A federal appeals court gave foes of a new Glendale casino new hope it could be legally blocked.

Spring sprang, and now summer has set in.

In this dugout is the three-time defending state champions of softball, with a significant portion of the 2012 title team playing prominent roles again. Red Mountain is a No. 6 seed oozing with confidence, has gotten lights-out pitching from junior ace Bre Macha, went through the winner's bracket for a second consecutive year and outscored its opponents 30-4 in this tournament, including a win over its next opponent.

Ky Westbrook’s standards are so high, it was hard for her to hide the disappointment of running an average race despite easily winning the 100-meter dash on Saturday.

A federal judge on Tuesday slapped down the latest efforts by the state to block the Tohono O'odham from building a casino on the edge of Glendale.

2013 Track and Field state Championships

Winning the first set in five of six matches, the Xavier girls tennis team set the stage early for a repeat of its Div. I state championship on Saturday.

Her team found ways to stay alive for at least a few more days in the Division I state tournament, but Lindsey Collins wasn't gushing.

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.

Danielle Block has a hard time balancing the rigors of pitching and hitting.

In the Division I girls final it was sophomore Madison Clarke of Phoenix Xavier who survived the 98-degree heat to beat Tucson Salpointe’s Caroline Amos to win the championship. It was a nice rebound for Clarke who got beat by Courtney Amos of Tucson Salpointe in last year’s final.

The progression of the Desert Vista softball program took another big step.

Playing a role as possible spoiler, Westwood's softball team pulled it off perfectly.

Baseball will have a grind of a playoff schedule upcoming for those not among the top eight seeds, but softball — especially Division I — appears to be deeper than ever. Or, at least, deeper than the past five years.

Outlooks for the Divisions I and II softball state tournaments: