• Slug: Sports–ASU BYU Logistics, 520 words.
• Photo available.

By Dane Palmer
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Arizona State hopes to have a strong wall of maroon and gold Saturday when the Sun Devils host BYU in a highly anticipated Big 12 showdown. ASU coaches have implored fans who can’t make the game to resell their tickets only to Sun Devil fans, and ASU removed students’ option to buy guest passes with their free student ticket.

“If you have tickets and you’re an ASU fan, make sure they go to ASU fans,” coach Kenny Dillingham said. “There’s a lot of BYU fans in the Valley. … Make sure they show you an ASU hat, an ASU shirt.”

The hype surrounding the Sun Devils’ first home game in two weeks has grown to astronomical levels. Tickets for the game at Mountain America Stadium were sold out by Tuesday, forcing the athletic department to work harder than ever to make the game as accessible as possible. 

Continue reading “‘Be early’: What fans need to know ahead of ASU football’s sold-out contest vs. BYU”

• Slug: Sports–Horizon Volleyball, 627 words.
• Photo available.

By Ethan Desjardine
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When legendary coach Valorie McKenzie stepped down from Horizon’s volleyball program after her fifth championship win in 2022, some questioned whether her successor, McKenzie Skaggs, could continue Horizon’s dominance.

After winning the 5A state championship last year, Skaggs’ first season as Horizon’s coach, and defeating Sunrise Mountain Saturday to complete a four-peat, all those questions have been answered.

Horizon continues to add to its legacy as a powerhouse in Arizona high school volleyball. Continue reading “Horizon volleyball secures rare four-peat as 5A state champions behind Teyara Siegler’s leadership”

• Slug: Sports–Middle School Recruiting, 1,500 words.
• Photo available.

By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News

MESA – While most middle schoolers were focused on back-to-school shopping, Kyi Kyi Miles was heading to a workout with his trainer and former Arizona State University guard Jahii Carson.

On the way to the summer workout, while Miles sat in the passenger seat, his father, Jarvis, mentioned that he received a phone call and that the caller wanted to follow up.
Not expecting it to happen so soon – he thought junior year would be the time – Miles was caught off guard when, after putting the call on speaker, he received his first verbal offer from University of San Francisco men’s basketball coach Michael Plank.

At the time, Miles hadn’t yet started his eighth-grade year at AZ Compass Prep, but according to Plank, he was still one of the best players at the Dons’ basketball camp. Continue reading “Middle school with collegiate offers? Arizona high school basketball underclassmen and coaches reveal early recruiting realities”

• Slug: Sports–A’s Nick Kurtz, 780 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Sean Brennan
Cronkite News

MESA – When a newly drafted baseball player experiences their first professional baseball games, their skills usually don’t translate into immediate success. New faces often need time to adjust before they eventually hit their stride, according to the Athletics’ Javier Godard, manager of the single-A Stockton Ports and the hitting coach for the Arizona Fall League’s Mesa Solar Sox.

That’s the case for most players, at least. First baseman Nick Kurtz, selected by the Athletics with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Entry Draft, is an exception, as proven by his performance with the Solar Sox this past season in the Arizona Fall League.

Across two levels of minor league baseball — Single-A and Double-A — Kurtz only played a combined 12 games due to a hamstring injury suffered in late August. But those 12 games were enough as it instantly became clear no grace period was needed. Continue reading “Nick Kurtz defies rookie expectations with stellar Arizona Fall League debut”

• Slug: Sports–Phoenix Rising New Coach, 1,140 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Cooper Burns
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The new coach of Phoenix Rising FC comes from a different league, and the roster he is taxed with improving before the United Soccer League season begins in March is still in a state of flux. But Pa-Modou Kah has a resume as unique as the situation he is inheriting.

Kah has a wealth of experience not only on the field but off it. The Gambia native has experience in both European and North American soccer and speaks seven different languages. Kah is fluent in Wolof, Norwegian, English, Spanish, French, Dutch and Arabic. Kah’s mastery of diverse languages should help him form genuine connections with his players quicker than most.

