Sports

Valley Christian wins 3A basketball title

BY ZACH ALVIRA

Sports Editor

Valley Christian was in unfamiliar territory early in the 3A boys basketball state championship game Saturday, Feb. 26 at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum.

The Trojans found themselves facing a double-digit deficit against Coolidge at the half. They were being out-rebounded, out-shot and overall, outplayed in the first two quarters of the biggest game of the season.

Head coach Greg Haagsma used the long intermission to calm his team down and help them refocus on the fundamentals. It worked.

Valley Christian looked like a completely different team led by senior Caleb Shaw as it went on to outscore Coolidge 34-15 in the second half and defeat the Bears 61-56 to capture the 3A title.

“We needed a long halftime to regroup and how to rebound better,” Haagsma said. “They were missing shots in the first half, too. They were just rebounding better. We stepped up the pressure a little bit certainly.

“They were able to go cold and we were able to play an offense where we got some backdoor cuts, be patient and really attack the glass. Which I think really helped us a lot.”

Coolidge jumped all over the Trojans in the first two quarters of play. The duo of Brayden Gant and Belclem Namegabe caused headaches everywhere on the floor and on the glass.

Gant finished with a team-high 18 points and 12 rebounds. Namegabe added 16 points and 10 boards of his own.

Coolidge’s ability to not only cash in from beyond the arc but get second-chance opportunities on the offensive end helped it quickly build a double-digit lead. Valley Christian, aside from the heroics from Caleb and his 19 first-half points, appeared to be worn down by Coolidge’s explosive burst of energy early on. But once settled down, the Trojans took over. “We just needed to have more intensity,” Caleb said. “Have more intensity and get after it on defense and rebounding.” Valley Christian went on a 21-6 run in the third quarter, highlighted by its smothering defense, Caleb’s scoring and contributions from 6-foot-3 freshman wing Kyle Grier and Caleb’s younger brother, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Luke. Grier, one of three freshmen for the Trojans this season, finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds. It was a quieter night for Luke, who averages more than 10 points a game. He capped off the season with a 7-point, 4-rebound performance.

Even as Valley Christian appeared to have flipped a switch and out-matched

Shaw led the team with 31 points and 10 rebounds, another stellar performance that was needed as the Trojans trailed throughout the first half before outscoring Coolidge 34-15 in the second half. (Dave Minton/Arizonan Staff)

See VALLEY on pag 32

With no Cactus League, Innings Fest draws a crowd

BY KEVIN REDFERN

Cronkite News

The ping of metal bats meeting baseballs in the cages could be heard from blocks away. Fans dusted off their favorite jerseys and memorabilia pieces to be signed by MLB legends as they scarfed down funnel cakes and corn dogs. Sharpies and sunscreen filled up purses and strollers galore.

And instead of those metal bats, the sights, sounds and smells coming from Sloan Park, Scottsdale Stadium or any of the other Cactus League ballparks around the Valley, fans amid the MLB lockout fans were getting their fix of spring baseball at Tempe Beach Park two weeks ago when the Innings Festival made its return.

After spending a year on hold because of COVID-19, the Innings Festival brought together baseball fans and rock-and-roll diehards, who merged for a two-day festival where MLB legends greeted fans and bands rocked out along Tempe Town Lake.

Major League Baseball, and by extension the Cactus League, is still on pause as the league and its players continue collective bargaining negotiations. Many fans who attended Innings Fest said their initial intention was to be at spring training games in addition to experiencing the festival, which is the whole concept of the event.

After negotiations fell apart March 1, spring training is still on pause and early games in the regular season have been canceled.

Evan Thompson and Corbin Clark, both 27 and San Francisco Giants supporters from Northern California, were two of many fans dressed head to toe in their team’s gear. When they purchased their Innings Fest tickets in October, they hoped to pair the experience with a Giants game during the daytime.

“We like Foo Fighters. We like Tame Impala and we like baseball. It’s kind of the trifecta,” Thompson said. “The fans are the ones that are kind of helpless. We don’t really have a say in what’s going on (with the lockout).”

Clark, while also disappointed, expressed interest in meeting Jim Abbott, the New York Yankees’ legend who is largely known for making it as a professional (and throwing a no-hitter) with just one hand. Abbott, who spoke to fans on Sunday, wrote a biography that inspired a young Clark, who is hopeful for a swift conclusion to the league’s negotiations.

“I want to see some baseball, I just don’t want to see them compromise on what makes it baseball,” he said.

Cactus League games provide a fan-friendly way to engage baseball’s younger audiences through face-toface player interactions that do not break the piggy bank for parents. While the price point for Innings fest was fairly steep at around $150 per day for admission, children of all ages received a similar experience to the ballpark.

Of course, there is no shortage of adults – or pricey adult beverages – during spring training, either.

In addition to Abbott, MLB Legends Roger Clemens, Kenny Lofton, Rick Sutcliffe and more signed baseballs and made small talk with thousands of fans. Former Diamondbacks’ pitcher Dontrelle Willis also made an appearance.

Clemens, 59, won seven Cy Young awards and two World Series titles as

The Tempe Innings Festival brought together fans of baseball and music and was a welcome event for supporters of a sport that is dealing with a work stoppage that has shut down Spring Training Season in Mesa and the rest of the Valley. (Jim Jacoby/Cronkite News)

Left: Jameson Riter, middle, fends off defenders Landen Dodd, left, and Ashaun Lindsey as he drives to the basket during a Mikey’s League basketball game. (Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News) Right: Jack Tait, center, sets his eyes on the hoop for a shot attempt as Ashaun Lindsey and others try to chase him down on defense during a Mikey’s League basketball game.

