After finishing up an undefeated season with 15 wins and no losses, the Arizona Charter Academy Bulldogs have been named the 2022 Canyon Athletic Association Boys Division II Basketball Champions.

Eighth-grader Elijah Palmer was named MVP.

Coach Chrys Kirk noted that the basketball team worked very hard throughout the year, including attending 90-minute practices, four times a week.

The Bulldogs played a number of schools throughout the season, including Candeo, Calibre Academy, Adams and Paradise Honors Middle School.

“This championship means a lot because for some of these kids it was their first championship of any kind,” Kirk said, adding that while everyone on the team had played basketball before, four were new to playing on a school team.

To celebrate this great accomplishment last month Arizona Charter Academy had a parade on campus for the basketball team. All of the students from grades kindergarten through eighth lined the hallways while the team walked through the hallway holding their trophy and championship banner as “We are the Champions” played over the intercom.

“Hard work and goal setting is the key to succeed in any walk of life,” Kirk said.