SPORTS

threshold into the Campus of Champions.” The decision was met with backlash. Coaches, parents and some longtime media members took to social media to express their displeasure with the situation. A petition started by Ernst’s son, Jason, on Saturday has reached nearly 4,000 signatures as of Monday.

“Coach Ernst has earned the right to coach the last few years of his career and to go out on his terms,” Jason wrote on the petition. “He has dedicated his life to MV basketball and this community. “He has built a program with neighborhood kids in which all high schools should emulate. If we can get Coach Ernst to retain his position as coach, then everyone wins especially our youth.”

Tuesday against Mesa, Ernst was honored before the start of the game by Mesa Principal Kirk Thomas. He introduced former Mesa coach and current Northern Arizona University head men’s coach Shane Burcar as the master of ceremonies. Burcar brought out all the Mesa coaches Ernst faced during his time at Mountain View.

Stories were told, hugs were shared and a standing ovation for Ernst from the over-capacity crowd made for an emotional moment. Several fans on both sides, media members and administrators from other schools wore red in support of Ernst – a theme across the high school basketball landscape this past week. Perry coach Sam Duane Jr. and Gilbert coach Jay Caserio started a movement among more than 30 coaches to wear red in support of Ernst. Desert Ridge coach Greg Ream, whose team played Perry Monday, also wore red. Caserio wore red Monday night and was in attendance for the rivalry game between Mountain View and Mesa on Tuesday. Lucas Ramirez, the head boys basketball coach at Saguaro, wore red to work with his team off for the night. Mountain Pointe

UNIFIED from page 32

mouth is and figuring out a way to connect the community.” Pond spent his first year at Westwood becoming accustomed to the culture and the inclusion of special education students. Coming from Centennial High School in the Peoria Unified School District, he saw it thrive and knew he could accomplish the same at Westwood. At the time, Westwood was slim with opportunities. The school ended up hosting the Unified state badminton qualifiers despite not having a team. Pond invited all the special education classrooms at Westwood to watch and bring some excitement. Both the teachers and kids immediately bought in to the idea.

In his second year, Pond set up a Unified physical education class where athletes could practice during the day and not worry about transportation. They also established a badminton, basketball and track team. It grew from there. “We had so much interest we had to add another class session,” Pond said. “We are sitting at around 70 kids total between the two classes that are now a part of it. We hope to keep growing it from there.” Seeing how successful Westwood’s program had become, Pond implored district leadership to help establish other programs at neighboring schools. He sought the help from new district Athletic Director Tommy Eubanks, who obliged and began assisting with the implementation of the Unified program at other schools. Pond and representatives from the Special Olympics of Arizona began visiting each district school to pitch the idea. All of them agreed and have started programs.

“It’s been a really awesome thing to

Ernst was honored before Mountain View’s game against rival Mesa Tuesday, Feb. 8. He was presented a plaque from former Mesa and current Northern Arizona University coach Shane Burcas. Ernst received a standing ovation from the over-capacity crowd, who he waved to and

thanked from the court. (Dave Minton/Tribune Staff)

coach Kaimarr Price took to social media to express his displeasure with Mountain View’s decision. Price said coaches like Ernst deserve a celebration and proper send off. “You have to give credit to Jay Caserio, he got the text thread going and I threw in the shirt thing and they ran with it. Jay deserves a lot of credit for this,” Duane said. “I think it’s the best way to honor so many young coaches. Gary means the world to me and he’s a special coach to a lot of us. “Watching him, competing against him, trying to beat Gary was the standard. If you beat Gary when you were a young coach, you’re getting better. He deserves some type of thank you.” Ernst was inundated with fans of all ages shaking his hand following his team’s game against Mesa. He impacted the lives of those who he never spoke to directly for many years. His eight state championships as a whole rank among the most for coaches, and his win total may never be beaten. He said Tuesday the support from other coaches, fans and teams was overwhelming. It made for an emotional game and night that was won by Mesa in the final minutes. “It makes me feel so good,” Ernst said. “It really makes me realize the 38 years I’ve had at Mountain View we’ve impacted a lot of people. I’m proud to be associated with Mountain View High School.” Brigg Wolfe, a junior guard at Mountain View said he cherished his time with Ernst. While his team unfortunately didn’t get the win over their rivals, they still had an opportunity to play one more home game with their coach Friday in the playin game for the playoffs. Wolfe said playing for him was an experience he won’t soon forget. “He’s a legend, he’s the most winningest coach,” Wolfe said. “Just to be able to learn from him was something amazing.” ■

Kids at the basketball jamboree were cheered on by their peers and Westwood’s AIA and Unified spirit lines. They were all introduced by the PA announcer and played a few games and had the opportunity to compete against other schools in friendly competition.

phoenix & glendale mar 5 & mar 6

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witness and see,” Eubanks said. “Westwood was the beacon school for this program, and we’ve taken that model and now every school has one. Maybe not to the same scale, but we expect it to just continue to grow.” Red Mountain began hosting a modified P. E. class with both general and special education students about seven years ago. Steve Selby, a Unified P. E. teacher, basketball coach and cross country and track & field coach for general ed students, was presented the opportunity in his second year at Red Mountain to be a part of it and he immediately accepted. This year, he said, is the first year Red Mountain has officially jumped into the Unified sports scene. But with how well the modified class worked, starting the sports programs was a no-brainer. “It worked so well for athletics, and everyone involved,” Selby said. “It was like a perfect storm of everything coming together. This year, it’s really taken off.” Selby had to request a co-teacher for the Unified P. E. class because of how much the program has grown. There are 25 general education students who take part in the class as buddies alongside 2530 special education students. Selby said eight to 10 of those special education students also compete in basketball with 12 buddies. Selby believes his team is still a year away from competing in the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s Unified competition like Westwood, but they have taken part in basketball showcases with other schools.

One was recently held at Westwood between its program and those from Red Mountain and Mountain View. Westwood’s spirit line and Unified spirit line cheered for athletes as they were intro-

THE MESA TRIBUNE | FEBRUARY 13, 2022 duced by the public address announcer. Students filed in and out of the gym to cheer on their peers. Pond said it made the athletes feel like super stars. Selby said it was a special moment for everyone involved and that’s only scratching the surface of the good it brings to the athletes and their families. “What kid doesn’t love to compete in front of their peers and have a cheering squad?” Selby said. “It was awesome. We’re thankful for the Unified partners, the buddies. The athletes just had an absolute blast and the parents have been super supportive and appreciative of the program. “The kids just absolutely love it, man. They’re nuts about sports, and they love it.” The Unified program at Mesa, Skyline and Dobson have also seen exponential growth in the last few years. Other districts have also followed suit as well, creating more and more programs to compete in the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s Unified division. Many schools have added other sports such as football, providing even more opportunities for special education students and others to become more involved. Pond is proud of the work he’s been able to accomplish at Westwood and what he’s been able to do to assist other schools. But he is far from taking all the credit. To him, seeing the smiles on the faces of athletes and their buddies who compete alongside them is rewarding enough. “I think it’s great,” Pond said. “At the end of the day, if we can say we’ve done our part and we can give as many opportunities for as many kids as we can, that’s the payoff. I don’t really care if my legacy is state champions or any of that stuff. “If we can say we taught kids how to be kind to each other and we taught kids to include kids with various disabilities and levels of ability then to me, that’s the biggest win for us.” ■

Have an interesting sports story?

Contact Zach Alvira at zalvira@ timespublications.com and follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.

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Beer fest an endless keg of samples and fun

BY ALLISON BROWN

GetOut Contributor

From lagers to IPAs to seltzers, there’s a lot of beer to try at the Arizona Strong Beer Festival.

Complete beginners and connoisseurs will find what they’re looking for, whether it’s a starting place or a new go-to ale. The festival will boast 300 to 450 samples.