(Mary Grace Grabill/Cronkite News)

Mikey’s League opens sports to disabled kids

BY MARY GRACE GRABILL

Cronkite News

While Karl Bender was deployed in Iraq, his brother Michael was fighting a battle of his own. In 2008, “Mikey,” as Michael Bender was known, lost his fight of 21 years with cerebral palsy and a heart defect.

When he was born, doctors told the Bender family Mikey would not live past the age of 3.

When Karl came home for the funeral, his unit was hit by an IED back in Iraq. In a way, Mikey’s death saved Karl’s life.

“I would not be here if it wasn’t for him (Mikey),” Karl Bender said.

To honor Mikey’s memory, Bender founded Mikey’s League with Scott Freeman in 2019, creating an outlet of sports for children and adults who have intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities.

“They might have to live at home and stuff, but they can still be big functioning members of society,” Bender said. “They’re no different. And that’s what I want to change. That’s what I want to really show and be true to the inclusive word.”

Mikey’s League offers flag football, basketball and hockey within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area and Bender hopes to expand it throughout the nation.

“That’s been our emphasis from the beginning, is making sure that these kids feel like they’re getting the same thing as everyone else,” Freeman said. “We want them to have the same experience that they watch their brothers and sisters have. There’s really no reason that they can’t have that experience.”

Freeman said the basketball program did not meet their “internal expectations of following our mission of giving these kids exceptional services,” so in January, Mikey’s League and KinectAbility Athletics joined to strengthen each program and help athletes grow.

Daisy Altamirano, founder and chief executive officer of Kinectability Athletics, played collegiate basketball and is making changes to improve the Mikey’s League basketball program.

“Daisy is an incredible partner in helping us keep Mikey’s League going,” Bender said. “And that’s what we strive to be is we want to bring quality, and she is quality to our sport or to our league.”

Each practice includes 45 minutes of skills development and 45 minutes of game play for participants. Freeman said the program helps young athletes make connections with everyone involved.

“Through sports, we become connected with coaches that are positive role models,” he said. “We’re connected with peers who hold us accountable for our actions and … to expectations.”

For now, Mikey’s League is confined to the East Valley, but Bender and Freeman hope to expand it across Arizona.

VALLEY from page 31

Coolidge, the Bears hung around. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Trojan lead was cut to just two points.

Valley Christian had a chance to extend its lead several times from the free throw line. But during a 3-minute stretch in the fourth quarter, the Trojans missed 8-of-9 free throws. Caleb had seven of those.

“He’s got to get better at those, huh?” Haagsma said. “He put us on his back and carried us. He really did. That’s just the player he is.”

Coolidge’s last opportunity to cut the lead was quickly taken away by Caleb, however, when he finally connected on a pair from the line. Luke added two of his own to ice the game.

Caleb hugged Luke after the team had received the trophy and cut down a piece of the net. A senior, it was his way of passing the torch for the Valley Christian program after capping off his high school career with a 31-point, 10-rebound performance.

He had similar success with his older brother Isaiah, who is now a freshman at Grand Canyon, where his father is an assistant coach and his uncle the head coach. Now, he and Luke have a title together.

“It’s such a blessing to be able to play with him and to have him on our team,” Luke said of his brother. “He really carried us. Man, this dude, man. He’s going on to bigger and better things.”

Valley Christian had been working toward winning the state championship since the summer when it took part in Section 7, a massive basketball showcase featuring some of the top teams in the country.

It was at that moment Haagsma knew his team was special. And even in their few losses – one of which to Centennial, which is playing for the 5A championship – he felt it would benefit his team and prepare them for a grueling championship run.

His players agreed. And even more so as they lifted the gold ball to cap off their impressive run.

“Two of our losses were to tournament teams,” Caleb said. “That really prepared us to have a different mindset coming into this one and it helped us a lot.”

BASEBALL from page 31

a player. Sporting his sizable University of Texas national championship ring, he took time to give young players and fans some pointers and baseball grip techniques. One of those lucky fans was a 12-year-old Padres fan Rowan Ward from San Diego.

Ward and his family planned to come watch the Padres play in Peoria in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended all league activities. Now, two years later, they’re missing out on spring training baseball again.

“Originally I was here for both (the music and the baseball). Now that it’s just the music, I’m kind of sad,” he said. “I would have preferred to maybe see some baseball played, but that’s definitely not a bad way to spend my day.”

The artists did not shy away from the festival’s clear ties between song and sport. Rock artist Del Water Gap took a minute from his set to proclaim his love for the Diamondbacks, and how watching Randy Johnson inspired him to want a mustache when he was younger.

Dawson Daugherty, the lead singer of San Diego-based indie pop band “almost Monday,” said, “I hope that the season happens. I kind of wanted to say something (during the show), like, ‘Hey, MLB, can we figure this out?’”

Innings Festival will host a second event in Tampa in March to complement Grapefruit League spring training games in Florida. With a fresh slate of artists and MLB legends, one of the few constants is former Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster.

Dempster, a two-time All-Star, hosted talk shows with the other MLB legends all weekend long in Tempe, and he will host a similar event in Tampa. In a traditional year, Dempster would be working at Sloan Park in Mesa with the Marquee Network that broadcasts Cubs games and other Chicago baseball content.

“I don’t think the intention was ever to fill a void, because (the festival) has been here in the past,” Dempster said. “ “You kind of get the feel of something you’re missing right now. If we can give a little bit of that, and fill that void just a little bit over this weekend, we are doing a great thing.

“Because music and baseball, there is nothing better.”