NAME

HT

(C) Team Captains

Team Manager
Justin Hull - JR

DATE

Paradise Valley

Westview

Tolleson Union

DATE

OPPONENT

DATE

OPPONENT

DATE

OPPONENT

DATE

OPEN DIVISION

DATE

6A DIVISION

Mesa's 4th quarter sinks Valley Vista
February 16, 2023 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365

Mesa High's Kota Benson played three-ball for three quarters. Benson settled for two-pointers and free throws in the fourth quarter to complete a big offensive output leading the 6th-seeded Jackrabbits to a 59-43 victory over #11 seed Valley Vista on Thursday night in the second round of the 6A state tournament at Jackrabbit Gym.

Benson, a senior guard, totaled a game-high 28 points. He sank six treys (two in each of the first, second and third quarters). He capped the evening making 6 of 6 free throws in the final 53 seconds helping cement the outcome. Mesa advances to the quarterfinals on Wednesday (Feb. 22). The Jackrabbits hit the road and to the Northwest Valley and will face #3 Boulder Creek. Boulder Creek earned its quarterfinal berth defeating #14 Carl Hayden, 69-60.

Mesa controlled the game -- save a brief interval late in the third period to early in the fourth. Its largest lead until the final minute was 30-17 at the 6:21 mark of the third quarter. Valley Vista rallied and made it interesting to begin the fourth quarter. The Monsoon's senior guard Aaden Isai scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the third period helping slice Mesa's lead to 39-33 to begin the final quarter.

Valley Vista kept its rally going the first two minutes of the final period, cutting the deficit to 40-37. Mesa felt the pressure and responded with a 10-2 run. Mesa junior forward Anthony Seumanu (11 points for the game) scored six of the 10 points. Valley Vista's comeback bid was halted and Mesa protected and expanded a 52-43 lead making 7 of 8 free throws in the final minute.

#10 Mountain View nips #9 Mesa on 2 late FTs
January 31, 2023 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365

Top 10 6A foes and neighborhood rivals #9 Mesa and #10 Mountain View engaged in another down-to-the-wire battle on Tuesday night. By down-to-the-wire the decisive points went down with one-half second to go.

Mountain View's Nate Bogle sank two free throws - the last of his 18 points for the game - with that speck of time left, completing a second-half comeback and giving Mountain View a 53-52 triumph over Mesa at Jackrabbit Gym.

The victory clinched the East Valley Region crown for Mountain View and new head coach Andy Johnson. The Toros (16-10 overall) have swept through region play with a 9-0 mark with one game left. That game is home Friday against Red Mountain. Mesa (18-6, 6-2) was the only team with a shot at tying or passing Mountain View for region supremacy in this the final week of the regular season. The Jackrabbits have two region games games left. They host Westwood on Thursday and finish Friday at Skyline.

Mesa was focused on denying Mountain View a clinching region win at the outset. The Jackrabbits used a strong first quarter (22-17 lead) and a 36-30 advantage at halftime. Senior guard Parker Escalante paced Mesa scoring 15 of his game-high 22 points in the first half. Mountain View didn't allow the deficit to grow, instead surging to a 47-45 lead to start the fourth quarter. Mountain View's Brigg Wolfe keyed the surge with 13 of his 18 points (8 of 8 free throws) in the middle quarters.

The final period was not an offensive showcase. Both teams struggled shooting. Escalante tied the score at 47 with two free throws at the 7:24 mark. It took almost two minutes for the next points - a layup by Mountain View's Jackson Bowers off an assist from Wolfe.

The game's final tie at 49 occurred with 3:56 left. Escalante drove for two and was fouled. He missed the free throw keeping the score tied. Turnovers and missed shots by both teams were finally interrupted by a Toros layup by Jay Tingey with 2:03 left. Mesa's last lead came with 1:44 left on a three by senior guard Kota Benson. Benson, who averages 15 points a game, totaled just six points. Both were threes with the other in the first quarter.

 #10 Mesa rallies to beat #7 Dobson
January 6, 2023 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365

Top-10 6A power-ranking teams - #10 Mesa High and #7 Dobson - squared off Friday night in their East Valley Region opener. It was a tale of two halves with the host Jackrabbits second half proving to be the better half.

Mesa's 15-7 edge in the third period gave it the lead and the Jackrabbits carried through to the finish for a 47-40 win at Jackrabbit Gym.

