Brent Carter is finally getting his summer back.

Area football players were snubbed on the All-Arizona team voted on by the football coaches association.

When boys basketball players join programs like Mountain View, Mesa or St. Mary's, there is an expectation that a deep playoff run will happen sometime in their high school careers.

Seven coaches (John Sanders, Charlie Ragle, Mike Reardon, Kelley Moore, Richard Milligan, Mike Gibbons and Pete Wahlheim) either changed schools or became head coaches for the first time at East Valley schools in 2007.

From the beginning of her high school career, Cat Highmark exhibited exceptional talent. And she exhibited an exceptional attitude for a player with exceptional talent.

St. Mary’s had so much star power this season that any number of players could explode for a big scoring night.

Macey Gardner can't just flip a switch. Like anyone else. she has her ups and downs on the volleyball court.

The coaching carousel is ready to turn.

As an assistant football coach in his mid-20s at Amarillo Caprock High School, Jesse Parker was headstrong and frustrated in his first assignment. His desire to win was all consuming.

The constant in Mountain View football the last 23 years is heading into retirement.

Spencer Thompson thought for a minute and then talked about the one thing he never quite learned how to do in his four years on the Mountain Pointe soccer team.

Mesa High’s Aaron Fuller had a wealth of motivation heading into the 2007-08 basketball season.

The season and high school soccer career of Alexandra Elston ended bitterly and controversially against Phoenix Desert Vista in the 5A-I state semifinals.

“Nothing compares to this.” Those were a few of the words uttered by Mesa Red Mountain star Kayla Pedersen following her final game in a Mountain Lions uniform.

Jerryd Bayless stood at the end of the Phoenix St. Mary’s bench as the seconds ticked away in the 5A Division I state championship game.

Andy Livingston played high school football and was pretty good at it. How good? The Mesa High grad, a gridiron product of the early 1960s, made it into the National Football League while still a teenager.

A new challenge. A chance to be an athletic director. Yearround sunshine. Those are all reasons why John Wrenn moved from Illinois to the East Valley a decade ago to start Chandler Hamilton’s football program.

All the realignment talk so far this season has centered on football. To be sure other sports are affected, and girls basketball is right there.

Gavin Rodriguez never thought he’d wind up in Nebraska. But he’s there now, kicking and punting on a scholarship at Hastings College, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school 160 miles southwest of Omaha.

 Let the controversy continue.

Welcome back, Mesa. It’s safe to say, however, that Gilbert Highland, Phoenix Desert Vista and the rest of the contenders in 5A-I boys basketball would have been plenty happy without you.

 Scottsdale Saguaro and Scottsdale Chaparral are as good as ever. But now they’ve got company.

Brian Fleming has had a quite a run.

After finishing second from the bottom in total offense in the Western States Football League in 2002, Scottsdale Community College coach Ken Giovando plans to open up the offense.