It’s been nearly eight months since Matt Lewis took over as the football coach at McClintock, but it took until last Thursday for his players to really buy in to the offensive scheme that was so successful in his tenure as offensive coordinator with Saguaro.
The varsity players were on hand as the team’s JV defeated Perry 34-0 despite having a much smaller roster, and it was then that the Chargers started to think that the offense was potent enough to help them compete against anybody on the schedule.
“The varsity kids …

Matt Lewis is trying to walk a fine line.
McClintock’s new football coach achieved great success as the offensive coordinator for Saguaro the past four seasons, helping the Sabercats to three state championships. The Chargers were well aware of the success, as they were region foes of Saguaro and were consistently routed in that time.
With that in mind, Lewis is keeping his former affiliation with Saguaro low-key. His players know where he came from, of course, but Lewis said he doesn’t wear his championship rings or any gear from those days.
He …

Xavier Gomez is one of five players at McClintock competing for the starting quarterback position. He took some time out during a recent spring football practice to discuss his old school music taste, his disdain for fruit salad, and a time trash talking went wrong.
Which class do you dread the most?
Math. I’ve never been too good at math.
One food you refuse to eat?
Fruit salad. I hate fruit salad.
Career aspirations?
I’ve heard it’s better going into college not knowing what to do, and then figuring it out there. So just get a …

Player of the Year: Gracie Goulder (Cactus Shadows)
Coach of the Year: Danica Gianni (Cactus Shadows)
First Team
Amanda Baldwin (Queen Creek)
Taylor Clark (Poston Butte)
Raianna Dobbs (Queen Creek)
Sami Hansen (Saguaro)
Paige Hess (Campo Verde)
Dynasty Lauvai (McClintock)
Camille McIver (Cactus Shadows)
Kelsey Montgomery (Queen Creek)
Elise Oldham (Saguaro)
Lindsey Skinner (Apache Junction)
Second Team
Alex Curtis (Saguaro)
Annie Davis (Saguaro)
Taylor Decker (Cactus Shadows)
Ryland Estrada (Queen Creek)
Kennedy Garcia (Campo Verde)
Ashley Gonzales (Apache Junction)
Elyssa Hartsock (Cactus Shadows)
Kristin Hillier (Cactus Shadows)
Kendi Nordstrom (McClintock)
Jenna Nimitz (Saguaro)
Autumn Rhodes (Apache Junction)
Jade Yost (Apache Junction)
Megan Scarpulla (Cactus Shadows)
Lexi Valenzuela (Queen Creek)

Baseball transfers don’t get the same publicity that football or basketball ones do, but they can still have big impacts on the competitive landscape.
Take what has happened in Scottsdale since the start of the season, for example.
First baseman Dylan Cozens was kicked off the team at Desert Mountain a week and a half ago, and promptly transferred to Chaparral. The Wolves lost a considerable talent, while the talented Firebirds only seemed to get better.
However, Cozens was ruled ineligible on Tuesday by the Arizona Interscholastic Association because a player can’t join …

With the way the power point standings work in boys basketball, it’s not only how many games a team wins, but when they do so.
Tournament games don’t count in the postseason race, and as we have seen this year, it can be a blessing or a curse.
Take Basha, for instance. The Bears went 5-3 in tournament games this year, including wins over 5A-II No. 1 Pinnacle and Hamilton. However, Basha has gone just 5-8 in power point games — including six losses by five points or less — and would …

Chandler had three individual champions, led by Dalton Brady, the outstanding wrestler in the lower weight classes, and came away with the team championship at the Payson Invitational on Saturday in Payson.
The Wolves edged Highland, which had four individual champions, scoring 399 points to the Hawks’ 381.5. Camp Verde was the third-place team (307) and Williams Field was fourth (254) in the 21-team event.
Brady cruised to the 112-pound title, pinning Rudy Peterson of Durango (Colo.) in 3:42 to take the title. Chandler’s Daniel Savage won the 160-pound division and Jose …

Matt Lewis confirmed a few minutes ago that he has been hired as the next football coach at McClintock.
Saguaro’s former offensive coordinator met with the Chargers players about an hour ago and said it was a productive meeting.
He will be bringing former Saguaro assistant Brandon Larson along as his offensive coordinator, and will also talk to other Saguaro assistants about their interest in joining his staff. Lewis may also keep some of the current McClintock coaches.
McClintock would like him to teach on-campus, although it must find an open spot for …

McClintock has offered its head football coaching position to Saguaro offensive coordinator Matt Lewis and he has accepted, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Lewis is the architect of Saguaro’s lethal spread offense, which has helped lead the Sabercats to three titles in his four years with the team. Saguaro is 50-5 with Lewis running the offense.
Lewis was a finalist for the Red Mountain vacancy last year and applied for the Corona del Sol, Higley and Mountain View openings this season. Lewis was someone Higley strongly considered, and …

A few thoughts as the first week of boys basketball action wraps up:
• Mesa point guard Jahii Carson had all of Gilbert’s defensive attention on Tuesday, and it’s going to be a recurring theme. He has talent around him. If Carson is willing to be a distributor, the team will be better than if he forces contested shots.
• Cameron Forte scored 38 points for McClintock in the team’s season opener, but no one else on the squad had more than seven points in a loss to Desert Vista. Does Forte have enough …