CHANDLER, Ariz. — Valley Christian High School in Chandler has one of the most successful boys basketball programs in Arizona — and the Trojans have the state championships to prove it.
The small school in Chandler has a chance to win its third consecutive 3A state title this year, a feat that has yet to be accomplished at VC.
"Many of these guys have never lost in the state tournament and I don't think they want to this year," Head Coach Greg Haagsma said. "They perform best when the lights are the brightest. That's nothing I can teach. That's just who they are."
Haagsma has been coaching at Valley Christian for 33 years and has won eight state championships in both 2A and 3A since the 2001-02 season.
The Trojans came close to completing a three-peat during the 2003-04 season but lost to Scottsdale Christian 38-34 in the 2A state championship game. This senior-heavy team enters the month of February at the top of the division rankings with a 22-2 record.
The two-time defending state champions in 3A have been crushing their competition throughout the regular season.
"People ask, 'Is this the best Valley team ever?' and comparing eras is hard to do. This team would say 'We're the only team to three-peat' and so that would make them the best team at Valley," Haagsma said. "That's one of the things that they understand is on the line for them. But we have to treat every single opponent like it's our best opponent. A lot of times when you win a lot of games in a row, you don't show up one night and once you get to the state tournament, all it is is one night."
The Trojans are led by senior guard Luke Shaw who is dealing with a foot injury as the regular season draws to a close. This VC team has an unblemished record in its region and conference with just two regular season games in February before the playoffs begin.
"Of course, we're gonna have our target on our back being a back-to-back state champion," Shaw said. "We like to say that our biggest competition is ourselves this year. And I think that really is true."
Shaw and teammate Austin Wallace are among the players who are looking to close out their high school careers with three championship rings to their name, a rare feat for any high school athlete. According to the AIA, Valley Christian is one of 12 Arizona boys basketball programs with eight or more state championships.
"Job's not finished. We gotta get our third one. That’s a crazy accomplishment for 3A," Wallace said. "Everyone's out to get us but it's exciting and special. We got a good team here."
The 3A state playoffs are set to begin on Wed., Feb. 14, with games tipping off at 7 p.m. The 3A State Championship game will be on Sat., Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Phoenix.
Follow the conversation with Lina Washington on X/Twitter: @LWashingtonTV. If you have a sports story idea, email Lina at LWashington@12News.com.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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