- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,265,377
- Reaction score
- 59
Arizona has emerged as a hot bed for collegiate and professional talent stemming from its high school sports scene.
Current professional athletes like Cody Bellinger, Brock Purdy and Jalen Williams have played high school sports in Arizona, adding to a deep history of talent that includes stars like Terrell Suggs, Misty Hyman and Danny White.
Who is the best all-time Arizona high school athlete? Who defines the state's prep scene?
As the United States continues to ring in its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY is launching its 250 for 250 series, aiming to answer that question by celebrating the best athletes from each state.
From fans' votes, five athletes will be selected to represent the state as legends who have defined high school sports.
Here are the Arizona high school athlete nominees. The 16 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standouts at the high school level.
[IMG alt="Shadow mountain head coach Mike Bibby runs his team's practice before the Tournament of Champions on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019.
Bibby1"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_sports_articles_558/7ad8e625075a3679247b067cd92e5769[/IMG]
Future NBA player Mike Bibby became the first boys basketball player in Arizona history to record 3,000 points in high school, playing all four years and averaging 34.3 points, six rebounds, eight assists and four steals per game as a senior, per The Draft Review. He was named Mr. Basketball USA and on the USA TODAY All-USA First Team.
Amy Bockerstette is a legend in Arizona as the first person with Down syndrome to receive an athletic scholarship for college. She did so after competing in the Arizona High School Girls Golf Division I State Championship as a junior and senior, the fist person with Down syndrome to do so. She cofounded the I GOT THIS Foundation in 2019 to promote golf to people with intellectual disabilities.
Yuma legend Curley Culp was a two-sport star, leading a future NFL career on the gridiron and winning back-to-back heavyweight wrestling championships in high school. After graduating in 1964, he went to Arizona State University, where he was an All-American nose guard and won the 1967 NCAA heavyweight championship. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Kenzie Fowler was as close to unbeatable as a pitcher can be. From 2006-09, she had a record of 102-8, leading Canyon del Oro to four title appearances and three championships. She was two-time Gatorade National Softball Playe of the Year, including as a senior, in which she had an ERA of 0.04 — that's a single run in 139 innings pitched, per Tucson.com. Over her career, she had a 0.15 ERA, threw 30 no-hitters, and she even set a single-season RBI record with 45.
Perhaps no Arizona high school player has gone on to have the level of international success as Misty Hyman. A two-time high school Swimmer of the Year, Hyman set national records in the 100-meter fly, 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter medley relay, according to her Stanford bio. In 2000, three years after graduating, she became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold in the 200-meter butterfly in 40 years.
Few Arizona high school athletes are as decorated as Jacquelyn Johnson, who won 14 states championships in track and field including the 100-meter hurdles, where she set a state record at 13.6, and the high jump, which she set a record of 6'0.
Randall McDaniel dominated multiple fields, being named all-state in football and basketball two times each. He set the Agua Fria record for the 100-meter dash, and competed in the 200-meter, shot put and discus. He and also played baseball, according to the NFHS.
Before Jim Palmer was a three-time Cy Young winner, he was a three-sport athlete at Scottsdale High School, where he was an all-state forward in basketball, second-team wide receiver in football, and a star pitcher and hitter in baseball, pitching to a 6-1 record with a 0.79 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 58 innings as a senior while hitting .304 with five home runs (hit .482 as a junior).
The latest Arizona talent to make the NBA, Koa Peat dominated his four years at high school, leading Perry to four straight championships — including playing through a fractured right hand in the semifinals and title game as a senior, scoring 16 and 20 points in the games, respectively. He finished his career with a 107-14 record.
Nicole Powell's 2,478 career points was second-best in Arizona history at her time of graduation, and her 1,820 rebounds leads the state record book to this day. She averaged 21.1 points and 15.5 rebounds as a senior, receiving national recognition. This wasn't her only sport of dominance: she was a three-time badminton singles champion and won the state discus championship in 2000.
Brock Purdy remained a surprisingly under-the-radar recruit despite accruing phenomenal stats as a junior and senior, passing for a combined 7,738 yards and 99 touchdowns and rushing for 1,859 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 4,405 passing yards and 57 passing TDs as a senior set a 6A single-season record, and he led Perry to its first championship appearance, earning the Arizona Republic's 2017 Player of the Year award over fellow future NFL players Spencer Rattler and Bijan Robinson.
