Gabitzsch, coach and teacher at THS, dies

Longtime Tucson High School teacher and coach Harold Gabitzsch died Monday morning. He was 60. Gabitzsch was a fixture in the high school art community and also coached girls golf and girls tennis at Tucson.

With 12 titles, Cat. Foothills, I-Ridge repeat as co-champs

Catalina Foothills and Ironwood Ridge pulled off the double repeat. Those two athletic departments tied for the top slot for the second straight season in this year’s version of the Star Cup.

Eagles' Stoglin bows out as best-ever in Tucson high school, coach says

PHOENIX - Sean Elliott, step aside. Santa Rita point guard Terrell Stoglin has taken over.

Having a dominant trait

Southern Arizona took ownership of 23 team state championships over the last 10 months.

New No. 4 hitter just a call away

New Tucson cleanup man Victor Ferrante was waiting for a call from the Schaumburg (Ill.) Flyers this off-season after bashing his way to the best season of his pro career for that Northern League franchise last summer.

Mountain View softball's Drake retires

Mountain View is in search of a softball coach for the first time in 12 years.

New Toro works a walk for walk-off win in opener

The latest version of the Tucson Toros was diamond-bound at Hi Corbett on Wednesday night, complete with a roster reconstruction.

Area teams have shots at several titles this week

Championship week is upon Arizona.

Trouble looms for prep sports if new tax fails

If Proposition 100 does not pass, thousands of high school athletes will be forced to stop playing next fall either because junior varsity and freshman teams will be cut or because the players will be unable to afford higher fees.

After 'terrifying' time, Badger finds right sign

Tucson point guard RaTanya Newsome thought the pain in her knee would cost her a shot at playing hoops collegiately. Newsome suffered a complete tear of her anterior cruciate ligament just weeks before the end of the high school basketball regular season, costing her the playoffs and possibly worse.

Buena will visit Salpointe in 5A softball playoffs

State tournament overload is upon Arizona.

After 36 years on mat, Salpointe coach Brown decides to call it quits

The state's all-time winningest wrestling coach, Salpointe Catholic's Tim Brown, is leaving the mat.

Catalina bouncing back well after difficult 2009 season

The Catalina baseball program's breakout season ended up broken last spring.

Overhaul to Arizona's high school athletics proposed

Southern Arizona's high school teams will travel less, spend less and face tougher competition if the Arizona Interscholastic Association passes the biggest overhaul in state history.

As playoffs start, diamonds are a fan's best friend

State tournaments begin on the diamonds this weekend.

Unsigned hoops stars catch Pennell's eye

Russ Pennell, the hoops coach who led Arizona to the Sweet 16 in 2009, is in the process of building a NCAA Division II contender at Grand Canyon University.

Tennis kicks off playoff season for spring sports

Spring's state playoff slate starts today at 3:30 p.m. with the 5A-I and 5A-II team tennis tournaments.

Arrival of new UA coach could provide Lancers with big benefit at QB

Mike Stoops wasn't the only local football coach to benefit from the Scelfo family's move to Tucson.

Six Lancers sign letters of intent

David Sheppard will transform into a plebe in the fall. The Salpointe Catholic senior cross country and track standout signed a letter of intent to run for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Wednesday. During a ceremony at the school's Hall of Fame room, Sheppard was one of six Lance…

Yoder Memorial 5K Run featured at Sabino event

Distance runners will take the spotlight Friday during the the third version of the Southern Arizona Distance Classic at Sabino High School. The event starts at 6 p.m. with the boys and girls 1600-meter runs, followed by the 800s. Then comes the 3200, and the event finishes with the 800 rela…

Salpointe squads blooming in spring

Touting four future collegians, Salpointe Catholic appears to be the area's surest bet in nearly a decade to make a deep run in the state's highest-level baseball state championship.

Trio of softball hurlers face off in vital week

The 4A-II Gila Region softball arms race comes down to aces Monet Ormsby (Cholla), Erika Tapia (Douglas) and Yvette Alvarez (Sahuarita). Those are the three pitchers guiding the top three programs in the Gila, all undefeated in region play.

Local athletes find time to diversify in age of specialization

The stories of specialization abound locally with examples all over the city.

Youthful Sunnyside loses tourney game to Colo. team

Sunnyside star Ryan Rosthenhausler said he realizes the baseball program's current roster is riddled by youth, lacking live-game experience at the varsity level.

Baseball teams from US, Canada here for tourney

Eighteen baseball programs from four states and a Canadian province will invade Southern Arizona for the second version of the Cherry Field Classic.

Young Rangers find feet quickly

The freshmen are far from under-classed at Rincon/University.

