Arizona
The Arizona Republic’s girls’ high school basketball players of the week: Jan. 30
January concluded with a busy week in Arizona girls’ high school basketball, full of explosive scoring outputs and heroic performances in big games. Here are the top players of the week in the state:
Trinity Alfaro, Surprise Highland Prep: Alfaro scored 27 points in a win over Tucson San Miguel and 20 in a win over Phoenix Christian. Her minutes were limited by an illness in a rematch with Phoenix Christian three days later, but still managed to contribute 10 points and five steals as Highland Prep fell, 33-30.
America Cazares, Tucson Pueblo: It’s been a somewhat rocky season for Pueblo after reaching the heights of the 4A championship game last winter. Cazares, though, has done her part. This week, she scored 25 in a blowout loss to Tucson Salpointe Catholic, 31 in a win over Tucson Cholla and 26 in a win over Tucson Canyon del Oro.
Naylissa Charles, Coolidge: It’s now six straight wins for Coolidge, which is up to No. 6 in the AIA’s 3A rankings. Charles led the way on Tuesday in a rivalry win over Florence, dropping a career-high 30.
Eanae Dagons, Phoenix Desert Vista: Dagons scored 17 points in Desert Vista’s impressive, 68-59, win over Gilbert, but it was on the defensive end where her efforts stood out most. She finished the night with eight steals.
Boys’ high school basketball news: Did Valley Christian basketball violate AIA bylaw with star Luke Shaw playing in Italy?
Bri’Ann Felix, Glendale Copper Canyon: Felix’s dominant season continued in a 3-0 week for Copper Canyon, which is right on the fringe of 5A playoff qualification. She averaged 28 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.3 steals.
Navae Guidry, Gilbert Mesquite: Guidry stepped up over the past week with a handful of Mesquite’s top players out due to a self-imposed suspension. In a win over Phoenix Arcadia on Monday, she hit the 1,000-point mark for her career. That came just four days after she had a game-high 16 in Mesquite’s crucial, 40-37, win over Chandler Seton Catholic. If this team falls out of the Open, they’re the favorites to win the 4A crown. Guidry is a major reason why.
Elli Guiney, Goodyear Millennium: Millennium has had no shortage of thrilling games this year. The latest example came on Friday, when the Tigers escaped Waddell Canyon View with a triple-overtime win. Guiney led the way with 30 points and eight boards in the contest.
Clara-Mae Hrouch, Tucson Catalina Foothills: Hrouch is averaging 21.9 points in Catalina Foothills’ seven-game win streak. She also has at least four assists in each of her last five games, helping the Falcons tick. After a tricky start to the year, they’re now 15-9.
Tianna Knighton, Phoenix Arcadia: Knighton scored at least 34 points in each of Arcadia’s three games this week. It hasn’t been an easy season for the Titans but that hasn’t stopped Knighton. She’s the state’s second-highest scorer at 27.4 points per game.
More high school sports news: Liberty’s Ryan Denhof wins Gatorade Player of the Year for boys cross country
Michelle Kogbara, Peoria: Kogbara was a double-double machine this week, averaging 20 points and 15.6 rebounds in three games. The standout performance came in a 36-32 win over Avondale Agua Fria, when she finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Maggie Luba, Phoenix Sunnyslope: This week brought two of the biggest games of the year for Sunnyslope: Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor and Phoenix Pinnacle. Luba stepped up big in both, scoring 13 to lead the Vikings to an upset win over O’Connor and 25 in a narrow loss to Pinnacle.
Ava Pautz, Notre Dame Prep: Notre Dame Prep’s recent dominance has been such that its starters haven’t had to play the fourth quarter in weeks — even on Tuesday, in a seemingly tricky matchup against Gilbert Higley. Despite that limited floor time, Pautz is averaging 17.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists over her last fout.
Aviana Scharfenberger, Coconino: Scharfenberger was the star on Tuesday in one of the biggest games of the 4A season, when she scored 20 points to lead Coconino past Prescott, 59-55. The win established them as one of the top teams in northern Arizona.
Amber Shorten, Phoenix Central: Lia Sims might be Central’s biggest star, but Shorten stepped up in support this week. In a win over Phoenix Metro Tech on Wednesday, she recorded her first triple-double, with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
Nemo Sidhu, Goodyear Estrella Foothills: Sidhu continued her impressive freshman season against Glendale Deer Valley, hitting a new career-high with 29 points.
