All Entries Tagged With: "Sports"
ONLINE EXTRA: Two campuses will be part of El Tour de Tucson
By JAMES KELLEY
2009 Aztec Press file photos by Matthew Henry
The Pima Community College East Campus and the Desert Vista Campus will be featured parts of the University Medical Center 28th El Tour de Tucson presented by Diamond Ventures on Saturday.
The 79-mile race will start at the East Campus at 9 a.m. PCC administration recommends using the Poinciana Drive access off of South Pantano Road from the early morning to about 10 a.m.
The Midvale Park Neighborhood Association has invited the Desert Vista Campus community to join its members from 7-8 a.m., in cheering on El Tour riders along South Mission Road and across the Santa Cruz River. Fans also will gather at the fire station at the corner of Drexel and Oak Tree Road.
The 109-mile race and the Fun Ride will be near the Downtown Campus and the West Campus. Those two races start downtown on Church Avenue at Pennington Street north of Congress Street and run along the frontage road.
More than 9,000 riders participate in the various rides of El Tour de Tucson. Ride lengths range from 109 miles to a quarter mile. Last year, El Tour raised more than $1.8 million for charities. For more on the event, visit the Perimeter Bicycling Association of America website.
NBA Jam redux is on fire
By JAMES KELLEY
aztecpress@pima.edu
Let’s face it: sports games, especially basketball games, are just not as fun as watching sports. They are usually one game and done.
But the new NBA Jam, already out for Wii and coming soon to Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, is so addicting that I have to watch the clock while playing to make sure two hours haven’t evaporated.
This is the classic 2.5D two-on-two full court arcade-style basketball that dominated the coin-op scene and then consoles in the 1990s.
There are no personal fouls and play is over the top. You can play as everyone from the Beastie Boys to former NBA players to Obama and the Clintons (or, for equal time, as Bush, McCain and Palin.)
If you make three baskets in a row, you are literally on fire, complete with a flaming ball and improved skills. The game has appeal for everyone from casual gamers to hardcore basketball fans who actually watch the NBA before Christmas.
Unlike the original NBA Jam, which lacked Michael Jordan, this one has all the best NBA players, appeasing Team LeBron and Team Kobe.
In Classic Campaign, you play five teams and then face a “Legends Battle” for each division, like Karl Malone and John Stockton, complete with the nut-hugger shorts.
The graphics, 3D-rendered bodies with photos of the players as their heads, look great and work well together. I was skeptical, but they look natural.
The “Remix” modes are great complements to the standard modes, featuring ones like 21, one-on-one-on-one and boss battles.
The best remix mode is Backboard Smash. Instead of scoring points, the goal is to be the first to break the backboard. The basket has a life bar and even flashes red like a video game boss.
Boss battles let you face bosses like Magic Johnson, who literally uses magic against you, or a Dr. J, who can dunk from the three-point line.
The A.I. is superb, not too smart and not too dumb. The A.I. in EA Sports games is usually so stupid that the computer calls timeouts in football when the clock has already stopped.
The old ‘90s NBA Jam announcer is back. Unlike most sports games, where the announcer is a weakness, he is one of Jam’s strengths. After about 100 games, I am still hearing new one-liners. My favorite is “uncool dude, you shot blocked me!”
The music is so good, I would buy some of the tracks if they had them in the iTunes Store.
The real question with NBA Jam 2010 is what version to get. The only difference between the Wii and the HD versions is supposed to be that PS3 and 360 will have online play and the Wii has motion controls.
The lack of online for Wii is inexcusable and is really the game’s only weak spot but the motion controls are well done. They are just for shooting and blocking the ball, and it is more satisfying to actually jam it than to mash a button.
Still, it is hard to pick the Wii version over the HD versions, which tip off Nov. 17 and cost $50 instead of the standard $60 price point.
Whichever version you pick, you will have fun.
Grade: A
ATHLETIC VOICE: UA seeks return to Big Dance
By ERIC TOWNSEND
aztecpress@pima.edu
In his second year as the University of Arizona men’s basketball head coach, Sean Miller faces the daunting task of returning the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament during another down year for the Pacific-10 Conference.
