The Arizona Interscholastic Association’s three-week period for spring football ended May 18.

Here is a brief look at some of the programs from this author’s area of coverage, from north Phoenix, the southwest and northwest Valley and northern Arizona . . .

Goodyear Desert Edge

Coach Rich Wellbrock reports that practices went well for the 2012 Division III runner-up.

“I was pleased with the tempo and could tell how hard the kids worked in the off-season,’’ he said.

Wellbrock listed four players among those expected to play key roles. They are wide receiver-linebacker Ismael Murphy-Richardson, wide receiver-defensive back Elijah Marks, running back-defensive back Raheem Dowdell and running back-defensive back Jordan Jackson.

Development of depth and leadership also was a key issue.

The Scorpions are expected to participate in various passing tournaments in the coming weeks, including one at UCLA. Their pre-season camp will be held in Payson.

Phoenix Horizon

First-year coach Kris Heavner talked about the enthusiasm displayed by those in his program, numbering more than 100 strong.

Heavner, a former University of Arizona quarterback who was head coach at Tucson Santa Rita last season, also has a core of four key players.

Start with defensive lineman Jake Grant, who is receiving strong looks from NCAA Division I schools such as Arizona and Notre Dame.

Wide receiver-outside linebacker Kristian Salinas also is receiving attention from some D-I schools and is one of the team’s hardest workers. Heavner likes his explosive speed.

Wide receiver-defensive back-punter Spencer Marciniak also has good speed and has been contacted by some D-I schools.

Heavner’s former position at Arizona has him leaning on Dalton Sneed to provide leadership and results on the field. Sneed got a taste of varsity play last year as a sophomore while the older signal-callers dealt with injuries, and showed a great deal of promise.

Heavner also expects to receive a boost from defensive coordinator Willie Dudley, a veteran of Arizona coaching circles who was the head coach at Phoenix Scottsdale Christian last season. Dudley also has been head coach at Marana, near Tucson, and Tempe Marcos de Niza.

The Huskies will participate in passing competition at Arizona’s three universities as well as the annual competition in Surprise, coming up later in June.

Phoenix Northwest Christian

Winning the Division V state title has had a residual effect here, where coach David Inness had a record number of players out for spring ball, as many as 65 with an average of 50.

The Crusaders will be young, but they will be good and likely challenge for another crown.

“We have a chance to be a really good team with as many as 15 underclassmen starting,’’ Inness said.

Among the team’s top players are defensive linemen Will Gades and Parker Valerius. Inness’ son, Drew, will take over at quarterback. And linebacker Matt Delos is back with a 41-game starting streak and a 12-tackle performance in the state-championship win over Morenci.

Northwest Christian will participate in passing leagues around the state and at San Diego State, and will have a three-day preseason camp in Flagstaff beginning July 31.

Phoenix Paradise Valley

Donnie Yantis is optimistic about his team after leading the group through what might have been the best spring in his 14 seasons.

He said his team will have the most depth as it has in the last five years.

Quarterback Ryan Finley has departed for Boise State, but Yantis’ offense appears to be in capable hands with Trent Gavelek. Yantis said Gavelek is picking up the new running game that includes many option concepts.

In Jordan Brown, Yantis says he has one of the state’s “sleepers’’ at wide receiver. Brown also excels as a defensive back.

Several Division I schools are taking a close look at safety-linebacker Max VanKampen, who Yantis says has the speed of a defensive back and the strength of a linebacker.

This group also should be one of the school’s fastest, with seven starters clocked at 4.7 seconds or faster in the 40.

“We have been emphasizing technique at every position for every coach and player,’’ Yantis said. “We have demanded the effort – our goal is that no one will play as hard as PV.’’

Numerous passing leagues are on the early summer schedule, and the Trojans’ preseason camp will be July 26-31 at Biola University in Los Angeles.

Prescott

The Badgers have been hitting the weights hard and should have a strong season for coach Cody Collett if a group of young players steps up and shows maturity.

“We have had a good spring. The players have adjusted to our tempo well,’’ Collett said.

Prescott is led by Sterling Johnson, a three-year starter at linebacker. Other key players are defensive lineman Jared Tiefenthaler, running back Chris Wright and linebacker-running back Kaine Bayzer.

Avondale Westview

Coach Jeff Bowen always has one of the state’s most consistent programs, and 2013 should be no different. He said the spring went well, with as many as 140 players taking the field.

The Knights’ top players are quarterback Kordell Provchy, running back Jalen Johnson, defensive back Desmond Washington, linebacker Richie Miranda, center Christian Balderas, offensive tackle Manuel Martinez, defensive tackle Diante Flowers and defensive end Cody Carriel.