Dylan Swindle, Phoenix Desert Vista: Along with Dagons, Swindle was key in Desert Vista’s win over Gilbert. She led the Thunder with 19 points in that contest, and went 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Alaysia White, Coolidge: White put together an obscene stat line in Coolidge’s blowout win over Globe. She finished with 32 points, 20 rebounds and 14 steals, and is now averaging 19.8 points and 13.6 rebounds per game on the year.
Arizona
Tracking snap counts and Pro Football Focus grades from Arizona’s win at ASU
Arizona has brought the Territorial Cup back to Tucson, winning the rivalry game with ASU for the third time in four seasons. And it did so despite some of the worst grades of the season for the team as a whole and the offense specifically.
The UA’s team grade of 69.1 ranked third-lowest in 2025, ironically ahead of two of the other wins in the current 5-game streak. The offensive grade of 62.6 was also better than only the recent wins over Kansas (57.2) and Colorado (55.5).
Defensively it was a different story. Arizona graded at 76.1, which was 6th-best, and its 90.3 run defense grade was the best of 2025.
For the season, Arizona’s overall grade of 87.5 ranks 39th in FBS. The defense is tied for 21st at 91.5. Compare those to a season ago when the Wildcats ranked 98th nationally and their defense was 118th out of 134 FBS schools.
Below are the snap counts and individual grades of all players who appeared on offense or defense at ASU:
Top overall grades (min. 20 snaps): S Dalton Johnson (83.3), S Genesis Smith (71.7), QB Noah Fifita (71.2), RT Matthew Lado (71.2), LB Riley Wilson (69.0)
Top pass blocking: RG Alexander Doost (85.5), LG Chubba Maae (81.6), RB Ismail Mahdi (76.2)
Top run blocking: RT Matthew Lado (66.2), WR Kris Hutson (62.7), WR Tre Spivey (61.9)
Top pass rushing: LB Chase Kennedy (62.7), CB Treydan Stukes (60.0), CB Michael Dansby (59.7)
Top run defense: Johnson (92.7), CB Ayden Garnes (77.0), Wilson (75.2)
Top tackling: Smith (82.9), Garnes (81.1), LB Taye Brown (79.1)
Top coverage: Dansby (71.4), Johnson (71.3), Smith (68.7)
Arizona
Wrong-way driver caught on cam, ASU battles Arizona for Territorial Cup | Nightly Roundup
PHOENIX – From the terrifying moment caught on camera of a wrong-way driver on I-10, to the duel in the desert as ASU takes on Arizona for the rivalry game, here’s a look at your top stories on FOX10Phoenix.com for Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
1. Wrong-way driver caught on camera
What we know:
During the late night hours of Thanksgiving, a white pickup truck was seen heading the wrong way on Interstate 10’s HOV lane near Baseline Road.
2. Man found lying near roadway prompts hit-and-run investigation
3. Suspect in custody after shooting at South Phoenix apartment
4. Officers use less-lethal means to detain road rage suspect
5. ASU vs. U of A: Fans gear up for rivalry game
A peak at your weather this weekend
Get the Full Forecast
Arizona
Arizona pair celebrates decade of friendship that started with wrong text
MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — What began as a mistaken text message has blossomed into a 10-year Thanksgiving tradition that continues to capture hearts worldwide.
Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench are celebrating their tenth consecutive Thanksgiving together, a friendship that started in 2016 when Dench accidentally texted the then-17-year-old Hinton, thinking she was inviting her grandson to dinner.
“There are no accidents. It was meant to be,” Dench said.
The mix-up occurred when Dench sent a Thanksgiving dinner invitation to the wrong phone number. When Hinton responded asking who was texting, Dench replied it was grandma.
“I get this text back saying who is this and I said its grandma and the next message was well send me a picture,” Dench said.
Friendship grows through life’s challenges
What could have been a forgettable mistake transformed into an annual reunion. The pair have supported each other through significant life events, including the death of Dench’s husband in 2020 and her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment last year.
“We just all clicked. It was amazing. We spent hours talking. There was no generation gap. It was just fun and joyful and exciting,” Dench said.
“I love it to spend thanksgiving with so many different types of people,” Hinton said.
The friendship has provided mutual support during difficult times.
“I was able to talk with Jamal and he’s always given me encouragement and I’ve been very blessed,” Dench said.
“It feels like a best friend. She feels like someone you can talk to about anything. So when you go through anything I call her all the time. She answers her phone,” Hinton said.
Both consider each other family now.
“Jamal will always be in my inner circle of family,” Dench said.
“Family she’s family no matter what,” Hinton said.
This year’s celebration was sponsored by Green Giant.
Last year, the pair met virtually while Dench was battling cancer, making this year’s in-person reunion particularly meaningful.
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