34 APRIL 2025 By Rachael Bouley Winter has passed, and our area schools have lots to be proud of, from overcoming challenges on the court to winning State Championships. Arcadia News caught up with Arcadia, Brophy, Veritas, and Xavier to find out how their basketball, soccer, and wrestling teams did this season.  Boys Basketball The varsity boys went 14-13 overall with a few ups and downs through the season. The Titans went on a month-long hot streak starting in mid-December, but a tough six- game region skid at the end of January meant they faced a play-in round to try and qualify for state. They successfully beat Ironwood Ridge 71-54 to advance to the first round, where they lost to St. Mary’s. It was a young team, with six sophomores and seven juniors joining seven experienced seniors. Although their season was cut short, the boys basketball program showed plenty of promise, with sophomore Brock Knee and junior Mason Kendrick both averaging 18 points per game. Sophomore Will Heinrichs led with a 67 percent field goal success rate. Girls Basketball Arcadia’s girls’ varsity team had a mix of younger talent and senior leaders, with five freshmen, one sophomore, and three juniors. Six Titans are graduating this year. They faced some tough competition in the 4A Desert Sky region, but still secured memorable victories over Coronado, Cortez, and Marcos de Niza. Senior Ahnaiya Anderson led with 78 points, followed by junior Greta Patterson with 64 points. Girls Soccer The varsity team had a successful 2024- 25 campaign, making it to the State 4A Quarterfinals where they narrowly lost to Cactus Shadows 2-1. The Titans finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, playing seven teams that would eventually make the playoffs, including games against Division 5A opponents Chapparal and Desert Mountain, No. 13 in the 4A rankings, and a runner-up finish in the region. Each player helped lead the team to victory, and Head Coach William Christenson credits senior captains Sadie Schwartz, Taylor Henry, Tess Sage, and Savannah Shorb for helping to keep the wins coming. “Taylor anchored the midfield, was selected to the regional first team, and received a district award, while Tess ran our defense and garnered regional first team and district accolades,” Christenson said. “Sadie was outstanding in goal, keeping us in many games with her athleticism. Our top scorer was sophomore Nancy Cagle, who netted 22 goals.” The strong team effort was crucial, given several injuries and tough matchups. “The biggest strength was their dedication to get better each and every practice and each and every game,” Christenson added. For the girls, some of the biggest highlights were road trips to Flagstaff and Douglas, and nearly defeating Cactus Shadows in the quarterfinals. “The thing that makes me proudest is the sense of community that the team, the parents, and the school have created,” Christenson said. “Of course we want to win, but more important are the memories the girls make and the relationships they form.” Boys Soccer The Titans proved resilient throughout the season, finishing with a 5-5 record and taking only one loss at home. “We qualified for the play-in tournament for the third year in a row but lost a super tough one off of two own goals against Prescott High,” Head Coach Alec Martucci said. “We played with great effort and were a fit and well-conditioned team, but learned the difference between effort and heart along the way.” Highlights included beating rival Coronado 7-0 and beating Flagstaff down a man with only 10 players instead of 11, as well as a volunteering trip to St. Mary’s Food Bank. The team had nine all-academic nominees and nine all-region award recipients in Desert Sky: program captain Jacob Arria and leading goal scorer Christian Cotto (first team), Gabriel Romero Silva and Frankie Flores (second team), and captain Angel Perez Hernandez, Eduardo Ocasio Hernandez, Brian Castro, Mason Fullerton and Alex Lara (honorable mentions). Mason was the first Arcadia freshman to win a regional award in almost 10 years. Eduardo also won Arcadia’s “Program’s Player Excellence Award” for his contributions and great academic standing all four years. He received regional accolades in his sophomore, junior, and now senior seasons. Senior varsity goalkeeper Angel played all four years at Arcadia and is pleased to leave the program in good hands. “I am most proud of the bond and culture we created as a team. We are supportive and push each other to strive to be the best,” he said. “My biggest takeaways from this season are that although there may be bumps throughout the road, it is vital to pick yourself up and continue on harder than before because that is the only thing you can do. Enjoy the moments you have because they are limited.” The future is bright for the program, which will see 11 seniors graduate this spring and younger players needed to fill their shoes. Elan Hart is one of the up-and-coming players as the junior varsity team captain and goalkeeper who won the JV Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. “I am proud of the hard work that everyone on the team put into the season, on and off the field. I am also proud of being given the opportunity to contribute to the team as a freshman,” Hart said. “I learned to embrace being an underdog and used it as motivation to not back down in the face of a challenge.” Wrestling The Titans took to the mat for a memorable season with both first-time wrestlers and returning competitors. Coaches Clifford Nafrada and Veronica Street were pleased to see individual accomplishments backed by a strong team culture. “Wrestling