Miller finished his first Wildcat season with a 16-15 overall record. That’s impressive, given the unpleasant circumstances he inherited.
Last season will mostly be remembered as the year UA failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament, breaking the school’s remarkable 25-year streak started by legendary coach Lute Olson.
Miller had just one returning senior, point guard Nic Wise, and sometimes played five freshmen on the court last year. Nevertheless, his team provided some big-time play.
Notable wins: beating UCLA twice, beating Arizona State University by 19 in Tempe and beating the University of California at home when Cal was ranked in the Top 25.
Year Two seems much more promising, as UA returns a very good group. Many fans believe Miller has succeeded in quickly turning the Wildcats around.
Team play will be lead by sophomore forward Derrick Williams, the leading candidate for Pac-10 Player of the Year.
The key question is how much the other Wildcats improved during the offseason. For the team to excel, every player to step it up.
Additional questions surround this young team.
Who can step in at point guard to replace Wise? Early indications show the Wildcats should be fine with sophomore Lamont “MoMo” Jones running the point, and freshman Jordin Mayes spelling him.
What about the post game? Yes, the Wildcats excelled last year with Williams playing at center, but they need other big bodies.
Expectations are high for sophomore center Kyryl Natyazkho, who spent the summer in Croatia playing for the Ukraine national team. Natyazkho led Ukraine to an eighth-place finish at the Under-20 European championships.
Natyazkho, who averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in Croatia, finished in the tournament top 5 in nearly every major statistical category. Many hope his improved play and confidence translate well at UA.
It’s uncertain whether the Wildcats will return to the “Big Dance” this year, but some things seem assured. Talent and experience levels are higher, and returning players have had a full year in Miller’s system. The team should gel better this year.
Looking ahead, the 2011 recruiting class features three Top-100 recruits in Josiah Turner, Nick Johnson and Sidiki Johnson.
Miller has the program heading in the right direction, and fast.
Record prediction: 22-11. UA opens the season Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. when they host Idaho State University.
UA basketball schedule
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Men’s basketball avoids 0-fer road trip
By JAMES KELLEY
aztecpress@pima.edu
Justin Chambers drives towards the basket. Photo by Ed Adams
Facing a 0-3 start to the season, the Pima Community College men’s basketball team rebounded in its final Thunderbird Classic game and didn’t leave the Land of Enchantment empty-handed.
The Aztecs (1-2) bested Pulaski (Ark.) Technical College, 102-95, on Nov. 3 in Hobbs, New Mexico at the Thunderbird Classic.
“All in all, I thought we did well,” head coach Roderick Gary said. “We played four competitive halves in three games. Again, we had two halves where we let it get away from us.”
Sophomore guard Daniel Conorque picked up the Aztecs’ first double-double of the season, scoring 24 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Sophomore forward Chazaray Hampton added 21 points, sophomore forward Justin Chambers scored 19 and sophomore guard Brian Hill scored 18 to go along with eight rebounds.
“I think, for the most part, we played Pima basketball,” freshman guard Austin Rousch said. “I know our record up there showed 1-2 but it does not show how hard we fought during those games.”
In their second game in the Thunderbird Classic on Nov. 2, Pima lost 64-52 to New Mexico Junior College, the host of the round robin tournament.
Rousch said the Aztecs have already shown they have fight and will “never give up.”
“Although we lost our second game against one of the top junior colleges in the nation and the hosting team, we were down by 28 points and fought back to cut their lead to eight points before we ran out of time,” Rousch said.
The Aztecs started the season with a 77-58 loss to New Mexico Military Institute on Nov. 1 to open the Thunderbird Classic. Conorque was a bright spot for Pima against the Broncos, as he scored 16 points.
The Aztecs stay on the road, going south to Douglas for the Cochise College Classic on Nov. 12. PCC will have a chance to avenge its loss to New Mexico Military, this time in the Aztecs’ home state.
Gary said the road trips are a chance for the new team to bond.
“The thing about getting on the road is you have a chance to be together and get to know each other and you get a chance to understand who you are as a team,” Gary said.
