VarsityXtra

Apache Junction’s run in the 4A-I football playoffs will have to be made without one of its biggest stars, as two-way lineman Cy Maughmer will miss the postseason with a partially torn ACL.

Coach Rich Milligan said Maughmer was hoping the Prospectors’ off week last week would give the injury a chance to heal enough so he could play, but the knee remained stiff and he had limited range of motion.

“Fortunately, the doctor said there was no other damage in the knee,” Milligan said. “After surgery, he’ll be back running full speed in 10 weeks. That will have less of an impact on his recruiting.”

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Maughmer is a Division I recruit and already has an offer from the Air Force Academy. Other schools to express interest are Arizona State, Nebraska, Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Army.

“It’s a big hit for us and a tough thing for him to deal with, he’s never been hurt to the point he’s lost playing time,” Milligan said.

Apache Junction, the No. 6 seed in the 4A-I playoffs, faces No. 11 Glendale Independence in the first round on Friday.

Last week was the final “easy” week for the East Valley’s cross country runners. City or district meets are usually competitive, but low-key and fun since the athletes tend to get to know one another as the years go on and are familiar with each other.
All of the results from the city and district meets can be found online at http://www.arizonatrack.com/arizona/2009_Results/2009_XC/meetschedule.html.
This week, the intensity gets turned up, especially in the 4A-1A conferences, as the regional meets begin.  In 4A, the top three (or if a region has seven or more teams, top four) teams and top 10 individuals not on qualifying teams advance to the state meet, which is Nov. 7 at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix.
The majority of 4A teams in the East Valley will be at one place on Friday, as the 4A-II East Sky and 4A-I Desert Sky regions have a combined meet at Freestone Park in Gilbert.  Also on Friday is the 4A-II Black Canyon Region meet at Sereno Park in Phoenix. The 1A/2A Metro-West Region meet is on Saturday at Phoenix Country Day School.

The Doug Conley Cross Country Invitational is ready for its 37th running on Saturday. The meet returns to Rolling Hills Golf Course in Tempe after spending most of its successful run at Kiwanis Park.

This year’s meet features a solid field of teams from all over the state, with programs like Hopi, Tuba City, Ganado and Page from the north and Catalina Foothills, Nogales, Sunnyside and Ironwood Ridge from the south. Throw in East Valley powers like Mountain View, Highland, Brophy, Pinnacle and Saguaro and the Conley will once again be a top-tier event. For a complete list of the 37 teams competing, visit http://www.dougconleyinvitational.com/DougConleyTeams.pdf.

Things get rolling at Rolling Hills with the women’s varsity race at 7:45 a.m. The men’s varsity race follows at 8:15 a.m. and the women’s nonvarsity (8:45 a.m.) and men’s nonvarsity (9:15 a.m.) round out the morning’s races.

The new course will make things interesting since so many of the runners taking part in the meet have gotten used to the hills at Kiwanis. Now, runners will have to figure out where on this year’s course to make their move. They will be aided by the fact that the race is two laps, so they’ll see the course on the first lap and know where they want to surge on the second lap.

Something that cannot be ignored, however, is the teams that aren’t taking part in the Conley this year. Xavier’s Jessica Tonn was in line to become the first female runner to ever win three-straight Conley titles, but the Gators declined their invitation to the meet. That’s good news for all of the other girls teams, but bad news for those wanting to see the best girls team in the state.

Also not competing are both the boys and girls teams from Rio Rico, Rincon, Flagstaff, Sinagua and Shadow Mountain as well as the Desert Vista boys.

For those going to the meet, the best bet for parking will be at the SRP parking lot just west of Rolling Hills. Be sure to bring your own running shoes so you can make it up and down the hills and find the best place to watch the race.

This weekend’s Goldwater Volleyball Festival and the Lady Hawk Classic at Highland on Oct. 23 and 24 are the final two big tournaments of the season, so time is getting short for Arizona’s volleyball season.

Most teams have played more than half of the matches that count toward the power point rankings (the same rankings that determine seeding for the state volleyball tournaments). So, with everyone having just a handful of meaningful matches left, it’s time to start looking at how the power points are shaping up. So, here’s the AIA’s official up-to-date (as of Tuesday, Oct. 6) power rankings and some notes on key matches this week.

5A-I

Listing is by: Record, opponent wins, total games (that count toward power points), points and power points.