Mesa (12-4 overall, 7-1 power-ranking games) used a trio of three-point field goals to take command in the third quarter. Treys from starters Parker Escalante and Noah Hunt and reserve Daniel Arnett helped the Jackrabbits turn a five-point, halftime deficit into a three-point advantage (32-29) to begin the fourth quarter. Mesa didn't make a three in the first half and finished with four for the evening.

Mesa's momentum carried over to the initial 90 seconds of the fourth. It opened the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run and 40-31 lead. The Jackrabbits lead reached 10 points with 3:12 to play. Dobson (9-6, 6-2) managed to whittle the deficit to 45-40 with 56 seconds left. Senior Zayonte Bolton, who shared game-high scoring honors with teammate Donovan Beard (12 points apiece), tallied nine of Dobson's 11 fourth-quarter points. The Mustangs didn't score again and Mesa iced it with 40 seconds left with two free throws from Conway Cummard.

ALA- Gilbert North wins Fear the Hop
November 26, 2022 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365

American Leadership Academy Gilbert North didn't fret about a 15-point deficit to start the third quarter after turning the ball over then seeing Desert Mountain sink a trey on its first possession of said quarter.

ALA-GN bowed its neck and got to work. The Eagles even managed to lead briefly late in the quarter. It was a sign of their perseverance as they prevailed in a nip-and-tuck fourth quarter beating the Wolves, 76-73, to claim the title of the 19th annual Fear The Hop Boys Basketball Invitational hosted by Mesa High.

ALA-GN took control in the game's final 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Tournament most valuable player -- Desert Mountain's Kaden House (team-high 23 points) -- scored the Wolves final points at that juncture for a 73-69 lead.

It was all ALA-GN from there. Senior guard McGuire Andrus sank his second three of the quarter to bring ALA-GN within 73-72. The team's traded scoreless possessions until ALA-GN's Dylan Novak's scored on a driving lay-up with 1:18 to play putting the Eagles ahead to stay. Desert Mountain missed a handful of shots in the final 70 seconds. ALA-GN's Spencer Ferguson made two free throws for the game's final points with 13 seconds left. Desert Mountain's last chance to even the game was a three-point attempt by Anthony Parise that missed its mark with 16 seconds to go.

Players selected for the all-tournament first team with Kaden House topping the list were: Novak, Campo Verde's Isaiah Kai, Mesquite's Cohenj Gonzales, Estrella Foothills Noah Amenhauser and Mesa's Kota Benson.

Campo Verde won the third-place game with a 65-58 victory over Mesquite. Campo Verde's Kai poured in 36 points to lead all scorers. Teammate Cohen Ferguson added 13 points. Mesquite had three players score in double figures  - Jamar Trotter (18), Gonzales (14) and Jaylen Wollangk (13). Gonzales, a senior, netted his 1,000th career point in the third period. The consolation final was won by Mesa, 59-29 over Tolleson.

Estrella Foothills - 72

37 - Westwood

Mt. View Marana - 28

56 - Hamilton

Westview - 67

91 - Mesquite

Cienega - 83

69 - Paradise Valley

Tolleson Union - 50

37 - Westwood

Desert Vista - 49

42 - Mt. View Marana

Mesa - 78

34 - Paradise Valley

Westview - 90

71 - McClintock

Campo Verde - 63

56 - Estrella Foothills

Desert Mountain - 55

45 - Hamilton

ALA-Gilbert North - 59

57 - Cienega

Mesquite - 67

62 - Dysart

Paradise Valley - 59

66 - McClintock

Westwood - 46

59 - Mt. View Marana

Tolleson Union - 45

40 - Desert Vista

Paradise Valley - 53

50 - Westwood

McClintock - 52

55 - Mt. View Marana

Dysart - 49

37 - Hamilton

Desert Vista - 73

78 - Westview

Cienega - 73

53 - Estrella Foothills

Tolleson Union - 29

59 - Mesa

Campo Verde - 65

 59 - Mesquite

Desert Mountain - 73

76 - ALA-Gilbert North

  MESA HIGH SCHOOL
  1630 E Southern Ave.
  Mesa, AZ 85204
  (480) 472-5900
  MESA PUBLIC SCHOOL
 

   LINKS
   ●  AIA365
   ●  MaxPreps
   ●  Mesa High