A blog by Richard Smith

West Valley Preps

Following the appeals process, and other comings and goings, the next two-year block of high school sports is coming into focus.

Let’s look at where the 13 schools West Valley Preps covers in the 6A-4A conferences have landed. This time, I’ll focus on sports other than football, though a few major changes to local football programs will be addressed.

Valley Vista's Terrysha Banner (#2) drives to the basket against Millennium in the 6A championship game Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017 at Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix. This is the last season these longtime rivals face off for state and region titles, with Millennium dropping to 5A in the latest AIA realignment. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]6A

6A Desert Valley: No changes from the original placing. Liberty moves in to a region with Pinnacle, Chaparral and Mountain Ridge and its DVUSD rivals Boulder Creek and O’Connor. In volleyball, the Lions and Mountain Lions had rosters full of young talent last year, and should be ready to compete with Chaparral and O’Connor in what looks like a balanced, quality region without an obvious favorite. Boys basketball is more volatile — just look at how fortunes have reversed for Mountain Ridge and O’Connor from two years ago. Liberty has played 6A level teams and should be competitive from the start, but everyone is looking up at Nico Mannion-led Pinnacle. The Pioneers and Firebirds look set in the near future, in terms of girls basketball too. The same is true for girls soccer, though Liberty can has many talented underclassmen and should give those two a run next year. Boys soccer will be more difficult for the Lions to navigate, as Chaparral is traditionally a tick better and O’Connor and Pinnacle are already championship-caliber 6A programs. Wrestling is where the Lions can make the biggest immediate splash, although that sport does not have regions — instead larger sections. Liberty is the best program in the North and West Valley and Mountain Ridge is often second. Winning a Division I title? That’s difficult for any program not named Sunnyside or based in the East Valley. Liberty recently played in (essentially) a 6A baseball title game, and the talent in the area should have them poised for another run. But this region will be brutally tough in baseball. Everyone is good. And every school except Boulder Creek is occasionally great on the diamond. Liberty softball remains in the shadow of Sunrise Mountain and now has to contend with a recent state champion in O’Connor and a Pinnacle program that is the 6A runner up the last two years.

6A Southwest: Outside of football and boys soccer Shadow Ridge transitioned well to 5A. As I mentioned in the last blog, the current 5A Northwest is far more competitive that this 6A Southwest starting next year. Millennium drops to 5A and is the top program for this region in volleyball, boys basketball, girls soccer and baseball. Softball is close to the top and Millennium girls basketball is neck-and-neck with Valley Vista not only for the region honors but for the state title. Without the Tigers, the Monsoon’s only issue with this region will be receiving too little competition for 10 games. Valley Vista also should control things in baseball, though Shadow Ridge is improving and Tolleson may just have been in a slump. Shadow Ridge should be a contender in boys basketball for a couple years, and has the top softball program in the region.

Kellis' Brett Kuest (#10) scores a run on a triple by teammate Justin Flebbe (#5) against Deer Valley April 26, 2017 at Raymond S. Kellis High School in Glendale. After this season, Kellis will be in a new 5A region with three other Peoria district schools and Deer Valley will drop to 4A. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]5A

5A Northwest: This region remained the same after appeals, even though Kellis tried to move to the Desert West. The Cougars were denied, and other than Centennial in football, this is a pretty balanced region. The quality of volleyball at the top of this region will be unbelievable next year with defending 5A champion and perennial contender Sunnyslope, semifinalist (and 2016 champion) Centennial, and 4A runner up Sunrise Mountain (which returns all of its rotation players). Apollo, Ironwood and Kellis are kind of stuck there. Boys basketball should still tilt toward the Glendale Union schools — Sunnyslope loses a lot from this year’s juggernaut but is always at least a solid playoff team, and Apollo is overflowing with young talent. Ironwood is the best positioned PUSD program with several promising young guards, top coaching and experience battling with the big two. Centennial is improving and next season will be a stern test of how far coach Randy Lavender has taken the program. Sunrise Mountain is regaining its footing in its post-Elijah Thomas era and Kellis is staring over. Girls basketball is harder to predict, beyond Apollo leading the way after its top two scorers returning. Without its current seniors, Centennial could fall back to the path. Ironwood and Sunrise Mountain have very young teams this year and could surprise. Ironwood and Sunnyslope have battled for boys soccer supremacy in the Metro recently and should continue that in this region, though the Mustangs sprung to life in 5A this year and Apollo and Kellis are solid. Girls soccer is more jumbled and Apollo, Centennial, Kellis and Sunrise Mountain are all region title possibilities next year. As with boys basketball and girls volleyball, baseball in this new Northwest Region should be great. Ironwood is trying to revive its program, but every other school here is very good. Sunrise Mountain always has the depth and wealth of pitching that is more like a 5A school, and will step in and do battle with 2017 5A champ Kellis, as well as Apollo, Centennial and Sunnyslope. The Mustangs and Coyotes should take charge of the region in softball, with Sunrise Mountain a slight favorite. Kellis could surprise.

5A Desert West: Willow Canyon remains in a completely new region and it’s a mixed bag. Glendale is out from the original grouping, moving down to 4A, but Independence stays and is in rough shape in this region, except for boys soccer. The Wildcats should make strides in volleyball but Millennium is at a completely different level from the rest of the teams. The Tigers are on the rise in boys basketball too, though Agua Fria has been a contender in recent years and Willow Canyon is on an upward curve. Girls basketball is a race for second, as Millennium may only have one or two contenders in all of 5A, let alone this region. Independence is the clear No. 1 in boys soccer and Willow Canyon has a lot of work to do. Millennium also leaps to the top of girls soccer, though Willow Canyon and Verrado will provide strong foils. Verrado probably paces the way in baseball and the Wildcats can see where they’re at after getting used to their new coach this spring. It’s Verrado and Millennium again in softball, though Willow Canyon’s history suggests it can be a solid third place squad.

Cactus' Kaiulani Nowell (#11) slides under a tag by Sunrise Mountain's Summer Pells (#15) April 13, 2017 at Cactus High School in Glendale. With the Mustangs moving to 5A next year, this high school rivalry will lose some of its oomph. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]4A

4A West Valley: Cactus and Peoria both tried to move to the Skyline region, which has several Glendale Union schools, instead of this one with three schools dropping from 5A — Deer Valley, Desert Edge and Lake Havasu. And here’s one instance where we have to mention football. Desert Edge remains the favorite. Peoria should remain a solid contender. Both will face a challenge from Deer Valley, which wrapped up its coaching search quickly and hired a respected coach in Dan Friedman. Conversely, Cactus ushered its legendary coach out the door and does not have a replacement as of this writing. [Note: After the first publication of this story, Cactus hired former Gilbert Higley offensive coordinator Joseph Ortiz as coach]. The Cobras are starting a new era in a tough spot and are more likely to battle Lake Havasu for last than Desert Edge for first. Deer Valley is an immediate 4A volleyball contender with some impressive players coming back. The Skyhawks, Cobras and Scorpions will be the 4A version of the 5A Northwest Region trio. Deer Valley also immediately jumps to the top of the heap in boys basketball, even with heavy graduation losses upcoming. Peoria figures to be the Skyhawks’ main foil. Desert Edge gives Cactus some legit competition in girls basketball. None of these schools have been very good in boys soccer recently. Deer Valley loses some bedrock players but should still lead the way in girls soccer. Assuming everyone stays in 2019, Cactus is still the kingpin in softball, with Desert Edge nipping at their heels and everybody else playing for third. There is no obvious favorite in baseball, as Cactus, Deer Valley and Desert Edge try to recapture former glory

4A Black Canyon: One more football observation for the region Dysart is in. Glendale landed here after nearly making the playoffs in 5A. The Cardinals should go straight to the top here, with Apache Junction and Dysart as the main contenders. The Demons and the Prospectors should do battle in volleyball again. Dysart basketball graduated a large and skilled senior class, and probably won’t be able to fend off Washington next year. The Demons girls basketball team is starting over. But girls soccer made the play in round this year and will be ready to challenge Glendale and Washington. The Demons should be back to their contending ways in boys soccer, but the presence of Cortez, Glendale and Washington makes this the Black Canyon’s best sport. And there is not much to say about any of the baseball or softball programs at these schools.

Editor’s note: Richard Smith is the Sports Editor for the Daily News-Sun, Glendale Today, Peoria Today and Surprise Today. Follow his work and myriad local high school game recaps for West Valley Preps on YourValley.net. Reach him at 623-876-3692 or rsmith@newszap.com