White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko and Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier are each among five players remaining for the final MLB All-Star game slot in the American and National Leagues, respectively.
The game is being played at Chase Field here in Phoenix on July 12, and since both are Arizona-grown, the two have teamed up to campaign for the final two spots.
Ethier, a former St. Mary’s standout, is hitting .321 with seven homers and 41 RBIs this year. Konerko, who played for Chaparral, is hitting .319 with 21 home runs and …

The recruiting hype around softball is nothing compared with football, but looking back now, it’s clear how important it was for Arizona State to land Dallas Escobedo, now a freshman at the school.
The former St. Mary’s star dominated Arizona softball batters throughout her prep career and showed well in national showcases, but moving up to the college level seemed like it could be an adjustment.
However, her dominance from day one has set up the Sun Devils very nicely for the rest of this year, and the next three seasons. Escobedo …

Desert Valley All-Region softball team
Chaparral
Skylar Weinstein,  So., P
Bryce Villalapando, Sr., 1B
Sam Davis,  Sr., 2B
Ashtyn Coleman,  So., OF  (honorable mention)
Kerry Durnan,  Sr., 3B  (honorable mention)
Desert Mountain
Kasey McCravey, Jr., SS
Ashley Palmer, Jr., 1B
Andy Wellins, So., P
Maddie Francis, Sr., 3B (honorable mention)
Jessica Guffey, Sr., OF (honorable mention)
Horizon
Leah White,  Sr., C
Allison Schullo, Sr., P
Jamie Morgan, Sr., 3B
Nicole Newbury, Jr., SS
Margaret Stahm, So., 1B
Holly Twarog, Sr., C  (honorable mention)
Taylor Holland, So., P  (honorable mention)
Pinnacle
Jenna Makis, Sr., P
Haley Walker, Sr., OF
Katie McCallister,  Jr., 3B
Shea Palmer, Jr., OF
Makenzi Dallas,  Sr., SS  (honorable mention)
Willow Kalinen, So., OF  (honorable …

Three days later, It became official:  Todd Williamson is the new football coach at St. Mary’s.
Williamson was Phoenix Central’s coach for the past three seasons after being promoted from defensive coordinator. He was with the school since 2005. Williamson led Central to the 2009 postseason while setting various school records each of the last two seasons. Williamson was named Metro Conference Coach of the Year in 2009.
“Todd Williamson is exactly the right person to lead our football program at this time,” principal Suzanne Fessler said in a …

Dallas Escobedo mowed down hitters at an impressive rate in her decorated four years at Phoenix St. Mary’s.
Now the Arizona State freshman hurler is already making an impression on the college softball landscape.
Escobedo was named the Amateur Softball Association’s Collegiate Player of the Week after going 4-0 with a 1.15 earned run average last week, including victories over No. 22 Oklahoma State and No. 6 Oklahoma.
She struck out 28 batters in 18 1/3 innings pitched and held batters to a .143 average. Escobedo had two complete games and one shutout.
It’s …

The thinning numbers at St. Mary’s shrunk a little more last weekend as junior running back/linebacker Orange Mooney is moving to Kansas, according to Knights coach Eddy Zubey.
Mooney, a two-way starter who was expected to be a standout player next fall for the Knights, will move with his older sister to live with his father.
Zubey said Mooney hadn’t officially withdrawn from the school as of Tuesday, but expects he will do so.
Mooney’s mother passed away from illness just before the regular season began in mid-August. Since then, he’s been living …

St. Mary’s and Marcos de Niza were both cleared by the AIA for recruiting allegations at Monday’s executive board meeting.
The allegations stemmed from a former St. Mary’s player who  left the school and enrolled at Marcos de Niza before he’d officially withdrawn and submitted all necessary paperwork in the proper time line to leave St. Mary’s and enroll at Marcos de Niza.
In its hardship appeal, the family alleged St. Mary’s coach Eddy Zubey assured them the player’s school tuition would be paid for, and that Eddy Zubey contacted the former …

As expected, all schools that put in for appeals to move up divisions beginning next year were approved this week at the Arizona Interscholastic Association executive board meeting.
The new format allows schools to individually petition up per sport(s) of their choosing. St. Mary’s pushed all of its sports up from Division IV to Division I. There shouldn’t have been any surprises, as there’s no reason for the AIA to deny anyone wanting to move up, even if it’s against the school’s own best interest.
The Knights made that their own problem …

Pride can lead men and women to great things in life, to becoming overachievers.  It emanates through people and rubs off on others in the vicinity.  It rallies people behind a cause.
It also gets in people’s way when better days have come and gone, and St. Mary’s – administration and alumni – is clinging to 1984 and 1994 again.
With an Oct. 25 deadline for petitions, the Knights plan to move themselves from Division IV all the way up to Division I football next season under the new enrollment-based realignment plan.
Enrollment …

St. Mary’s coach Eddy Zubey and Scottsdale Prep receiver Matt Munsil were named the Arizona Cardinals’ high school coach and player of the week, respectively, for their accomplishments on Sept. 10.
Munsil, a 5-foot-9 freshman, had 14 receptions for 341 yards and six touchdowns in the Spartans’ 52-28 win over Glendale Prep in 1A football last week. He’ll receive the award on Friday at 3 p.m.
Despite half the roster size of rival-Brophy, Zubey’s Knights won, 16-13, on Friday night. It was the first time St. Mary’s beat Brophy since 2002. The …