Outlook: It may be hard to believe, but both teams enter this game with something to prove.

Address: 550 N. Butler St., Eagar; Records: Florence 5-4, Round Valley 7-3; Gametime: 7:00 p.m.

Despite earning the higher seed, Eagar Round Valley knew that its 3A quarterfinal hopes hinged on being able to stop Coolidge quarterback and offensive dynamo Jesse Wheeler. It didn’t.

Christopher Posillippo had a rude awakening Saturday in more ways than one.

Fresh off recording its first playoff victory in five years, Deer Valley's boys basketball team won't mind some extra running in practice Thursday.

No. 1-ranked Coolidge let the season opener slip away Friday night.

Chandler Valley Christian, the top seed from the East Region, made an early exit from the 1A/2A/3A boys state soccer tournament Friday at the Tempe Sports Complex.

A political newcomer and a longtime resident will fill out the Paradise Valley Town Council.

Tina Wirth’s 21 points and 13 rebounds couldn’t pull Seton Catholic (27-6) to victory, as the Sentinels fell to defending 3A champion Eagar Round Valley 50-39 in a 3A state quarterfinal game Saturday in Flagstaff.

When a relatively unknown singer/songwriter from L.A. stepped onstage to headline a 1975 New Year’s Eve bash at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre, otherwise known as "The Round," he had no way of knowing that it would become one of the Valley’s most treasured traditions.

In a contest pitting two of the top West Valley girls tennis teams, No. 3 Sunrise Mountain will play host to No. 6 seed Centennial Wednesday in the 5A Div. II state tournament.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Deer Valley High School girls volleyball team have something in common ? no one talked about them until they made the playoffs. For the Diamondbacks, that's when they served notice too, and Deer Valley hopes to follow the baseball team's lead. "Nobody is talking about Deer Valley," said Skyhawk Head Coach Jackie Wallace. "Instead they're talking about Centennial or Boulder Creek. We've been in the two position until recently and then we dropped to three after a late season loss. But we've always been intent on getting (into the playoffs), and playing deep." People might talk about Deer Valley (15-8 overall, 9-1 in the Northwest League) now, after it ousted Westview 25-12, 25-14, 26-24 at home Tuesday night in the first round of the 5A Division II state tournament. Wallace inherited a Skyhawk girls volleyball program two years ago with young talent, but was bounced from the first round of the playoffs last season. With that in their minds, the girls have their sights set on a much longer run into the postseason. "Our main goal this year was to get into the playoffs and go real deep," said junior outside hitter Izzy Gaulia. "So, yeah, this is a great start." And like the Diamondbacks, Deer Valley has seen its young nucleus gel and gain experience on the court. "We've gotten better with experience," Izzy Gaulia "We have good players on this team who hustle and play hard. We're all close and things have just clicked on the court." The Knights (10-12 overall, 3-7 in the Desert West League) didn't make it easy on Deer Valley, though. They played the Skyhawks close early in the first game, trading points and tying the game at 6 after Sarrah Davis' serve went into the net. The Skyhawks returned senior Stephanie Owen's serve and Westview's dig attempt went out of bounds. Deer Valley's Kayla Kane drilled a serve at the back line that Amanda Cocciardi couldn't handle and the Skyhawks used the momentum from that ace to reel off seven of the next eight points and take command. It was all Deer Valley in the second game as it used a pair of blocks by both senior Kaci Kinnett and junior Makayla Higgins to lead 5-2. After Izzy Gaulia went long with her serve, the Skyhawks went on a 8-1 run to make the game 13-4 before Westview broke serve on junior Jessica Sornsin's kill. From there, the Knights mounted a small charge, climbing to within four at 17-13, until Sarrah Davis broke sophomore Aly Owen's serve with a kill that landed between a pair of Knight defenders. Deer Valley closed the game by winning eight of nine points, including an ace by senior Alison Hasselbring. "Wow! Our passing was great. We had some amazing hits throughout the match, especially the first two games and the team worked real hard out there. I think those first two games were the best we've played all season. "Defense wins championship, so that part of the game has to be there night in and night out," Wallace said. "And we got it tonight." Westview played with more urgency in the third game, and forced the Skyhawks to play catch up nearly the entire game. The Knights took what Deer Valley gave them, using a pair of long spikes by Izzy Gaulia and Kaci Kinnett, a wide set by Alyssa Rodriguez and a tip by Westview senior Kiso Barnett to jump out to a 4-0 lead. The Skyhawks rallied to tie it at 4, but the Knights kept the pressure on, building a 5-point lead on Aly Owen's touch block to make it 12-7, the Westview's largest of the match. After a Deer Valley timeout, the Skyhawks rebounded on Kaitlynn Ausmus' kill to the left sideline. That spike spurred a 10-2 run, giving Deer Valley a 17-14 lead that it would not relinquish. However, the Knights wouldn't go quietly. They tied the game at 17 on a wide Deer Valley kill, at 21 on a long hit, and at 24 on a ball into the net. The Skyhawks held onto the game, and match, by claiming the next two points, the final coming on a Kaitlynn Ausmus kill. "(Tonight's win) was a total team effort," Wallace said. "There was not one individual who stood out because they all came out and played well. That's a credit to this team, we don't look to just one individual." A similar refrain we heard often during the Diamondback's 2007 run: "Anybody, anytime."

Windy conditions carried into the second straight day at Scottsdale Community College Field as Mesa Community College attempted to upset the Artichokes, but it would be Scottsdale advancing Saturday with a 6-3 victory in the final of their Division II best-of-three baseball series.

A tranquil retreat, beautiful to the eye and fragrant to the smell, is what master gardener Thom Berger and his partner, Bill Maynard, looked to create in the backyard of their Moon Valley home.

For many people, Irish culture is synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day. But the Valley’s Irish community wants to get the word out that it’s easy being green all year long — and you don’t even have to be from the Emerald Isle.

In a quiet, dignified and meticulous manner that bears a striking resemblance to its namesake, the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust is transforming the everyday lives of East Valley residents while investing in their future.

The challenge for the folks of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s "Oklahoma!," as the song goes, is getting the farmers and the cowmen to be friends.