SLIDESHOW: Red Mountain vs Mountain View

In a matchup between the teams ranked 1-2 in power points, the game lived up to its billing.

From her house in north Mesa, Julee Brady used to be able to see the Superstition Mountains and an expanse of orange groves.

The Mountain View boys basketball team is making the 5A Division I state tournament look like a walk through the park.

Call it the Payton Dastrup effect.

Carli Jones had three hits and Brianne Grommon pitched a five-hitter and out of jam in the fourth inning Thursday night to lead Mountain View to a 3-2 victory over Red Mountain in the deciding game of their best-of-three 5A East Valley Region playoff series at Quail Run Park.

Mesa Red Mountain shed itself of a losing funk three weeks ago. And Tuesday night the wins kept coming as well as the 5A-I East Valley Region baseball title.

Up above McQueen Road, out of public view, Chandler's former garbage dump quietly has been undergoing a major transformation into an enormous new multipurpose park with stunning panoramic views.

The same weather pattern to blame for spreading wildfires throughout southern California is kicking up dust in the south East Valley today.

Mountain View's girls team made it 10 straight titles and the boys stretched their city streak to eight Friday after winning the annual Mesa cross country city meet at Red Mountain Park.

Those who accomplished the most at Saturday’s 35th annual Doug Conley Invitational had completely different agendas when their respective races were over.

Usually, a hiking trail within a city is surrounded by open space. You drive to the trail head parking lot, hike the trail and drive away. There is a great trail, though, right in the heart of downtown Tempe. You can hike it, grab some food and do some shopping or catch some entertainment without ever moving your car.

With all 10 varsity runners finishing no worse than 33rd place, Mountain View's boys and girls teams each took first place at the Ojo Rojo Invitational Saturday at Tumbleweed Park in Chandler.

Will a more experienced team this season translate to a bigger and better year for Mesa Mountain View?

If you haven’t had your fill of fireworks this summer, the universe is inviting you to its own light show, albeit one of a quieter variety.

Stand in Fountain Hills and look at the McDowell Mountains. Great scenery, but it’s too bad you can’t get there from here.

Hidden in a sandy corner of South Mountain Park’s northwest side is Ponderosa Stables, home of 46 horses that residents and tourists visiting Phoenix can pay to ride through the preserve.

Emma Darlington of Tucson Salpointe, the defending 5A Division I state champion in the 50 freestyle and 100 free, was upset in both events by last year's state runner-up, Aleesha Miller, as Mountain View dominated the Lancers, 135-51, in a 5A nonregion swim meet Wednesday at Mountain View.

Mesa police are seeking drug charges for five Mountain View High School students after a five-month undercover investigation in which three teenagers sold cocaine to detectives, police said.

Chandler Basha used a balanced effort to upset visiting and top-ranked Mesa Mountain View 55-42 in a 5A nonregion boys basketball game Friday night.

No coach? No problem.

Did Mesa High’s Aaron Fuller get a bigger piece of Mesa Mountain View’s Brendon Lavender’s elbow? Or did Lavender get more of Fuller’s teeth?

Britnee Edwards blasted her sixth home run of the season to lead off the ninth inning Wednesday and Red Mountain went on to add two more runs and defeat Mountain View, 3-0, to even their best-of-three 5A East Valley Region softball series at 1-1 at Quail Run Park in Mesa.