1. Xavier 9-0 98 17 1255 73.8235

2. Desert Vista 8-0 105 17 1204 70.8235

3. Hamilton 8-1 91 17 1135 66.7647

4. Gilbert 8-1 83 17 1094 64.3529

5. Basha 8-1 80 17 1079 63.4706

6. Mountain Pointe 8-1 79 17 1075 63.2353

7. Westwood 8-3 70 17 1030 60.5882

8. Salpointe Catholic 7-2 82 17 993.5 58.4412

9. Red Mountain 7-2 77 17 980 57.6471

10. Desert Ridge 7-3 69 17 940 55.2941

11. Highland 6-3 74 17 880 51.7647

12. Mesa 4-5 105 17 865 50.8824

13. Tucson 6-3 71 17 853 50.1765

14. Corona del Sol 5-4 84 17 845 49.7059

15. Alhambra 6-4 64 17 820 48.2353

15. North 6-4 64 17 820 48.2353

17. Mountain Ridge 5-4 78 17 814 47.8824

18. Mountain View 4-5 85 17 765 45

19. Casa Grande 4-6 81 17 745 43.8235

20. North Canyon 4-3 80 17 740 43.5294

21. Chandler 2-7 106 17 700 41.1765

22. Mesquite 3-5 88 17 695 40.8824

23. San Luis 4-4 66 16 618.5 38.6562

24. Kofa 3-6 76 17 610 35.8824

25. St. Mary’s 2-6 87 17 605 35.5882

26. Buena 2-7 86 17 597 35.1176

27. Maryvale 3-7 69 17 590 34.7059

28. Dobson 1-8 87 17 520 30.5882

29. Cesar Chavez 2-7 66 17 500 29.4118

30. Skyline 0-10 86 17 429 25.2353

31. Trevor Browne 0-9 75 17 365 21.4706

Notes: No. 1 Xavier plays the next two teams in the power point rankings this week. The Gators go to No. 3 Hamilton today and host No. 2 Desert Vista on Thursday. Xavier hasn’t lost to an Arizona team yet this season, but the Gators haven’t faced the Thunder yet. Basha gets its second shot at Gilbert when the two teams meet at Gilbert on Thursday. The Bears lost in three games the first time around. Mountain View (No. 18) can put itself into the Top 16 if it can pull off a win today at Basha. Corona del Sol (No. 14) can really help or hurt itself this week with road matches against No. 11 Highland and No. 22 Mesquite. Two wins, and the Aztecs could find themselves in the top 10, but two losses could put them below No. 16.

5A-II

Listing is by: Record, opponent wins, total games (that count toward power points), points and power points.

1. Ironwood Ridge 8-2 74 17 1061.5 62.4412

2. Centennial 8-1 71 17 1040 61.1765

3. Desert Mountain 6-3 80 17 920 54.1176

4. Betty Fairfax 7-2 62 17 915 53.8235

5. Camelback 8-1 58 17 900 52.9412

6. Pinnacle 6-2 73 17 885 52.0588

7. Cibola 6-2 67 16 825 51.5625

8. Valley Vista 6-3 62 16 824 51.5

9. Yuma 6-4 72 17 860 50.5882

10. Boulder Creek 6-3 69 17 854 50.2353

11. Ironwood 6-3 65 17 845 49.7059

12. Sandra Day O’Connor 6-3 66 17 844 49.6471

13. Rincon 5-5 82 17 842 49.5294

14. Chaparral 5-3 79 17 840 49.4118

15. Horizon 4-4 95 17 820 48.2353

16. Marana Mt. View 5-6 77 17 811 47.7059

17. Lake Havasu 6-5 78 17 780 45.8824

18. Deer Valley 4-5 80 17 744 43.7647

19. Millennium 4-5 77 17 730 42.9412

20. La Joya Community 4-5 71 17 695 40.8824

21. Perry 2-8 93 17 645 37.9412

22. Marcos de Niza 3-6 75 17 635 37.3529

23. South Mountain 3-5 72 17 615 36.1765

24. Willow Canyon 3-6 72 17 614 36.1176

25. Kingman 3-6 73 17 602 35.4118

26. Tolleson 3-6 67 17 600 35.2941

27. Westview 2-8 83 17 580 34.1176

28. Carl Hayden 2-6 77 17 550 32.3529

29. Gila Ridge 2-8 72 17 511.5 30.0882

30. Sunnyside 1-8 82 17 491 28.8824

31. Central 1-7 73 17 445 26.1765

32. Goldwater 0-9 73 16 364 22.75

Notes: The top match among the East Valley 5A-II teams comes on Thursday when Pinnacle (No. 6) and Chaparral (No. 14) meet. Chaparral also faces No. 15 Horizon on Tuesday in what could be a productive week for the Firebirds as they try to climp up the power point rankings.

