Les Willsey
Staff Writer, AZPreps365.com

There will be plenty of returning champs and many more aiming to become champs Friday and Saturday at the 71st Annual Chandler Rotary Track and Field Meet at Chandler HS Austin Field. Twelve defending champs covering 14 events return to the Rotary, according to meet director Dave Shapiro. A total of 107 schools will be represented.

Tuesday was the first visit for Queen Creek to the Desert Mountain Invitational Softball Tournament. For the Bulldogs opposition this day, Chandler, it was the second time. Both have the same goal -- get better playing top competition. Both played solid games, but a four-run rally in the eighth inning by Chandler proved to be the difference as the Wolves edged Queen Creek, 7-4, on the first day of the 14th annual tournament played at Horizon Park in Scottsdale.

Pat Herrera would like to win the championship of the Highland Triple Play Classic. But it is not priority No. 1. The Jaguars played for the title of the spring break tournament in Gilbert for the fifth year in a row and emerged on the short end for the fifth time in a 12-8 decision to defending Texas state parochial school champ John Paul II (Corpus Christi) at Highland High School.

Just eight days ago Perry met Hamilton in softball and came out on the short end of an 11-0 contest. Perry also lost its only game of the Marcos-Corona Softball Tournament Tuesday to Desert Ridge in crushing fashion, 9-1. All that amounted to payback Wednesday as Perry tucked away those bad memories with a 4-3 victory over Hamilton to win the championship of the annual tournament at Marcos de Niza High School.

Mesquite baseball coach Jeff Holland has dabbled more in freshman varsity players than most of his counterparts. It takes a special mix of ingredients to trust a freshman with a significant varsity role, but in 2011 senior Zach Davies there are no regrets from either coach or player for Davies\\\\\\\' four-year stint with the big club.

Hamilton has never been a world beater in softball like it has in football and baseball. Not even close. But the 2011 softball team is making its presence known. Hamilton took advantage of physical and mental errors by Desert Mountain and got the unintentional help of an umpire Monday in edging the previously unbeaten Wolves, 5-4, in pool play at the Marcos de Niza-Corona del Sol Invitational at Marcos de Niza.

3336 articles by Les Willsey