SPORTS

AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | DECEMBER 14, 2022

Sports & Recreation

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www.ahwatukee.com Desert Vista girls have sights set on Open Division

BY ZACH ALVIRA AFN Sports Editor

The Desert Vista girls’ basketball team knows what it is capable of this season.

They’re young, but talented. They have arguably some of the top players in the state for various classes and they play a brand of basketball that is both suffocating on defense and fast-paced on offense.

So far, only one team has been able to beat the Thunder, and it was one of the top teams in the country. But even then, head coach Dave Williams believes that’s a game the Thunder should’ve won.

“I’ll tell you what, if we played the first half like we did the second half, we would’ve got them,” Williams said. “I don’t know what happened that game. We didn’t shoot well. We played well on defense, but our offense couldn’t get going.”

Now in his third season as head coach, Williams has drawn talent to the Desert Vista program. A slew of talented sophomores entered last season and took the Thunder to the semifinals. This year, Jerzy Robinson enrolled as a freshman.

The chemistry between the girls is unmatched. They constantly hangout outside of school. In school, they’re virtually inseparable during passing periods and lunch. They genuinely enjoy being around each other, and that has spread to the court.

Desert Vista has outscored opponents 450-297 in seven games this season. One of those wins came against Salpointe Catholic, another powerhouse program from Tucson. Two other wins came against schools in California, with lone blemish against La Jolla Country Day, the No. 5 ranked team in the country, according to MaxPreps.

La Jolla jumped out to a big lead over Desert Vista in the first half of the tournament championship back on Dec. 3. But the Thunder outplayed La Jolla in the final two quarters. Desert Vista junior guard Dylan Swindle has become one of the top players for a loaded team that is one of the favorites to win the inaugural Open Division championship this season. She said the team’s chemistry is getting better and better, which will provide problems

for opponents. (Dave Minton/Staff Photographer)

Regardless of the outcome, it was a good experience for the team. It helped them prepare for the level of competition they will face at some point this season, playoffs or not, and further explore finding chemistry on the floor.

“We’ve been finding our chemistry and stuff during practice, finding different roles,” junior guard Dylan Swindle said. “We’ve been figuring out who can do what in our roles. It’s been really fun.”

Swindle is one of the talented sophomores that has taken this team to another level. She averages nine points a game in a starting lineup filled with guards where all five average at least seven or more points.

She said the team has improved since they first came together at the Section 7 mega tournament this past summer. Even then the Thunder went undefeated. But Swindle said they’re starting to play as a cohesive unit and realize they have to feed the hot hand.

This team isn’t selfish. Which presents a problem for opponents.

“It’s going to be tough to beat us once we understand how we pass the ball, move the ball, to each other,” Swindle said. “It’s ring season. We know we can get the championship and bring it home.”

If it isn’t Swindle leading the offense, it’s juniors Eanae Dagons or Shay Ijiwoye, who already holds multiple offers from major college programs.

Robinson, who has several college offers as a freshman, leads the team averaging over 17 points a game and 10 rebounds. Junior SaRae Kennard adds a spark off the bench with her defense along with Madison Brown.

The two seniors on the team, Laana Hill and Amaya Bagley, play pivotal roles both on the court and off it as leaders.

“Their sisterhood is crazy,” Williams said. “It kills me not to play all the girls. I stay up at night wondering how I’m going to play them. They play tough. It’s going to be a special year. Our depth is a little bit better than most people’s.”

Williams knows he has a team that can compete in the newly established Open Division for basketball. In fact, Freshman Jerzy Robinson has been key to the Thunder’s success so far this season averaging over 17 points per game and 10 rebounds. She adds another element to an already talented

GIRLS from page 32 anything less than a title would be a disappointment.

They still have some work to do, however. Swindle said they are still learning how to move the ball around the court to perfection. Though their last two games against Desert Edge and Queen Creek showed what they’re capable of. The Thunder scored 86 and 95 points, respectively. Four players scored in double-figures against the Scorpions. Five did the same against the Bulldogs.

Now it’s a matter of keeping that type of production going through the whole season. No matter who it comes from.

“We don’t care who scores, we just want the victory and want to have fun,” Williams said. “We want to support each other. We don’t care about who is the superstar, that doesn’t mean anything to me.

“I expect us to get to the championship and win it. Our goal is to win it all.” 

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