Great Hearts Celebrates Fall Sports Champions

As the final whistle blew on Arizona’s fall sports season, more than 2,500 student-athletes across Great Hearts rose to the challenge, 1,536 in middle school and 991 in high school, competing with heart and discipline in football, volleyball, cross country, and golf.

Our Arizona academies brought home state championships and delivered standout performances from exceptional student-athletes. “I am so proud of all of our campus teams, players, and coaches,” shared Jon Rickey, the Arizona Network Director of Athletics. “It truly was an incredible season.”

Cicero Prep 1A volleyball successfully defended their AIA state title for the third year in a row, and Glendale Prep Boys Division IV Cross Country brought home the AIA state championship for the second year in a row. Not to be outdone, North Phoenix Prep girls’ Division IV cross country earned the title of AIA state champions this year. “Coach Frey at Cicero, Coach Webdale at Glendale, and Coach Curtis at North Phoenix have all been at their schools for a very long time and have worked so hard to build their programs into what they are today,” Rickey explained.

Rickey gave an honorable mention to the Anthem Prep volleyball and their run through the 1A bracket as the #1 seed. “They had to win two, five-set match games in which they were the underdog, dropping the first set in each game, defeating St. David and North Phoenix both on Friday, and then turned around and stealing a set from Cicero on Saturday in the state championship game,” added Rickey. “They did win the AIA Sportsmanship Award for 1A volleyball, and I don’t think anyone would argue about their grit and never-give-up attitude. They were fun to watch!”

The Great Hearts Middle School League wrapped up an exciting and competitive season, celebrating outstanding achievements across our academies. Anthem claimed the tackle football championship, while Lincoln topped the league in flag football. North Phoenix delivered a dominant performance in cross country, securing both the boys and girls cross country titles. On the course, Scottsdale Prep earned the golf championship with skill and consistency, and on the court, Chandler Prep captured the volleyball title. Congratulations to all of our middle school champions for their hard work, sportsmanship, and excellence this season.

Rickey would like to thank all the coaches, volunteers, parents, and faculty that came out to games and helped take tickets or sold concessions. “It really takes a village to run these great athletics that we offer! So, thank you all for another great ending and we are already working hard on our winter season, which has first regular season 1A basketball games starting November 19!”

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