Perry athletics on fire in early going

September 5, 2015 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


It started with Perry football. A 3-0 start by the Pumas with its latest victory over Mesa Mountain View on Friday night. Other Puma sports took their turn throughout Saturday with boys cross country, boys golf and girls volleyball getting with the winning spirit.

The day of triumph began with Perry's boys cross country team capturing the title at the Chandler Invitational at Tumbleweek Park. Perry totaled 22 points in the alternative format race which combines the top finish in each of the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior races. Perry's total came courtesty of senior Cade Burks (2nd), junior Kane Hudson (7th), sophomore Anthony Haren (4th) and freshman Gavin King (9th). The winners of the boys races were senior Tyler Beauchamp (Saguaro), junior Luke Mason (Brophy); sophomore Graham Eversden (Corona del Sol) and freshman Ryan Stubbs (Campo Verde). The girls title at the meet went to host Chandler High with six points. Senior Alexis Nichols and sophomore Ava Hamilton won their races for the Wolves while junior Gabrielle Enns and freshman Morgan Foster were second in their races. Other winners of the girls races were junior Alexus Navarro (Queen Creek) and freshman Sam Schadler (Rio Rico).

Over in Scottsdale the boys golf team battled with 15 other schools from around the state and the nation at the Antigua National Invite at McCormick Ranch Golf Club. Perry fell from second-place after Friday's first round and finished a respectable sixth. Individually Brady Hatten finished in a tie for fourth with a two-day total of 1-under par. Brophy's Chip Getz and Desert Mountain's Chase Wicklund were in a three-way tie for eighth at 1-over.

Can't leave golf without high-fiving the girls team champ and some other high-finishing individuals. Xavier Prep rallied from nine shots back after Friday's first round and ended up winning the title for the second time in four years. Xavier won by eight shots over first-day leader Ponahou (Hawaii).

Xavier's top four golfers on Saturday were 7-over par -- the best round of any team in the girls tourney. The Gators top scorers on Saturday were Mikayla Fitzpatrick (1-over) and Emily Mahar, Alisa Snider and Elizabeth

Chaparral's Kelly Su was the runner-up at -2 and turned in the best round of the day and tournament at -4. Hamilton's Hannah Li tied for third at 1-under and Pinnacle's Sara Padilla finished fifth at 2-over. Other top 10 finishers from Arizona Mahar (tie for 7th) and Snider, Corona del Sol's Emma Lower and Sahuaro's Taylor Hughes, who tied for ninth.

Lone Peak (Utah) withstood a late charge by Desert Mountain to win the boys side of the tournament. Hamilton's Mason Andersen overtook the first-round leaders early Saturday and took medalist honors as he hung on to record a 5-under total for the tourney, 3-under for the day. That was one shot better than Lone Peak's Carson Lundell and two ahead of Desert Mountain's Matt McCarty.

Back to Perry. Perry's weekend endeavors were capped by girls volleyball, which won the House of Payne Invitational hosted by Chandler High late Saturday afternoon. Perrry won all eight of its matches in the two-day affair. The Pumas topped Mountain Pointe, 25-18, 16-25, 16-14 in the championship match of the gold division. Perry trailed 13-9 in the final set and reeled off five successive points to serve for match point at 14-13. The Pumas prevailed on their second match-point attempt with a Mountain Pointe hitting error providing the required two-point margin.Taylor Knoll led Perry with 12 kills and Davis and Aguirre had five kills apiece. Gray and Halle Razo had seven kills each for Mountain Pointe

Perry placed two players on the all-tournament team -- opposite Ryann Davis and outside hitter Amanda Aguirre. Also chosen were Mesa Mountain View middle Olivia Osborn, Chandler outside hitter Moira Murphy and Highland's Aly Eylers. Eylers was selected MVP leading the Hawks to the gold division semifinals.