Winter is coming to an end and with it, the conclusion of the 2017-2018 ACP Winter sports season. Two of the three teams qualified for the state tournaments and competed well against the best the state of Arizona had to offer. Here is a closer look at each team’s performance this season.

Basketball

The ACP varsity basketball teams had an up-and-down season. The season started off well for the boys, riding an 8-game winning streak to a 10-2 record. This streak ended and was immediately followed by a 4-game losing streak, leading to the Knights dropping 6 of their last 7 games to fall to a 15-14 record, and a 6-6 record in conference play. Their hard work didn’t go unnoticed, as Junior Habi Ortiz was voted to the 2A Metro South Region 1st Team, and Korey Mason was an honorable mention. The girls, on the other hand, could never find a groove, hanging around the .500 mark all season long. Their longest winning streak of the season was 3 games, and they finished the season 11-11, going 7-5 in conference play. The girls were awarded their share of honors as well, as Sam Owusu-Antwi made the 2A Metro South Region 1st Team and Rekah Wijesuriya the 2nd Team, with Kimberly Rumsey and Tangi Wilson receiving Honorable Mentions.

Soccer

ACP’s varsity boys soccer team had an excellent season, dominating their opponents from start to finish. Overall, in their 19 games played, the Knights outscored their opponents 99-19, on their way to an undefeated regular season. The Knights performed well in the state tournament, winning their first 4 games of the tournament, advancing all the way to the state championship game against Yuma Catholic. The Knights fought hard but ultimately fell short, finishing the season as the state runner-ups. This season did not go unnoticed, as ACP dominated the voting for Region 3 Boys Soccer 1st and 2nd teams. Six Knights made the Region 3 1st Team: Christian Bermudez, Miles McCunniff, Kadin Rabo, Jesse Ramirez, Conner Dosmann, and Diego Aires. Three Knights made the 2nd Team: Basil Alhassen, Blaise Dalton, and Ricardo Correa. Zach Zahradnik and Seamus McCarthy earned honorable mentions. Kadin Rabo was voted the Region 3 Player of the Year for his outstanding performance this season. Coach of the year honors went to Alberto Millan for leading the Knights to the state championship game.

The girls’ soccer season didn’t pan out as they had hoped, finishing the year 5-11, and 3-4 in conference play. The season started off well, winning 2 of their first 4 games before enduring a 7-game losing streak. The Knights finished strong, however, winning 3 of their last 5. Four players did receive honors for their performance this season, as Hailey Starks, Jenni McMahon, Rachel Kokernak, and Koko Matsumoto all made the Region 3 Girls Soccer 2nd Team.

Wrestling

ACP’s Wrestling program turned in another impressive season this winter, performing well in their dual meets, going 22-7. At the AIA Sectional Tournament, the Knights wrestlers performed well, finishing 3rd out of 15 teams, with 7 Knights qualifying for the State Tournament, including seniors Davoren Bishop, Korosh Eshani, Hadi Mazboudi, and Yousuf Halik. As a team at the AIA State Tournament, the Knights finished an impressive 10th place out of 45 teams, with 3 wrestlers earning medals in the tournament. Senior Korosh Eshani finished 3rd place at 152 lbs, while sophomore Jad Mazboudi finished 5th place at 170 lbs, and Yousuf Halik becoming ACP’s first wrestling State Champion, as he won the heavyweight division. Following this season, the wrestling team will lose a wonderful group of seniors, but the future is bright for ACP wrestling, as a young group of talented wrestlers follow in their footsteps.

As winter comes to a close, so does a historic ACP 2017-2018 winter sports season. All three of ACP’s winter sports teams performed well this season, making history along the way. Now the page turns to spring, and with it, a new group of sports take center stage on their quest for glory.