Brophy track leads D-I state meet after day 1

By Justin Janssen '11

Brophy Prep is off to a hot start on their quest for their first ever state championship in track.

Despite no individual winners yet, the Broncos lead the 60 team division 1 pack after five of the 17 events.

The rest of the meet concludes Saturday May 14.

Results Below:

Preliminary 100 meter (25 runners)

2. Devon Allen (10.75) - advances to final

24. Anthony Broglia (11.53)

Preliminary 200 meter (22 runners)

2. Devon Allen (21.80) - advances to final

Preliminary 400 meter (21 runners)

8. Devon Allen (49.92) - advances to final by 0.2 seconds

Final 3200 meter (25 runners)

2. Will Firth (9:32.39) - 8 points

3. Tommy Williams (9:33.72) - 6 points

22. Marco Ruiz (10:05.41)

Preliminary 110 meter hurdles (23 runners)

2. Devon Allen (14.28)- advances to final

Final 4 X 800 Meter (24 schools)

5. Tommy Williams, Will Firth, Jack Rubenzer, Tanner Brown (7:56.77) - 4 points

Final High Jump (33 jumpers)

6. James Harper (6'04) - 3 points

Final Long Jump (24 jumpers)

7. Josh Dennard (21'10) - 2 points

14. Robert Relf (21'04)

Team Standings after Day 1:

1. Brophy - 23 points

2. Desert Vista - 19.5 points

3. Chandler - 19 points

4. Hamilton - 18 points

5. Mountain View - 17 points

5. Cibola - 17 points

7. Deer Valley - 15 points

Races remaining: 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter, 800 meter, 1600 meter, Pole Vault, Shot Put, Discus, Triple Jump, 110 meter hurdles, 300 meter hurdles, 4 X 100 meter.

Races clocked: 4 X 400, 4 X 800, High Jump, Long Jump, 3200 meter.

Baseball loses rematch with Mesquite, bounced from playoffs

Blogger Note: Blogger was temporarily down, this post was originally published May 11.

Brophy 2
Mesquite 12

By Justin Janssen ’11
THE ROUNDUP

What started as a promising postseason for No. 9 Brophy (21-10) ended abruptly with two mercy losses to No. 4 Hamilton (25-6) and No. 1 Mesquite (29-4).

On May 12, the Broncos knew they had a tall task going against Mesquite ace Zach Davies (11-0, 1.82 ERA).

Davies is nominated for the Gatorade Arizona Baseball player of the year.

Despite Davies’ credentials, the Broncos had base runners in every inning and made Davies work for every out he got.

“We had a good game plan against Davies,” said Brophy head coach Mr. Tom Succow. “Our guys battled hard against him.”

Brophy struggles to contain the Mesquite offense. Starting pitcher Sean Maxon-Maldonado ’11 walked four batters and hitting two more in three innings.

“(Maldonado) pitched 1 2/3 innings Saturday,” Mr. Succow said. “It was the first time he threw since April 5.”

Mesquite got to work right away off Maldonado, scoring four runs in the first inning, three of the runners who scores reached on free passes by Maldonado.

Mesquite added a run in the second off of a wild pitch by Maldonado, and Spencer Applebach homered off him in the third.

“He deserved to have the ball, but just wasn’t sharp enough,” Mr. Succow said.

First baseman Dan Winkler ’11 jumpstarted Brophy’s offense with leadoff singles in the third and fifth innings.

Winkler came around to score both of Brophy’s runs.

A last chance at a comeback for Brophy was halted in the fifth inning when Connor Messman ’13 struck out with the bases loaded and two outs.

Mesquite ended the game in the sixth when they opened the inning with seven straight batters reaching the bases.

The Wildcats scored four in the inning and the 12-2 lead ended the game on the run rule.

Mr. Succow said he thought Brophy had a good season despite two straight losses by 10 runs.

“Anytime you win 20 games, it’s a success,” Mr. Succow said. “I’m proud of the effort the kids put in.”

Mesquite will take on Hamilton in the 5A-I semifinals May 12.

Due to Mesquite’s loss to Brophy May 3, if Mesquite beats Hamilton, the Wildcats have to play Hamilton again for the spot in the championship game.

Allen, Williams, Firth lead Brophy into state meet

The 2010-2011 school year is almost over. Some schools graduate as early as this upcoming Saturday.

The track and field season is also winding down to its final meet.

Brophy Prep figures to finish very high in the meet; maybe high enough to win their first ever state championship May 11 and 14 at Mesa Community College.

There is increased competition with seven divisions reduced to four.

The scoring is 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1.

Qualifying times for the state meet below.

Devon Allen '13 leads the charge. 5th in 11o meter high hurdles time (14.55). Leader is Cameron Taylor of Westwood (13.98).