Westview will be at the passing league and big man camp at Arizona State, the Arizona Football Coaches Association passing competition in Surprise and the Universal Sports Westside passing tournament. The preseason camp will be July 22-26 at Whittier College in southern California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  (L-R Coach Ryan Prassas, DJ Hampton, Ricky Bain, Patrick Murillo, and Deon Parks helped Raymsond S. Kellis win its first track and field title this season. Photo by Steve Paynter/paynterpics.com) 

If Division II’s boys track and field teams didn’t know what RSK stood for at the start of the season, they were certainly aware by the end of the season that the initials belonged to only one school — Raymond S. Kellis.

To make a bold statement when this season started, Raymond S. Kellis’ boys track and field team had its school’s initials emblazoned on their jerseys. But winning the D-II state crown was the loudest statement RSK made this year and did so with six of its eight state qualifiers scoring points at state.

The relatively small group brought home the first track and field state title for the Glendale school. RSK finished fourth at state last year and returned almost everybody this year, including a great group of sprinters.

With no throwers and distance runners at the state meet, RSK leaned heavily on its sprinters to gobble up points.

“We didn’t have one stud, but we had a lot of guys who were solid,” RSK’s second-year coach Ryan Prassas said.

That was evident when RSK’s 4x100-meter relay team of Deon Parks, DJ Hampton, Ricky Bain and Patrick Murillo defended their state title in style.

The seniors set a new school record (41.9) at state in that event.

“For those guys to stay motivated and set the school record was exciting to see,” Prassas said. “We won the race by half a second. They pushed themselves to get that school record.”

Parks did a lot of the heavy lifting for RSK at state, finishing fourth in the 100-meter race and first in the 200.

           (Deon Parks, the anchor leg of this year's Division II 4x100-meter state title relay team, had a good state meet for Raymond S. Kellis. Photo by Steve Paynter/paynterpics.com)

But RSK didn’t seal its state team title until the night events started at Mesa Community College on May 11.

Prassas believed he needed his runners in that race to finish 1-2-3 in the 200 to secure the D-II title. RSK finished 1-3-4, however, leaving the squad waiting anxiously for about three hours for the final events to finish.

When they finally heard the state championship announcement, coach Prassas’ kids ran to get their team title trophy. Needless to say, the tired athletes were extremely happy when they lifted the trophy.

RSK scored 47 points, five more than the second place team. RSK’s sprinters grabbed a majority of the points for their team, but the team wouldn’t have won the title if a couple of long jumpers, Murillo and Tyler Williams, hadn’t collected seven valuable points.

Murillo placed sixth and Williams fifth in the long jump, a surprising result for an RSK team that didn’t have a long jumper ranked in the top-11 heading into state. Williams, a baseball player, was a late addition to the team.

He didn’t join the track and field team until the final regular season meet, where he qualified for state. Once his baseball team lost its first playoff game, Williams then slipped on the RSK track jersey.

“We had a really good group of kids,” Prassas said. “When I sat down with them at the start of the year I told them I was I’m going to push them hard this year. They were mad at me.”

But the anger quickly dissipated once the medals started rolling in.

Queen Creek High’s Carson Jones and one of his best friends, Chy Johnson, received a standing ovation.

Desert Christian and Red Mountain were each awarded the biggest prize of the day.

Bruce Cooper flashed the beaming smile we’ve come to expect and love.

Those were some of the highlights of Monday’s 11^th annual Champions Awards Luncheon hosted by the Arizona Interscholastic Association at University of Phoenix Stadium. The mood was celebratory, but a couple of minutes also were dedicated to a high school sports administrator, Higley Unified School District athletic director Art Wagner, and a former high school athlete, firefighter Brad Harper, who recently passed away.

At the start of Monday’s luncheon, the AIA’s executive director, Dr. Harold Slemmer, asked for a moment of silence to honor Wagner, a very likeable sports administrator who began his high school career in Arizona as a security guard at McClintock High School. Harper helped Northwest Christian win a basketball title in 2008 and was an assistant coach at Joy Christian this season.

Joy Christian’s athletic director Alan Boelter first met Harper when Boelter was the AD at Northwest Christian. When he accepted the 1A Conference Overall Excellence Award Monday for his school, Boelter took time during his speech to acknowledge the loss of Harper, a Phoenix firefighter who died Saturday while on duty.

“An unbelievable man,” said Boelter of Harper. “Honesty. Integrity. He was a leader in his community.”

Another touching moment during the luncheon occurred when Jones, the starting quarterback on Queen Creek’s 2012-13 Division III championship team, walked on stage with Johnson.

Johnson is a 16-year-old student with a mental disorder who was being bullied. But Jones recruited his teammates to protect Johnson, allowing Johnson’s smile return.

