Maryvale/Carl Hayden

On Wednesday February 2nd the Maryvale Tigers traveled down the road to take on the Falcons of Carl Hayden.

The Falcons set the tone early with their defensive pressure. The Falcons jumped out to an 8-0 lead by trapping and pressuring the ball every time it was inbounded. Pressure defense is a staple in the defense of Coach Brown and it was non stop. At the end of the first quarter it was 18-7. Maryvale picked up full court also but it was not as effective as the Falcons defense. The Falcons didn’t let up in the second quarter as they took a 36-20 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was much of the same as Carl Hayden’s defense forced Maryvale to turn the ball over repeatedly stretching the lead out to 43-24. The final score ended up being 64-46 as the Falcons beat Maryvale for the second time in the last few weeks.

Here are some of the standouts from this 6A Metro battle.

Kendre Pride Kendre Pride 6'2" | SG Basha | 2024 AZ Carl Hayden

The two sport standout contributed to more than what you see in the box score. He provided leadership, spearheaded the pressure defense and was setting up his teammates for easy buckets. Pride was also among the leading rebounders in the game.

Marcus Heatherly Marcus Heatherly 6'4" | SG Carl Hayden | 2023 State AZ Carl Hayden

The senior started off a little slow compared to his normal self but he more than made up for it in the second half. He hit multiple three’s and was a pest on defense collecting numerous steals.

Devin Murphy F 6’3 2025 Maryvale

The sophomore wing showed his athleticism and an impressive frame. He ran the break hard and battled in the paint. He showed a lot of promise and potential for the Panthers as an active big body.

Dru Carter Dru Carter 5'10" | PG Carl Hayden | 2024 State AZ Carl Hayden

Smooth was the first word that came to mind when describing Dru in this game. He was calmly setting up his teammates for good looks from his point guard spot, and when he had the opportunity to show his offensive game, he did just that. He has a beautiful shooting stroke from the perimeter and has a tight handle.

Jesus Almaraz Jesus Almaraz 6'6" | PF Maryvale | 2023 State AZ Maryvale

The senior big man was a pleasant surprise, as this was my first time seeing him. He ran the floor very well for a young man for his size and showed off very good footwork. He has very soft hands and is a good passer. He is well conditioned as he didn’t come out the game very much if at all.

Santino Esquivel Santino Esquivel 5'10" | CG Carl Hayden | 2024 State AZ Carl Hayden

Tino has been working his way back from a football injury but you couldn’t tell. He played with a high IQ and was hard to contain in the open court. On the defensive side of the ball he was in lock down mode and made it very difficult for his man to ever get comfortable.

Adrien Armstrong Adrien Armstrong 6'5" | SF Carl Hayden | 2023 State AZ Carl Hayden

The high flying senior wing is another two sport standout for the Falcons who made a mark on the hardwood as well. His outside shot showed improvement and showed a very explosive first step. His energy helped spearhead the Falcons transition offense and defense. Adrien is one of the late bloomers in his class and his best ball is ahead of him.