Brady Vernon
ASU Student Journalist

Deer Valley prepares for chance at first boys basketball state title

February 25, 2018 by Brady Vernon, Arizona State University


Deer Valley High School is seeking their first boys’ basketball state title as they prepare for Tuesday’s championship game in Tempe.

 

Thanks to a late three-pointer in overtime by junior forward Jaret Allen, the Skyhawks survived an upset scare in their 65-63 semi-final win over Paradise Valley.

 

Allen’s clutch shot sent the school to its first title game appearance since 2006. The top-seeded Skyhawks will celebrate their season-long success before Tuesday night’s game against Sunnyslope of Phoenix.

 

According to Deer Valley’s athletic director Scott Warner, the school will be holding a pep rally and “storming the halls” on game day. He described “storming the halls” as involving the team itself, along with the school’s cheerleaders and band drumline.

 

Skyhawks head coach Jed Dunn, with the help of assistant coach, former Skyhawk and Stanford Cardinal player Lawrence Hill have guided a senior-led team to its best season in Dunn’s 10-year tenure. But the team feels it couldn’t have had the success they’ve had without the school’s support.

 

“The school’s support has been great this season,” senior center Bryce Davis said. “The teachers love watching us and the students all believe in us.”
 

Located in Glendale, Deer Valley High School is around a 30-minute drive to Tempe with no traffic. To get a student section to cheer on their team the school will have a spirit bus take students from the school at 5:30 p.m. Having their peers behind them means a lot to the team.

 

“It’s big because we love the energy, we feed off that,” Deer Valley senior guard Deven Breckner said. “They give us a ton of energy.”

 

Davis and Breckner along with guards Ari Danzy and KeyVaughn Williams are the four seniors on the team that will play their final game in a Skyhawks’ basketball uniform Tuesday. With a chance to go out on top, Davis and Breckner talked about what it would mean to them.

 

“It would mean the world to me to achieve history and bring the boys’ basketball championship to Deer Valley for the first time ever,” Davis said.

 

“It would probably be the best feeling I would ever feel,” Breckner said. “With all the hard work and energy I put in, and we as a team all four years, it would be a memory I would never forget.”

 

It hasn’t been an easy road for 5A basketball’s top seed. Including their overtime semifinal win the team has had some close calls. In the opening round Deer Valley didn’t pull away from Ironwood High School until the fourth quarter. In the second round it faced last year’s runner-up, Apollo, in a game where Williams sealed the victory with a last-minute steal and score for a 68-64 win.

 

Deer Valley will also play against a familiar foe on Tuesday as they take on Sunnyslope High School. The Skyhawks and Vikings split their two regular season matchups, and for the school to obtain its first state title they’ll have to win the season series against the reigning Arizona 5A state champion.

 

Regardless of the outcome the school will honor the team after Tuesday.

 

“Win or lose Tuesday night, our team will do the walk of champions Friday,” Warner said.

 

Tipoff for Arizona’s 5A state championship game is 7 p.m. at Arizona State University’s Wells Fargo Arena.