PCC has been playing short-handed though, with only 10 guys on the roster.
“My only regret is really beyond our control and that is that we got a few guys that are ineligible and those guys don’t travel,” Gary said.
Gary expects to add three players when the semester ends. “Nice Christmas present, huh?” he said.
Pima plays its home opener on Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. against Scottsdale Community College.
Ricky Gonzales contributed to this report.
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Sports Shorts
By JAMES SARGENT
Women’s soccer players honored
Three Pima Community College women’s soccer team members were recognized for the efforts they gave in the 2010 season.
Sophomore Tamra James earned All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference first team and All-Region 1 first team honors. The veteranforward led the team with 21 points as she scored nine goals and had three assists.
Two midfielders, sophomore Jessica Haught and freshman Adriana Ortiz, were both named to the All-ACCAC second team.
Softball wrapping up fall ball
The Pima Community College softball team is about to finish its 2010 fall scrimmage schedule.
Their last fall scrimmages will be on Wednesday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 13.
On Nov. 10, the Aztecs play Arizona Desert Thunder at 7 p.m.
Pima then closes out autumn with a doubleheader on Saturday, Nov. 13, against the Tucson Scramblers at West Campus. First pitch is scheduled for 8 a.m.
The Aztecs will then have about two months off until the 2011 season begins. The first game is against North Idaho College on Jan. 28 in Las Vegas at 11:30 a.m.
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Women’s basketball opens with split
By ERIC TOWNSEND
aztecpress@pima.edu
Patricia Ramos deftly evades a defender in a scrimmage against Tucson Sol on Oct. 29 at the West Campus. Photo by Ed Adams
The Pima Community College women’s basketball team traveled more than 500 miles from home, to Cedar City, Utah, to open its season and a tough non-conference slate with much anticipation.
Previous successes aside, Pima (1-1) had to find a new identity and did so after the road trip to the Southern Utah Tournament. The No. 10 Aztecs started the season ranked in the top 10 largely because of back-to-back Nationals appearances.
“We’re a new team,” sophomore forward Deanna Daniels said. “We’re still figuring each other out, but I think we have every piece.”
On Nov. 5, Pima opened play against a tough No. 26 Salt Lake City Community College team, and raced to keep up with the fast-paced Bruins. The Aztecs had to rally from a 24-point halftime deficit.
They were led by the play of Daniels and sophomore guard Sara Nicholson, who scored 18 and 17 points respectively.
“We had a horrible first half to start” head coach Todd Holthaus said. “We made some adjustments at the half and ended up winning the second half.”
However, Pima’s efforts were not good enough as the Aztecs fell to the Bruins 103-86.
“Overall we didn’t play well, but we’re still learning and it’s still a process,” Holthaus said. “We’re figuring things out and I like our toughness. We’re definitely seeing improvement day-to-day.”
The day after the loss, the Aztecs played College of Eastern Utah.
“We’re very tough minded,” Holthaus said. “Against Eastern Utah, we shot free throws and the three very well.”
Down by as many as 13 in the first half, the Aztecs rallied, desperate to get their first win of the season. Using smothering defense and a slew of offense, the Aztecs had just enough to top the Golden Eagles 64-58.
Daniels again led the Aztecs in scoring with 21 points, and pulled down 10 rebounds. Nicholson added 12 points.
“We continue to grow as a team,” Daniels said. “We just need to continue to communicate better.”
The Aztecs stand at .500 on the young season and look to build on their overall record.
They play Muskegon (Mich.) Community College and Cisco College (Texas) when they travel to Yuma on Nov. 11 and 12 for the AWC Desert Classic.
Pima will have its first home game on Nov. 20, when the Aztecs host conference foe Scottsdale Community College.
“It’s a good test for us early playing these teams,” Holthaus said. “We have an away conference game against Gilbert-Chandler before we play at home, and I think it builds towards our excitement.”
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Women’s cross country team heads to Nationals
By DANIEL GAONA
aztecpress@pima.edu
Pima Community College cross country coach Greg Wenneborg felt the men’s team was solid heading into the season but worried about the women’s team.
Now, at the end of the season, his mindset is the complete opposite.
The men’s team struggled throughout the season and failed to qualify for Nationals. It came down to injuries and the team just not being able to put it together at the right time.
On the other hand, the women used a true team effort to emerge onto the national stage. They are preparing to travel to Spartanburg, S.C., for Nationals, where they hope to place in the top five.
Pima dropped one spot to No. 11 after having an “off day” in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 1 Championship meet. The off day meant finishing second as a team behind No. 3 Central Arizona College.
Central Arizona, the defending national champions, had six runners finish in the top 10 and is a major contender to win again.
The Aztecs had all seven runners finish within 17 places of each other at Regionals. Freshman stand-out Heidi Lopez led the way, placing 13th in 20:56.5. Sophomore Priscilla Mendoza finished right after Lopez in 20:57.2.
Priscilla Mendoza
Sophomore Julia Dittiger came in 16th and freshman Jodine Steemers finished 19th to round out the four Aztecs in the top 20. Dittiger said she’s more excited about going to Nationals this year compared to last.
“Last year we had the two superstars running but this year we’re all pretty much in a pack,” Dittiger said, referring to Danielle Higgins and Vivian Reed. “Our first through sixth runners are all within about a minute of each other so we’re pretty close and that makes us stronger.”
Last year the women placed sixth at Nationals. Higgins finished 13th to lead the way while Reed finished 21st.
Wenneborg said the team is a little banged up heading into the championship meet on Nov. 13. Sophomore Annalisa Loevenguth will travel with the team but will most likely not run due to a stress fracture. Steemers is suffering from a stress reaction but should be healthy by then.
“I think it’s definitely going to be a team effort to step up,” sophomore Julia Peerenboom said about making up for injuries. “We’re a team, we’re a family and we’re going to step up when one person is having a little trouble and we’re all going to make up for that.”
Julia Peerenboom
Wenneborg said that losing one runner isn’t too much of an issue because only the top five finishers score.
Lopez is the apparent leader of the team but still credits the team for her success. She’s confident heading into her first trip to Nationals.
“I’m confident and excited but at the same time scared,” Lopez said. “I’m scared of not running well. I don’t want to mess up.”
Peerenboom and Dittiger reassured Lopez that the team wouldn’t let her down and said they are going in as positive as possible.
“The thing we have really going for our team is we have really good chemistry,” Dittiger said.
The two also looked back to the beginning of the season when Wenneborg told them he thought it was going to be tough getting to Nationals.
“It just shows that if you work hard enough you can get anything you set your mind to,” Peerenboom said.
Aside from running at Nationals the team is looking forward to the trip across the country.
Freshman Rachel Whitford said the Mt. Sac meet on Oct. 15 in Walnut, Calif., was one of the highlights of the season. It also was a factor in molding the team nucleus.
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Volleyball drops last two matches
By Eric Townsend
Photo by Ed Adams
aztecpress@pima.edu
After pulling off back-to-back road wins, the Pima Community College volleyball team hoped to finish its season strong, but instead came up empty handed after a pair of tough losses.
Pima (8-23, 3-15 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference) did not qualify for the playoffs. The team had a 12-match losing streak to start the season and a seven-match losing streak in October, but the young team will be filled with veterans next year.
“This group lacks experience,” head coach Dan Bithell said. “In this conference, for us, it’s not about talent, it’s how we handle ourselves.”
Entering their match against Arizona Western College on Oct. 27, the Aztecs were coming off a two-game winning streak.
The visiting Matadors made quick work of the Aztecs, sweeping them in three straight matches. AWC won 25-21 in the first two sets, then cruised in the final set by a score of 25-14.
Heather Paddock
Freshman outside hitter Angie Banks led the Aztecs with 12 kills in the match. Freshman setter Czarina Schutt led the team with 27 assists.
“Overall, I was pleased with our match against Arizona Western,” Bithell said. “They’re just a good team that went on to win their region.”
The Aztecs went north to play Mesa Community College on Oct. 30, in what would be the final match of the season. Coming into the match, Mesa was last in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.
