58 MARCH 2018 Arc A d A News XAVIER SOCCER At the beginning of the season, few people would have picked Xavier to be the last team standing in the 6A state playoffs. The Gators lost seven seniors from last year’s team, meaning there were only four returning starters. Many of those positions were going to be filled by underclassmen, and the lack of experience seemed like it would be a daunting obstacle to overcome. “I would say from where we started to where we finished is absolutely incredible,” said head coach Barb Chura. “We had six starters who were freshmen and sophomores. I don’t think anybody, including me, saw us competing on the last day for the state title.” With so many new faces, unifying the squad was going to be crucial. The team spent time doing off-field activities with each other, in order to create and build team chemistry. “I’m a big believer that team chemistry is built both on-field and off it,” said Chura. “You get these girls to focus on each other off the field, and you can see that come to fruition on the field. I’m a believer in building team chemistry, because it works.” The team was led on offense by junior Kyla Ferry, who led the team in goals and assists, with 20 and 12 respectively. Senior Abby Hubbard wasn’t far behind, with double digit goals and assists. On defense, goalie Kinsey Ehmann saved 143 shots during the course of the season. The Gators received a boost in confidence when they played Basha during senior night. The Bears had recently been ranked number one, and the score stood 1-1 at halftime, with no time for adjustments thanks to the senior night festivities. Xavier stayed focused, and ended up winning a nail biter. “Going into the tournament on that note was huge,” said Chura. “Knowing that you had just beaten one of the best teams in the state, it gave them a big boost of confidence.” Players and coaches went into the final game against Perry knowing that it would take everything to end up with the trophy. Senior Nicole Hook had been knocked out of the first playoff game with a nose injury, and in the first half she was reinjured, having to head to the bench with a broken nose. The tension grew as the teams were wrapped in a scoreless tie going into the game’s final minutes. Despite the injury, Hook went back into the game and ended up scoring the winning goal in the 58 th minute of play, on a corner kick from Abby Hubbard. Xavier would hold on for a 1-0 win. “It was such a great feeling when that game ended,” said Chura. “I think this championship was a total testament to how hard these girls worked.” ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL Girls Soccer After three straight years of not getting past the quarterfinals, the Titans finally broke through in the 2016-2017 season, making it all the way to the state championship game. After winning an HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS PLAYOFF ROUNDUP PHOTO COURTESY OF XAVIER PREP 3641 N. 56th Street, Phoenix • 480-945-9537 • www.popphoenix.org Northeast corner of 56th St. and Indian School Road Celebr ate Holy Week and Easter at Prince of Peace! Sunday, April 1, 9:30 a.m. Easter Worship Experience Hope! Family egg hunt after worship. Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday Worship Friday, March 30, 12 p.m. & 7 p.m. Good Friday Worship Save the Date: POP Street Fair, April 14, 4-7 p.m.! Arcadia Cares: Food for Kidz Packathon Saturday, March 24, 2018, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Prince of Peace Church (gym). Come and help for an hour or two. All are invited ages 3 and up to help pack meals for hungry kids. To schedule a tour, call us at 480-947-5645 Xavier celebrates their improbable State Championship run. A BREAKDOWN IS NEVER LUCKY. SCHEDULE YOUR SUMMER TUNE-UP!

59 MARCH 2018 ARCAD A NEWS overtime shootout against Notre Dame in the semi-finals, the team came up short against Chaparral in double overtime of the title game. This year’s team returned Kalena Teufel, who had led the team in goals as a junior. She did it again during her senior season, scoring a team high 29 goals. Other Titan standouts included a pair of sophomores, Brooke Leber and Mikey Regas, scored a combined 15 goals. The team entered the playoffs as the number five seed, and won their first two games against Verrado and Queen Creek. In the semi-finals, the Titans had a rematch with Notre Dame. This time the outcome wasn’t what Arcadia wanted, as the Titans lost a heartbreaker in overtime. Girls Basketball This was one of the greatest seasons in school history for the Arcadia Girls Basketball team. The Titans went 26-4, meaning they have gone on an astounding 52-7 over the last two seasons. Their overall record earned them the number five seed in the 5A conference playoffs. Senior Bryce Nixon wrapped up her career as one of the most accomplished players in school history by averaging 18 points a game for the Titans. Other standout players included Cassidy Campbell, Dylan Watkiss, and Taylor Houser. The Titans began the playoffs with two fantastic performances, a 56-26 route of Ironwood Ridge, followed by running a very good Centennial team off the court in a 66-32 win. But all season long, the team knew that they would have to go through number one seed Chaparral. Sadly, the Titans came up short in their semi-final game, losing to the Firebirds in a 58-54 struggle. They will be sporting a different look next season, as their top six scorers are seniors set to graduate in May. VERITAS GIRLS SOCCER This 2017-2018 season was a smashing success for the Falcons. The team posted a 14-2 overall record, with all 14 wins coming in a row. Junior Kylie Hall led the offense with an eye-popping 37 goals and 19 assists. Freshman Bella Gulbranson wasn’t too far behind, scoring 26 overall goals and sophomore Kylie Carwitz ended up with 15 goals and assists. But the goal of a state championship wasn’t to be, as the Falcons fell to Yuma Catholic in the second round of the playoffs, losing in penalty kicks. HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS PLAYOFF ROUNDUP Find an rack location near you. Visit arcadianews.com click on “Pick up a copy” AWA R D W I N N I N G N E I G H B O R H O O D N E W S S I N C E 1 9 9 3 PHOTO COURTESY OF ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL Sophomore defender Lauren Louer was a big part of the Titan’s playoff push. Michael Saavedra, MD, FAAAAI Board CerƟed in Allergy & Immunology for both children and adults. 4901 N. 44th St., Ste. 103 • Phoenix, AZ 85018 (602) 954-0405 • www.phoenixallergyclinic.com & Immunology for both children and adults. 4901 N. 44th St., Ste. 103 • Phoenix, AZ 85018 Allergy Testing Allergy Shots Rapid Desensitization Asthma Treatment Eczema Food Allergy Hives/ Contact Dermatitis Hay Fever Chronic Cough Watery, Itchy Eyes Adult and Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Care Contact us at (602) 954-0405 to schedule your appointment TODAY! FREE ADMISSION FOR LOOKERS & SPECTATORS! EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION FEE (donation): $50 Acceptable show entries include: Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, and specialty vehicles like Ice Cream Trucks, Military Vehicles, Trailers, Lawn Mowers, Tractors, Scooters, Etc. Exhibitor staging begins at 7:00am. Trophies Include: “Best in Show” (Judges Choice) and “Best in Arcadia” (People’s Choice). The “Best in Arcadia” award includes front page “bragging rights” published in the May edition of the Arcadia Central newsletter. Note: Anyone from anywhere, can enter almost anything on wheels… all are welcome. For more information: www.acmna.org/events/arcadia-auto-rama Saturday, April 21, 2018 - 8:00 to 11:00 4225 North 56th Street (LDS Church)