4A-I

Listing is by: Record, opponent wins, total games (that count toward power points), points and power points.

1. Cactus Shadows 8-3 121 17 1274.5 74.9706

2. Sunnyslope 9-0 99 17 1245 73.2353

3. Apache Junction 8-4 99 16 1165 72.8125

4. McClintock 9-2 89 17 1200 70.5882

5. Prescott 9-1 89 17 1199.5 70.5588

6. Saguaro 7-4 107 16 1125 70.3125

7. Sunrise Mountain 9-1 70 16 1110 69.375

8. Queen Creek 6-2 98 16 995 62.1875

9. Independence 8-3 70 17 1020 60

10. Raymond S. Kellis 6-4 75 16 875 54.6875

11. Agua Fria 5-6 77 16 810 50.625

12. Bradshaw Mountain 5-5 74 16 794.5 49.6562

13. Sabino 6-2 54 17 790.5 46.5

14. Shadow Mountain 4-8 104 17 775 45.5882

15. Moon Valley 4-5 89 17 770 45.2941

16. Canyon del Oro 5-2 66 17 754 44.3529

17. Peoria 4-6 72 16 695 43.4375

18. Flowing Wells 5-3 61 17 731.5 43.0294

19. Apollo 3-8 93 17 710 41.7647

20. Cienega 5-2 54 17 709.5 41.7353

21. Catalina Foothills 2-6 68 17 510.5 30.0294

22. Dysart 1-9 77 16 470 29.375

23. Marana 3-5 48 17 496.5 29.2059

24. Copper Canyon 0-10 85 16 420 26.25

25. Sahuaro 2-6 52 17 430.5 25.3235

26. Glendale 0-11 88 17 430 25.2941

27. Nogales 1-8 55 17 361.5 21.2647

28. Pueblo 0-7 63 17 315.5 18.5588

29. Desert View 0-8 49 17 246 14.4706

Notes: The Desert Sky Region is really flexing its muscle so far this season, as all five teams (Cactus Shadows, Apache Junction, McClintock, Saguaro and Queen Creek) are in the top 8. As expected, the top matches this week are in the Desert Sky Region. Cactus Shadows faces McClintock (today) and Apache Junction (Thursday), while the Prospectors also face No. 5 Prescott on Tuesday.

4A-II

Listing is by: Record, opponent wins, total games (that count toward power points), points and power points.

