Deer Valley at Arcadia: Varsity Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday January 5th I attended the 4A matchup of the&nbsp;<strong>Deer Valley Skyhawks&nbsp;</strong>traveling to North Phoenix near Scottsdale to take on the&nbsp;<strong>Arcadia Titans</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arcadia came out hot behind [player_tooltip player_id='1938362' first='Jamison' last='Fox'] and the Titans led 15-9. Deer Valley went on a 16-5 run and took a 25-20 halftime lead. Looking back the strong play in the 3rd set the tone and led 40-29 heading into the 4th behind [player_tooltip player_id='1674510' first='AJ' last='Ajawin']. The Titans clawed their way back but clutch free throws closed the game out by [player_tooltip player_id='1875719' first='Simon' last='Gonzales'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1875720' first='Sergio' last='Gonzales'] and earned the win for the Skyhawks. Deer Valley won <strong>51-42</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were the Varsity Standouts:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1875719' first='Simon' last='Gonzales'] Deer Valley (Pictured left)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A skilled point guard is a tough guard to defend on the ball. He doesn't back down on defense and plays with a fire. He can hit the three off the catch with a quick release and gets to the paint.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674510' first='AJ' last='Ajawin'] Deer Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long shot blocker with good size and fluidity. He can score a variety of ways with runners, rip thrus and hook shots. He has a sharp spin move to use, and if left open, he will hit the mid-range jumper. He is a more the adequate passer but his rebounding and swatting shots away makes him a coveted player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674458' first='Travis' last='Vasquez'] Deer Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good sized point guard didn't score a lot in this game but he guided the offense and simply made every correct decision. He had 5+ assists in fine fashion and is very fluid and smooth with the ball. He can score on mid-range pull-ups, which seems to be his sweet spot. He can also hit the three.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1875720' first='Sergio' last='Gonzales'] Deer Valley (Pictured right)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A cerebral point guard IQ is off the charts. He is like a coach on the floor and talks all game long. The lefty is quick on the ball defensively and will take charges. He is fast down the court to score and will slither into the paint.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2315976' first='Teddy' last='Johnson'] Deer Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A thicker framed guard has deep three point range. He is a glue guy for them as he hustles on the floor and is good on the ball defensively. When he makes shots, he takes pressure off of Vasquez and co.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1875721' first='Carter' last='Guggenberger'] Deer Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A thicker framed forward plays both spots for the Skyhawks. He has the strength to bang inside and comes with skill. He is very comfortable from mid-range and can score layups thru contact.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1938362' first='Jamison' last='Fox'] Arcadia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A highly skilled power forward scores it from all levels. He can hit the catch three with a super quick release, drop step into hook shots with either hand and has multiple counter moves in his repertoire. He has a high feel to make plays for his teammates and will rebound and block shots in his area. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1986845' first='Mason' last='Kendrick'] Arcadia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A stronger two-guard had a good showing. He hustles to rebound with a big time motor. He actually corralled 10 rebounds, and most were in the middle of taller players. He scores on cuts without the ball, he gets downhill with either hand, uses ball fakes and will rise up from mid-range and he can hit the catch three. His ability to play really hard combined with his skill has his stock trending up.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2146268' first='Brock' last='Knee'] Arcadia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The sniper of the team can really shoot. He can score on mid-range pull-ups and has deep three point range off the catch. He has good awareness to make plays and will rebound.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1986844' first='Oliver' last='Fay'] Arcadia&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The point guard of the team can score and facilitate. He can euro step and create a lot of offense for others. He has a nice shift to his handle and will throw the pass.   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1986807' first='Braylen' last='Rooney'] Arcadia</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A power forward with skill and toughness. He can dribble drive to the basket and score thru contract with a decent frame. He will clean the glass in his area and block an occasional shot.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->