Bijan Robinson was a wrecking crew in high school, rushing for more than 2,000 yards in three straight seasons and finishing his career with 103 rushing touchdowns. His 7,036 career rushing yards was a record for Arizona "Big Schools" — classifications 4A-6A — and he broke the team's single-game rushing record multiple times, peaking at 430 yards and six touchdowns on 13 carries.
Anthony Robles was born with one leg, but that didn't prevent him from becoming one of the greatest wrestlers in Arizona history. Over his junior and senior seasons, he won two state championships and went 48-0 in each year, finishing his career with a record of 129-15, according to his ASU bio. He won the 2006 High School Senior Nationals before becoming an NCAA champion.
Kendra Strohm was nearly perfect in high school, losing only one set in her prep career. She became the first girls tennis player in Arizona high school history to win four consecutive singles state titles, according to Tucson.com.
[IMG alt="Arizona State's Terrell Suggs during a game against Arizona on Nov. 29, 2002.
46230 Asu Arizona Terrell Suggs"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_sports_articles_558/19d27655945cd939d598abde6d221c61[/IMG]
Terrell Suggs played all over the field in high school, playing blocking back and linebacker at Chandler before transferring to Hamilton High School to finish his career. There, he gained national attention, being named a Parade Magazine All-American and Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year in 2000 as he rushed for 2,274 yards and 26 touchdowns, per ASU.
You can't tell the story of Arizona high school football without Danny White, who quarterbacked the Dallas Cowboys for 13 years in the NFL. In high school, he was a four-sport athlete, competing in football, boys basketball, baseball and track and field.
Who is the greatest Arizona high school athlete of all time?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is the Arizona high school athlete GOAT? Vote now in 'USA 250' poll
Continue reading...
Current professional athletes like Cody Bellinger, Brock Purdy and Jalen Williams have played high school sports in Arizona, adding to a deep history of talent that includes stars like Terrell Suggs, Misty Hyman and Danny White.
Who is the best all-time Arizona high school athlete? Who defines the state's prep scene?
As the United States continues to ring in its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY is launching its 250 for 250 series, aiming to answer that question by celebrating the best athletes from each state.
From fans' votes, five athletes will be selected to represent the state as legends who have defined high school sports.
Here are the Arizona high school athlete nominees. The 16 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standouts at the high school level.
[IMG alt="Shadow mountain head coach Mike Bibby runs his team's practice before the Tournament of Champions on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019.
Bibby1"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_sports_articles_558/7ad8e625075a3679247b067cd92e5769[/IMG]
Mike Bibby, Boys Basketball, Shadow Mountain High School (Phoenix)
Future NBA player Mike Bibby became the first boys basketball player in Arizona history to record 3,000 points in high school, playing all four years and averaging 34.3 points, six rebounds, eight assists and four steals per game as a senior, per The Draft Review. He was named Mr. Basketball USA and on the USA TODAY All-USA First Team.
You must be registered for see images attach
Amy Bockerstette, Girls Golf, Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Phoenix)
Amy Bockerstette is a legend in Arizona as the first person with Down syndrome to receive an athletic scholarship for college. She did so after competing in the Arizona High School Girls Golf Division I State Championship as a junior and senior, the fist person with Down syndrome to do so. She cofounded the I GOT THIS Foundation in 2019 to promote golf to people with intellectual disabilities.
Curley Culp, Football, Boys Wrestling, Yuma High School
Yuma legend Curley Culp was a two-sport star, leading a future NFL career on the gridiron and winning back-to-back heavyweight wrestling championships in high school. After graduating in 1964, he went to Arizona State University, where he was an All-American nose guard and won the 1967 NCAA heavyweight championship. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Kenzie Fowler, Softball, Canyon del Oro High School (Tucson)
Kenzie Fowler was as close to unbeatable as a pitcher can be. From 2006-09, she had a record of 102-8, leading Canyon del Oro to four title appearances and three championships. She was two-time Gatorade National Softball Playe of the Year, including as a senior, in which she had an ERA of 0.04 — that's a single run in 139 innings pitched, per Tucson.com. Over her career, she had a 0.15 ERA, threw 30 no-hitters, and she even set a single-season RBI record with 45.
Misty Hyman, Girls Swimming, Shadow Mountain High School (Phoenix)
Perhaps no Arizona high school player has gone on to have the level of international success as Misty Hyman. A two-time high school Swimmer of the Year, Hyman set national records in the 100-meter fly, 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter medley relay, according to her Stanford bio. In 2000, three years after graduating, she became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold in the 200-meter butterfly in 40 years.