1. Cactus 10-1 112 17 1340 78.8235

2. Greenway 9-2 103 17 1269.5 74.6765

3. Seton Catholic 9-1 80 17 1165.5 68.5588

4. Paradise Valley 8-4 91 17 1125 66.1765

5. Flagstaff 9-2 70 17 1109 65.2353

6. Mingus 7-4 76 15 970 64.6667

7. Thunderbird 7-4 97 17 1085 63.8235

8. Liberty 8-2 76 17 1055 62.0588

9. Arcadia 7-3 81 17 1000 58.8235

10. Buckeye 7-4 75 17 959.5 56.4412

11. Catalina 7-0 64 17 930.5 54.7353

12. Notre Dame 5-4 87 16 865 54.0625

13. Williams Field 6-4 81 17 915 53.8235

14. Page 4-5 82 14 720 51.4286

15. Amphitheater 6-1 64 17 840 49.4118

16. Higley 4-7 94 17 810 47.6471

17. Washington 3-8 105 17 775 45.5882

18. Cortez 3-8 102 17 755 44.4118

19. Sahuarita 5-2 62 17 745 43.8235

20. Cholla 5-2 60 17 740 43.5294

21. Coronado 4-7 78 17 735 43.2353

22. Sinagua 3-8 87 17 689 40.5294

23. Douglas 4-3 59 17 650 38.2353

24. Tempe 2-8 84 16 595 37.1875

25. Verrado 2-8 80 16 565 35.3125

26. Rio Rico 3-4 64 17 585 34.4118

27. Mohave 1-8 95 16 529.5 33.0938

28. Palo Verde 2-5 75 17 550.5 32.3824

29. Desert Edge 2-9 97 17 550 32.3529

30. Maricopa 1-10 92 17 545 32.0588

31. Coconino 1-10 92 17 519 30.5294

32. Youngker 1-10 76 16 460 28.75

33. Santa Rita 1-6 73 17 455.5 26.7941

Notes: No. 14 Williams Field will get a big boost in power points this week with matches against No. 3 Seton Catholic (today) and No. 12 Notre Dame (Thursday). If the Blackhawks can win one of those matches, they’ll likely jump up a few spots. Higley would love to move out of the No. 16 spot and has a key home match today against No. 9 Arcadia. A win in that one, plus a victory Thursday at Tempe, will help the Knights as they try to stay in position to make the postseason.

3A

Listing is by: Record, opponent wins, total games (that count toward power points), points and power points.

1. Tuba City 11-0 85 14 1095 78.2143

2. Fountain Hills 10-2 70 14 1000 71.4286

2. Parker 10-1 65 14 1000 71.4286

4. Safford 8-2 73 14 940 67.1429

5. Sedona Red Rock 8-1 74 14 935 66.7857

6. River Valley 8-4 50 14 907 64.7857

7. Monument Valley 8-0 94 14 860 61.4286

8. Globe 7-2 73 14 855 61.0714

9. Holbrook 10-3 89 14 840 60

10. Estrella Foothills 8-4 71 14 832 59.4286

11. Window Rock 6-5 87 14 815 58.2143

12. Florence 6-3 63 14 795 56.7857

13. Snowflake 7-1 52 14 785 56.0714

14. Payson 7-5 64 14 770 55

15. Winslow 8-2 87 14 765 54.6429

16. Empire 6-5 68 14 735 52.5

17. Coolidge 5-3 65 14 715 51.0714

18. South Pointe 5-3 59 14 700 50

19. Blue Ridge 8-3 62 14 675 48.2143

20. Wickenburg 4-7 90 14 644 46

21. Ganado 4-5 94 14 555 39.6429

22. Chinle 3-8 98 14 545 38.9286

23. Chino Valley 0-9 88 14 390 27.8571

24. Round Valley 1-9 68 14 375 26.7857

25. Show Low 1-9 72 14 365 26.0714

26. San Tan Foothills 0-10 80 14 360 25.7143

27. Santa Cruz 1-8 77 14 355 25.3571

28. Alchesay 1-8 71 14 295 21.0714

Notes: Fountain Hills can all but lock up a top three seeding for the postseason by winning its next three matches (Payson, Coolidge and Globe) against teams with winning records. No. 2 Parker, meanwhile, has only one team on its remaining schedule with a winning record and plays two matches against 2A teams.

2A

Listing is by: Record, opponent wins, total games (that count toward power points), points and power points.

