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Horizon and Centennial bask in state spotlight

High school state champs truly earned their titles

High school State champions

Top Scorers and Goalies

Div 1 Champion - Horizon

Division 1 Title Game:
Horizon Huskies 4,  Prescott 2

Top Scorer - Levi Wallace
10 Goals, 3 Assists, 13 Total points

Top Goalie - Alec Hinrichs, Horizon Huskies
77 Shots, 70 Saves, .9000 Save Average

 

Div 2 Champion - Centennial

Division 2 Title Game:
Centennial 7,  Yuma Catholic Shamrocks 5

Top Scorer - Robert Norton, Yuma Catholic
7 Goals, 3 Assists, 10 Total points

Top Goalie - Brett Velez, Centennial
86 Shots, 79 Saves, .9200 Save Average

ALL-STATE GAME ACTON

The 2nd annual high school All-State honors game featured the best junior inline hockey talent throughout Arizona.  Team North seemed to have all the mojo with 2009 high school player of the year, Levi Wallace, putting up an eye popping 2 goals and 5 assists.  Jesse Rooney (3 goals, 2 assists) and Kevin Smith (2 goals, 1 assist) were relentless in their offensive attack topping the Team South 9-2.  North goalie, Alec Hinrichs, was in a class of his own putting up a .8823 save average.  Team South, featured the divison's top scorer, Joey Jimenez scoring 2 goals.

 

»Download all-state scoresheet

Clutch play

Schools brought their best

Even the game officials, it seemed, wanted to get in on the excitement and action of the state finals by demonstrating their latest scratch dance moves. But the high school teams were immersed within the incredible atmosphere of the state championship experience. In division 1 alone, there were 2 ties in round-robin play.  It all led up to much anticipated state championship games on Saturday and Sunday night at the Pioneer park inline arena in Prescott. 

 

Absolute inspiration and surprises

When the final seconds ticked off of the clock at the end of both absolutely thrilling division 1 and division 2 state high school championship title games, you were well aware at just how important that these games were for these outstanding inline high school athletes.  For the Horizon Huskies, it was a year of recovering from their heartbreaking loss last year in the division 1 state final to an awesome Prescott high school team.  It was also a season to avenge their loss to this same excellent Prescott high school team.  And it was about a Centennial team that rose back from the ashes of what seemed like a dissappointingly fading season, until they reached deep within and pulled out an incredible comeback at the state finals, the likes of which has not yet been seen in any high school division. 

 

Division 1

Entering into division 1 play, it was really any school's game.  Gila Ridge Hawks Black, coming in with 3 outstanding performers from the last regular season qualifier (Jesse Rooney, Jon Green and goalie, Kirk Dunn), it seemed that they had all the momentum.  Prescott, had perhaps 2 of the hottest, most experienced and talented scoring duos in the state by the name of Levi Wallace and Joey Jimenez putting their game on the floor.  And Horizon, with their oustanding, tight team work ethic and their peerless team leader, Kevin Smith, seemed to have a date with destiny after a tantalizing brush with a state title last year but wound up being just out of their grasp.  After round-robin play, all 3 teams could do no better than to settle for a tie in their first game.  But then it was the Horizon Huskies who took the tournament momentum in their 2nd game, topping the excellent Gila Ridge Hawks Black 5-1 for their first decisive victory. In what was expected to be a scoring barrage from Prescott's dynamic duo of Levi Wallace and Joey Jimenez, was simply not enough to top the superior team talent that Horizon came to the tournament with.  In the breathtaking championship game, Prescott took the lead early in the first period of play after a Cooper King score and a Levi Wallace assist.  But the second period belonged to Horizon as they continually pounded away on Prescott's stellar goalie, Eric Brown.  Horizon's unanimous all-state goalie, Alec Hinrichs, played an outstanding game, and simply refused to let Prescott dial up his number.  Ultimately, it was Horizon's all-state defenders, Brian McAuliffe and team captain, Kevin Smith who banged in the 2 deciding goals that set off a celebration that Horizon had been waiting to experience since the last game from last year's dissappointing state final loss, topping Prescott 4-2.

 

Division 2

If division 1 featured familiar schools that competed last season, division 2 tested the resolve of teams that had not participated at last year's state championships, save for Yuma Catholic.  Centennial, having won the division 1 title back in '08, skipped last season's participation.  Surprisingly, Yuma Catholic, with round-robin 1 goal victories against Lake Havasu and Centennial, seemed to have the early momentum.  And indeed, they went undefeated going into the championship game.  The big surprise was Centennial, whose efforts in round-robin play yielded a meager 1-1-1 record.  But then, it was Centennial's incredible experience in the big games and championships over the years that gave them the boost that they needed as they triumphed over Gila Ridge Hawks Blue 5-2 in their semi-final.  Centennial's all-state forward and leader, CJ Hawley, with 3 goals, 2 assists, and veteran goalie, Brett Velez with 28 shots on net and 23 saves, led their troops to an early championship game lead over Yuma Catholic that they never relenquished.  Yuma Catholic's outstanding all-state forward, Robert Norton, with 3 goals and 1 assist, would not let Centennial escape completely unscathed.  The ultimate story came down to the vast experience that their team leader, CJ Hawley, was able to translate to his troops and an inspiring 7-5 state championship title victory over Yuma Catholic.  In a testament to both teams competitive intensity, every single skater on both teams put up at least one point on the scoring chart at the end of the season ending finale.