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Section 7 returned bigger and better

BY ZACH ALVIRA

Progress Sports Editor

It’s the premier high school athletics event in Arizona.

Every year it brings numerous high school basketball programs from across the western part of the U.S. and into the Midwest for a four-day showcase. College coaches �lock to the Valley to see some of the top talent at Section 7, a tournament hosted by the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

“This is unbelievable, and they’ve already enhanced it from last year to this year,” Saguaro coach Lucas Ramirez said. “When you compare it to year one a couple of years ago, it’s night and day. It’s just a credit to Matt King, the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association, the AIA, you can list all those names. They’ve done a great job creating this environment.”

Since announcing its move to State Farm Stadium, Section 7 has grown exponentially. Last year, just under 200 high schools participated. This year, 231 boys and 18 girls’ teams played on 12 courts placed over top of the concrete �loor that is typically covered by the Arizona Cardinals’ game �ield. Thursday, June 16, marked the of�icial start of the tournament. Teams were split into 14 brackets on the boys’ side while the girls played in one large tournament.

A cast of all Arizona-based schools kicked off the tournament on its �irst day. Friday was the scheduled start for several others playing in brackets featuring outof-state opponents.

Saguaro started its tournament run on Thursday night in the Legacy Foundation Bracket. The Sabercats lost their �irst game to Red Mountain before bouncing back later that night against Maricopa. Overall, Saguaro went 2-2 at Section 7, a showing that Ramirez was happy with.

The Sabercats will be without some football players until the end of the fall sports season. It’s something that comes with the territory of being a school that relies on multi-sport athletes. But nonetheless, Ramirez came away with several aspects about his team he can be proud of at Section 7.

They never let the moment get too big for them. They played hard and for some, opened the eyes of some of the college coaches in attendance.

“I think the kids appreciate the opportunity,” Ramirez said. “Walking in for shootaround on Wednesday, they were wideeyed. But we’ve had a lot of growth. We’ve taken some food positive strides and this is a great experience to keep getting better, which is the ultimate goal for the summer.”

Along with Saguaro, Chaparral, Horizon, Desert Mountain, Scottsdale Christian and Rancho Solano Prep were all part of Section 7.

Horizon went 3-1 overall at the tournament with its only loss coming against Valley Christian, which won the Arizona’s Family Bracket championship. Scottsdale Christian, last year’s 2A champion, went 2-2 while missing 6-foot-4 freshman guard Elijah Williams, the son of Suns head coach Monty Williams. Despite Williams being out with injury, he picked up a scholarship offer from the University of Washington.

Desert Mountain also went 2-2 during the four-day tournament and showed off Kaden and Kalek House, the twin sons of former Phoenix Sun Eddie House. Several other East Valley schools were represented at Section 7.

Chandler, Hamilton girls and boys, and Basha represented Chandler along with Valley Christian. Mountain View, Mesa, Desert Ridge, Red Mountain and Dobson represented Mesa schools while Queen Creek and Casteel represented the far southeast Valley. The �ield also included Perry girls and boys, Gilbert, Highland, Mesquite girls and boys, Campo Verde and Higley. Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe out of Ahwatukee also competed.

Section 7 as a whole was a unique experience for all of those involved. Players were seen walking in with their phones out recording their entrance. Parents were able to attend free of charge.

It added to what is already a strong level of community involvement in Arizona high school basketball. And it made for a weekend �illed with positive outcomes for several players and teams.

“It’s unbelievable to create this opportunity, even for fans,” Ramirez said. “It’s a great opportunity for not only some of our parents but for the community to watch some of the best basketball players free of charge. "Just to give these players a chance to go against different competition, there’s value in that. It created the atmosphere of really great competition. I think that’s the biggest thing we can take from it.”

Saguaro basketball coach Lucas Ramirez said Section 7 was an unbelievable opportunity for players, coaches and fans. His players were able to get exposure while playing a different level of competition they won’t see in the regular season. (Dave Minton/Progress Staff)