Regis Jesuit coach Carl Mattei was pleased as his team prevailed shorthanded. Chandler coach Zon Thompson felt sort of the same as his Wolves never gave up. But better shooting and perhaps a little more poiseSaturday afternoon was the difference as Regis Jesuit (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) handed Chandler its first loss of the season with a wire-to-wire 45-38 victory in the first round of the Nike Tournament of Champions , John Anderson Division at Willis Junior High.

What happens when two of the best teams in 4A-II get together in a pre-Christmas showdown? For the first 26 minutes, a blowout. But Thursday night a 4A-II girls basketball game between Seton Catholic and Flagstaff still had another six minutes to play. And fortunately for Seton, the game didn\'t last another minute. Defending 4A-II champ Seton saw a 20-point lead with 6:10 remaining get sliced to three in the final 50 seconds, but the host Sentinels managed to hang on for a 60-57 win over the Eagles.

That was fast. A month after being fired after nine seasons as football coach at Mesa Mountain View, Tom Joseph has another head coaching gig.

It is not easy staying unbeaten in basketball. Playing close to 30 games or more in a season makes that extremely difficult. But for now, Chaparral boys basketball coach Aaron Windler will take a 6-0 mark. His Firebirds notched that sixth win Tuesday night with a big fourth quarter to upend host Red Mountain, 71-64, in a 5A non-region game.

Last year Mesa High believed its defense gave it a punchers chance of knocking off Hamilton for the 5A-I football title. The Jackrabbits were worthy for a half and then fell by the wayside. On Monday afternoon -- a year later -- Desert Ridge felt its offense gave it a shot to upend the Huskies. Good try. Very good try. Just not quite enough.

The overall winning streak rests at 39. Hamilton\'s goal Monday is first, a third consecutive 5A-I state title. That would mean win No. 40 in a row would come as a byproduct. The team that stands in the Huskies\' way, Desert Ridge, has a modest streak of its own going with eight consective wins. The Jaguars pit their dynamic offense against the Huskies\' rock solid defense in the 2010 5A-I championship game. Kickoff is at 4:10 p.m. at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Hamilton fell just short of taking the 5A-I boys soccer title last year, dropping a 1-0 decision to Corona del Sol in the final. The Huskies were eliminated in the 5A-I semifinals on the girls side. If the start of the 2010-2011 season is any indication, both programs are aiming at another shot at a state title come February.

North seems to know how to beat Red Mountain this season.Get behind big early. Lull the Mountain Lions asleep and pick the right time to pounce. It worked for the second time in three weeks Friday night as the Mustangs overcame a 12-point deficit early in the third period to post a 66-61 win over host Red Mountain in a 5A-I boys basketball game.

Mike Reardon, who made three successful prep football coaching stops in Arizona after relocating from Utah a little more than a decade ago, retired Friday Mesquite athletic director Anthony Scanio said.

Cole Thurston is not usually the leading scorer for Dobson. He was not again on Thursday night, but the damage he did early was enough to keep visiting Chandler at bay all night. Thurston sank five 3-point shots in the first half -- three in the first period -- to spur a 12-2 run to open the game that led Dobson to a 100-78 triumph over Chandler.

One thing can be counted on with Jeremy Hathcock coaching Desert Ridge is the Jaguars give the opposition something(s) to ponder offensively. Most of Hathcock\\\'s five-year tenure at Desert Ridge, offense revolved around an aerial display. This year it has been closer to half-and-half. Whatever the Jaguars choose, it is fine with the array of talented skill players at Hathcock\\\'s disposal.

Hamilton High is a few days away from playing in its eighth state championship football game in 12 years. In that span the Huskies are 5-2 and very close to chiming in at a perfect 7-0. One huge reason behind that success, and why Hamilton is bidding for a 5A-I threepeat at University of Phoenix Stadium on Monday afternoon against Desert Ridge, is defense.

St. Marys used pressure defense and the ability to score from all over on offense to send Highland to a rare girls basketball drubbing on Tuesday night.

With only three of six Mesa schools making the playoffs in football this season and all of them eliminated in the first round, basketball could not arrive fast enough.