1. Northwest Christian 10-0 90 17 1290 75.8824

2. Valley Christian 9-0 98 17 1236.5 72.7353

3. Williams 11-1 71 17 1207.5 71.0294

4. Thatcher 9-0 80 17 1155 67.9412

5. Miami 8-3 76 17 1060 62.3529

6. San Manuel 7-3 72 15 930 62

7. Baboquivari 8-3 77 17 1040 61.1765

8. Morenci 8-2 66 17 1005 59.1176

8. Pusch Ridge Christian 8-2 84 17 1005 59.1176

10. Phoenix Country Day 7-4 81 17 991.5 58.3235

11. Greyhills 7-5 90 17 985 57.9412

12. Horizon Honors 6-2 82 16 911.5 56.9688

13. Pima 7-2 77 17 965 56.7647

14. Bourgade Catholic 6-4 69 15 850 56.6667

15. Willcox 6-4 82 17 910 53.5294

16. Tonopah Valley 7-4 76 17 872 51.2941

17. Arizona Lutheran 5-6 88 17 855 50.2941

18. Tempe Prep 4-6 80 15 731.5 48.7667

19. Hayden 4-5 68 14 675 48.2143

20. Valley 5-6 76 17 780 45.8824

21. Ray 4-6 78 16 725 45.3125

22. Many Farms 5-7 71 17 765 45

23. St. Johns 4-5 76 16 686.5 42.9062

24. Phoenix Christian 3-7 92 17 705 41.4706

25. North Pointe 3-9 89 17 690 40.5882

26. Scottsdale Christian 3-8 90 17 686.5 40.3824

27. Hopi 3-7 92 17 685.5 40.3235

28. Pinon 4-7 63 16 635 39.6875

29. Desert Christian 3-6 85 17 650 38.2353

30. Red Mesa 3-9 82 17 630 37.0588

31. Camp Verde 2-9 95 17 614.5 36.1471

32. San Miguel 3-10 92 17 605 35.5882

33. Antelope 2-7 76 15 523 34.8667

34. Yuma Catholic 1-9 95 16 550 34.375

35. Benson 1-8 105 17 580 34.1176

36. San Carlos 1-8 84 15 500 33.3333

37. Tombstone 0-10 107 17 510 30

38. Bisbee 0-7 100 17 485 28.5294

39. Rough Rock 1-9 80 17 480 28.2353

40. Westwind Prep 0-10 85 16 405 25.3125

Notes: The much-anticipated match between No. 1 Northwest Christian and No. 2 Valley Christian won’t come until Oct. 20. The Trojans, however, do have 3A No. 5 Sedona Red Rock on Thursday.

1A

Listing is by: Record, opponent wins, total games (that count toward power points), points and power points.

1. Valley Lutheran 12-0 90 17 1490.5 87.6765

2. Joy Christian 12-2 90 17 1485.5 87.3824

3. Orme 8-5 92 15 1145 76.3333

4. St. David 12-1 83 17 1270 74.7059

5. Joseph City 9-1 74 16 1147 71.6875

6. Academy of Tucson 9-3 94 17 1205 70.8824

7. Mogollon 9-4 83 17 1191 70.0588

8. Bagdad 7-6 100 17 1113 65.4706

9. Valley Union 8-3 81 17 1080 63.5294

10. Grand Canyon 8-2 50 15 930 62

11. Phoenix Day School for the Deaf 6-9 103 17 1035.5 60.9118

12. Green Fields Country Day 9-3 71 17 1035 60.8824

13. Northland Prep 6-4 94 17 988 58.1176

14. Mayer 5-9 98 17 930.5 54.7353

15. Veritas Prep 6-2 60 15 815 54.3333

16. Seligman 5-1 56 13 697.5 53.6538

17. Salome 4-7 111 17 905.5 53.2647

18. Rock Point 6-5 72 17 893 52.5294

19. St. Michael 5-3 78 16 838 52.375

20. Gila Bend 6-2 63 16 821.5 51.3438

21. St. Augustine Catholic 5-6 90 17 857.5 50.4412

22. Ash Fork 3-7 107 16 784 49

23. Patagonia 5-4 82 17 820 48.2353

24. Tanque Verde 4-6 95 17 792.5 46.6176

25. Gilbert Christian 5-5 55 16 706 44.125

26. Fort Thomas 4-7 69 17 680 40

27. Duncan 4-5 51 15 595 39.6667

28. Beaver Dam 2-4 36 9 350 38.8889

29. Tohono O’Odham 2-4 50 11 415 37.7273

30. Ajo 3-7 70 17 600 35.2941

31. San Pasqual 0-12 114 17 585.5 34.4412

32. ASDB 2-5 57 13 447.5 34.4231

33. Shonto Prep 2-1 21 8 275 34.375

34. St. Gregory 0-6 91 15 435 29

35. White Cone 1-11 78 17 482.5 28.3824

36. Fredonia 1-8 53 14 350.5 25.0357

37. Immaculate Heart 1-6 59 15 365 24.3333

38. Superior 1-7 54 15 355 23.6667

Friday’s Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival was a huge success, with more than 50 high school teams, a good collection of college runners and a perfect night to race. Next up is the Doug Conley Invitational, which features another great field and a good group of individual runners.

On Friday, what we saw was Xavier Prep’s Jessica Tonn prove she was the best female runner at the event, running a time that was good enough to win the women’s collegiate race. Granted, Arizona State’s top runners were away at a meet in South Bend, Ind., but Tonn showed she is one of the top high school cross country recruits in the country.

On the boys side, it’s a shame we won’t see Flagstaff Sinagua’s Brian Shrader and Tucson Ironwood Ridge’s Steve Magnuson race again until after the season. Shrader won on Friday by seven seconds, but either runner could win the next round, which won’t be at the Conley because Sinagua is not in the field.

Also worth noting is the performance of Queen Creek’s Sherod Hardt, who finished in fourth, just .3 seconds behind Tucson Catalina’s Alenjandro Montano and 10 seconds behind Shrader. Hardt was the top runner from the Valley.

