BY PETE MOHR | OCTOBER 6, 2010
Volleyball holds to #2 ranking; At Goldwater Tourney, Oct. 8-9
Prescott ends Sunnyslope’s win streak
CSHS – New high schools, new sports teams axiomatically don’t fare very well against older schools and established programs like Cactus Shadows’ Volleyball Lady Falcons. So it went Tuesday evening, Oct. 5, for J.O. Combs, as the LadyBirds, at home, rolled easily to their 11th regular season win, good enough to retain their #2 ranking in the latest calculation of A.I.A. Power Points.
Who’s #1? The Queen Creek Lady Bulldogs, whom the Lady Falcons defeated at The Creek, Sept. 21, in a four-game come-from-behind upset. Who’s #3? Two-time defending State Champion Sunnyslope, who blanked the Local Ladies, 3-0, at home, Sept. 7.
You go figure. Even if schooled by my longtime friend and math guru Boys Golf Coach Jim Marando, I can’t decipher the A.I.A.’s baffling calculations. All that matters is that the Lady Falcons are #2; and if they likely finish no lower than #8, they’ll host their 1st Round game come State.
Meanwhile … after two consecutive undefeated regular seasons and back-to-back State Championships, ‘Slope was upset Sept. 29 by the Prescott Lady Badgers in Prescott, 2-3. CSHS Head Coach Tom Gardner, wryly, to Sonoran News: “Well, at least that proves they’re human. That would seem to create some interesting possibilities for the rest of us.”
But first, the Lady Falcons must take care of Desert Sky Region “business” (at Saguaro, Oct. 19; home against McClintock two evenings later) before “Senior Night,” Thursday, Oct. 28, when they could clinch the D-Sky title by beating visiting Queen Creek in the regular season finale.
Volleyball fans, be sure to mark your sports calendars for that Region Championship-on-the-line match.