The festival returns for its 21st year on Saturday, Feb.19, after a pandemic break. Rob Fullmer, executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, who sponsors and produces the event, said the Arizona Strong Beer Festival is coming back strong and he, vendors and customers are excited to get back to it. “We can’t wait to get back to beer fests,” Fullmer said. “It’s been a long two years for everyone and we are thrilled to be hosting the Arizona Strong Beer Festival at a new, state of the art location.” Tickets to the festival start at $60 and can be purchased online. A ticket includes 30 tasting tickets and a commemorative glass.

The festival spans 24 acres of the Mesa’s new Bell Bank Park, the largest sports complex in North America. Part of it will be transformed into a miniature city of breweries and other vendors to make up the state’s most comprehensive beer festival. There will also be live music, games and food trucks.

The festival got its name for promoting beers 8.5% and above, with a strong alcohol content. However, now that the beer industry and technology have advanced, Fullmer said there are ways to get a bolder flavor without having to add more alcohol. Now, they keep the name and characterize it as beers “strong in flavor, strong in character and strong in tradition.”

According to Fullmer, the Arizona Strong Beer Festival started with 25 vendors in a parking lot and has now grown to have as many as 10,000 people attend. “I think it’s one of the most fun beer festivals,” said Nicholas Rana, owner of State The Arizona Strong Beer Festival and Bell Bank Park in Mesa promises to be a fun time for fans of the sudsy beverage. (Special to GetOut)

48 Brewery, who will attend the festival for the sixth year. “It is the Strong Beer Fest, so a lot of people get pretty intoxicated, and it’s definitely one of the busiest festivals. It’s about as central as can be in Arizona, so you get to see people from all over the state that go to it. You get to meet everybody, it’s good advertising and it’s just a fun festival to be at.”

Because it is the premier beer event in the state, the festival will host product and brand launches. Drew Pool, co-founder of

Wren House Brewing Company, said it has been part of the festival since it opened in 2015. Pool wants to show off its new barrel-aged projects they have been working on. Strong Beer Festival allows his staff to see what’s trending or what drinkers seek. Fullmer said beer and breweries have a way of bringing people together. Breweries often serve as a comfortable, laid back third space for people to gather. He said it’s different than a coffee shop or restaurant in that it’s more acceptable to walk up to a stranger and strike up a friendly conversation, whether it’s asking what they’re drinking or where the best pizza place is nearby. With about 60% of the vendors being from within Arizona – and Rana said instead of a feeling of competition between the breweries –it’s more of a feeling of community and togetherness. from. (Special to GetOut) Laura Hansen, owner of Saddle Mountain Brewing Company, said her company has been involved for the past seven years and, while it’s fun to be recognized, the best part is the people.

“We’ve won a few different metals over the years for different beers, which is always a fun thing, but the most enjoyable part is honestly the people, both the other breweries and the customer base,” Hansen said. “Getting to talk to them about craft beer and just enjoying a lovely sunny afternoon with some outstanding craft beers.”

In the spirit of community, Fullmer said the event is family friendly, and patrons even have picnics there. For those who don’t really like beer, there will also be mead, cider, seltzers and nonalcoholic drinks available. Those under 21 or serving as a designated driver are still welcome to enter the festival for a reduced cost but will not be permitted to drink. When it comes to the 30 tasting tickets, Fullmer said there are a couple different strategies to maximize the experience without ending up with a killer headache the next day. “Do what everyone else is not doing,” he suggests. “I don’t stand in the lines, but I do ask people why they’re standing in line to understand what’s there. Definitely hydrate and take opportunities to check out the food trucks.”

Guests wanting to analyze the differences in the breweries to find a favorite should stick with one category, like sours, to better compare and contrast. Most likely, there will be brewers there who can discuss their particular version.

The Arizona Craft Brewers Guild represents nearly 100 operating breweries, breweries in the planning state, craft beer bars and distributors across Arizona. Fullmer said Arizona breweries have won world class medals and competed in some of the most prestigious competitions in the world. He said people frequently ask him when Arizona will catch up to other states leading the beer industry, but said maybe the state won’t “catch up,” it will just do something different and be unique. ■