SPORTS

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Players, coaches rejoice over midseason tourneys

BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

The pandemic robbed high school athletes of “normal” experience in 2020.

It forced an extension of the winter sports season and for indoor sports such as basketball and wrestling, athletes were forced to wear masks.

As a result of a delayed fall season, winter sports athletes competed in fewer games and organizers canceled , in-season tournaments that basketball players love when schools are on winter break.

But 2021 allowed teams to turn the page on condensed seasons. And with that, tournaments and fans returned.

“The more touches you can get as a team, that’s an opportunity to develop that chemistry and play your best in February,” Gilbert basketball coach Jay Caserio said. “I’m just appreciative that we are able to play again. We missed it, especially with fans in the stands.”

Gilbert has long established itself as one of the top programs in the 5A Conference, dating back to the Tigers’ championship in 2018. Head coach Jay Caserio prides himself on his team’s ability to compete with the highest level of competition in the state. And at the McClintock Holiday Shootout, they proved that to be a fact. Caserio coached the Tigers to a championship win in the holiday tournament, beating fellow 5A contender McClintock in the quarterfinals, Apollo in the semifinals and Hamilton in the title game. It’s the second straight in-season tournament Gilbert claimed the trophy, as it won its preseason Welcome to the Jungle tournament in November, downing 6A favorite Perry.

The two tournaments showed Caserio the level of talent his team has and their ability to work together. It also gave them a wave of momentum heading into region play.

Gilbert senior guard Nikko Pentelute, the lone player remaining from the Tigers’ championship team in 2019, said the tournaments provide a unique atmosphere, especially during Christmas break.

For him, it’s all about being able to play several games throughout the week in front of his family while preparing for the postseason.

“They’re just fun,” Pentelute said. “You get to play during Christmas break and my family is here, everyone’s family is here. I mean, this replicates playoff basketball a little bit. This is going to be close to what we see, and it will get us ready for February.”

The tournaments themselves mean a bit more to Hamilton coach Doug Harris than most. Having played high school basketball at Corona del Sol,

Gilbert head basketball coach Jay Caserio said the best part of midseason tournaments returning is the atmosphere that comes along with it. Last season, fans were limited. This year, though, championship environments were experienced at both tournaments the Tigers took part in. (GSN File Photo)

see TOURNAMENT page 25

Free golf event introduces game to East Valley youth

BY ZACH ALVIRA GSN Sports Editor

The Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA) is once again attempting to reach out to local youth in an effort to introduce them to the game of golf at an early age.

The Itty Bitty Open will tee off on Saturday, Jan. 15 at several locations across the Valley, including Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Ahwatukee and Scottsdale. In its 34th year, the Itty Bitty Open provides children between the ages of 3 and 5 and their parent the opportunity to learn the game from qualified professionals from both the PGA and LPGA.

They will also have the opportunity to take part in fun-filled, non-competitive golf games and tournaments.

“For 34 years, the Itty Bitty Open is a great way for parents to introduce their children to the game of golf,” Scott McNevin, Executive Director of the JGAA, said in a press release. “In fact, adults who attended decades ago are now bringing their kids, so the second generation is already here.”

Each golfer must have an adult caddie accompany them throughout the event. The JGAA will provide each golfer with a set of right-handed plastic clubs, balls, a bag and visor to wear during the event.

The JGAA asks participants with their own set of clubs to leave them at home for the event.

Along with the tournament and other golf-related games, the JGAA will also host a “Best Dressed Golfer and Caddie Team” competition where participants can wear anything from classic golf attire to contemporary fashion to anything they can come up with that would raise the eyebrows of judges.

Winners will receive a congratulatory letter, trophy and two tickets for the R.S. Hoyt, Jr. Dream Day Activities at the 2022 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Locations for the Itty Bitty Open include Jefferson Park in Mesa, McQueen Park in Gilbert, Espee Park in Gilbert, Pecos Park in Ahwatukee and Scottsdale Ranch Park.

It will also be held at locations in Avondale (Friendship Park), Glendale (Legend at Arrowhead Golf Club), Goodyear (Falcon Park), Maricopa (Copper Sky Multigenerational Center), Peoria (Rio Vista Community Center), Surprise (Surprise Stadium), Tempe (Benedict Park) and 10 other locations in Phoenix.

Those interested in participating are encouraged to sign up by Sunday, Jan. 9. RSVP by calling 602-944-6168 or visit JGAA.org and click on Itty Bitty Open to learn more.

Gilbert senior guard Nikko Pentelute, who helped lead his team to two straight championships in tournaments this season, echoed his coach’s sentiment on fans being in attendance. They make a difference in the game and often help players rise to a new level of play. (Dave

Minton/GSN Staff)

TOURNAMENT from page 24

Harris grew up playing in the tournaments. They became are a part of who he was as a player and who he is now as a coach. And like other coaches and players, they prepare his team for a brutal stretch of schedule in the latter half of the season – when wins matter the most.

It was a breath of fresh air for him to see tournaments return this season, especially with fans allowed to attend – another aspect of the pandemic last season that made the winter season one of the most unique in the history of Arizona high school sports.

Harris coached Hamilton to the championship game in the McClintock Holiday Shootout. While the Huskies fell to Gilbert, it was still an eye-opening experience for the team. It showed them and the rest of the state they have what it takes to compete for a title.

“You miss the fans being in here, you miss the atmosphere, you miss the coaches and going up against other great teams,” Harris said. “To have it back is monumental. They really get you ready and geared in.”

Mesa coach Scott Stansberry, whose team hosts their own tournament, said last year his team went into the season blind with that and others canceled. Usually, they would have a two-week buffer with preseason matchups and exhibition games to see where his team stood.

But the delay due to the pandemic forced teams to enter region play right away last January. So, the return of tournaments are a welcoming site.

“These tournaments are big time,” Stansberry said. “We do our own – Fear the Hop – and that prepares us going into the season. Last year our very first game was not only a power point game but a region game against Red Mountain. We had no idea about my team.”

Not only do tournaments allow coaches like Stansberry to see where his team stacks up against other competition, it allows his players to build comradery on the court. That was missed last year. And they will no longer take it for granted.

“With the team I had last year, maybe with the tournaments we would’ve been better prepared,” Stansberry said. “It was weird last year. I’m glad it isn’t like that anymore.”

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