Allen is fourth in the 100 meter dash (10.83). Leader is stud running back Trae Armstrong of Deer Valley (10.66). Anthony Broglia '11 qualified as the 22nd runner in Division 1 (11.20).

The 4 X 100 team will probably not score due to Allen choosing other events. With Allen Brophy is 8th in the state and 0.01 seconds away from tying the school record.

Allen is fifth in the 200 meter dash (21.85), a school record. Armstrong leads this race (21.44).

Allen is second in the 400 meter (48.73) to Armstrong (48.25). This is another Brophy record.

The 4 X 800 team of Tommy Williams '11, Will Firth '11, Jack Rubenzer '13, and Tanner Brown '12 are 4th in Division I with a time of 8:05.30. Desert Vista is 1st (7:58.30).

The 1600 meter run is where Brophy could pick up a lot of points. Firth (4:17.45) and Williams (4:21.72) are second and third respectively in that race.

Firth recently signed with Rice, while Williams is a verbal to UCLA according to coach Mike Keahon '77.

The 1/2 mile is very competitive with Firth (1:55.97) and Williams (1:56.12) sixth and tenth. Williams owns the school record.

In the two mile, Firth (9:25.12) and Williams (9:42.89) are second and fourth. Marco Ruiz '13 qualified at the last chance meet (9:51.51) and is 17th.

The 4 X 400 team is 9th with Centennial leading the way.

Basketball forward James Harper '12 is T-7th in the high jump (6-04). Edmond Baker of Desert Vista has the highest jump at 6-10.

Running back/wide receiver Josh Dennard '11 jumps 21-05 in the long jump (17th). Travonn White of Mountain Pointe leads all jumpers with 23-02.50. Linebacker Robert Relf '13 is 22nd with a jump of 21-02.

In the pole vault, Cole Walsh '13 is T-5th (14-06), while Mark Schillinger '12 is T-8th (14-00).

Baseball gets rematch against No. 1 Mesquite

By Justin Janssen '11

After getting blown out 14-4 to Hamilton May 7, the Brophy Broncos baseball team is going to need to ride a lot of magic to advance in the 5A-I tournament.

There's an old saying "it's hard to beat a team twice", but Brophy will twice need to beat a team twice (not a typo)- just in the postseason to advance to the championship game.

Not exactly a nice birthday present for Dave Graybill '12.

No. 9 Brophy (21-9) defeated No. 1 Mesquite (28-4) 5-3 May 3 in the second round behind a furious rally in the sixth and seventh innings.

Dan Winkler '11 hit the tying RBI double in the sixth scoring Ryan Grant ’12, who pinch-ran for catcher Jon Rapisarda '12 after he started the inning with a double down the left field line.

Rapisarda delivered the go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the seventh inning.

Two batters later, Winkler, the team’s vocal leader, put the game out of reach with a two-RBI bases-loaded single.

But when Brophy and Mesquite play again May 10, in the loser's bracket, the Broncos will not have the luxury of facing Mesquite's relievers.

Instead, Brophy will have to face a man who has lost once in the past two seasons.

The Tigers will start ace Zach Davies (11-0, 1.82 ERA) against Brophy.

Davies' pitching gives him notoriety, but he almost beat the Broncos with his bat.

Trailing 1-0 in the fifth inning, Davies put Mesquite ahead with a two-run homer, chasing Brophy starter Steven Oleksak '13.

If Brophy overcomes Davies and No. 1 Mesquite, they will play No. 4 Hamilton (25-6) May 12 for the right to advance to the title game.

But Brophy would need to beat Hamilton not just once, but twice, on the same day, to advance.

Hamilton crushed the Broncos 14-4 May 7, forcing a run-rule to end the game in six innings.

The Huskies, winners of the Fiesta Region, also defeated Brophy twice in the regular season.

Baseball tops top-seeded Mesquite in second round

Brophy 5
Mesquite 3

By Justin Janssen ’11
THE ROUNDUP

Entering the seventh inning May 3 knotted up at two runs apiece, the No. 9 Brophy Broncos (21-8) needed a clutch hit or two against No. 1 Mesquite (27-4).

Catcher Jon Rapisarda ’12 delivered the go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the seventh inning scoring Chris Beall ’12, and the Brophy faithful could almost breathe after a nail-biting second round playoff game.

Two batters later, Dan Winkler ’11, the team’s vocal leader, put the game out of reach with a two-RBI bases-loaded single.

Winkler hit the tying RBI double in the sixth scoring Ryan Grant ’12, who pinch-ran for Rapisarda after he started the inning with a double down the left field line.

Beall hit an RBI triple in the first inning to put Brophy out in front, but then a pitcher’s duel broke out.

Brophy lefty Steven Oleksak ’13, who began the season on junior varsity, pitched four-plus innings and didn’t allow a run until Mesquite’s Kyle Davies blasted a two run homer in the fifth.