Pima opened play by winning the first two sets 25-17 and 25-16. Needing to win just one more set, the Aztecs failed to capitalize.
“Hope is a powerful thing,” Bithell said. “In this tough conference, if you give a team hope, they’ll run with it.”
Pima dropped the next two sets 27-29 and 24-26, then lost the final set 10-15.
“As the season progressed, we got better,” Bithell said. “I was really pleased the last couple weeks of the season.”
Sophomore Krista Kallish was named to the All-ACCAC Team with an honorable mention nod.
The outside hitter led the team in kills with just over three per game and was second amongst the Aztecs in digs per game with an average of just over two per game.
“It’s gonna be a long road,” Bithell said. “But I think we have some good pieces coming back next year.”
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Men’s soccer gets historic win but loses final
By JAMES KELLEY
aztecpress@pima.edu
Alex Anderson battles a Yavapai player for the ball. Pima handed YC its first playoff loss in 11 years. Photo by Ed Adams
The Pima Community College men’s soccer team has earned an epic win in the playoffs but lost the Regional championship and thus their season ended.
Top-seeded and No. 6 Arizona Western College beat the No. 14 and third-seeded Aztecs (17-6) 2-0 on Oct. 30 in Yuma in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 1 Tournament Final.
“We just didn’t take our chances,” head coach Dave Cosgrove said. “Western played better than us in the first half and got a good goal. In the second half, we played better and created a lot of good chances, we just needed to score a goal.”
The loss came three days after Pima upset second-seeded and then No. 10 Yavapai College on the road in the semifinals 4-1. Yavapai’s loss is their first in the playoffs this century. YC knocked Pima out of the playoffs in Prescott the last five years.
“That’s a historic win,” Cosgrove said. “I keep telling everybody that Yavapai has lost two games west of the Mississippi in the playoffs since 1990 and both have been to Pima.
“That is the first time that Yavapai did not play in a Region final and the fact that it was up there and the score was 4-1 was unbelievable. I don’t think they have ever lost at home that bad, much less in the playoffs.”
Freshman forward Yaya Kane scored Pima’s first goal off of an assist by sophomore forward Minh Vu. Freshman forward Donny Toia scored the Aztecs’ second goal. Both PCC goals were late in the second half.
After Yavapai cut the Pima lead to one, Toia answered with a goal assisted by Vu. In the 82nd minute, Kane scored PCC’s fourth goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Miko Gastelum played the full 90 minutes in goal, making two saves.
Yavapai has won seven National championships and 19 Region championships. The Roughriders’ only other loss in the playoffs was to Pima in 1999.
Before the 1999 win, Pima’s last Region title was in 1988. That was the year before Yavapai started.
Despite the fact that Pima’s Region had five teams ranked in the top 15 this year, the Aztecs’ stellar season and their win for the ages, their season ended. Cosgrove said they have been lobbying for wildcards in the playoffs for years.
“Throughout the 2000s, mostly it’s been Pima. I think we have been in seven of the 10 Regional finals. II think at least three or four of those years our second place team was probably one of the top three in the country. It just happened to be that they lost to either the first or second best team in the country in the final,” Cosgrove said. “We all feel very strongly that’s what should happen.”
Before the tournament started, Cosgrove said that the teams with byes to the semifinals—Western and Yavapai—had a huge advantage. Pima had to play sixth-seeded Scottsdale Community College, which it beat 3-0, in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Yavapai got to rest and play the semifinals at home.
“There’s no doubt, not that that is an excuse, Western deserved to win that night. But that’s the big advantage of being a one or a two seed,” Cosgrove said. “You don’t have to play those extra games then. Extra road trip, extra games, extra everything and it makes it very, very difficult with that game.”
Cosgrove expects Pima to again do well next year. The Aztecs are waiting on decisions on whether some players might return, like forward Donny Toia, who could turn professional. Toia turned down an offer by Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer to play in their youth system, choosing instead to play for Pima this season.
“We anticipate, just as we do every year, that we will be very good and compete for the Region championship and be a top 15 team in the country,” Cosgrove said.
