Star debuts new weekly sports feature: The Home Team

Editor's note: Today, the Star debuts a new weekly feature on Southern Arizonans in the minor leagues. "The Home Team: Minor-Leaguers with Southern Arizona Ties" will run every Monday.

State baseball: Tucson 6, Phoenix Mountain Pointe 3: Badgers' bats come alive; semis next

TEMPE - After compiling seven hits in the first five innings of the game, Tucson High equaled that total in the sixth inning.

Baseball: Matthews in demand

Jake Matthews' four years at Ironwood Ridge are almost over, but his future on the diamond is bright.

Baseball: Tucson 14, Arvada (Colo.) 7: Badgers adjust to hard thrower, advance to final

Facing what Tucson High baseball coach Oscar Romero considers the hardest thrower his team has seen this season, the Badgers' bats were quiet the first two innings against Arvada (Colo.) Ralston Valley's Daniel Jurney.

Baseball: Blue Devils advance behind walk-off hit

The state tournament is two months away, but Thursday's Tucson Conquistadores Lancer Baseball Classic quarterfinal game between Sunnyside and Ironwood Ridge at Reid Park brought a glimpse of what the postseason could have in store.

High school baseball: Nogales finds Dorados to be most dangerous with 2 outs

Two-out hitting can make or break a game.

Track and field: 'Steppingstone' meet

Aric Howard's next two weekends may well determine what kind of season he has.

High School girls Tennis: Gibson handed keys to powerful Salpointe program

It is never an easy task replacing a coach who won six state titles in the last nine years.

softball season preview: CDO poised for another title

It didn't take long for Canyon del Oro to take the momentum from the 2012 state championship game into this season.

Baseball season preview: Cougars knew from day one they had star in Verdugo, now a junior

Alex Verdugo may be the closest thing Tucson has to Roy Hobbs from "The Natural."

Girls Div. II State FINal: Scottsdale Saguaro 49, Flowing Wells 38: Caballeros' winning streak, season end in Glendale

GLENDALE - There were 11 lead changes in the first three quarters of Saturday's Division II state championship game between Flowing Wells and Scottsdale Saguaro.

Seen & heard at Jobing.com arena

Can't miss the big game

High School Boys Basketball: Sahuaro 1 of 3 So. Ariz. teams in state quarters

Coming into this season, it had been six years since the Sahuaro boys last played in the state tournament.

Wrestling: Jividen undeterred and undefeated

When an athlete returns to game action after suffering a serious injury, it typically takes a lot of time before they can perform at their full potential.

Girls soccer: Foothills seeking 4th straight title

Catalina Foothills will be in familiar territory Saturday morning.

Girls soccer State semifinals: Strength's last-minute goal puts Foothills in title game

PHOENIX - Aleah Strength's goal with a minute left in regulation broke a scoreless tie against Notre Dame and kept alive Catalina Foothills' chances of winning a fourth straight state title.

High school soccer: Nothing but net, praise

No other girls soccer player from Catalina High School has gone as far as Madison Irwin.

Girls soccer state tournament: Foothills 3, Ironwood Ridge 0: Falcons score early, advance to state semis

Catalina Foothills wasted no time finding an advantage in the quarterfinals of the Division II state tournament.

High School Soccer: Mtn. Lions seek familiar spot: berth in girls semis

Mountain View has been to the state semifinals twice in the last three seasons.

HS girls soccer: Mountain View hopes to use experience from Chandler wins to knock off powerful Xavier

Mountain View has been to the state semifinals twice in the last three seasons.

High school soccer: Six Foothills girls 4 wins away from fourth state trophy

Six seniors from third-seeded Catalina Foothills are hoping to end their careers with four state championships when the playoffs start today.

Boys soccer: Desert View 2, Nogales 1: Jaguars virtually lock up tournament berth

Only one team was going to come away with a playoff spot in the regular-season finale Thursday night.

MLK Classic: Cholla nips CDO in OT at buzzer

Julio Duarte gave Cholla a second life on Monday and Andres Gomez made sure the Chargers didn't waste it.

Girls soccer: Mustangs offense Taylor-made

For the second year in a row, Sahuarita has relied on Taylor McClelland as its top scorer.

Girls soccer: Sahuaro 2, Sabino 1: Simmons money down the stretch for Cougars

With her team down by one goal and less than 10 minutes left in the game, Jasmine Simmons scored twice to help Sahuaro to a come-from-behind victory, 2-1 at Sabino on Thursday night.

Girls basketball: Titans sophomore takes spotlight

When Darian Saunders and Alicia Jones graduated from Palo Verde last May, the Titans had to find a new player to replace the two star scorers.

High school girls basketball: Mtn. View 56, Tucson 50: Salaz scores 18 to spark Mtn. View past Tucson

After starting the season 14-0, Tucson picked up its second loss in three games, falling 56-50 at Mountain View on Friday.

Coaching: Catalina coach a throw-back who coaches three sports

It was once a common practice to have the same head coach in three sports.

HS basketball: Lawwill one of few remaining iron men in prep coaching ranks

It was once a common practice to have the same head coach in three sports.

High School Girls Basketball: Pusch Ridge holds off CDO in familiar matchup

For the third time this season, Pusch Ridge Christian and Canyon del Oro, two schools separated only by Oracle Road, faced off on the court.

Girls soccer: Palo Verde 9, Amphitheater 0: Stokes has 3 goals in Palo Verde Invite win

When Jasmine Stokes began playing for Palo Verde as a freshman, she set a goal to finish her high school career with at least 100 goals.

High School Boys Soccer: Salpointe hangs on to win Chris Maier final over Dorados

On Saturday, the Salpointe Catholic boys soccer team claimed the Chris Maier Invitational championship for the third consecutive year.

High school soccer: Late goal seals Cienega's victory

With the score tied 1-1 and two minutes remaining, Cienega's Kyle VanAlstine fired a shot in hopes of ending Palo Verde's undefeated season.

Girls basketball: Tough virus toughest opponent

Sabino learned what it was like last season to play without starting center Alexa Arndt.

High school girls Basketball preview: Sophomore Clay already on national radar

Treyanna Clay didn't just play varsity basketball for Catalina Foothills as a freshman.

High school girls basketball: Sahuaro 56, CDO 43: Hunsaker sparks Sahuaro

Chelsey Hunsaker's three-point basket with two minutes remaining sealed a 56-43 victory for Sahuaro over Canyon del Oro in the second round of the Boyd Baker Tournament on Friday.

HS basketball: Hunsaker leads Sahuaro past CDO at Boyd Baker

Chelsey Hunsaker’s three-point basket with two minutes remaining sealed a 56-43 victory for Sahuaro over Canyon del Oro in the second round of the Boyd Baker Tournament on Friday.

High school: Nogales 68, Santa Rita 56: Apaches turn away Eagles' rally

Santa Rita High School roared back from a 20-point halftime deficit to trail by four with 1:30 remaining, but the Nogales Apaches held on to win 68-56 on the second day of the Salpointe Tip-Off Classic.

High schools: Girls state soccer: Loss ends stellar year for Desert Christian

In a season that started with only six players at Desert Christian's first soccer practice in August, the Eagles ended their season with 12 girls and a shot at the Division IV state title Saturday.

HIgh schools: boys state soccer: Blue Ridge wins rubber match for championship

GILBERT - For the third time this season Desert Christian faced off with Blue Ridge on the soccer field. Each of the games has been highly contested with players pushing and shoving to get to the ball and for a win.