While it will take a long time for the Desert Twilight meet to challenge the Conley as the top meet in the state, this year was a big jump up in quality. The meet is appealing because there were races for all levels of teams. There was the sweepstakes race for the top teams and a varsity race for the next level teams. In fact, there were some teams in the varsity race that could beat several teams that ran in the sweepstakes race. Also, there was an open race for the junior varsity runners as well as a freshman race. Throw in the community race and the fact most of the races finished at night, you can see how popular this event could become.

But, the Conley remains at the top of the list for most programs. It’s a perfect time, four weeks before the state meet and right before most schools go on their fall break. Teams can back down a bit after Conley, then pick up the intensity for the final three weeks of the season so that they are peaking for the state meet on Nov. 7.

For a list of the teams entered in the Conley,  which is Saturday at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Tempe, go to www.dougconleyinvitational.com.

As far as individuals competing at the Conley meet, here’s the most up to date list:

Boys

Luis Gonzalez, Buena
Juan Martinez, Chino Valley
Steven Greg, Sabino
Cody Rosengarten, Tombstone
Jeffrey Segovia, Trevor Browne

Girls
Kylee Keiser, Case Grande
Sabrina Polance, Dobson
Rochel Antol, Horizon
Kerri Lenihan, Marana Mtn. View
Taylor de Laveaga, Perry
Ashley Workman, Queen Creek
Adriana Woletz, Sahuarita
Viviana Ruiz, Wickenburg

After two of the biggest tournaments in the state were completed in the last two weeks, we’re back with the Tribune’s girls volleyball rankings.

The problem with doing rankings at this time of year, is that many teams don’t report their tournament scores and the AIA only requires that teams report the scores that affect their power point rankings. So, in the name of consistency, the Tribune will go by the records in power point games. However, where possible, we’ll also put a team’s overall record, at least according to the scores reported to Maxpreps.com.

So, here’s the latest rankings with the power point records and the overall records (as recorded on Maxpreps) in parentheses.

 

5A-I

1. Xavier         5-0       (14-0)

2. Gilbert         4-1       (12-2)

3. Desert Vista            5-0       (21-1)

4. Corona del Sol        4-1       (13-6)

5. Westwood   4-1       (7-4)

Summary: Gilbert’s two losses this season were both to Xavier. One was a two-set loss in the Westwood Tournament of Champions finals and the other was a five-set nailbiter in the regular season. Desert Vista’s lone loss came to Gilbert in the semifinals of the Westwood tournament and then the Thunder rolled to the tournament title at the Nike Tournament of Champions. Corona del Sol faces Gilbert and Desert Vista this week, so we’ll see how close the Aztecs are to the top three. Westwood is off to a great start in regular season play, but struggled at the Westwood tournament.

 

5A-II

1. Centennial   4-1       (7-3)

2. Ironwood Ridge 4-1           (11-3)

3. Pinnacle       4-0       (8-3)

4. Horizon 3-2 (10-9)

5. Desert Mountain     4-1       (6-3)

Summary: This conference is wide open among the top five. Centennial moves into the top spot thanks to their strong showing at the Westwood Tournament of Champions. Desert Mountain drops after their losses to Ironwood Ridge and Horizon. Pinnacle is unbeaten against Arizona teams, but lost to three California teams in the Nike Tournament of Champions.

 

4A-I

1. Sunnyslope  6-0       (11-1)

2. McClintock 7-0       (12-1)

3. Cienega       3-1       (5-1)

4. Saguaro       6-1       (6-4)

5. Prescott       6-0       (7-0)

Summary: Sunnyslope’s lone loss this season came to Xavier in the semifinals at the Westwood tournament, so the Vikings continue to be head-and-shoulders above the field. McClintock lost to 5A-II Sandra Day O’Connor in the finals of the Queen Creek Tournament. Saguaro has taken its lumps in tournament play, but all of its defeats have been to quality teams.

 

4A-II

1. Cactus         6-1       (6-1)

2. Seton Catholic        5-1       (8-5)

3. Greenway    6-1       (6-1)

4. Catalina       3-0       (3-1)

5. Arcadia       4-1       (5-2)

Summary: Seton’s lone loss in the conference came to Cactus, so the Cobras hold on to the top spot in the rankings, that stay relatively the same as last time out. The only change is Catalina at No. 4. The Trojans move into that spot thanks to a win over 4A-I Cienega.

