Some of the state’s biggest names will be in action this week, with Goodyear Estrella Foothills guard Corey Hawkins chasing a 3A title, Tucson Santa Rita’s Terrell Stoglin chasing a 4A-II crown; Phoenix Sunnyslope’s Royce Woolridge after a 4A-I championship and Phoenix North’s Daniel Bejarano after the 5A-I title as the big schools get under way Feb. 25.
Other top storylines from the week
2. Another icon falls: If you’re an old-time football coach in Arizona, chances are you’ve been put out to pasture this offseason. Basha (Chandler) fired coach Tim McBurney on Monday, dropping McBurney into the scrap bin along with longtime Red Mountain (Mesa) and Corona del Sol (Tempe) coaches Jim Jones and Gary Venturo, who were all but forced out at their schools after years of exemplary service. Red Mountain assistant Jesse Parker, the state’s most recognizable coaching face, has also tried unsuccessfully to return to the head-coaching ranks.
McBurney was the architect of Tempe High’s 1996 state championship and helped Basha reach the state playoffs every season since it began playing as an Arizona Interscholastic Association member in 2005. No reasons were given for his dismissal in a terse and noticeable bland statement from Basha principal Ken James: "Coach McBurney had a successful win-loss record while at Basha High School. His commitment is appreciated. But at this time, we have decided to move in another direction with the football program."
3. No fluke: When Corona del Sol’s wrestling team upset three-time defending 5A-I team champ Mesa High in last year’s finals, observers wondered if it was a fluke. The Aztecs removed all doubt when they won their second straight title, 38-16 over Mesa. Corona’s superior talent at the heavier weight classes proved decisive. Mesa and Corona are the only teams to win the 5A-I title in the format’s five-year history.
4. More wrestling team champs: Corona del Sol wasn’t the only team champ crowned from the dual-meet wrestling format. Tucson Sunnyside (5A-I) Phoenix Moon Valley (4A-I) and Cottonwood Mingus (4A-II) all continued their dominance of their respective classes, with Sunnyside winning its 12 straight state title and fifth straight under the dual meet format. After Mingus won its fifth consecutive title, coach Tom Wokasch announced he was retiring. Few have done more for the sport in Arizona during their tenure than Wokasch, who, among other things, helped formulate a ranking system for the state’s teams and wrote a monthly newsletter.
5. The rites of spring: It’s overlap time. With the winter season winding down, spring sports kicked off in Arizona this week with baseball games around the state. Softball, boys volleyball, tennis, track and field and small-school golf will join them in the coming days.
The Fab 5
1. Corey Hawkins, Goodyear Estrella Foothills, Sr., G: Hawkins had 54 points in the team team’s 3A state quarterfinal win over Holbrook, a 111-61 drubbing. He is now averaging a state-best 37.1 points per game.
2. Brad Spadafore (130), Kevin Thomas (145), Ryan Miller (154), Blake Ortiz (162), Derek Felton (171), Sam Fulton (189), Mike Howard (Hwt.), Tempe Corona del Sol: Six of the seven seniors won their dual matches against Mesa (Thomas lost to individual state champ Edgar Verdi) to help the Aztecs repeat as 5A-I wrestling champs.
3. Royce Woolridge, Phoenix Sunnyslope, Sr., G: Had 39 points in the Vikings’ first-round, 4A-I state tournament win over Nogales, then followed it with 35 in a quarterfinal win over Phoenix Shadow Mountain.
4. Terell Stoglin, Tucson Santa Rita, Sr., G: Had 43 points and eight rebounds in a 4A-II state quarterfinal win over Chandler Seton Catholic.
5. Cameron Forte, Tempe McClintock, Jr., G: Had 18 of his 32 points in the first quarter as the Chargers quickly ended thoughts of an upset by Glendale Apollo in the Class 4A-I state basketball tournament quarterfinals.
On deck
The Class 5A state basketball tournaments get underway tonight while Classes 4A-I, 4A-II, 3A and 2A wrap up their tournaments on Saturday. The 2A and 4A-II tourneys are at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley while the 3A and 4A-I title games at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.
Craig's cranium
High school sports often provide an escape from the trials of everyday life. In Yuma, they offer another reminder of the sorry state of the economy.
Yuma Union High School District superintendent Toni Badone made a difficult decision recently when she told the Yuma schools that their teams could not travel outside the area for regular-season competition during the 2010-2011 school year. District officials in Flagstaff and Tucson are considering a similar ban.
Badone told Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic that even if teams raise their own money for regular-season travel, they won't be allowed to go because any additional funds will be used for uniforms, helmets and non-sports items like computers and textbooks because the Yuma district hasn't received capital funds for two years.
Yuma’s travel costs are higher than most districts in the state because the city is in the state’s far southwest corner, requiring enormous amounts of fuel to reach most away games. While Badone’s decision was met with much anger in Yuma, tough times call for tough measures. It’s just a shame that Yuma’s kids are the ones who will suffer most.
Craig Morgan is a freelance writer who has covered professional, college and high school sports in the Phoenix area for the past 18 years. He currently serves as the Phoenix correspondent for CBSSports.com, covering the Arizona Cardinals and other local teams. He also writes a weekly column and other features for The Arizona Republic. You can reach him at
