48 FEBRUARY 2023 By Mark Hays High school basketball season is in full swing for players around Arcadia. Here’s what’s happening with the teams at AHS, Brophy Prep, Veritas and Xavier Prep. ARCADIA HIGH BOYS Arcadia plays 25 games this season and is currently at a three-win, 17-loss stretch. They have a young team, with eleven senior players graduating last year, but the team has strengths that can lend themselves to a potentially rewarding season. “We have high basketball IQ, size, the tallest team we’ve had in several years, and defense – one of the best defensive groups we have had,” Head Boys Basketball Coach Stephen Danford said. He likes to run a competitive, rigorous practice. “We, as a staff, stress fundamentals, kids being accountable to each other, and our expectation program-wide is that we compete and never stop regardless of the score,” he said. Standout players include sophomores Jamison Fox and Braylon Rooney, senior Ethan Faas, and junior Bo Spiekerman. The team was excited to face their rivals, Saguaro High School and Seton Catholic School. “Our goals are to get better every day, make the playoffs, and learn from our mistakes,” said Danford. GIRLS The Lady Titans have a 11-9 record in the season so far, ranking fourth in the 4A Desert Sky Division. Along with regular season games, the team will play seven tournaments. “For me, being part of the girls’ basketball team means having fun, playing hard and growing and improving together,” senior shooting guard Darci Cuellar said. Junior point guard Tianna Knighton and sophomore center Sofia Cordova are the team’s most experienced players, according to Coach Gavin Tolan. “These two do a great job of helping their teammates learn the game without offending them,” Tolan said. Their final game of the season is against Chandler’s Seton Catholic School on February 1. BROPHY Brophy plays 18 regular season games – thus far, they’ve got 18 wins and six losses under their 6A Premier Division belts. They’re currently in third place. The team also recently participated in the Visit Mesa Basketball Challenge and five games at the Desert Holiday Classic in Palm Springs, California. “I think this group has been the best shooting group I have coached so far,” Head Coach Matt Hooten said. According to Hooten, they have a relatively inexperienced team, but the players have become their own as the season progresses. The team this year is also exceptionally skilled in defense. No player on the team is taller than 6’6,” and that presented certain challenges. “Rebounding is something that we have focused on quite a bit,” Hooten said. Assistant Coaches Mike Schwertley and Ian Burke are both Brophy graduates who played basketball at Arizona State University and Portland State University, respectively. “They both bring a ton of expertise. Our focus is always to help teammates play our best game of the season in the next game on the schedule, so that is how we approach our practices and games,” Hooten said. Leading scorers are senior Arman Madi, who has signed to play for NAU next season, and junior Braeden Speed. “Our goal is to play our best so that, at the end of the season, we head into the playoffs with multiple wins,” Hooten said. VERITAS GIRLS The Lady Falcons at Veritas Prep play seventeen games in their regular season – thus far, their record is 9-9, ranked 7 th in the 2A Metro Division. The team’s main strength, according to Athletic Director Corian Dennis, is playing hard and gritty, and their numbers have risen since last year. This growth coincides with them being a young team, with only one senior. The coaches stress a positive attitude, consistent effort, and communication among the team. Dennis said that this year’s top scorers include Jaz Cobb and Cate Schneider. Veritas Prep’s team had their first winning season last year, and they want to build on that success in the current season. BOYS The boys’ basketball teams, varsity and freshman/sophmore, play sixteen regular season games and two regular season tournaments. Varsity has a record of 14-7 and are ranked third in the 2A Metro Division. They are a competitive bunch who are invested in the success of their teammates, according to Dennis. “While they struggle with scoring lulls, they are working hard to improve all the time, and are an ambitious team who are always excited to be playing,” Dennis said. The number of players on both the boys’ varsity team and the freshman and sophomore squads has grown steadily. Their goal is to make it to the state tournament, since Veritas Prep hasn’t played in the postseason since 2015. XAVIER Xavier is currently 14-4 and in second place in their division. They play 17 games in the regular season and will participate in two tournaments this year. Depth is their team’s main strength – an advantage that will certainly come in handy as they work on offensive and defensive plays. “We continue to improve on both ends of the court,” Head Coach Jennifer Gillom said. Gillom’s coaching style is high-tempo, active play during both practices and games. Xavier boasts a strong lineup of players that bring unique talents and strengths to the team. “Dominique Nesland is our leading scorer, but anyone on our starting lineup can be the leading scorer on any given night,” Gillom said. They face some tough opponents, but she’s optimistic: “I think our (Premier) conference is very competitive, and we look forward to starting this year against any of those teams.” Their goal this season is to win the first state championship in the school’s history. Get to know this year’s high school