Amphitheater closed the 2010-2011 boys basketball season with 19 consecutive wins and a dynamic performance in defeating Tempe High for the 4A-II championship in February.

With a few of the the same players back, the Panthers showed no sign of letting up in the new season that opened last week.

Amphi, led by senior Tim Derksen,  plowed through five wins and captured the title of the annual Salpointe Tip-Off Classic at Salpointe HS.  Amphi won pool games against Sabino, Palo Verde and Nogales, then topped Red Mountain in the semifinals and Salpointe in the final. Every triumph was by double digits.

Derksen, a 6-foot-3 guard who signed a letter of intent earlier this month with San Francisco, began his final campaign at Amphi averaging 27 points a game and 12 rebounds in those five games. He was chosen the tournament's most valuable player. He averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds last season in helping the Panthers to their first -ever boys hoops crown.

Two other mainstays from last year's title team were potent as well in the first week. Forward Charles Benson and guard Tony Lillard averaged in double figues in points (Lillard 13 and Benson 10) and Benson grabbed 10 rebounds a game.

Amphi, which last lost a game Dec. 28 last year to Chaparral,  plays its first power-point game of the season Tuesday night at home against Santa Rita.

Amphi is competing in the newly formed Division II so the Panthers will be playing up a bit from last year. One of the teams that should contend with Amphi for the D-II title is Betty Fairfax, last year's 5A-II champ. Fairfax opened its season last week with a power-point win on the road at last year's 5A-I champ, Mesa Mountain View.

One of 5A-I's top teams from last year and one of the prime contenders in D-I this year is Corona del Sol. The Aztecs won three of their four games in the Fear the Hop Tournament hosted by Mesa High. The Aztecs were upset in the tourney semifinals by Mesquite, which went on to place second.

Another  team out of the gate quickly last week was Gilbert High, which won the Fear the Hop. Gilbert lost handily to Corona del Sol in a preliminary tournament game. The Tigers bounced back to win the next three and the invite title by thumping Mesquite in the championship. A trio of Tigers scored in double figures led by Conner Helvig (17), Maurice Thomas (11) and Cody Martin (10). The Tigers defense shut down Mesquite's high-scoring guard, Sami Bzai, limiting him to eight points. Bzai averaged 23 points a game in the first three games of the tournament.