 

3A

1. Monument Valley       5-0

2. Fountain Hills 7-1

3. Tuba City        6-0

4. Sedona Red Rock       4-1

5. Snowflake       4-0

 

2A

1. Valley Christian      5-0

2. Thatcher             5-0

3. Northwest Christian            5-0

4. Horizon Honors      3-1

5. Williams      8-1

Summary: Both Valley Christian and Thatcher had respectable showings at the Westwood Tournament of Champions and Valley Christian played well at the Nike Tournament of Champions, with both teams beating several 4A and 5A teams.

 

1A

1. Valley Lutheran      8-0

2. St. David     8-1

3. Mogollon     6-2

4. Valley Union           7-2

3. Joseph City 5-1

The Chandler Invitational cross country meet gets going at 8:20 a.m. Saturday morning at Tumbleweed Park in Chandler.

This meet is a popular one because it features races for all four classes (freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors) and gives runners (especially the freshmen runners) a look at how they compare to their peers and gives outsiders a look at the up-and-coming stars.

For example, an unknown freshman named Alberto Tellez from Phoenix Camelback won his race at the Chandler Invite in 2005. Three years later, Tellez was running to a state championship in 5A-II. The sophomore boys winner that same year was Desert Vista’s Matt Boughton, who went on to win a state title of his own.

Desert Vista and Mountain View are returning to the meet this year and always does well due to the amount of runners they have in their programs (more than 50 each). Defending boys champion Highland is also back, as is the girls team winner Tucson Ironwood Ridge.

Another reason to stop by is the appearance of former Olympic 10,000-meter champion Billy Mills, who will be handing out the medals to the athletes after the meet.

Teams scheduled to take part in the meet: Alhambra, Basha, Betty Fairfax, Boulder Creek , Cactus Shadows, Camelback, Campo Verde, Canyon del Oro, Casa Grande, Chandler, Chaparral, Copper Canyon, Corona del Sol, Desert Ridge, Desert Vista, Dobson, Florence, Gilbert, Gilbert Christian, Gilbert Classical , Hamilton, Highland, Higley, Horizon Honors, Ironwood, Ironwood Ridge, La Joya, Marana Mt View, Marcos de Niza, Maricopa, Mesa, Mesa Mountain View, Mesquite, Perry, Saint Marys, Seton, Shadow Mountain, Skyline, Sunrise Mountain, Tempe, Valley Christian, Westview, Westwood, Williams Field, Youngker  

The first major volleyball tournament of the season got off and rolling on Friday, but things won’t really get interesting at the Westwood Tournament of Champions until Saturday morning.

For all of the tournament information, visit the official tournament website here.

Saturday is when the interesting matches start taking place. Matches like Xavier against Desert Mountain, Gilbert against Basha and Desert Vista againt Seton Catholic; and those are just in pool play matches.

The top three teams from each of the four pools will face off in single-elimination Gold Division tournament on Saturday.Those 12 teams could include the defending state champions in 5A-I (Xavier), 5A-II (Centennial), 4A-I (Sunnyslope), 4A-II (Seton Catholic) and 2A (Thatcher).

The tournament usually winds down around 6:30 or 7 p.m., but if you want to make sure you are around for the best action in the Gold Division, my advice would be to arrive at Westwood High in the afternoon around 4 p.m.  That way you’ll be sure to see at least the semifinals and championship match.

Here’s the latest Tribune volleyball rankings. Note: records do not include tournament matches, just those that count toward power point rankings.

5A-I
1. Xavier  2-0
2. Desert Vista  2-0
3. Gilbert 1-1
4. Basha 2-0
5. Corona del Sol 1-1
Notes: Xavier started fast with wins over Corona del Sol and Gilbert, although the win over the Tigers was a five-setter. Other teams inching up toward the top five are Mesa Mountain View, Hamilton and Mesa, all three teams are 2-0. The rankings will have more reliability after the Westwood Tournament of Champions this weekend.

5A-II
1. Desert Mountain  2-0
2. Centennial  2-0
3. Horizon 2-0
4. Pinnacle  2-0
5. Chaparral  1-1
Notes: The only team with a loss among top five, Chaparral, suffered that loss to No. 2 Centennial. Otherwise, teams handled their business.

