High School Sports

The Canyon Del Oro Dorados breathed a sigh of relief after mounting a comeback to defeat the Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks on Friday night at Cherry Field. With the win, the Dorados advanced to Monday night’s Division II state softball championship game at Arizona State University’s Farrington Stadium, where they faced Peoria Sunrise Mountain.

The Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks and Canyon Del Oro Dorados met up for the fourth time this softball season, and when the dust cleared, it was the Nighthawks celebrating a 9-8 win and advancing to the semifinals of the state tournament.

Though the Canyon Del Oro Dorados’ softball team has a new head coach, the mission this year is the same as years past- win the state championship. The Dorados have a long history of doing so, having achieved the feat seven times in the past, to include three 5A titles in 1992, 2001, and 2005, and four 4A Division I state titles in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011.

Darrell Patton, Assistant Varsity coach at St. Gregory College Preparatory School and director of Tucson Magic Basketball Association has won a national award. He was awarded the Positive Coaching Alliance Double-Goal Coach Award for his work in developing young players on and off the court. The Positive Coaching Alliance is a national not-for-profit organization devoted to providing youth and high school athletes with positive and character building youth sports experiences.