32 APRIL 2025 By Mark Hays Brophy and Xavier Prep’s archery teams had two goals this season: maintaining strong traditions and excelling in tournaments. Here’s how the teams did at their most recent competitions:  Broncos Head Coach Scott Wagy shared that the team’s season starts in mid-September and ends with the State Championship in March, unless the team qualifies for Nationals, and even then, the Broncos don’t always attend that competition. “We have qualified every year, and we’ve won three State Championships and been runner-up twice in the five years since we began the program,” Wagy said. “We won state in both Bullseye and 3D three times and have taken second in Bullseye twice.” The team participates in several tournaments, including the State Qualifier, State Championships, and up to four additional events. Brophy also runs a Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program, which competes in three to four events. Archers compete in bullseye and 3D formats, which feature foam targets representing six different animals. In JOAD, the groups are divided by age and the type of equipment they use. They compete in an indoor range of 18 meters and an outdoor range of up to 60 meters. This season, the Broncos focused heavily on teamwork. “Our strengths change from year to year, although our core has always been our team culture,” Wagy said. “In the past, we have had high-scoring individual archers who helped carry us. This season, we relied on the entire team to step up. The competition has only gotten better, and we need all of our archers to perform at their best.” Brophy’s team was strong, taking second place in 3D and tying for second in Bullseye at State. “The team we tied with, Wickenburg Christian Academy, has the highest scoring archer in the state, along with several other top shooters,” Wagy said. One memorable moment involved senior Connor Ramella, who missed the original competition due to illness. With a chance to make up his score, he delivered under pressure. “The score we needed to pull ahead was equal to the best score he had ever shot on bullseye in a tournament,” Wagy said. “I asked him if he would miss school to shoot the makeup, and he said he was ready to do whatever it took for the team.” Connor, accompanied by assistant Coach Jason Svedin, traveled to Arete Prep to compete. “He not only shot the score we needed, he surpassed it by six points. His personal best,” Wagy said. “This sums up our team. It was all of the boys pulling together. They logged 21 personal bests in this tournament. Many of the archers whose scores did not count shot personal bests.”  The Xavier program follows a slightly different schedule. “We split the season into two parts, allowing students who only want to try archery to do so with a smaller commitment,” Head Coach Kelsey Wicketts said. “The fall season is recreational, and in the winter, we hold tryouts for our competition team. If the team qualifies for Nationals, that’s at the end of April.” The Arizona Game & Fish Department hosts three state-run qualifier events, and Wicketts said that several schools also host their own tournaments. This year, the Gators competed in seven matches, with State taking place March 7-8 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility. The competition format includes Bullseye and 3D events, offering a variety of challenges for the archers to showcase their skills. Xavier faced complications due to rescheduling issues, which impacted their performance. “These caused delays and unfortunately some mental blocks with our archers. We did not shoot as well as we could have,” Wicketts said. The team finished fifth in both Bullseye and 3D. Xavier still had standout individual performances, with one archer placing eighth in Bullseye with a score of 272 and another taking 10th in 3D with a score of 265. Both qualified for Nationals. “Their strength lies in supporting each other as they continue to grow, even though part of the competition is about individual performance and not just as a team,” Wicketts said. “By helping each other, these archers maintain positive attitudes and correct their form after a bad shot.” As both programs continue to compete, the coaches emphasize teamwork and continuous improvement for their athletes: “As for the team, they want to perform well at State,” Wagy said. “Even though we are only in our sixth year, the program has already established a strong tradition. They want to continue upholding that by representing the school and the team to the best of their ability.” “We’re aiming to maintain our status as high school State Champions, but finishing strong no matter what,” Wicketts said. These Broncos and Gators know how to grip it and rip it Brophy senior archers Brady Miller, Will Klemmer, Nathan Bae, Connor Ramella, Aidan Molitor, Head Coach Scott Wagy, Gabe Acosta, Nate Villavicencio, Daniel Guzman. Xavier archers Ryleigh, Thalia, Lily, Cheyenne, Emerie, Victoria, Zoe, Sophia, Vianney, Rosalie, Lily, Harper, Xochitl, Yaretzi, Elizabeth, Miley, Itzayana, Bella, Elanora, Piper, Alondra, Isabella, Camila, Olivia, Madeline, Angelica, Savannah, Ashley. PHOTO COURTESY OF BROPHY PREP PHOTO COURTESY OF XAVIER PREP