4A-I
1. Sunnyslope  2-0
2. Cienega  0-0
3. Saguaro  2-0
4. Catalina Foothills  0-0
5. McClintock 3-0
Notes: Cienega solidified its place in the rankings by winning the Tucson Unified School District tournament for the first time, going 6-0 in the tourney.

4A-II
1. Cactus 3-0
2. Greenway 2-1
3. Seton 1-1
4. Arcadia 1-0
5. Notre Dame 1-0
Notes: Cactus moves to the top spot thanks to their four-set win over the team they replace, Seton Catholic. Greenway’s lone loss was to 4A-I power Sunnyslope.

3A
1. Monument Valley 2-0
2. Fountain Hills 3-1
3. Winslow 3-0
4. Tuba City 2-0
5. Sedona Red Rock 1-0

2A
1. Valley Christian 3-0
2. Thatcher 2-0
3. Northwest Christian 3-0
4. Horizon Honors 1-0
5. Miami 2-1

1A
1. Valley Lutheran 2-0
2. Veritas Prep 1-2
3. Gilbert Christian 1-2
4. St. David 2-0
5. Mogollon 2-1

The cross country season got off and running in the Valley with two significant invitationals on Saturday.

The Padre Invitational at Tempe’s Kiwanis Park featured several solid East Valley teams, including Highland. The Hawks lived up to their reputation of having deep teams by winning both the boys and girls side of things (although no team scores were shown with the results). Conincidently, my tabulations had both the boys and girls teams scoring 54 points. Marcos de Niza was second in the girls meet with 80 points and Hamilton was one point back of the Padres.

The next two boys teams were Tucson Ironwood Ridge, led by individual winner Steve Magnuson, and Yuma Cibola.

One performance that was unexpected, at least based on 2008, was the second-place run by Chandler’s Andrew Hagler, who finished in 15 minues, 54 seconds, well ahead of the 17:33 he ran at the 5A state meet last November. Hagler beat Highland’s Cory Breinholt by one second, but the two were well behind the 15:28 pace that Magnuson ran.

On the girls’ side, Casa Grande’s Kylee Keiser won in 18:31 and was followed to the line by two Ironwood Ridge runners. Hamilton’s Amber Urban opened the season with a solid fourth-place finish. She was followed by the first Highland runner, Tori Haberman. Ironwood Ridge had three runners in the top seven, but the next Ironwood Ridge runner came in at 42. Highland, meanwhile, had five runners in the top 15.

The Scottsdale Running Company Cross Country Festival at Silverado Golf Club was stacked with some of the best teams and individuals in the state. The meet format was unique, featuring two varsity-caliber races and a seperate junior varsity race. Four runners from each team could compete in the “Gold” race and four in the “Black.” To figure out team scores, the top five times for each team (from either race) were used.

Xavier’s girls did not disappoint, as the Gators went 1-2 in the Gold race and 1-2-3 in the Black race. Xavier won the team title with 35 points, followed by Pinnacle (92) and Sandra Day O’Connor and Mountain View (111) .

The Gold race was won by defending 5A-I champion Jessica Tonn, who ran a 17:01 and finished 36 seconds ahead of teammate Sarah Fakler. Behind them was Queen Creek’s Ashley Workman (17:44) and defending 4A-I state champ Lacey Kalinen (18:01).

Xavier’s Brianna Perrone, McKenna Gaffney and Christan Andreen swept the first three spots in the “Black” race.

The boys’ side of things was a Mountain View and Desert Vista showcase. Both programs brought more than 40 runners (Desert Vista had 54). Mountain View won the team title with 47 points, Desert Vista had 82 and Brophy had 92.

Mountain View’s team depth was a sight to behold. The Toros top runner (Tyler Bigham) was second in the Gold race in 15:06 and Mountain View’s seventh runner was just over a minute back in 16:15. The Toros had the top three runners in the Black race (Blake Cowan, Jared Destories and Jameson Jarvis) and had all four if their runners in the Gold race in the top 11. If you made seperate teams out of the Mountain View and Desert Vista junior varsity runners, the Toros’ JV would have finished 10th in the 17-team meet and the Thunder JV would have been 12th.

The individual title on the day went to Queen Creek senior Sherod Hardt, who ran a 14:55. Hardt is coming off a disappointing track season where he started great, was sick in the middle of the season and then wasn’t in top form at state. According to his coach (and mother) Ellie, Hardt had a strong summer and is motivated to finish his senior year with a bang.