Oleksak kept the Broncos in the game and got out of jams in the second and third innings with double plays.

“He doesn’t get flustered out there,” said Brophy head coach Mr. Tom Succow about Oleksak. “He doesn’t have outstanding stuff right now, but he has great composure. And that’s more important.”

Nick Jones ’11 got the win in relief and held the Wildcats to one run in three innings pitched.

“He’s been our closer all year,” Mr. Succow said.

Mesquite pitcher Ryan Williams pitched into the sixth, and settled down after Beal’s hit in the first, but Winkler’s game-tying single chased him from the game.

“It was a great team effort,” Mr. Succow said. “Two of our best hitters (Joe Maggi ’11 and Dave Graybill ’12) don’t have a hit in the playoffs.”

Next, Brophy will play Hamilton (24-6) May 7 at Camelback Ranch, the Spring Training home of the Dodgers and White Sox.

Hamilton won the Fiesta Region and defeated Brophy twice in the regular season.

Mesquite moves to the loser’s bracket and will play No. 12 Highland Thursday.

Goodman gets first hit, good fortune coming?

By Justin Janssen '11

Goodman's first homer

Infielder Greg Goodman '11 saw one pitch in a playoff game against Alhambra, but the memory of that pitch will be remembered much longer.

Goodman smoked a baseball thrown by Stephen Burnham into left field giving Brophy a decisive 16-2 lead.

"Right when the ball was hit the dugout became ecstatic," Goodman said. "They all piled out and showed their support with high fives and congratulations."

But this was not just any home run, it was Goodman's first.

In fact it was his first hit as a Brophy Bronco.

Goodman had only three plate appearances all season prior to his home run in the first round playoff game at Alhambra High School.

Goodman tried out for Brophy's baseball teams all four years, but didn't make one of them until Varsity his senior year.

"(I tried out senior year because) I felt I was at the best of my game," Goodman said. "I played club baseball the three years before and Brophy Summer Baseball the summer before. I was also bigger, stronger, and more prepared than before."

"Going up to the plate I just kept in mind that it was most likely going to be one of my last at bats of the season, so I was going to try to utilize the opportunity the best I could."


Good Luck Coming?

After the Brophy's 18-2 "upset" victory over No. 8 Alhambra in the first round of the 5A-I playoffs, the team stopped to eat at Pei Wei.

One of Pei Wei and other Chinese Resturants symbols is the fortune cookie.

The Brophy baseball team received a couple of curious fortunes inside the fortune cookie.

According to relief pitcher Peter Fletcher '11 the fortune cookies said, "Your sports team will have great success this year" and "On Tuesday you will have great success."

The No. 9 Brophy Broncos (20-8) will need the fortune cookie prophecy to come true when they take on the No. 1 Mesquite Wildcats (26-3) at 7 p.m. at Camelback Ranch (Glendale, Ariz).

The Broncos probably won't see Mesquite ace Zach Davies (10-0, 1.66 ERA) because he pitched a complete game Saturday against North Canyon.

Brophy will likely counter Mesquite with Sean Maxon-Maldenado '11 on the mound.

5A Metro doesn't deserve any teams in the postseason

By Justin Janssen '11

If you look at some of the records of the 5A Metro teams, you might think they were good.

Alhambra (18-6), Trevor Browne (24-6), and Maryvale (15-9) all qualified for the 5A-I postseason, but if you look closer, you'd see their records are inflated by playing a high amount of regional games.

Each team played 16 regional games and some teams played even more games against the Metro Region in tournaments.

The result was anywhere from 60 to 81 percent of a team's schedule against their own region.

The rest of the region's records are: North (13-14-1), Fairfax (11-13), South Mountain (10-17), Hayden (5-20-1), Central (2-25), and Camelback (1-20).

Against other regions, the 5A Metro is a combined 22-53 (29 win pct.), with 9 of those wins coming from Trevor Browne.

The website Maxpreps.com, America's source for high school sports, agrees with my premise that the 5A Metro doesn't deserve a postseason team.

Out of the 31 teams in 5A-I it had the Metro schools ranked 19th (Trevor Browne), 26th, 28th, and 29th.

Out of the 32 teams in 5A-II maxpreps.com ranked all five metro schools lower than 26th.

In the playoffs, the result has been catastrophic, with all three teams losing their first round games by 10 or more runs.

After Brophy's 18-2 shellacking of Alhambra, I asked Brophy head coach Mr. Tom Succow if he thought Alhambra was among the top 16 teams in 5A-I (that's how many teams qualify for the postseason).

He said, "You know what, they are. They wouldn't have won all those games and wouldn't have been here if they didn't do something right."

I should of mentioned that the 5A Metro Region champion (Alhambra) won only one game all season against a non-Metro squad.