is a mentally and physically demanding sport, and our team remained bonded and supportive through every challenge,” Nafrada said. “A major highlight was our girls’ varsity team. Their success in tournaments and dedication to the sport is helping to pave the way for future female wrestlers in our program.” Last year, Arcadia had only one female wrestler, but this season grew to five female athletes, a number they hope to double by 2026. On the girls’ side, first-year wrestler Sophie Tautimes advanced her skills, earning a placement in every tournament she competed in. Shelby Scott also reached the podium at multiple tournaments in a breakthrough year for the Lady Titans. On the boys’ side, third-year wrestler and team captain Chase Connelly provided valuable leadership to encourage the newcomers, and Kevin Cruz was consistent at tournaments, securing third place finishes in three different events. One of the standout wrestlers was Walter Driggs, who picked up the sport and qualified for state with no prior experience. “He won his first match with football- style takedowns and quickly earned the nickname ‘the giant slayer’ for defeating much bigger and more experienced opponents,” Street said. “His grit and determination paid off as he became Arcadia’s only wrestler to qualify for the AIA State Championships in 2025.” Wrestling has been a great opportunity for student-athletes to start as individuals and become a true team, supporting each other and building friendships as part of the Titan mentality. “I am most proud of how much I’ve seen the team grow as friends and as wrestlers,” Shelby said. “My biggest takeaway from the season is that hard work pays off. If you haven’t been doing what you need to do, it will show.” The Titans were determined to make positive progress. “I am very proud of sticking with the team until the end of the season. No matter how hard and sweaty it got, I’m proud of being durable in wrestling,” Jada said. “I tried what I knew I could do well, and even when I made mistakes, I improved each match. My team is fun, supportive, positive, and always pushing each other to get better.”  Basketball The Broncos defeated Mesa 62-49 to win the AIA 6A Conference State Championship at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. Their efforts were led by junior Daylen Sharper who scored a game-high 18 points with five rebounds and four assists. Senior Luke Wieskamp added 15 points, while senior Ryan Burbach added 11 and eight rebounds. Senior Ayden Madi scored 12 points, and senior Xander Koehler tied for a team-high eight rebounds and contributed five points. Brophy finished 19-11 on the season with an experienced roster made up of seven seniors, six juniors, and one sophomore. Of those fourteen players, ten were returning varsity athletes. “I am most proud of the way our team continued to improve and evolve over the course of the season despite the rash of 2025 winter HIGH school sports wrap-up Arcadia High boys’ and girls’ wrestling. PHOTO: AUDREA WALSHIRE

35 APRIL 2025 injuries that we faced this year,” Coach Matt Hooten said. “Ultimately, winning the first basketball state title in school history was an incredibly exciting way to end the season.” Other highlights included winning the 50th Annual Fr. Barry Classic hosted by Jesuit High School in Sacramento. Luke was named the tournament MVP while Ryan and Daylen were both named to the all- tournament team. “We also defeated perennial national powerhouse Centennial High School in Corona, California at the Nike Tournament of Champions in January,” Hooten added. “We beat 4A No. 2 seed Prescott High School in the first round of the Open Division playoffs, winning 70-68 in OT on a buzzer beater.” Soccer The season ended at Kofa 2-0 in the AIA 6A Conference quarterfinals. The Broncos won over Tolleson Union in the first round and O’Connor in the playoff game. Their overall record was 11-8-4, ranking third in the region and 13th in the state. They went undefeated through their first five matches to get the season off on a strong note and finished with 32 goals for and 26 against. Eight of Brophy’s victories were shutouts, thanks to strong efforts by junior goalkeeper J.P. Odden. Junior Alec Roland led with nine goals, followed by sophomore Shubhan Kulkarni with six and senior Jameson Choi with four. Choi also led with five assists. The Broncos won the Rams Tournament title with a 1-0 win over Washington. Jared Garcia had the game-winning goal off Choi’s assist. During the tournament, they had a 10-2 goal differential with a 4-0-1 record including three shutouts. Wrestling During the 2025 AIA State Championships, senior Jackson Sweetman was the runner-up at 215 pounds, one of three Broncos to earn All-State as Brophy finished 13th with 48 points. Junior Adam Angulo was third at 150, and sophomore Landon Jurek took sixth at 190. “I am proud of our team,” Head Coach Wayne Catan said. “Adam showed his mettle, winning two hard-fought bouts to take third. Jack had a great final but came up a tad short, and Landon officially arrived. The future is bright.” Jackson lost to Maddox Botma of Liberty in a tight match 11-7. They entered the third period tied before two takedowns in the final minute turned the match. He earned all-state for the second time after placing fifth as a junior. Adam recorded his second top three state finish. He defeated Ryland Moss of Liberty 11-9 in his first match. Trailing 6-0 in the second period and 7-5 in the third, Adam recorded two takedowns in the final 77 seconds for the comeback. He defeated Ali Elasfia 1-0 in the third-place match. Landon, who lost his opening state match, responded with three straight wins into the consolation semifinals, highlighted by a major decision over Grady Lyons of Pinnacle.  