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PHXFan is the leading sports blog for Arizona High School and College sports. It is the next generation of SportZine Magazine, which hit high school campuses throughout the Valley in 2003. More About PHXFan...
Arizona Sports (AZCentral)- Diamondbacks’ focus shifts to handling Zack Greinke ahead of wild-card game start September 26, 2017
- Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald still shines on national stage September 26, 2017
- Diamondbacks suffer ‘letdown’ in loss to Giants September 26, 2017
- Diamondbacks' Fernando Rodney in line to earn at least $4 million September 26, 2017
- Somers, Bickley discuss Cardinals' loss to Cowboys September 26, 2017
Latest Headlines
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Area Code Games conclude as local players shine
Posted on August 13, 2008 | 117 CommentsNotre Dame Prep infielder Tony Piazza singled in the second game of the final day of the 2008 Area Code Games in Long Beach, CA., to give his Cincinnati Reds to tie the game in the third inning. The Reds scored once more in the top of the seventh when Brophy Prep's Jake Williams, son of former Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams, doubled.
But both hits came in a losing effort as the New York Yankees took the final game for both teams in the week-long showcase of elite high school talent that ended Monday. The Games were won this year by the team representing the Texas Rangers in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Notre Dame pitcher Casey Upperman was the first of a group of Arizona baseball players to make his mark at the Games. Upperman was credited with the Reds' opening night's 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, Aug. 5. In that same game, teammate Kirby Pellan from Corona del Sol HS doubled off Jeffrey Ames from Vancouver, Wash. Two nights later, Jake Barrett from Desert Ridge HS, took the mound as the starting pitcher for the Reds, but was tagged for the first home run of the Games, as the Reds fell to the Texas Rangers, 4-0. Lance Harper of Desert Mountain (Scottsdale) HS kicked in a single in the losing effort. -
Desert Vista tops in Nike Web Nationals
Posted on July 9, 2008 | 147 CommentsThe Phoenix Desert Vista boys track and field team scored heavily in each of the 10 events that determined the best team in the nation, based on a computer program that tabulates the performances of teams from across the country. The Thunder racked up 8,430 points in the Nike Web Nationals, 113 more points than last year, to edge out Los Gatos of California for first place. -
MIND GAMES: Believe & you will achieve
Posted on July 8, 2008 | 143 CommentsPrior to Super Bowl III, New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath made one of the boldest statements in the history of sports when he guaranteed victory against the powerful and heavily-favored Baltimore Colts. Namath and the Jets made good on his claim, however, and defeated the Colts in what many consider to be one of the greatest upsets of all time. Broadway Joe (as Namath was called) certainly wasn’t short on believing in his ability to achieve his goals – and neither should you.
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Arizona High Schools filling MLB rosters
Posted on July 8, 2008 | 102 Comments
Four local players were selected in the latest Major League Baseball draft: Ike Davis, 1B, Chaparral HS; Jaff Decker, OF, Peoria Sunrise HS; Kyle Lobstein, P, Flagstaff Coconino HS; and Ryan Perry, Marana HS. But the Arizona Republic also points out in a recent article that there are more Arizona athletes currently playing for major league teams - enough to fill a starting line-up.
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PEAK PERFORMANCE: skill maintenance
Posted on July 8, 2008 | 128 CommentsMany athletes spend countless hours of practice in an attempt to get better at their sport. Shooting numerous free throws, hitting buckets of golf balls, spending handfuls of quarters at the pitching machine are all ways in which athletes attempt to fine-tune their sports skill. Many athletes even recognize the necessity of “outside” training to improve their speed, reactive ability, and/or strength. However, many people don’t realize that running, jumping, being explosive or powerful are all skills, just like shooting a basketball, and must be constantly trained to both maintain and improve them.
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A closer look at Wii Sports!