Kolby Jacobson surveys the field in Pima's 1-0 win over Yavapai at home. Photo by Ed Adams
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Football seeks to end streaks against familiar foe
By Narciso Thomas Villarreal
aztecpress@pima.edu
Don’t tell people associated with the Pima Community College Aztecs’ football team that seven is a lucky number because they might give you a mean glare.
The Aztecs (2-8, 0-7 Western States Football League) lost their seventh game in a row after they were edged by Eastern Arizona College by one point on Nov. 6 by a score of 14-13.
“It’s frustrating,” head coach Patrick Nugent said. “Nobody expected us to be where we’re at. Hopefully this week we can end that streak.”
In week two, in a non-conference game, Eastern spanked Pima 42-14 in Tucson.
PCC has not won a WSFL game since Oct. 30, 2004 when it beat Arizona Western College 62-20. In 2004, they were called the Pima Storm.
On Saturday, Nov. 13, the Aztecs wrap up the season by hosting Phoenix College (2-7, 2-5) at 1 p.m. at Tucson Electric Park. Pima snapped its 29-game losing streak by beating the Bears in Phoenix to open the season in non-conference play.
Eastern took control of the November game in the first quarter by scoring all of its 14 points.
The Aztecs pulled within seven by halftime to make the score 14-7.
In the third quarter, Pima had a holding penalty called against it that took away a long touchdown run.
In the final two minutes of the game, Pima scored a touchdown to pull within one.
Instead of kicking the extra point after the touchdown and tying the game, Nugent decided to have his offense go for the lead by going for a two-point conversion.
The Aztecs’ attempt was unsuccessful after sophomore tight end Trenton Kamins caught the pass but was called out of bounds.
“There was tension the whole game,” freshman offensive lineman Daniel Ballesteros said. “They called back two touchdowns from bad reffing. At the end of it all, the pass to Kamins was in but the refs called it out.”
In the game, freshman quarterback Zander McKean took charge of the offense. He threw two touchdown passes and had 161 passing yards.
Sophomore receiver Scott Campbell led the team in receiving yards with 79. Sophomore running back Auburá Taylor had Pima’s other receiving touchdown in the game.
On Oct. 30, Pima was able to keep pace with Snow College in the first half but was eventually bullied in the second half. The Aztecs fell to the Badgers in Ephraim, Utah, by a final score of 47-11.
The Aztecs played well in the first half. After the first quarter, the score was 10-7 in favor of the No. 13 Badgers. Snow won the WSFL title by blowing out Phoenix on Nov. 6.
Neither team scored in the second quarter, so Pima still only trailed by three at halftime.
The second half started out well for the Aztecs. They made it 10-9 after forcing a safety.
After that, the fireworks were over for Pima. The team surrendered 37 points to the Badgers in the second half.
Pima just managed to squeeze out two more points for the rest of the game after they returned a blocked field goal attempt by Snow and took it to the end zone for the score.
Freshmen quarterbacks Zach Schira and McKean each threw two interceptions and Pima fumbled the ball three times.
In the game, the Aztecs had 201 total yards of offense with 93 passing yards and 108 rushing yards.
McKean and Schira threw a combined 24 passes in the game and completed 10.
Taylor led the Aztecs’ ground attack with 50 rushing yards on nine carries.
Sophomore running back Ronald Hopper led the team in receiving yards with 39.
Defensively, Pima gave up 288 total offensive yards to Snow. Sophomore defensive back Michael Holloway had the Aztecs’ sole interception of the game.
Zander McKean drops back to pass as his offensive line and Anthony Hughes protect him against Western. Photo by James Kelley
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Watch as Narciso talks about his goals.
ONLINE EXTRA: PLAYOFF UPDATE: Men’s soccer loses championship game
By James Kelley
Photo by Ed Adams
The Pima Community College men’s soccer team’s bid for Nationals ended at top-seeded Arizona Western College on Oct. 30.
The No. 12 Aztecs lost 2-0 to No. 9 Western in Yuma in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 1 Tournament Final.
Western, the top seed in the tourney, scored goals in the first and second halves. Sophomore goalkeeper Miko Gastelum made five saves for PCC.
