Salpointe goes for a 4A championship (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
No. 6 Salpointe beat No. 2 Prescott 3-0 (25-23, 25-7, 25-15) in the 4A semifinals Tuesday night at Mountain Pointe High School. The win will pit Salpointe against No. 4 Greenway on Wednesday night for the 4A championship.
It’s been 23 years since a 4A team from Southern Arizona has won a state girls’ volleyball championship. Legendary Rincon/University head coach Juanita Kingston led the Rangers to a championship in 1993 over Chaparral. Then, nothing.
The Rangers were unable to repeat the following year and then five other teams tried to get over the hump:
SOUTHERN ARIZONA RUNNER-UP FINISHES
2014: Ironwood Ridge (Division II)
2008: Amphitheater (4A-II)
2004: Ironwood Ridge (4A)
2001: Catalina Foothills (4A)
1997: Sabino (4A)
1994: Rincon (4A)
Prescott has never won a state championship, although the Badgers finished in second place three times. Salpointe has only played for one championship and that was in 1970 – 47 years ago under Waldine Cormier.
Heather-Moore Martin led the Catalina girls to a D-III runner-up finish in 2011 and led the Catalina boys to back-to-back D-II championships in 2010 and 2011. She also took the Salpointe sand team to a D-I runner-up finish last year.
The championship match will be played at 6:30 p.m. at Mountain Pointe High School in South Phoenix. It will be streamed live on the NFHS Network at azpreps365.com.
In other action, No. 2 Sahuaro finished an incredible year in the 5A Conference with a 3-2 loss (19-25, 28-26, 24-26, 25-16, 15-11) to No. 3 Sunnyslope. The Cougars finished with an incredible 35-3 record.
No. 4 Ironwood Ridge lost to No.1 Centennial, 3-1 (25-22, 25-16, 22-25, 25-18) in the other 5A semifinal and No. 8 Canyon del Oro lost to No. 4 Greenway, 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-23) in the other 4A semifinal.
In golf action, Rincon/UHS took 13th in the boy’s Division I championship and Buena took 14th. Rincon/UHS standout Dallan Graybill finished in 18th place, 12 strokes back of the leader.
TUESDAY NOV. 8
D-I BOYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAM
1 Desert Vista -9 281 278 559
2 Hamilton -1 280 287 567
3 Sandra Day O’Connor +1 279 290 569
4 Chaparral +3 286 285 571
5 Perry +8 283 293 576
6 Brophy +20 287 301 588
7 Desert Ridge +28 303 293 596
8 Campo Verde +31 297 302 599
9 Desert Mountain +35 298 305 603
10 Pinnacle +37 296 309 605
11 Red Mountain +40 300 308 608
12 Boulder Creek +51 302 317 619
13 Rincon University +65 317 316 633
14 Buena +77 322 323 645
15 Millennium +195 378 385 763
INDIVIDUAL
1 SDOC Noah Robinson -9 66 67 133
2 DV Tyler Svendson -6 68 68 136
2 DV Davis Evans -6 70 66 136
18 RINC Dallan Graybill +3 75 70 145
32 CIEN Dylan Mattson +8 76 74 150
32 RINC Ryan Draper +8 74 76 150
42 BUEN Christian Aristigue +11 77 76 153
57 MRNA Sean Moreno +16 80 78 158
57 RINC Forrest Green +16 76 82 158
61 BUEN Tyler Coxworth +17 81 78 159
61 MRNA Dylan Telford +17 78 81 159
71 BUEN Ethan Hightower +22 80 84 164
76 BUEN Isaac Ruiz +27 84 85 169
78 RINC Brendon Williams +38 92 88 180
79 BUEN Hunter Haraway +41 92 91 183
81 RINC Leamon Crooms +47 97 92 189
4A VOLLEYBALL SEMIFINALS at Mountain Pointe
No. 6 Salpointe beat No. 2 Prescott, 3-0 (25-23, 25-7, 25-15)
No. 8 Canyon del Oro lost to No. 4 Greenway, 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-23)
5A VOLLEYBALL SEMIFINALS at Marcos de Niza
No. 2 Sahuaro lost to No. 3 Sunnyslope, 3-2 (19-25, 28-26, 24-26, 25-16, 15-11)
No. 4 Ironwood Ridge lost to No.1 Centennial, 3-1 (25-22, 25-16, 22-25, 25-18)
WEDNESDAY NOV. 9
4A VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP at Mountain Pointe
No. 6 Salpointe vs. No. 4 Greenway, 6:30 p.m.
THURSDAY NOV. 10
4A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 4 Salpointe hosts No. 5 Marcos de Niza, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Catalina Foothills at No. 3 Sunrise Mountain, 7 p.m.
5A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Cienega hosts No. 9 Mesquite, 7 p.m.
No. 3 Ironwood Ridge hosts No. 6 Queen Creek, 7 p.m.
No. 7 Marana at No. 2 Williams Field, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY NOV. 12
2A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 2 Santa Cruz hosts No. 10 Scottsdale Christian, 6 p.m.
No. 3 Thatcher hosts No. 6 Phoenix Christian, 6 p.m.
No. 5 Benson at No. 4 Pima, 6 p.m.
3A FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS
No. 5 Sabino hosts No. 13 Winslow, 6 p.m.
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014 and has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Contact Andy Morales at AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com
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