Posted on July 6, 2008 | 139 Comments
This time around, I'm reviewing Wii Sports, for the Nintendo Wii. This is the game that came packaged with the console itself, for free. Because it was free, this review is going to be fairly lenient. For many, this is the first experience with the Wii, which makes an important first impression. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the Wii, the controller is simplified and has various motion sensors on it, allowing its movement to be tracked in three dimensions. The graphic capabilities aren't on par with the PS3 and Xbox360, but the Wii is considerably more powerful than Gamecube. -
A simple, but effective, workout to build core strength
Posted on July 5, 2008 | 116 Comments
Core Training (Part 1): A 6-Pack of Functional Strength
Having ripped-up six-pack abs should not only be for show, but also functional to perform in sports. Core training is not only focused on the abs, but it’s the complete area surrounding the abs, obliques, lower back, hips and glutes. It is this region that will transfer power from the legs to the upper body in order to generate the appropriate power to perform that homerun swing or allow you to drive through your opponent when running through the crowd into the end zone. The core will also help minimize lower back injuries by stabilizing the spine and creating a natural internal brace. -
PEAK PERFORMANCE
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 94 CommentsWATCHING SPORTS ON TV, many times you find yourself commenting on the athleticism of a player. Michael Jordan seemed to float in the air, Barry Sanders ran effortlessly cutting, dodging and evading tacklers; examples can be drawn from every sport. -
AZ Cardinals looking for championship team photos
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 154 Comments
The Arizona Interscholastic Association recently announced that the 4A and 5A high school football championships will be moved to Glendale this year, to be played in the new Arizona Cardinals stadium. Class 4A and 5A Division II title games are scheduled to be played on Dec. 2 , and the Class 4A and 5A Division I will be on Dec. 9.
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Coaches Corner
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 112 CommentsArizona Coaches Association Welcomes New President Mike
Brown of Greenway.
The end of 2006 marks the end of the Arizona Coaches Association presidency for me. I welcome Mike Brown as he heads up this organization for the next two years. I have worked with Mike as a coach, as well as on our ACA board, having coached his son in track. Mike will make a great leader for our association. -
Focused on the Finish Line
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 121 Comments
Treg Jeffery is beginning to bring things into focus… which is not good news for the rest of the runners in 4A-I this year.
The senior at Moon Valley High School plays soccer, ran a year of cross-country, and is putting in his fourth year on the track team, where he was state champion last year in the 400 meter and 800 meter and anchored the 4x400 relay.
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SportZine's VIDEO GAME REVIEW
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 156 Comments
For those who haven’t already
played it, this review is for Madden NFL 2007 for the Nintendo GameCube. This is
the latest installment of the legendary Madden series, and brings with it everything
you would expect. The things that make this edition new are the Superstar mode,
along with lead blocking. -
"We're keeping the dream alive"
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 125 Comments
Ann Meyers Drysdale steps
out of broadcasting and onto the floor at US Airways Center, where she will take
the reins of General Manager of the Phoenix Mercury. She plans to provide an
exciting brand of winning basketball that will draw high school fans to the
women’s game. -
POWER POINTS
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 121 Comments
One of the oldest, yet most beneficial, exercises an athlete can do with little to no equipment is the “Pull-up.” Pull-up or Chinup is a key exercise for upper-body strength and improvement in speed. For the sake of simplicity, we are going to use the term “Pullup” as our universal movement and adjust our hand positions for each movement.
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Get the message… Texting is a problem
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 133 CommentsText messaging is the newest recruiting
tool of college coaches – and some are concerned
that it is becoming too intrusive into
the lives of highly-prized high school athletes.
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SportZine Spotlight Game – PEORIA WINS, BUT STRUGGLES
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 117 Comments
Week four proved to be a focal point for the Peoria panthers and the Westview Knights. Both teams had been ranked in the Top 5 during the opening weeks of the season, but by the fourth game of the season, Peoria had dropped from the rankings and needed a win against Westview to re-establish its footing.
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It’s mid-season: which teams need to CHECKOFF To Another Game Plan?
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 145 CommentsIt’s not even the halfway point in the high school football season, and no team wants to consider itself among the have-nots. Every team believes they will still be playing
in late November, early December. -
From high school to the pro’s
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 138 Comments
Paula Clendaniel was one of the Top 10 Finalists in last year’s Qwest Leadership Challenge, one of the last few vying for one of two $5,000 scholarships offered by Qwest Communications and the Phoenix Suns. This year the high school senior got to go behind the scenes in the Phoenix Suns organization, a direct result of her involvement in the Challenge program.