Pima finishes the season 17-6.
The Matadors will now host the West District Playoffs for a spot in Nationals.
Donny Toia
ONLINE EXTRA: Football snowed in on Utah road trip
By Narciso Thomas Villarreal
Photo by Ed Adams
Despite a final score of 47-11, the Pima Community College football team put up a good effort on the road Oct. 30 against Snow College.
Pima (2-7, 0-6 Western States Football League) was handed its sixth straight loss by the home team from Ephraim, Utah.
The Aztecs played well in the first half. After the first quarter, the score was 10-7 in favor of the No. 17 Badgers.
Neither team scored in the second quarter, so Pima still only trailed by three at halftime.
The second half started out well for the Aztecs. They returned a blocked field goal attempt by Snow and returned it to the end zone for two points to make the score 10-9.
After that, the fireworks were over for PCC. The team surrendered 37 points to the Badgers in the second half.
Pima would manage to get just two more points for the rest of the game.
Zander McKean
The Aztecs turned the ball over seven times. Freshmen quarterbacks Zander McKean and Zach Schira each threw two interceptions and Pima fumbled the ball three times.
The Aztecs will play their final road game of the season in Thatcher against Eastern Arizona College on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m.
ONLINE EXTRA: PLAYOFF UPDATE: Men’s soccer heads to championship after historic win
Story and Video by James Kelley
Photo by Ed Adams
On Wednesday night, the Pima Community College men’s soccer team scored a win for the ages.
The third-seeded Aztecs (17-5) upset the second-seeded and No. 10 ranked Yavapai College 4-1 in the semifinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 1 Tournament at Yavapai.
No. 12 Pima will travel to top-seeded Arizona Western College (17-3-1) on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the Region championship game. No. 9 Western beat fifth-seeded Phoenix College on penalty kicks in the semifinals.
Freshman forward Yaya Kane scored Pima’s first goal off of an assist by sophomore forward Minh Vu. Freshman forward Donny Toia scored the Aztecs’ second goal. Both PCC goals were late in the second half.
After Yavapai cut the Pima lead to one, Toia answered with a goal assisted by Vu. In the 82nd minute, Kane scored PCC’s fourth goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Miko Gastelum played the full 90 minutes in goal, making two saves.
Yavapai’s loss is their first in the playoffs this century. YC had knocked Pima out of the playoffs in Prescott the last five years.
Yavapai has won seven National championships and 19 Region championships. The Roughriders’ only other loss in the playoffs was to Pima in 1999.
Before the 1999 win, Pima’s last Region title was in 1988. That was the year before Yavapai started.
During the regular season, Arizona Western swept Pima. They won 3-2 in Tucson on Sept. 11, as the Aztecs collapsed late in the second half, and won 4-1 in Yuma on Oct. 9.
The winner of Regionals hosts the West District Playoffs on Nov. 5-6, welcoming the champions of Region 9 and 18 to Arizona to play for the right to go to Nationals.
Otero (Colo.) Junior College (15-1-1) won the Region 9 Tournament and North Idaho College is the only team in Region 18. Both are unranked.
ONLINE EXTRA: Young women’s basketball ranked in top 10
By Eric Townsend
Photo and Videos by James Kelley
aztecpress@pima.edu
As the regular season opener approaches, the Pima Community College women’s basketball team is hoping to build on recent successes, including back-to-back Region titles and consecutive appearances at Nationals.
Head coach Todd Holthaus enters his fourth season with the Aztecs, this time as a full-time coach. Selected as No. 10 in the preseason rankings, the Aztecs are expected to be good again.
“We want to carry on the tradition that we’ve started here,” Holthaus said.
Last spring, Holthaus was named Pima’s second full-time coach, after football head coach Patrick Nugent in 2009.
His players will have their work cut out for them this year after losing sophomore talents like Tia Morrison, Abyee Maracigan, LeAndra Lucas and Jessica Jones.
Morrison was the 15th player ever to be named first team All-American during both of her two years at Pima. Maracigan was a third team All-American for two years, and Jones was Most Valuable Player of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 1 Tournament.