Rincon Relays provides fans with rare treat

Every race will see an exchange at Rincon/University on Saturday. The Rincon Relays is among the city's most-attended high school-only track and field meets. It features an assortment of four-person relay races, including many of the uncommon variety.

Youthful Caballeros score 8 in 7th to defeat El Paso team

Once a power in high school softball, Flowing Wells is slowly rebuilding after missing the playoffs the last two years.

CDO baseball team still dominant

Canyon del Oro's unbeaten run in baseball now spans 17 games over two seasons, the program's last loss coming May 5 of last spring to Catalina Foothills.

Ironwood Ridge finds winning form in event

Ironwood Ridge's baseball season went ugly immediately, a four-game losing streak raising tensions in a program that made the 5A-II quarterfinals last May and that is expecting to advance further this spring.

Track standouts will compete at UA annual meet

A wealth of the area's state championship-contending track athletes will take over Arizona's Drachman Stadium Thursday through Saturday as the Willie Williams Classic returns.

Ormsby is giving Chargers optimism

Nearly three decades after Jerry Gastellum took the Cholla softball squad to the peak of program history - an appearance in the 5A state final - the next generation of the family owns a shot at similar success.

Ironwood Ridge, CDO square off

A northwest-side rivalry resumes Friday on the diamonds. Canyon del Oro's baseball squad - the defending 4A-I state champion and Sonoran Region favorite - will travel to Ironwood Ridge, a rising contender in the 5A-II under coach Jason Hisey.

Cienega looks for more

Cienega star catcher Emily Pohl does not want to be in a mad rush to exit the premises when the final game of her high school career ends this spring.

Amphi's Portillo moves into elite circle of wrestling

Amphitheater wrestling coach Sam Portillo is Olympic caliber.

Take your marks, batter up & serve

Basketball season is officially over for Southern Arizona programs.

Santa Rita, Stoglin win on fourth try

PRESCOTT VALLEY - Santa Rita's demon was finally exorcised.

Ironwood Ridge boys get to stay home

Tucson is road-bound for the bulk of the 5A boys hoops state playoff games on Thursday. Ironwood Ridge, the No. 2 seed, is the area's lone boys program playing on a home court, facing No. 15 Laveen Betty Fairfax in the opening round of the 5A-II tourney.

3 Tucson teams to play in semis

Prescott Valley will own a distinctly Southern Arizona look late this week. Three of the four teams to play in the 4A-II boys basketball semifinals Thursday night at Prescott Valley's Tim's Toyota Center are from Tucson: Santa Rita, Palo Verde and Amphitheater.

Sunnyside streak on the line Saturday

The area's longest consecutive state-championship reign is in jeopardy.

Filbert wins second 5A-II title; I-Ridge has 3 others

TEMPE - The wrestling program at Ironwood Ridge gained Sunnyside-level status at Wednesday's 5A-II individual state championships. And for a night, the Nighthawks went beyond Arizona's perennial powerhouse.

Panthers, Eagles could meet for 4A-II state title

Santa Rita became just the second local boys hoops squad all year to master Amphitheater, beating the Panthers by nine points Friday night behind 38 points from star point guard Terrell Stoglin, a Maryland commit, ending a 26-game unbeaten spree.

Casey Crowe: Southern Arizona schools dominating 4A-I competition

The 4A-I belongs to Southern Arizona. Of the eight Arizona Interscholastic Association state championships available in that conference during the fall, local powers took seven - lacking only in girls volleyball - including five from Catalina Foothills (boys and girls swimming, boys and girl…

State title games near for several teams in soccer

Southern Arizona will be playing for four - and possibly six - soccer state championships coming up this Friday and Saturday. On the boys side, a 4A-II semifinal Wednesday will involve No. 3 Amphitheater, winner of 11 straight, facing No. 10 Palo Verde, an upset winner over No. 2 Tempe in th…

Knight's goal lifts Sahuaro into semis

MESA - Darrell Knight of Sa-huaro transformed a loose throw-in into a state semifinal appearance Saturday afternoon.

Pusch Ridge vs. Safford in semis

MESA - Southern Arizona is guaranteed to place a soccer crew in the 1A/2A/3A boys state championship.

Douglas, Palo Verde fall short in playoffs

MESA - Douglas' bid for a second straight major upset was stopped in overtime on Friday night, ending Southern Arizona's run in the 4A-II girls soccer state tournament.

Amphi, Palo Verde win shootouts

MESA - Amphitheater star Ramon Aragon's versatility was on full display Friday night at Red Mountain Park.

With key teammate injured, Eagles' Stoglin carries more

Just as he was emerging as a serious inside-outside threat for perennial local power Santa Rita, junior power forward Roland Jones has been sidelined for the season.