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Highland Volleyball Tournament
Posted on September 1, 2006 | 122 Comments
Volleyball tournament play heated up as the season neared the midway point, and many of the area’s top teams we in action the Sept. 22 weekend, either at
A field of 16 teams showed for the tournament, a good crowd considering that another tournament was taking place on the same Sept. 22-23 weekend across town at Cave Creek Cactus Shadows. At Highland, Seton had to work past two teams in the top ten 5A power rankings, Hamilton and Mountain Ridge. -
THE MENTAL EDGE
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 150 CommentsPower of Positive Self-Talk
What athletes think or say is critical to their performance. Thoughts directly affect feelings and, ultimately, actions. Inappropriate or misguided thinking usually leads to negative feelings and poor performance, just as appropriate or positive thinking leads to good performances.
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Sport & Music Festival Making Phoenix Stop
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 113 CommentsPro athletes are scheduled to make a stop in Phoenix in June to offer gravitydefying demonstrations of the best of skateboard and freestyle motocross action. Some of the nation’s hottest new music artists will mix it up with some of the country’s best alternative sports athletes as Journeys Backyard Barbeque launches it’s six-city national tour in Phoenix on Saturday, June 3. -
Around The Horn
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 120 Comments
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) designated April 29-May 6 this year as its 5th Annual Play It SmartWeek to highlight the community service aspect of its mentoring program.
This year, National Play It Smart Week events include hospital and nursing home visits, food banks, Rebuilding Together, neighborhood clean-ups, preparing meals for the homeless, Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics, reading to elementary school students and more.
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Mind Games: Accept Competitive Anxiety and Know That You Can Cope With It
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 151 CommentsPicture the following scene: Ricky, a running back for his high school football team, takes the handoff from his quarterback and runs off-tackle as the play is designed. As he turns the corner, a large, menacing linebacker suddenly appears, possessing an evil intent to pummel Ricky to the ground into submission and rip the football from his clutching hands.
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Around The Horn
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 148 CommentsThe National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) designated April 29-May 6 this year as its 5th Annual Play It SmartWeek to highlight the community service aspect of its mentoring program.
This year, National Play It Smart Week events include hospital and nursing home visits, food banks, Rebuilding Together, neighborhood clean-ups, preparing meals for the homeless, Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics, reading to elementary school students and more.
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What handicap?
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 3,238 Comments
This season, Anthony Robles put the final stamp on a remarkable wrestling career at Mesa High School by winning the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) title at 112 lbs.
With that victory, Robles became the first disabled wrestler to win a title at the NHSCA national championships.
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Crew team travels to San Diego
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 2 Comments
The Tempe Junior Crew team took part in the 33rd San Diego Classic in early April. There were 117 teams attending, rowing in the big 8+ boats. Team officials told SportZine that more than two-thirds of the teams there represented some of the better colleges and universities in the nation.
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POWER POINTS
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 135 Comments
Summer is just around the corner and the heat index is rising. Boys and girls, get your swimming trunks ready because it’s time to hit the water! Tanning on the shores of Hawaii, jet skiing on Lake Havasu, or hanging out at the water park… whatever the case, maybe it’s time to get that “beach body” in shape.
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2006 Tribune Track Invitational
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 135 Comments
A field of 19 teams showed up in late April at Westwood High School in Mesa for the annual Tribune Invitational, as this year’s high school track teams began winding down another season and tuning up for finals competition.
The East Valley schools made a strong showing, with those from Mesa and Chandler nailing down the majority of the top four places in both the boys’ and girls’ competitions. Phoenix’ Desert Vista crashed the party, finishing first in the boys’ competition, and Glendale’s Mountain Ridge took third in girls’ events..
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AT TOP SPEED
Posted on May 1, 2006 | 151 Comments
She’s already clocked some of the fastest times in the nation. And she’s only a junior.KENYANNA WILSON wasn’t even a blip on the national track & field radar last year. She even had a sub-par school season at Peoria High School. But last July, just weeks after that sophomore season ended, she literally exploded on the national scene.
‘Keke’, as her family and friends know her, won the 100 meter and 200 meter races in the USATF Junior Nationals in Indianapolis and, in the process, broke the Region 10 records in both events.