verde:

The Camp Verde Baseball team graduated three seniors from last year's tumultuous season. This year, the Cowboys look to have a solid squad of players returning to the field. Last year the Cowboys lost to Ray in the 2A South Regional Tournament, missing out on State by one game. This year's team looks to get back on track and an appearance at State.

Yellowjackets nearly come up winners in Diltz’s debut
Please read article for the Tombstone vs St. David game by Liz manning:
http://www.svherald.com/content/sports/2010/03/02/yellowjackets-nearly-come-winners-diltz-s-debut

2A baseball Scores:

Ray 5 Superior 1:
The huge story here is that Ray suited up only 10 players.

St. Johns 18 Joe City 4

St. David 3 Tombstone 2

Chandler Prep 8 Gilbert Christian 6

Desert Christian 14 St. Gregs 1

Morenci 6 Duncan 5

Valley Lutheran 19 Tempe Prep 0

Tonopah 9 North Pointe 5

Bourgade Christian 10 ALA 0

Hayden 11 Baboquivari 0

Softball:
Bisbee 18 PRCA 8

The huge game which is not a misprint was the Bisbee 18-8 win over PRCA!! No matter who was or wasn't there the win will help Bisbee in the PPTs to qualify for the top 24 teams in the 2A state tournament. Actually Bisbee was down 5-0 heading into the 5th inning so they had to come from behind. This is a huge win for Bisbee and we will see how PRCA bounces back as they do have their pitcher from last year coming back but they did lose a lot of seniors. I am sure the leadership of this team will need to step up after losing a 5-0 lead slip away late in the game and then essentially getting blown out by a team that is in rebuilding mode with a lot of young players.

Please read entire story at:
http://www.svherald.com/content/sports/2010/03/02/softball-roundup-bisbee-rallies-defeat-pusch-ridge-18-8-six

Tombstone Loses first game of season under Devere:

ST. DAVID — The Tombstone softball team lost its season opener against St. David on Tuesday night 11-1.

The Yellowjackets were plagued with errors, committing 11 in the game.

Lillian Thompson started for Tombstone, going four innings with six walks, seven runs and five strikeouts. Angie Moore finished the game in the fifth, going 2/3 of the inning with three hits and one strikeout.

“I think we all learned how young and inexperienced we are,” Tombstone head coach Robert Devere said. “There were some shining moments and we could see potential, but we’ve got to string together every pitch, and we’re not there yet.”

Tombstone scored its lone run in the top of the fifth. Andie Devere bunted Rebecca Floyd to second, and Floyd came home on a hit by Maria Roberts.

Parker defeats Antelope:

The Antelope softball team couldn't muster much offense in a 12-0 loss at Parker on Tuesday. Joclyn Salcido and Mary Tillou had the Rams' only two hits. Antelope is in rebuild mode this year as are many other teams.

Camp Verde:

The Camp Verde softball team finished last season with all smiles when they won the 2A State Tournament, bringing home the title for the first time in 28-years. The Cowboys defeated Willcox in the Championship game, 4-2.

Five seniors graduated from that group, which includes pitcher Lera Petska who pitched in the final game.

This year's team does return some quality players and will need to hit the ground running as they will be the team to beat this season.

2A Softball Scores:

Camp Verde Track:

The Camp Verde Track and Field team has a lot to look forward to this season. Last year, the Cowboys spent a lot of time getting back to basics on the boys' team.

The girls team won their region while the boys placed 3rd. Last year the Girls team placed 11th at state, while the boys placed 14th.

Camp Verde Golf

The Camp Verde golf team continues to grow and develop into a successful program. Coach Steve Stone will help lead his team as they attempt to get back to the State Competition

Hello 1A Sports Fans!

With basketball all but done we now move on to the spring sports and it has already started to be an exciting start to the spring season. Please remember the Florence Joe S. Padilla baseball tourney starts today and we will broadcast live. Send us your scores and we will update our site as well.

In baseball today #1 Valley Union will take on PCDS which could be a good match for our #1 1A team.

Softball:

Tanque Verde:
They beat Ajo by 2 in seven innings. This was a tremendous start to the season. From what people tell me this is the best TV team since they started softball at the school.

St. David 11 Tombstone 1
The Tigers were able to get an easy win against rival Tombstone. Tombstone is in rebuild mode after Coach Devere decided to return and try and get the program back on track.

San Pasqual Softball:

Last year: 1-15 overall

Top returners: Janequa Mills, jr., SS; Brandy Black, jr., P; Apple Casteneda, soph., C/CF; Dominique Rueda, soph., IF; Jodeci Williams, soph., P/OF

Key newcomers: Mari Barley, sr., 3B; Denise Orozco, fresh., C/CF

Player to watch: Mills is starting to develop into a fierce power hitter and is a threat as the cleanup hitter.