“We lost some players,” Holthaus said. “But, we’ll be all right. We just want to always play hard and get our freshmen to where they need to be.”
PCC return a solid core of players, and are bringing in talent via college transfers. They expect to contend for another region title.
“We’re a different team this year,” sophomore guard Sara Nicholson said. “We are a lot bigger and a lot faster.”
The Aztecs will still have to play good basketball in a very competitive conference in order to advance. No. 2 Central Arizona College, No. 8 Mesa Community College and No. 25 Arizona Western College are other Arizona Community College Athletic Conference teams ranked in the preseason polls.
“This is a very smart and hard working group,” Holthaus said. “They’re physically tough and they won’t back down.”
Gaby Ayon and Shaysea Alba
The season starts for PCC on Nov. 5, when they travel to Cedar City, Utah, to take on Salt Lake City Community College and the College of Eastern Utah in the Southern Utah University Invitational.
“That’s when the real test begins,” Holthaus said.
On Dec. 4 at 2 p.m., the Aztecs host Central, the ACCAC’s dominant team. On Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m., Pima hosts rival Mesa.
Nicholson has expectations of her own. “We want to do something productive this year,” she said. “We want to get back to the tournament and do better.”
Pima has 10 freshmen on the roster and three sophomores who didn’t play for PCC last year.
“We’re still a work in progress,” Holthaus said. “I think we’re deeper than we’ve ever been. The team speed overall is much better and the potential to be good is there.”
Last year the Aztecs finished fifth at Nationals after Maracigan injured her knee at the Big Dance. Maracigan tore her ACL at the beginning of the tourney.
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ONLINE EXTRA: New faces all around for men’s basketball
By Ricky Gonzales
Photo by Ed Adams
Videos by James Kelley
aztecpress@pima.edu
The Pima Community College men’s basketball team starts from scratch, welcoming newly hired head coach Roderick Gary.
Fresh off their first-ever appearance at Nationals, everything seems new for the Aztecs. In addition to a new coach, the team has a slew of new players.
Daniel Conorque
Former head coach Karl Pieroway led Pima to seventh place at the National Junior College Association tournament last spring. After the tournament, Pieroway resigned, then agreed to come back, then resigned again.
Gary declined comment about Pieroway, but complimented the previous staff’s recruiting.
“The previous coaches did a nice job of finding kids that wanted to play,” he said.
The Aztecs roster currently has 21, including eight freshmen.
Central Arizona College transfer C.J. Crockom, a small forward and shooting guard, has also joined the team.
“I was recruited by Pima out of high school,” Crockom said. “I’m excited to play here this season.”
The Aztecs have lost lots of talent, headlined by former national player of the week Travares Peterson. The forward is a preseason all-conference selection for his new school, Eastern Oregon University.
Other key departures include guards Warren Baker and Coree Aten, who were both top Arizona Community College Athletic Conference three-point shooters, and point guards JaMier Morris and Jeremy Harden.
Peterson, Baker, Morris and Harden ran out of eligibility while Aten left for personal reasons.
Aten is a “a great guy, a shooter,” Gary said. “We could really light it up with him on the wing, which is our loss.”
Aztec recruiting was nearly non-existent because Gary was hired two months after Pieroway left in May. However, the coach has a recruiting plan.
“We want this program to be about Pima County,” Gary said. “We want it to be about Arizona athletes.”
Pima will wrap up the exhibition season Oct. 30 by hosting Westwind Preparatory Academy at 4 p.m. in the West Campus gym. Admission is free.
The Aztecs may also add a scrimmage against a team put together by Pieroway, but Gary said it might be “a distraction.” Follow Twitter.com/AztecSports for updates on Pima sports news and scores.
PCC will open the season in a tournament in New Mexico.
Pima’s first home game will be Nov. 20 against Scottsdale Community College.
Other key dates include Jan. 5, when the Aztecs host preseason No. 13 Cochise College.
On Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. they’ll host revenge-minded No. 6 Phoenix College, the team that Pima beat in Phoenix’s gym to advance to Nationals. On Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m., the Aztecs host No. 16 Arizona Western College.
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