2013 AWC Matadors Archive Stories

Two years ago, Tanner Clayton was a member of a Division I men's volleyball team.Next year, he'll be a member of a Division I men's basketball team. The 6-foot-9 post signed his letter of intent to play for Stephen F. Austin State University in East Texas and was one of three Arizona Western men's basketball players to mo

METAIRIE, La. — Chuck Muncie, a Pro Bowl running back with both the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers who played junior college football with Arizona Western, has died at age 60, the NFL clubs and a family spokesman said Tuesday.Muncie family spokesman Vintage Foster of AMF Media Group in San Ramon, Calif., said Muncie

Gila Ridge senior Irving Lopez will be playing college ball down the street. The Hawk star signed his letter of intent to play at Arizona Western late last month, and Lopez's skills across the baseball diamond give the Matadors some flexibility.“He's a guy who can do a lot of different things and fill a lot of diffe

Their season already guaranteed to end, the players on the Arizona Western softball team mounted an eighth-inning comeback in Game 2 against Eastern Arizona on Saturday at the AWC softball field.But that rally ended, and with it the season, the way 24 other at-bats against Gila Monster pitcher Rita Hokianga ended — with a strik

Despite an early two-run lead and another impressive performance from starter Sarai Camacho, the Kofa softball team couldn't find the timely hits.The No. 24 Kings dropped their first-round game to No. 9 Desert Mountain 6-2 in the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division I State Tournament.“It was a good game,&rd

Second-year Arizona Western baseball coach Drew Keehn said losing winnable games is what has plagued his team all year.On Tuesday, it's what eliminated the Matadors from the playoffs.The Matadors were swept by Pima 4-2 and 7-4 at Kammann Field, ending AWC's already slim playoff chances.Keehn said he liked the

The Arizona Western softball team needed a sweep of the fifth-best team in the country to keep its playoff hopes alive.The Matadors didn't just get the sweep. They did it in style.Avenging a pair of losses last week, the Matadors beat Central Arizona 12-2 and 10-0 in a pair of five-inning games Tuesday at the AWC softball

Pima at AWC BaseballTime: Noon today at Kammann FieldLast game: The Matadors defeated Eastern Arizona 10-1; The Aztecs lost to 4-2 to CochiseRecords: AWC (31-20 overall, 19-15 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference); Pima (22-28-1 overall, 12-22 ACCAC)Players t

It was a rough day for Gila Ridge tennis. Hawk senior Katlyn Jones lost 6-1, 6-0 to No. 4 Natalia Lombardi in the third round of the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division II State Tournament on Saturday at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale. “She would hit the ball like a man,” Jones said of Lombardi. &ld

Eastern Arizona baseball at Arizona Western Time: Noon today, Kammann Field (DH) Last game: The Matadors were swept at home by Cochise, 2-1 and 6-2; The Gila Monsters split with Pima, winning 1-0 and losing 6-2. Records: AWC (29-20 overall, 17-15 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference);

The Arizona Western softball team traveled to Coolidge and was swept by Central Arizona on Thursday.The No. 5 Vaqueras won 4-1 in the first game and 9-3 in Game 2. Matador starters Hayley Miller and Briana VanSickle each picked up a loss and both dropped their records to 15-8 on the season. The Matadors (36-20 overall, 27

Arizona Western at (5) Central Arizona Time: 1 p.m. today, Coolidge Last game: The Matadors split with Paradise Valley, losing 5-3 and winning 7-3; The Vaqueras were swept 8-0 and 2-1 at Pima. Records: AWC (36-18 overall, 27-13 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference); Central (39-8 overa

In a season in which runs have been hard to come by, Tuesday provided the longest example of that for the Arizona Western baseball team.The Matadors lost Game 1 to first-place Cochise 2-1 in 14 innings after neither team scored through the first 13 innings. The Apaches finished the sweep with a 6-2 win in the late game.&l

Entering Tuesday's doubleheader, the Arizona Western softball team won 32 straight games against Paradise Valley.After Tuesday, the win streak is at one.The Matadors split with the Pumas, losing Game 1 5-2 before recovering for a 7-3 win in Phoenix.AWC (36-18 overall, 27-13 Arizona Community College Athletic C

Arizona Western softball at Paradise ValleyTime: 1 p.m. today (DH), PhoenixLast game: The Matadors were swept by Phoenix College, losing 5-3 and 9-6. ... The Cougars split with Eastern Arizona, losing 4-3 and winning 6-5.Records: AWC (35-17 overall, 26-12 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference); Paradise Valley (1

Arizona Western softball at (2) Phoenix CollegeTime: Noon today in Phoenix (DH)Last game: The Matadors beat South Mountain 6-2; The Bears lost Eastern Arizona 5-3Records: AWC (35-15 overall, 26-10 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference); Phoenix College (33-13 overall, 25-13 ACCAC)Pla

After two years on the Arizona Western volleyball team, Carolyn Sosa thought her time at the school was coming to an end.That changed in late February when the school announced it would be beginning women's soccer.Sosa was among the first nine players introduced Wednesday as the first signees of the inaugural women's socc

As a leadoff hitter, Courtnie Ploesch doesn't get the most RBI chances.The Arizona Western sophomore made the most of them Tuesday in a doubleheader sweep of South Mountain as the 7-3 and 6-2 wins gave the Matadors their first 6-0 homestand in eight years.Ploesch was 4 for 4 with five RBIs during the two games with runner

Whitt, Wallace earn honorable mentionArizona Western men's point guard Marvin Whitt and women's center Samantha Wallace earned honorable mention on the NJCAA All-America teams announced Monday.Wallace, a freshman, finished second in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference with 17 points per game and grabbed 10.9

Different day, same result for the Matador baseball team. For the 10th time this season, Arizona Western split a conference doubleheader by winning the first game and losing the second. This time it came from edging out Yavapai 3-2 in extra innings in Game 1 but blowing a three-run lead and losing 9-5 in Game 2 on Tuesday in Prescott

South Mountain softball at Arizona WesternTime: Noon today at AWC Softball Field (DH)Last game: The Matadors beat Glendale 3-0; The Cougars lost to Eastern Arizona 5-1Records: AWC (33-15 overall, 24-10 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference); South Mountain (18-31 overall, 11

With a converted closer making his first start in Game 1 and one of the team's top pitchers going in Game 2, the Arizona Western baseball team seemed poised to break out of its win-the-first, lose-the-second rut in conference doubleheaders.No such luck for the Matadors.Jose Rosales-Rodarte — the team leader with fou

Glendale scored one run in the first inning of a softball doubleheader Saturday at Arizona Western. The Gauchos wouldn't score again.The Matadors rolled to a sweep of Glendale, 6-1 and 3-0 behind strong pitching performances from Briana VanSickle and Hayley Miller.VanSickle struck out 10 in the first game and allowed four

Drew Keehn had high hopes for Travis Garcia-Perreira coming into the season.Not quite 8-0, 1.34 ERA with 45 strikeouts high, but high nonetheless.“I've been through this league, and in the fall I thought his stuff was good and his composure was good,” said the second-year Arizona Western baseball coach. &ldquo

After a disappointing four-game losing streak put a crimp in their playoff positioning, the players on the Arizona Western softball team said they needed to get back on track.Thanks to some timely first-game hitting and a pair of second-game home runs from April Marquez, the Matadors' rough week is in the past.AWC opened