Coach Denise Lindeman's comments: "There's a definite lack of experience around here, but there are some great kids to work with. We should really get things going as the season goes on."

The lowdown: Lindeman, also the school's interim AD, likes the way the team is shaping up, although fears that eligibility may become an issue. That aside, the team has a 22-game schedule this year and hopes to be much more competitive. Only five players are back from last year's squad.
http://varsity.yumasun.com/sports/soph-2718-year-team.html

MAYER

This past spring the Wildcats finished fifth in the 1A West Region and struggled to click as a team. With a new coach, Sylvia Paulsen, and a fresh outlook, Mayer hopes to turn the corner.

"We're real optimistic about this year," said assistant coach Jesse Bais, speaking on behalf of Paulsen. "We have a good, solid corps of girls and we think we can make a run."

Senior Sadie Langdon will start at pitcher, while junior Shayna Adams returns as the full-time catcher.

Mayer's infield consists of senior Bridget O'Sullivan at first base, Sarah Mathern at second, Eunice Vega at short, and sophomore Candice Smith and senior Crystal Kathe likely sharing duties at third.

The outfield is not as locked down for the Wildcats, as right field appears open with sophomores Aleesia Phillips and Sarah Bywater competing alongside freshman Natalia Freemyer.

Crystal Kathe should see time in center field. But left field is also up for grabs with freshman Silkee Hill, junior Destiny Gore and sophomore Hannah Klisby all battling for the spot.

In the region, Mayer thinks it can lock up one of the top three or four seeds and return to state. Bagdad and Valley Lutheran should provide the stiffest competition.

"Up and down, we're pretty solid in the order and, defensively, we look good," Bais said. "We're working real hard and the enthusiasm is there. We will back down for nobody."

ORME SCHOOL

The Warriors finished 6-6 in the 1A West this past year and did not qualify for the state playoffs. But with a more experienced team in 2010, the outlook appears more promising for fourth-year coach Amy Sawyer.

Right-handed senior ace pitcher Kim Brennan, a workhorse from Prescott known for wracking up strikeouts, returns for her fourth and final season on the slab.

Sophomore Michaela Smyly, a righty from Spring Valley, will back up Brennan and see time at first base and catcher.

In the infield, junior Ramona Coroban enters her second season as the starting catcher. Smyly and junior Hillary Dethmer expect to split time at first, while returner Cody Kane of Prescott is at second.

Sawyer said she will play shortstop by committee and feature Smyly and sophomore Danielle Yazzi from Chinle as potential starters. Yazzi and junior Ellie Brownridge likely will share responsibilities at third.

In the outfield, right field also will be by committee, although junior Kristen Young holds an edge there.

Strong-armed junior Tiara Jackson gets the green light in centerfield, and athletic freshman Billie Shepard will play left.

"We have a lot of power and speed in our lineup," Sawyer said. "We just need to work on the fundamentals and fine tuning of where the ball goes."

Other Tuesday Scores:
Morenci 10 Duncan 0
Round Valley 15 Mogollon 4
Ray 12 Superior 2

Baseball:
Tanque Verde 11 Ajo 0 5innings
TV starts off their season with an easy victory vs a much improved Ajo team. AZSouth stated that Ajo has really improved and it is our feeling they will beat some teams. TV has a crucial match today vs St. Augustine at Kino Sports Complex.

St. David 3 Tombstone 2
The Tigers made an opening day statement that they are not gonna be satisfied with just a 4th playoff spot from the tough 1A South Division. Remember that the powerpoints will come into play as well. Tracey got the complete game, giving up only 1 hit, by defeating the Yellow Jackets. Tombstone relied on 3 pitchers, Skiles, Milligan, and Mora.

Ray 5 Superior 1:
Ray, was able to beat Superior in the first game for both teams. Ray has only 10 players at this point on the team and the Panthers had 4 starters missing.

SanPasqal wins DH vs Orme 17-2 and 13-3:
The Warriors started their 2010 season off by totally dominating Orme.

Victor Robles went 5-for-7 over two games for the Warriors, which picked up two wins against Orme. San Pasqual won the first game 13-3, followed by a 17-2 victory that was highlighted by a Robles grand slam.

In the first contest Alex Marquez pitched a six-inning complete game, where he allowed six hits and struck out seven. Aaron Lucero through a two-hitter over five innings in Game 2.

Jaime Marquez was 3-for-4 with a three-run homer for San Pasqual. Taylor Thomas finished the day 3-for-3 for the Warriors and Alex Marquez was 4-for-4.

MAYER

New faces will abound at the Mayer baseball field this season. Most notably, Brett Smith's.