After showing a TV news clip of Jones’ heroics, Jones was presented with the Section 7 National Federation of High Schools Spirit of Sport Award.

Johnson joined Jones on stage as they were warmly saluted during Monday’s event.

“It’s OK,” said Johnson about being on stage. “I was a little nervous.”

Like Johnson, Cooper’s smile also lid up the room Monday.

Cooper received the AIA’s Skip Bryant Media Award. The beloved Channel 12 sports anchor has been one of the strongest advocates of Arizona’s high schools.

“High school sports is definitely a passion of mine,” said Cooper during his speech.

The recipients of this year’s Directors’ Cup Awards, the highest honor the AIA bestowed Monday, went to 1-3A recipient Desert Christian and 4-5A recipient Red Mountain.

The Cups are given to the programs that excelled on the field and in the classroom.

Award recipients

Tony Komadina Girls Award

1-3A River Valley

4-5A Mountain Ridge

Special Olympics Unified Sports Nick Sundberg Award

Partner recipient: Brianna Leavitt, Gila Ridge High.

Athlete recipient: Ricky Schrecengost, Lake Havasu High.

Overall excellence

Joy Christian, 1A conference

Pusch Ridge, 2A

Fountain Hills, 3A

Catalina Foothills, 4A

Xavier Prep, 5A

AIA Champions Award

Special Olympics Arizona Interscholastic Association

1-3A Scholar Activity Award

Boy finalists: Tyler Martis, Blue Ridge. Michael Meersman, Desert Christian.

Winner: Meersman.

Girl finalists: Breanne Self, Desert Christian. Cecilia Trevino, River Valley.

Winner: Trevino.

4-5A Scholar Activity Award

Boys winner: Christopher Harvey, Notre Dame.

Girl finalists: Lindsey Hood, Sabino. Kyle Hrabe, Desert Vista. Angela Zhang, Mesa Mt. View.

Winner: Zhang.

1-3A Scholar Athlete Award

Boy finalists: Jacob Fields, Joseph City. Dennis Hull, Miami.

Winner: Fields.

Girl finalists: Alexis Edwards, Joseph City. Sarah MacDonald, Pusch Ridge.

Winner: MacDonald.  

4-5A Scholar Athlete Award

Boy finalists: Christopher Harvey, Notre Dame. Cole Preston, Desert Vista. Michael Wrona, Lake Havasu.

Winner: Preson.

Girl finalists: Brittany Goldberg, Lake Havasu. Mally McGarity, Marana. Courtney Spalt, Sabino.

Winner: Spalt.

Leadership in Girls Athletics Award

Toni Corona, Duncan

Administrator of the Year Award

Dr. Anna Battle, Desert Vista

Coach of the Year Award

1-3A Iram Alday, Desert Christian

4-5A Eric Magana, Higley.

Student of the Year Award

Boys: Dennis Hull, Miami.

Girls: Anne Straneva, Xavier.

National Federation of High Schools Speech and Debate Award

Kevin Berlat, Central.

Who is Art Wagner?

After attending a two-hour Celebration of Life service on Monday night for the revered East Valley educator who passed away on May 15, here are a few descriptions and traits offered by various folks at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts. A lot of people that knew him best.

Generous. OK, lots of people are generous. That doesn't single Art out, but he is that. And more so with the precious commodity of  time than anything else.

Football star. Yes. Played at a school prep football aficionados have heard of in Odessa, Texas called Permian High. The school of Friday Night Lights' fame.

Bear-hugger. A show of affection Art at times would offer. Afterward the recipient might have felt some sort of affliction as a consequence.

Brother. Someone who you could count on to have your back or help you in a pinch. Oh, that was Art. Just ask the dozens of current athletic directors and fellow administrators who fired off phone calls. texts or emails to get answers they didn't know or deal with situations they hadn't encountered.

Jobs in education.  A bunch. Security guard. His first job in education at McClintock High School. Equipment manager. His second job at McClintock High. Coach. His third job at McClintock. Teacher. His fourth job at McClintock. Assistant principal-athletic director. His fifth job at McClintock High. Assistant principal-registrar at Mountain Pointe High School.  Athletic director for Higley Unified School District.

Smile. A huge one. An infectious one. When you spend part of your life in Texas, everything is big. Part of his positive demeanor.

"It's all good". A typical Wagner concluding line. More of the positive nature of the man.

Off-duty. Doesn't apply. Probably never applied to Art.  

Selfless. Indisputable, but perhaps to a fault.

Loved. If you attended the service Monday, you knew or quickly discovered how true that is.

 

 

By utilizing the MaxPreps database to get win totals over the past five seasons, we have concluded that the Hamilton football team has been the most consistent and the most dominant amongst all Arizona 11-man football teams.