Boys Basketball Veritas’ varsity team finished with a 17-12 record and won the 2A play-in over Glendale Prep with a nail-biting score of 55-54. They fell to Fountain Hills 47-57 in the first round of State. Eight seniors, five juniors, and two sophomores made up the team, with junior point guard Baylor Arnold leading the way in points with a team-high 307. Senior Carter Perry wasn’t far behind with 305 points while sophomore Miles Perry scored 286. Girls Basketball The Falcons had a younger squad this year, with one senior, five juniors, two sophomores, and one freshman. They missed out on playoffs with a 9-11 overall record but won their last three games to finish the season on a positive note. Junior Valeria Castaneda scored a team- high 218 points and had 41 assists, 51 steals, and 157 rebounds. Junior Cate Schneider was another key contributor, averaging 11.2 rebounds and 10.1 points per game and was the second-highest scorer on the season. Sophomore Katherine Huse also made an impressive impact, ranking third on the team for points at 98 and rebounds at 89. Boys Soccer Varsity soccer saw some ups and downs this year, finishing 5-7 overall and fourth in the 2A Valley region but making it to the first round of playoffs. There were some newer faces on the team, with four freshmen and five sophomores joining four juniors and five seniors. Tyler Beebe, Tico Lentz, and Corey White were named to the 2A All-Region first team, while Christian Dominguez and Luke Zaki made the second team and Kevin Castaneda, Ty Lembo, and Santiago Soto earned honorable mentions. Tyler was also an honorable mention for the All- Conference team. The future is looking bright for the Falcons, with up-and-coming soccer stars shining at the younger level, winning the Great Hearts Middle School League A1 Boys Championship. “Through grit, teamwork, and belief in each other, we made it happen,” Coach Jessica Jablonski said. “I am incredibly proud of this group for the hard work, dedication, and heart they put in this season. Every player played a role in this success, stepping up when it mattered most.” Girls Soccer The team enjoyed a strong season, going 7-5 overall and 5-0 for a first-place finish in the 2A Valley region. Their State journey was cut short with an opening loss to Phoenix Country Day, but Coach Nate Delo said there was still lots to be proud of. Natalia Sotelo was recognized as Region Player of the Year and Regan Rassas won Region Defensive Co-Player of the Year. The two received All-Conference honors and joined McKenna Swonger and Sofia Reichel with 2A All-Region first team selection. Giselle Strickland, Emma Lopez, and Benita Bonilla made the second team while Evelyn Ruedas, Athena Skikos, and Francesca Skikos were honorable mentions. Delo also was recognized as Region Coach of the Year.  Basketball The Gators finished the season with a 20-9 record and made it to state quarterfinals where they narrowly lost to eventual state champs Millennium, 53-45. Head Coach Jennifer Gillom said they hit their stride in the second half of the season with hard-fought wins against good teams. “This was a challenging season for the coaches and players due to player availability and various injuries,” Gillom said. “Despite these challenges, the team was able to rally around each other and really learn how to be good teammates on and off the court. Seeing the girls start to believe in themselves and seeing how talented they are was extremely special.” The Gators credit team bus rides, gameday lunches, pregame dance parties, and bracket reveal traditions with helping to build a stronger team bond. “Noelle Bofia was our most reliable and dominant player throughout the year, while we continued to have great leadership by seniors Lucy Sanford and Margaux Cenac,” Gillom added. “There were several games we would not have won without the scoring ability of Sade Charles, nor the defensive presence of Cece Mlat. Sariah McNabb and Jayda Lange were our workhorses helping fill the stat lines all season long and stopping our opponents’ best players.” Several girls came off the bench and stepped up with productive minutes, contributing offensively and defensively. Gillom said that speed and size were Xavier’s strengths this season. “Being able to push the ball in transition and having posts who were able to run the floor was very effective for us and caused trouble for our opponents,” Gillom said. Soccer Make that five in a row for Xavier soccer. Winning another title, and their first-ever Girls Open Division State Championship, was the perfect finish to a 16-1 season. The Gators continue to expand their state record with their 15th title in school history. Coach Barb Chura credits this success to the team’s growth throughout the season and overcoming injuries at the right time. “The most memorable moment was seeing how happy all the girls were after the championship game,” Chura said. “Our team strengths were discipline and chemistry, and Ally Brown, Michal Cagungun, Olivia Yu, Lainey Swanson, Nev Herzog, Sophia Knox, Izzy Lee, and Bianca Willis helped the team succeed.” Lainey scored twice in Xavier’s 2-1 victory over Casteel in the championship game, including an overtime goal to put the Gators back in front. They hung on through a second 10-minute overtime to seal the deal on the five-peat. The Veritas Falcons won the Great Hearts Middle School League A1 Boys Championship. Xavier’s varsity soccer team. PHOTO COURTESY OF VERITAS PREP PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA ZUBA