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Football
Senior quarterback/kicker Gavin
Rodriguez left it all on the field
to boost the Aztecs to victory over the
highly ranked Basha Bears.
In a game that meant the difference
between postseason or no postseason, it
was all on the line for the team.
With the defense keeping Aztecs in the
game by returning two turnovers for
touchdowns by senior Tyler Blum
and Eric Benson, it was up to
Rodriguez to lead a last-minute drive to
tie the Bears.
Throwing and running his way to get into
field goal range, Rodriguez delivered
the game-tying shot. However, on a late
hit, Rodriguez went down with a cracked
tibia.
His injury required surgery and a long
recovery, taking him out for the season
and leaving a big hole in the Aztec
offense.
“With Gavin out, we have to keep running
the ball like we always do,” senior
linebacker Erik Lorenz said. “We
have all our linemen back from injury,
so that helps out a lot.”
The overtime victory for the team will
pay dividends in the near future.
“(The victory) is huge because it gives
us a chance for a home game the first
round of the playoffs and a chance to be
region champs,” Lorenz said.
Volleyball
The lady Aztecs volleyball team fell
just short of capturing its fifth
straight region title, but made up for
that in the state tournament.
Defeating the region champion Mountain
Pointe Pride in the first round and
Xavier in the quarterfinals, the team
was poised to capture a state
championship.
The championship game, held Oct. 28 at
Hamilton High School, placed the Gilbert
Tigers against the Aztecs.
Despite the girls’ efforts, the Tigers
proved to be too much and went on to
take the title 3-1, leaving the Aztecs
with the consolation of state runner-up.
“We had a lot of fun this season, which
is the most important thing,” Coach
Ben Maxfield said. “We exceeded
everyone’s expectations, except our own,
and silenced some critics.”
Swim & Dive
The swim and dive team will be sending
more swimmers to the state championships
than in the past seven years.
Following a less-than-rewarding region
meet where both the boys and girls teams
finished second, the individuals who
qualified for state are looking forward
to the challenge.
“The past couple of years we’ve been
region champions, this year was a little
disappointing that we didn’t win region
however we still had an excellent meet
the most swimmers qualified for state,”
senior Ryan Shanken said.
Both teams finished with a 5-2 record
and both finished second in the Tempe
City Meet.
This year’s team was led by senior state
champion Sam Maxwell, along with
juniors Adam Small and Dana
Sheperd.
Cross Country
This year’s Cross Country teams showed
future promise for both the boys’ and
girls’ teams. The boys squad had a
successful season after losing their top
two runners to graduation.
The team is looking to the future with
several talented freshmen that placed
third in the region tournament.
“We had a strong showing at the region
tournament and look forward to a
successful ending to a great season,”
senior Eric Aiken.
The girls team is also hoping to build
on a strong season. Led by young
runners, the season’s highlights include
taking first place at the Ojo Rio
Invitational.
The state tournament for both the boys
and girls will be held on Nov. 4 at the
Cave Creek Golf Course. |