The Huskies have won 67 total games, losing only four times and capturing four state championships.

Here are the rest of the Arizona teams that have made a habit of winning over the past five years.1. Hamilton (Chandler) 67-4
State Titles: 4
Record Since 2004: 118-8
Game history

2. Blue Ridge (Lakeside) 65-4
State Titles: 2
Record Since 2004: 108-11
Game history

3. Centennial (Peoria) 62-7
State Titles: 1
Record Since 2004: 112-12
Game history

4. Chaparral (Scottsdale) 61-8
State Titles: 2
Record Since 2004: 102-20
Game history

5. Northwest Christian (Phoenix) 58-7
State Titles: 1
Record Since 2004: 70-32
Game history

6. Yuma Catholic 56-10
State Titles: 1
Record Since 2004: 88-20
Game history

6. Saguaro (Scottsdale) 56-11
State Titles: 2
Record Since 2004: 99-20
Game history

8. Cienega (Vail) 52-11
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 86-24
Game history

8. Marcos de Niza (Tempe) 52-12
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 74-36
Game history

10. Salpointe Catholic (Tucson) 50-9
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 83-23
Game history

10. St. Johns 50-14
State Titles: 1
Record Since 2004: 88-24
Game history

12. Williams Field (Gilbert) 49-11
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 51-67
Game history

12. Canyon del Oro (Tucson) 49-13
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 87-23
Game history

12. Cactus (Glendale) 49-13
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 92-21
Game history

12. Show Low 49-18
State Titles: 1
Record Since 2004: 81-29
Game history

16. Joseph City 48-7
State Titles: 3
Record Since 2004: 78-17
Game history

16. Sabino (Tucson) 48-12
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 88-22
Game history

16. Ironwood Ridge (Tucson) 48-16
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 79-31
Game history

16. Brophy College Prep (Phoenix) 48-17
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 93-25
Game history

20. Queen Creek 47-15
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 78-31
Game history

20. Westview (Avondale) 47-15
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 74-36
Game history

22. Liberty (Peoria) 46-13
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 46-13
Game history

23. Snowflake 45-16
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 68-36
Game history

23. Desert Ridge (Mesa) 45-18
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 59-48
Game history

25. Heritage Academy (Mesa) 44-8
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 44-8
Game history

25. Mogollon (Heber) 44-9
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 79-18
Game history

25. Notre Dame Prep (Scottsdale) 44-17
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 68-40
Game history

28. Kingman Academy 43-6
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 49-8
Game history

28. Mingus (Cottonwood) 43-17
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 81-31
Game history

30. Apollo (Glendale) 42-16
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 59-40
Game history

30. Desert Vista (Phoenix) 42-18
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 69-38
Game history

30. Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) 42-19
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 63-39
Game history

33. Scottsdale Christian Academy (Phoenix) 40-15
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 63-33
Game history

33. Empire (Tucson) 40-18
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 46-31
Game history

33. Winslow 40-18
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 81-28
Game history

33. Fountain Hills 40-19
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 70-35
Game history

37. Williams 39-15
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 56-38
Game history

37. Sequoia (Mesa) 39-17
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 45-21
Game history

37. Peoria 39-18
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 70-36
Game history

37. Tempe Prep 39-18
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 60-39
Game history

37. Basha (Chandler) 39-19
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 70-34
Game history

37. Chandler 39-20
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 69-35
Game history

37. Seton Catholic (Chandler) 39-21
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 62-39
Game history

44. Millennium (Goodyear) 38-19
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 72-34
Game history

44. Pinnacle (Phoenix) 38-19
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 65-36
Game history

44. Willcox 38-19
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 57-40
Game history

47. Benson 37-19
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 54-40
Game history

47. Sunnyside (Tucson) 37-19
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 76-31
Game history

47. Boulder Creek (Anthem) 37-20
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 43-37
Game history

47. Nogales 37-20
State Titles: 0
Record Since 2004: 56-43
Game history

The 2012-13 school year hasn’t quite wrapped up yet, but some schools already are looking ahead to 2013-14 in terms of athletic staffing.

One of those schools is Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep.

Notre Dame athletic director Monica Barrett reports that Tom Horyza will be the school’s new boys basketball coach and will serve as an assistant AD.

Horyza, who was the AD and a coach at Phoenix Veritas Prep, replaces former Notre Dame boys coach Chris Stark, who left the program to pursue other coaching opportunities.

In addition, long-time Valley area football coach Mike Brown has joined Notre Dame head coach Gary Gregory’s staff as an assistant coach. Brown also will be a teacher.

Brown comes to Notre Dame after serving one season as head coach at Phoenix North Canyon. He also was head coach at Tolleson High and spent many years as head coach at Phoenix Greenway.