The football coaches evidently can’t wait until August for their first showdown of the year.

Jeff Rutledge, a former player and coach in the NFL and NCAA Champion quarterback at the University of Alabama, has been hired as the head football coach at Valley Christian High School.

The Big South Conference announced the official nominees for the Conference’s Woman of the Year award for 2012-13, with 13 student-athletes including Ahwatukee resident and Seton Catholic graduate Molly Barlow from 10 member institutions comprising this year’s candidates.

Sydney and Eryn Schmisseur found the sport of synchronized swimming somewhat serendipitously.

Higley Unified School District athletic director Art Wagner, 42, was found dead near Higley High School Wednesday morning, according to the Gilbert Police Department. Police say the matter is still under investigation, but believe Wagner died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Molly Barlow of Ahwatukee-Foothills recently graduated summa cum laude and alpha chi from High Point University in North Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in coaching. Barlow played four years of NCAA Division I volleyball and finished her career as the eighth player in HPU’s Div. I history to reach 1,000 career digs. She was named the 2012-2013 Big South Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Students and staff at Kyrene Altadeña Middle School are hosting a fundraiser dinner for their beloved choir teacher this week.

There were hurdles, blocks and bars all over the track Saturday at Mesa Community College.

The success of the spring sports kept me away from all but one day of three weeks of spring football.

Trying to fasten on his bow tie, cummerbund and pocket square, Tre Campbell, of Mountain Pointe High School, got ready in a matter of minutes for his senior prom.

Sun Devil and Wildcat fans will get to show their school pride at Florencia Pizza Bistro in Ahwatukee tomorrow during the “Duel in the Desert” fundraiser.

MESA – There were hurdles, blocks and bars all over the track Saturday at Mesa Community College.

There are times when the most satisfying part of a meal is the appetizer.

Positive Coaching Alliance has announced the official kick off of its new Phoenix Chapter. Established in 1998, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a national nonprofit organization providing all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience.

At last year’s state track meet Mountain Pointe’s Travonn White was flying high, while Desert Vista’s Dylan Fischer picked the worst time to come up short.

After 20 years, life-long runner and local coach David Allison returned to his alma mater recently to compete in the Penn Relays.

The Mountain Pointe duo of Natrell Curtis and Jalen Brown keep getting national attention.

The 43rd Arizona Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Youth Sports Awards are on Thursday, May 9, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, in the new Virginia G. Piper Theater.

There are times in sports when it is just not going to happen.

Kevina Godfrey is somewhat of a hidden gem.

Despite the bad rap that saturated fats have, there’s a lot of evidence indicating that saturated fat is essentially good for you. The real harmful and unhealthy fats include trans fats, hydrogenated fats and vegetable oils.

I received a press release today on the Brothers in Arms Classic the Desert Vista football team is participating in the fall.

While rowing has been a sport dominated by colleges and teams on the East Coast, crew teams have started to flourish in unsuspecting places—like the desert.