Jacquelyn Johnson, Track and Field, Yuma High School (Phoenix)
Few Arizona high school athletes are as decorated as Jacquelyn Johnson, who won 14 states championships in track and field including the 100-meter hurdles, where she set a state record at 13.6, and the high jump, which she set a record of 6'0.
You must be registered for see images attach
Randall McDaniel, Football, Boys Basketball, Track and Field, Baseball, Agua Fria High School (Avondale)
Randall McDaniel dominated multiple fields, being named all-state in football and basketball two times each. He set the Agua Fria record for the 100-meter dash, and competed in the 200-meter, shot put and discus. He and also played baseball, according to the NFHS.
Jim Palmer, Baseball, Football, Boys Basketball, Scottsdale High School
Before Jim Palmer was a three-time Cy Young winner, he was a three-sport athlete at Scottsdale High School, where he was an all-state forward in basketball, second-team wide receiver in football, and a star pitcher and hitter in baseball, pitching to a 6-1 record with a 0.79 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 58 innings as a senior while hitting .304 with five home runs (hit .482 as a junior).
You must be registered for see images
Koa Peat, Boys Basketball, Perry High School (Gilbert)
The latest Arizona talent to make the NBA, Koa Peat dominated his four years at high school, leading Perry to four straight championships — including playing through a fractured right hand in the semifinals and title game as a senior, scoring 16 and 20 points in the games, respectively. He finished his career with a 107-14 record.
Nicole Powell, Girls Basketball, Track and Field, Badminton, Tennis, Mountain Pointe High School (Phoenix)
Nicole Powell's 2,478 career points was second-best in Arizona history at her time of graduation, and her 1,820 rebounds leads the state record book to this day. She averaged 21.1 points and 15.5 rebounds as a senior, receiving national recognition. This wasn't her only sport of dominance: she was a three-time badminton singles champion and won the state discus championship in 2000.
Brock Purdy, Football, Perry High School (Gilbert)
Brock Purdy remained a surprisingly under-the-radar recruit despite accruing phenomenal stats as a junior and senior, passing for a combined 7,738 yards and 99 touchdowns and rushing for 1,859 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 4,405 passing yards and 57 passing TDs as a senior set a 6A single-season record, and he led Perry to its first championship appearance, earning the Arizona Republic's 2017 Player of the Year award over fellow future NFL players Spencer Rattler and Bijan Robinson.
You must be registered for see images attach
Bijan Robinson, Football, Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucson)
Bijan Robinson was a wrecking crew in high school, rushing for more than 2,000 yards in three straight seasons and finishing his career with 103 rushing touchdowns. His 7,036 career rushing yards was a record for Arizona "Big Schools" — classifications 4A-6A — and he broke the team's single-game rushing record multiple times, peaking at 430 yards and six touchdowns on 13 carries.
You must be registered for see images attach
Anthony Robles, Boys Wrestling, Mesa High School
Anthony Robles was born with one leg, but that didn't prevent him from becoming one of the greatest wrestlers in Arizona history. Over his junior and senior seasons, he won two state championships and went 48-0 in each year, finishing his career with a record of 129-15, according to his ASU bio. He won the 2006 High School Senior Nationals before becoming an NCAA champion.
Kendra Strohm, Girls Tennis, Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucson)
Kendra Strohm was nearly perfect in high school, losing only one set in her prep career. She became the first girls tennis player in Arizona high school history to win four consecutive singles state titles, according to Tucson.com.
[IMG alt="Arizona State's Terrell Suggs during a game against Arizona on Nov. 29, 2002.
46230 Asu Arizona Terrell Suggs"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_sports_articles_558/19d27655945cd939d598abde6d221c61[/IMG]
Terrell Suggs, Football, Hamilton (Chandler) and Chandler high schools
Terrell Suggs played all over the field in high school, playing blocking back and linebacker at Chandler before transferring to Hamilton High School to finish his career. There, he gained national attention, being named a Parade Magazine All-American and Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year in 2000 as he rushed for 2,274 yards and 26 touchdowns, per ASU.
Danny White, Football, Boys Basketball, Baseball, Track and Field, Westwood High School (Mesa)
You can't tell the story of Arizona high school football without Danny White, who quarterbacked the Dallas Cowboys for 13 years in the NFL. In high school, he was a four-sport athlete, competing in football, boys basketball, baseball and track and field.
Who is the greatest Arizona high school athlete of all time?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is the Arizona high school athlete GOAT? Vote now in 'USA 250' poll
Continue reading...