basketball teams (front): Nico Defalco, Matthew Richardson, Owen Lozevski, Bo Spiekerman, Dillon Achen, Luke Gullekson, Mason Kendrick. (back): Coach Brett Bailey, Ethan Stenhouse, Ethan Faas, Jamison Fox, Braylon Rooney, Slade Roberts, Oliver Faye, Ebenazer Amelga and Head Coach Stephen Danford. (front): JT Shear, Nick Sanford, Ayden Madi, Ryan Burbach, Sam Williams, Edgar Salcedo. (middle) Connor Fitzgerald, Skyler Johnson, Coach Matt Hooten, Coach Mike Schwertley, Coach Ian Burke, Manager Henry Foster. (back): Braeden Speed, Luke Rehl, Conner Ivy, Arman Madi, Xander Koehler, Daylen Sharper. (front): Gosimo Alinonu, Sienna Cherwinski, Jasmine Olivar, Lucy Sanford. (middle): Manager Aaliyah Mag’itt, Annie Kopp, Dominique Nesland, Sarah Miller, Maureen Ulrigh, Isabella Cerniglia, Manager Olivia Zangerle. (back): Coach Patrick Mangosing, Coach Angela Vecchiarelli, Gabriela Trbovic, Athiel Mlat, Noelle Bofia Guiamatsia, Emily Manuelito, Coach Jennifer Gillom and Coach Bethany Roessler. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN DANFORD PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE SHAFF/BROPHY ATHLETICS PHOTO: DUKE PHOTOGRAPHY

49 FEBRUARY 2023 By Mallory Gleich With two second-place individual championship finishes in 2018 and 2022, Brophy’s wrestling team hopes to add a state championship – and first place win – to their trophy case in 2023. The Broncos Division 1 wrestling season lasts four months, from early November to February. In that time, each wrestler will compete in roughly 40 matches. There are five invitationals throughout the season. Varsity Coach Wayne Catan has been a wrestling coach for 30 years, with eight of those at Brophy. “Within a wrestling match, the ultimate goal is to pin the other person, but you can win on points, too,” Catan said. “The ultimate goal for me is to get the student- athletes to love the sport because if they do, they will prosper.” The Broncos competed against Liberty, Sunnyside, Hamilton, Chandler, Mountain Ridge, Shadow Ridge, Sunnyslope and Chaparral this year. “Wrestling is a very demanding sport that requires dedication in every aspect of preparation. Coach Catan and the Broncos are having a great season, and we look forward to the push toward state championships. There are exciting things ahead,” Athletic Director Steve Shaff said. The team started the season with dual wins over Cibola High (48-18) and Copper Canyon (58-18). Four wrestlers went 2-0: junior Woody Bayless, junior Ty Trickle, sophomore Dylan Faires, and freshman Khan Richardson. Freshman Adam Angulo won ten straight matches in January at the Central Arizona Classic, earning him the gold medal. Ty defeated a top-ranked California wrestler in the finals of the Liberty Open at Liberty High School in Peoria in December. David Sweetman (the team’s heavyweight) won the Liberty Open and the Central Arizona Classic in early January. At the Liberty Open, David went undefeated in his matches, winning five by pins and two forfeits. The pins happened within 45.3 seconds. Other top performances at that invitational included Blake Sweetman with fourth place at 195 and Sean Kennedy with a sixth- place finish at 126. Other place-winners at the Central Arizona Classic included Jackson Sweetman (fourth at 175), Cooper Carey (second at 157), and Dylan Faires (fifth at 106). The Broncos split two matches in a separate competition, defeating Camelback 72-7 and losing to Shadow Ridge 53-26. Sean Kennedy and Adam Angulo both went 2-0. “I have been wrestling since I was eight – my dad put me in it in second grade,” Ty said. “I hated it at first. It’s tough, difficult and sometimes embarrassing. However, over time I grew to love that grind.” At practices, the 17-man team starts with warm-ups, then moves on to techniques. “We wrestle hard for about 40 minutes, and after that, we do conditioning, like sprints or body-weight exercises,” Catan said. “Our goals are to keep learning, working hard and winning.” Brophy also traveled to Winslow to wrestle in the Doc Wright Open. Fifty-two teams from Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Washington competed, and Cooper Carey, Axel Lauer, Jackson Sweetman, Blake Sweetman, Woody Bayless and Rigo Herrera won titles in their matches. Adam Angulo and David Sweetman propelled the team to a 15th place finish. Angulo beat two state runner-ups for a fifth- place finish. The team is getting ready for the 2023 State Championships, taking place on February 16-18 at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Brophy Broncos wrestling for the top position (back): Woody Bayless, Axel Lauer, Ty Trickle, David Sweetman, Gutierrez Rigoberto, Dominic Orozco, Cooper Carey. (front): Adam Angulo, Jacob Mathew, Dylan Faires, Khan Richardson, Jackson Sweetman, Sean Kennedy. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE SHAFF Religious Instruction • Strong Academics • Cutting Edge Technology • Service Learning Leadership Programs • PE and Interscholastic Sports • Instrumental and Vocal Music “Arts Attack” Program • School Nurse • Bus Transportation Available Who says you can’t study outside? 3901 East Indian School Road • 602-957-7010 • www.clsphx.org CHRIST LUTHERAN SCHOOL Christian Values. Quality Education. Preschool through Grade 8 ADVERTISE IN THIS AWARD-WINNING ISSUE! SPRING ISSUE Release date: March 1 | Deadline: February 17 @ Noon 2023 Home & Design Guide · Special pull-out section in Arcadia News . · Featuring original and compelling content. · A go-to guide for Arcadia’s discriminating homeowners. Contact Roni Mier at roni@arcadianews.com or 602-840-6379.