Just four days after Phoenix lost a quarterfinal playoff game to New Mexico on Nov. 3, ending Rising’s bid to defend their USL title, the team announced that interim coach Diego Gomez would not return. Gomez stepped in after the firing of first-year coach Danny Stone in June. Continue reading “New coach Pa-Modou Kah brings global expertise to Phoenix Rising FC amid roster uncertainty”

• Slug: Sports–CFP Ranking ASU, 760 words.
• Photo available.

By Fletcher Anderson
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Defeat Kansas State? Check.

Land in the College Football Playoff rankings? Check.

The CFP committee placed Arizona State at No. 21 in the third ranking of the year Tuesday, its first appearance since the inaugural year in 2014 as they continue their improbable run at 8-2. Continue reading “Look who’s 21: Arizona State checks into CFP rankings for first time since 2014 as BYU looms”

• Slug: Sports–Fall League Championship, 800 words.
• Photo available.

By Sean Brennan
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – Entering the 2024 Arizona Fall League championship game, Washington Nationals No. 13 prospect Robert Hassell III felt several emotions.

He was excited for a chance at redemption: he reached the semifinals in the two previous seasons with two separate teams but lost each time. He felt a sense of fulfillment for giving himself an opportunity at a championship. But the one emotion he didn’t feel was surprise.

Despite the AFL season being a sprint that begins in early October and wraps up in mid-November, Hassell’s Salt River Rafters have formed a strong connection over the short time. They bonded over many things, but the biggest was undoubtedly the desire to win a championship. Continue reading “Arizona Fall League proves invaluable for MLB prospects in successful 2024 campaign”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Football BYU, 560 words.
• Photo available.

By Dane Palmer
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Arizona State football has finally made its push into the top 25 teams in college football, landing at No. 21 in the nation. One of the most important games of the season now lies ahead of the Sun Devils as they get ready to face off with 14th-ranked BYU at Mountain America Stadium.

Coach Kenny Dillingham’s mantra has been “Activate the Valley” since he arrived at ASU, and it looks as if he’s done just that – Saturday’s matchup will go down in front of a sold-out crowd. Reportedly, student tickets were in high demand with the Ticketmaster queue reaching up to 1,000 people waiting to claim tickets.

Players have felt the buzz all week and are ready for the Sun Devils crowd to create a home-field advantage. Quarterback Sam Leavitt is more pumped for practice knowing he’ll be in front of a packed stadium this weekend. Continue reading “’12th-man experience’: No. 21 ASU set for showdown with No. 14 BYU as sold-out crowd awaits”

• Slug: Sports–Ability 360 Phoenix Summit, 850 words.
• Photo available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

TEMPE – On a slightly overcast Saturday at Papago Park, which is sandwiched between Tempe and Phoenix, a group of three hikers gathered to take on their second hike of the day, with two more trails still to follow.

The three hikers, accompanied by at least one guide per person at all times, were not ordinary hikers, and not just because they were willing to hike four trails in a day.

Two sat in wheelchairs, another recently suffered a partial loss of her vision. Continue reading “Breaking Barriers: Ability360 opens Phoenix Summit Challenge to all abilities”

• Slug: Sports–ASU Football Ascension. 740 words.
• Photo available.

By Tucker L. Sennett
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The last time Arizona State football finished the season undefeated at home came in 2004. Kenny Dillingham, then a 14-year-old freshman in high school, reflected Monday on what he was likely up to 20 years ago.

“I was either watching games or probably playing Halo 2 with people in high school,” Dillingham said.

The Master Chief, the Halo franchise’s iconic main character, is known for making miracles happen on science-fiction battlefields. While the gridiron isn’t the same as a sci-fi war, what the Arizona State head coach has done with the program in his second year is nothing short of a miracle. Continue reading “‘Don’t get lost in the sauce’: No. 21 Arizona State preps for landmark game against No. 14 BYU”

• Slug: Sports–Kenyan Suns Fans. 740 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Devoted Phoenix Suns fan Hussein Siro was overcome with emotion when his package – which had traveled over 9,000 miles from Phoenix to Nairobi, Kenya – finally arrived.

Inside the box were a Devin Booker jersey and some Suns graphic tee shirts.

Mike Joseph, a graphic designer from the Valley and creator of the @SunsUniTracker account on X, had connected with Siro earlier in the year and arranged to send the package to Kenya. Continue reading “‘It’s like family’: Phoenix Suns gear and connection bring joy to Kenyan superfan Hussein Siro”