All-Tribune First Team

All-Tribune First Team Offense

There's no place Ramon Abreu would rather be than on the football field. The last two seasons, particularly this past season, he spent more time on the field arguably than anyone. And Abreu's time was more than just quantity. It was quality.

All the accolades wouldn’t have mattered much without the ring. Scottsdale Saguaro quarterback Tim Ruben hit the elusive 2,000-yard rushing, 2,000-yard passing milestone in the third quarter of the 4A-I championship game against Tucson Canyon del Oro on Dec. 8, but it was the furthest thing from his mind one quarter later.

Dennis Erickson has hit the trifecta in coaching honors in the Pac-10. The first-year leader of the Arizona State program on Monday was named the conference’s coach of the year, an honor he received at Washington State (1988) and Oregon State (2000).

A couple of lasting impressions from Ridge Nielsen’s football career at Mesa Mountain View took place the final two weeks of 2006.

Who'll stop the reign?

The early unveiling of this season’s high school boys soccer map isn’t too far removed from most of the past few years’ worth of championship geography.

Someday, the talent pool will dry up enough and the Chandler High girls track program will be challenged for state supremacy. That day, however, is not in the immediate future.

There aren’t too many more unusual names than Riggs Lennon.

Andy Jay sat in the stands at Glendale Arena, fresh off a pin of Mesa Mountain View’s Joe Farnsworth that gave him third place in the 189-pound class in 5A Division I.

When Peoria Centennial routed Chandler Hamilton early in the 2008 prep football season, the Coyotes staked their claim to the title of best team in Arizona.

There wasn’t much question about the best boys basketball team in Division I last year, as Corona del Sol finished the season on a 30-game winning streak and cruised past Laveen Cesar Chavez for the state championship.

Division II football state championship

A lot of new faces and a few old ones.

It’s a different kind of game for Tempe Marcos de Niza this year.

Tempe Marcos de Niza yearns to sidestep the stumbling block that has plagued its ascent to the top of 5A Division II as the prep football season opens for many schools on Friday.

The names that have been bandied about as possible replacements for Cardinals coach Dennis Green make for interesting Internet fodder and thread-builders on message boards.

The boys basketball regular season is under way. West Valley Preps asked local coaches questions about their 2010-11 teams. Here are their answers:

Tuesday - Round 1