Hold off on the Estrella Foothills-is-the-region-favorite chatter for now.

The Deer Valley Skyhawks aren’t ready to relinquish the crown.

After upending region foe Estrella Foothills 43-36 Wednesday at home, the Skyhawks demonstrated that they still run the 4A West Valley. A 2023 state semifinalist, Deer Valley is a bit younger this season but still hungry.

For proof, look no further than the fourth quarter, when Deer Valley swiftly took command. But something pivotal happened right before the end of the third quarter.

That’s when Estrella Foothills’ best low post threat, Eva Amenhauser, received her fourth foul, with her team leading 23-18. Deer Valley was down by as much as eight points in the third quarter.

With Amenhauser on the bench to start the fourth quarter, Deer Valley went to work, scoring during its first five possessions. That ignited a 17-2 run, and Deer Valley never looked back.

“I think we just got locked in,” Deer Valley coach Amy Almazan said. “We just had to be more aggressive defensively, get some turnovers, get the buckets, and just make sure we apply a little bit more pressure. I think we were playing not as relentless as we normally do.”

Diamond Stevenson, the senior leader of the Skyhawks, was clutch down the stretch, scoring nine of her 17 points in the fourth quarter, and so to was Mollie Childress (three threes in the 4th quarter).

“I think we really wanted to prove not only to ourselves but to everybody that we can do this,” Stevenson said. “And that we are fully capable of competing and playing hard and still showing that we are still the underdogs. We are always going to stay relentless, and I’m always going to pick up my team, and they are going to pick me up. That energy really pushed me. We just all went crazy.”

Deer Valley is now 10-6 but hasn’t lost to a 4A team.

Estrella Foothills, ranked No. 3 in the 4A power rankings, dropped to 17-2.

But Estrella Foothills will get a chance to avenge the loss and snap its five-game losing streak to Deer Valley when they meet again on Jan. 23rd.