The first-year coach inherits a program that finished 2009 7-11, but 6-4 in region play. That record, however, was not enough to land the Wildcats a spot in the state tournament after Mayer dropped a play-in game to Surrey Garden.

Smith's new program returns on a couple of players who made significant contributions in 2009, one of them being front-line starter Andrew Howland, who returns for his junior season.

"We're looking for big things (from him)," Smith said. "With his physical growth, we're looking for him to carry a lot of weight for us, and pitch a lot of innings."

Howland also plays the middle infield when he's not on the mound, teaming with another returner, Tony Warburton.

Couple that with the return to the game of center fielder Daniel Mendoza, and the Wildcats seem very solid up the middle.

"He's very quick, has a great glove (and) a great arm," Smith said of Mendoza. "We're really looking forward to him doing quite a bit for us."

Smith expects new faces to do their part as well, including three transfer students who should sure up other positions on the field.

Anthony Hall came to Mayer from Iowa and is expected to catch, pitch and play the infield. The same goes for Christian Smith from Florida.

Mason Smith - no relation to Christian - will spend time at third base and on the mound after arriving from California.

Smith plans on dressing at least 10 underclassmen when the season gets underway. But, he emphasized that the youth moment won't be a crutch to lean on if the team isn't successful.

"While we want to develop the young kids, we want to go out and be competitive and win ball games," Smith said. "Our goal is to play the game the right way, be a solid defensive team and use our speed."

ORME

At The Orme School, the baseball program is not judged by their final win-loss record.

To do so would be unfair, since many of the players on this year's squad had never even played a game of catch before practice began two weeks ago, coach Todd Roe said.

Instead, the coach plans to focus on the fundamentals, teach his players how to play the game right and hopefully they'll have some fun along with way.

The Warriors return four major players from last year's squad that finished 3-14, and Roe said he expects these four to play key roles at key positions.

Dakota Sawyer returns for his senior season and, in addition to his duties as the team's shortstop and a pitcher, he also coaches up his fellow teammates, Roe said.

"He's probably our best hitter and our most experienced player," Roe said. "We're going to lean on him heavily this year."

Chaz Erickson also returns for his senior campaign as the team's primary catcher. In fact, Roe said, he's basically the team's only catcher, meaning Orme will have to "really count on him, especially in doubleheaders," Roe said.

The two other returners come back to the team after logging their first year of organized baseball last season.

David Galbraith is expected to roam center field for the Warriors, while Chase Immel will showcase his arm strength on the mound and play first base.

Last season, the Warriors had the luxury of pitcher who consistently gives them solid innings. This year, that luxury isn't available yet.

Instead, Roe plans to coach and teach his players about the game. If the wins come, then they come. Either way, he plans on his kids having fun.

Other Tuesday Results:
St. Johns 18 Joe City 4
Morenci 6 Duncan 5
Valley Lutheran 19 Tempe Prep 0 5innings

Track and Field:
ORME

Ricardo Olivares, Orme's first-year track coach, inherits a solid boys' squad that features junior sprinter Alphonso Broom - a relay runner who as a sophomore placed in the 100m, 200m and 400m.

Sprinters Metehan Akcam, Theo Turner and Hakim Mitchell also should stand out, as should distance runners Tony Ndunda (800m and the mile), Kaleb Johnson (3200m and the mile) and Ahilly Ohanlon.

Olivares said he is still piecing together a girls' team, which presently has only two members.

Week 1 Baseball Rankings:
3-1-2010

1. Valley Lutheran
2. Gila Bend
3. Valley Union
4. Tanque Verde
5. Bagdad

6. Superior
7. Duncan-Darkhouse
8. Joe City
9. Mogollon
10. Northland Prep-Sleeper Pick

11. St. David
12. St Augustine
13. Ft. Thomas
14. San Pasquel

Softball 2010 Pre-Season Rankings
BcatO's Rankings

1A
1. Joseph City
2. St. Augustine
3. Valley Union
4. Gila Bend
5. Salt River
6. Bagdad
7. Valley Lutheran
8. Mogollon
9. St. David
10. Ft. Thomas

Week 1 Baseball Rankings:
3-1-2010

1. Valley Lutheran
2. Gila Bend
3. Valley Union
4. Tanque Verde
5. Bagdad

6. Superior
7. Duncan-Darkhouse
8. Joe City
9. Mogollon
10. Northland Prep-Sleeper Pick

11. St. David
12. St Augustine
13. Williams
14. Ft. Thomas
15. San Pasquel

Softball 2010 Pre-Season Rankings
BcatO's Rankings

1A
1. Joseph City
2. St. Augustine
3. Valley Union
4. Gila Bend
5. Salt River
6. Bagdad
7. Valley Lutheran
8. Mogollon
9. St. David
10. Ft. Thomas