Four years after winning the National Junior Community College Athletic Association Division II National title, Glendale Community College women’s volleyball head coach Lisa Stuck said her 2018 team is showing early signs similar to that national championship team.

After 43 professional fights, Arizona’s Ray Beltran achieved one of his dreams when he won the World Boxing Organization lightweight championship. Now at Gila River Arena Aug. 25 he will fight for his second dream, remaining in the United States.

GCC head coach Lisa Stuck instructs her players during a recent practice as they prepare for the upcoming season.

After 10 seasons as head coach of the Glendale Community College football teams, Michael Bell enters what could be the final season of the sport at this level with eyes on one thing, consistency.

As another football season gets underway, local teams are aimed at playoff berths and improved play as realignment makes for some intense competition between area teams.

After the end of the 2018 World Cup, Arizona soccer fans were treated to a friendly matchup between two of the top soccer teams in the world as Manchester United and Club America showcased the sport July 19 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Several West Valley athletes have agreed to continue their college careers by agreeing to play at the next level.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Board voted May 24 in favor of adding girls wrestling as an emerging sport for the winter school year beginning with the 2018 season.

Controversy followed the Cactus Cobras again in their second state title game in the past three years.

Falling in the semifinals last season, the Liberty Lions baseball team was on a mission in 2018 and, after the team rallied from behind to defeat Buckeye Verrado 6-2 May 15 at Tempe Diablo Stadium, mission completed.

One more has finally come to fruition for the Cactus Cobras.

She may not be the biggest player on the field, but senior Nicole Osteen may be the quintessential Cactus Cobra softball player.

The cardiac Coyotes kids have forced one last game for a chance at the 5A softball title game.

After struggling and escaping with a first-round victory over Scottsdale Saguaro, Cactus head coach Bartt Underwood wondered why his team struggles in the opening round of the playoffs each year.

As a sixth-grader, Cactus junior Brittnie Henige started playing volleyball at the local YMCA and now as she prepares for her senior season, she has a little less pressure after making a college decision.

Arizona native Justin Gaethje won two high school state titles at Gila River Arena, and on April 14 he returned to the arena to fight in an Ultimate Fighting Championship main event in front of a packed house at the arena for the first time since 2007.

When the Glendale and Mountain Ridge lacrosse teams get together, both teams know to play to the final whistle and their 2018 battle April 6 was no different.

As Gila River Arena prepares to host its first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event April 14, Arizona fan favorite Justin Gaethje is ready to headline his first UFC event in the state.

On a day when Cactus honored the 2006 USA Today National Championship team, the Cobras showed why they are considered a favorite to return a championship back to Cactus High School for the first time in 12 years.

Five years ago, Taylor Nowlin was leading the Sunrise Mountain softball team to its last state championship. Now, the prodigal daughter has returned to the other side of the bench, joining head coach Jody Pruitt’s staff as an assistant coach.

Sunrise Mountain softball started the new season young on experience but high on expectations, and after 11 games, the Mustangs are ahead of schedule.

Ironwood graduate Mackenzie Dern battled out a tough three-round, split-decision victory over Ashley Yoder March 3 in Las Vegas in one of the most anticipated debuts in UFC history.

If you haven’t made it to the Peoria Sports Complex for a spring training game, there’s still time. With afternoon and evening games available, the schedule is accessible for everyone who wants to see the boys of summer, while it’s still spring. Peoria Sports Complex will host a game each da…

In 2017, the West Valley had three softball teams qualify for the playoffs, with Sunrise Mountain losing the 4A title game and Cactus advancing to the semifinals, but as 2018 gets underway, the Valley has strong contenders for this season.

Courtney Casey was a star soccer player in Arizona, but she always wanted to try mixed martial arts.

The Centennial girls basketball team entered the quarterfinals with their best season since the 2006-2007 season with a match up Feb. 17 against one of the top-ranked players in the country staring them down.

MacKenzie Dern has been the most sought after free agent in the world of combat sports for the past few years, but wasn’t sure she wanted any part of it.

For the first time this season, the Arizona State University men’s hockey team took the ice at Gila River Arena in Glendale, but fell to the Quinnipiac Bobcats 5-3.

The Arizona Cardinals, who have been searching for Bruce Arians replacement for nearly a month, announced the hiring of former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks as the team’s new head coach.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) Central Arizona announced its 2018 executive committee and board of directors:

As the boys’ soccer season winds towards the final week of the season, No. 3 Phoenix Greenway came to No. 4 Sunrise Mountain in a battle of top 4A teams with major playoff expectations on the line for both teams. But a blown call by the referees in the final seconds of double overtime cost t…

Simon Cain and Jensen Schell have been looking for a business to start and after a short search, they fell upon NFL Flag Football and a light went off.

Entering the season with a new head coach and only six returning players, the Glendale Community College men’s basketball team had goals of getting the program back to respectability with six freshman joining the roster.

While another year has come and gone, local sports showed more Coyotes drama, local high school success and a Final Four spotlight to showcase in Peoria and the West Valley.

The Centennial football team’s season was broken into two parts, its only loss to Peoria Liberty and after that game.

A season that began with dreams of a trip to the school’s first state championship game ran into a sophomore Mack truck that ran through the Mustangs’ defense in the semifinals to end the team’s dream season.

Sunrise Mountain, ranked No. 1 in 4A this season, has played 14 seasons of varsity football and been one of the top programs for the past seven years. But the Mustangs did something they had never done Nov. 10 against Cave Creek Cactus Shadows.

After getting past the first round over Sahuarita Walden Grove, Peoria head coach Will Babb wasn’t sure what to say about his team’s performance Nov. 3 at Peoria High School.

What do you get when you catch more than 50 passes for more than 1,200 yards and 19 touchdowns for one of the top high school football teams in Arizona?

Kellis knew coming in they needed to top Ironwood if they had any chance to make the 5A playoffs and the Cougars came out and did what they needed to do in holding off the Eagles for a 52-46 victory Oct. 27 at Ironwood High School.