With only three of six Mesa schools making the playoffs in football this season and all of them eliminated in the first round, basketball could not arrive fast enough.

Heading into  play Tuesday, Mountain View, Red Mountain, Mesa, Dobson, Skyline and Westwood sport a collective 23-7 record in boys basketball.

Mountain View is 5-0, four wins coming at the Arrowhead Classic in Glendale. Dobson and Red Mountain are both 5-2 with tournament success at Ironwood Ridge's and Salpointe's invitationals, respectively. Mesa High is 3-1, winning its Fear the Hop Tournament and dropping a decision to defending 5A-I champ North last Friday. Skyline won two of three games at its tournament Thanksgiving week and is 2-0 since. Westwood has split its first two games and will head to Yuma this weekend for an invitational.

Mountain View got good news with the return to action of junior center Camyn Boone last week against Maryvale. Boone tallied 24 points in 15 minutes in that contest. Boone missed the start of the season due to a fractured skull suffered in an accident.

"He was a man among boys in that one," Mountain View coach Gary Ernst said. "It was nice to get him back. We weren't sure how long we were going to be without him."

Barring a setback, Boone will be in the lineup when Mountain View takes on Corona del Sol on Dec. 13 in the Central Region opener for both schools.

HIGLEY FOOTBALL COACH RETIRES

Higley football coach Jim Beall, who guided the Knights back to the 4A-II playoffs this season after going 1-9 in 2009, told his team Monday he has decided to retire from coaching. Beall will remain at the school teaching physical education.

Beall won 48 games in nine seasons at Higley. Higley reached the 4A-II championship game in 2006 losing to Cactus Shadows. In 2007 the Knights advanced to the semifinals before bowing out. This year the Knights were 6-6 and dropped a 35-34 decision in overtime to eventual state champion Thunderbird in the quarterfinals.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Two girls basketball games of interest are on tap Tuesday in the East Valley. Last year's 5A-I runner-up and this year's favorite, St. Mary's, visits Highland (7-1). St. Mary's is 2-0 and Highland is coming off its first loss of the season to Xavier last Friday, 67-65. In another good matchup, Hamilton (2-0) plays host to defending 5A-II champ Tolleson (8-1). Tolleson's only loss was to Highland in Highland's Thanksgiving tournament 10 days ago.

 

 

 

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