Nogales head coach OJ Favela greats Ralph Padilla after the senior hit a triple. (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

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Only champions earn the right to be defined by one game and, even then, a champion who steps away from the bright lights realizes the magnitude and the importance of every moment that led up to that final celebration. Miss a practice, lose a game here, make an error there, and that moment of glory may have been lost. Forever.

No. 4 Canyon del Oro (21-9) and No. 1 Nogales (27-4) had a handful of those season-changing moments over the course of the last three months or so and it all came together for both teams Wednesday night in the semifinal round of the 4A playoffs played at Hi Corbett Stadium, home of the University of Arizona Wildcats…..

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Southern Arizona Baseball Championships

Tucson High (29)
1912: 5A (James F. McKale)
1913: 5A (James F. McKale)
1918: 5A (Arthur Smith)
1920: 5A (M.N. Porter)
1922: 5A (Aaron McCreary)
1924: 5A (Richard Meyer)
1930: 5A (Andy Tolson)
1932: 5A (Andy Tolson)
1935: 5A (Andy Tolson)
1937: 5A (Andy Tolson)
1939: 5A (Andy Tolson)
1940: 5A (Andy Tolson)
1941: 5A (Andy Tolson)
1942: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1943: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1944: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1945: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1946: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1948: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1950: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1951: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1952: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1954: 5A (Hank Slagle)
1955: 5A (Lee Carey)
1956: 5A (Lee Carey)
1959: 5A (Ray Adkins)
1972: 5A (Ray Adkins)
1987: 5A (Tom Lundy)
1988: 5A (Tom Lundy)

St. David (17)
1965: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1966: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1967: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1980: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1984: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1986: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1987: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1988: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1989: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1990: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1991: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1993: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1997: 1A (John Sands)
2000: 1A (Jim Crawford)
2001: 1A (Jim Crawford)
2002: 1A (Jim Crawford)
2012: D-IV (Ron Goodman)

Nogales (9)
1951: 4A (James Concannon)
1952: 4A (James Concannon)
1954: 4A (James Concannon)
1955: 4A (James Concannon)
1956: 4A (James Concannon)
1965: 4A (James Concannon)
1971: 4A (James Concannon)
1976: 4A (Bob Young)
1981: 4A (Bob Young)

Canyon del Oro (8)
1979: 5A (Roger Werbylo)
1984: 5A (Roger Werbylo)
1994: 5A (Phil Wright)
1997: 5A (Phil Wright)
2000: 5A (Kent Winslow)
2002: 5A (Keith Francis)
2009: 4A (Len Anderson)
2015: D-II (Keith Francis)

Douglas (8)
1953: 3A (Barney Leigh)
1958: 3A (Tom Lay)
1960: 3A (Ike Sharp)
1961: 3A (Ike Sharp)
1962: 3A (Ike Sharp)
1975: 4A (Manny Valenzuela)
1978: 4A (Manny Valenzuela)
2001: 4A (Jaime Tadeo)

Bisbee (5)
1947: 3A (Waldo Dicus)
1966: 3A (Dick Atkinson)
1993: 2A (Mike Frosco)
2002: 2A (Mike Frosco)
2008: 2A (Mike Frosco)

San Manuel (5)
1963: 3A (Hal Eustice)
1971: 3A (John Bunch)
1973: 3A (John Bunch)
1985: 3A (Don Payne)
1992: 3A (Don Payne)

Santa Cruz (5)
1975: 3A (Brad Moon)
1976: 3A (Brad Moon)
1982: 3A (Kent Winslow)
1990: 2A (Scott Cook)
1991: 2A (Scott Cook)

Valley Union (5)
1970: 1A (John Grimes)
1971: 1A (Tim Hart)
1973: 1A (Tim Hart)
1974: 1A (Tim Hart)
2008: 1A (Tony Luzania)

Patagonia (4)
1963: 1A (Reg LeFevre)
1964: 1A (Reg LeFevre)
1972: 1A (David Thompson)
1996: 1A (Mike Slenk)

Willcox (4)
1956: 1A (Joe Anaya)
1999: 2A (Russ Bethel)
2000: 2A (Russ Bethel)
2001: 2A (Russ Bethel)

Desert Christian (3)
2013: D-IV (Grant Hopkins)
2014: D-IV (Grant Hopkins)
2015: D-IV (Grant Hopkins)

Sahuarita (3)
1974: 2A (Wes Gentner)
1984: 3A (Wes Gentner)
2005: 3A (Bryan Huie)

Sahuaro (3)
1973: 5A (Hal Eustice)
1974: 5A (Hal Eustice)
1982: 5A (Hal Eustice)

Benson (2)
1963: 2A (James Cummings)
1987: 2A (Ken Smith)

Catalina (2)
1967: 5A (Cliff Myrick)
2011: 4A-II (Tony Gabusi)

Duncan (2)
2004: 1A (Andrew Larson)
2005: 1A (Chano Talavera)

Rincon (2)
1962: 5A (Lee Carey)
1971: 5A (Gary Grabosch)

Tanque Verde (2)
2009: 1A (James Lawwill)
2011: 1A (James Lawwill)

Tombstone (2)
1977: 2A (John Escarcega)
1994: 2A (Ron Ingrum)

Amphitheater (1)
1980: 5A (Paul Gabaldon)

Desert View (1)
1991: 4A (Rene Rodriguez)

Flowing Wells (1)
1983: 4A (John Gleeson)

Green Fields (1)
1998: 1A (Frank Trujillo)

Marana (1)
1969: 2A (Joe Acker)

Palo Verde (1)
2014: D-III (Jim Mentz)

Pueblo (1)
1990: 4A (Jon Holstrom)

Pusch Ridge (1)
2009: 2A (Doug Jones)

Sabino (1)
1997: (Mike Bejarano)

Santa Rita (1)
1986: 5A (Dan Moore)

St. Gregory (1)
1999: 1A (Shane Sherwo

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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014 and he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017 and he 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. Andy was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Contact Andy Morales at AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com