The Star's Greg Hansen checks in with a look at Pima College's soccer dominance, the Arizona Wildcats' depth in women's hoops and the latest Tucson product to make his NFL debut.
Sam Lossou the latest local to shine on Pima College's soccer fields
The legacy of men’s soccer at Pima College is such that coach Dave Cosgrove’s No. 2-ranked Aztecs have gone 125-21-9 over the last seven years, finishing in the NJCAA’s “Final Four’’ five times in the last six seasons.
It’s also that Cosgrove, who has been PCC’s coach since 1998, has done it mostly with local players, which reflects on Tucson’s emergence as a "soccer city" as much as any other sport, both at the JC level and in high school. Tucson's high school teams have won 33 boys and girls state championships in the sport since 2000.
Local players? Rincon/University grad Sam Lossou, a Pima College sophomore defender, last week was named the ACCAC Player of the Year, becoming the eighth of Cosgrove’s players to be ACCAC Player of the Year dating to 2007. That impressive list includes A.J. Valenzuela of Desert View; Arturo Vega of Salpointe Catholic; Minh Vu of Rincon/University and Fernando Gauna of Salpointe Catholic.
"Sam is a refugee from Africa," said Cosgrove, who began his coaching career at Amphitheater High School 30 years ago. “He moved to the United States nine or 10 years ago, began playing for FC Tucson Youth and was quickly identified as a top player. He has committed to play at Alabama-Birmingham, but is still being recruited by high-profile schools."
Pima played national power Phoenix College on Saturday night at the PCC’s soccer complex for the Region I championship. Even if the Aztecs lost, they have enough in the bank to be an at-large selection for the NJCAA Division II national championships Nov. 15-20 in Wichita, Kansas. Pima has been ranked No. 1 most of the season but is now No 2, behind CC-Baltimore County of Essex, Maryland.
"This year, we have had eight or 10 Tucson players in our lineup, which reflects on how good high school soccer has been here," said Cosgrove. "We’re very fortunate."
When Cosgrove began coaching at PCC two decades ago, Yavapai College was clearly the No. 1 men’s soccer program in the NJCAA, a dynasty. But little by little, Pima chipped away at Yavapai’s reign and has now replaced the Roughriders at the top in the ACCAC and are a top four program nationally.
"There is a lot of pressure on us to perform; we are expected to win big games," said Cosgrove. "But we tell our kids about the pressure and that we are fortunate to be in a bigger spotlight. We’ve been in the region finals 14 times the last 17 years, and our conference is probably the best in the country."
Cosgrove has been able to sustain Pima’s national success with Tucsonans.
When the All-ACCAC teams were announced last week, it not only included Lossou, but Brian Vu of Rincon/University, Francisco Manza of Salpointe, Manuel Quiroz of Sunnyside and Juan Suarez of Desert View.
Cats might be underestimated at No. 22
Eastern New Mexico's Natalie Stice hangs all over Arizona guard Shaina Pellington (1) on a drive into the paint at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., October 27, 2021.
UA women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes was underwhelmed when the AP preseason women’s basketball poll ranked the Wildcats No. 22.
"Ugh," she said.
Upon watching Arizona win its 84-25 exhibition game victory Thursday against Eastern New Mexico, I have a two-word reaction: No way.
Barnes’ team is so deep and skilled that it legitimately has 11 players who could be starters. Here are four reactions from last week’s exhibition:
• Sophomore shooting guard Taylor Chavez, a transfer from Oregon, is the desperately needed 3-point shooter Arizona has sought. Even All-American Aari McDonald’s UA 3-point shooting percentages were below average: 27, 28 and 34% in her Wildcat years. Chavez shot a team-high 47% for Oregon’s 31-2 team of 2019-20. Chavez made her first three 3s against ENMU.
• Arizona’s size isn’t just size. It’s quality size and experience that most teams won’t be able to match. Six-foot Vanderbilt transfer Koi Love, who averaged 20 points per game last season, is an inside-out player who can handle the ball and move in traffic, drawing fouls. She certainly passes the eye test. And she might not even start. Alabama transfer Ariyah Copeland, who is 6-3, and Top 100 freshman recruit Aaronette Vonleh, also 6-3, might not play more than 20 or 24 minutes a game each, but both are capable defenders and scorers. Sophomore Lauren Ware, who is 6-5, has improved her shooting range to 15-17 feet as well as an inside game.
• Senior point guard Shaina Pellington has one speed: fast. She’s aggressive, a defensive stopper and terrific on the fast break. If she can shoot just 35% from mid-range, she’ll be a force. Senior guard Bendu Yeaney is similarly improved, an attack-mode player, which is Barnes’ style.
• Fifth-year senior Sam Thomas is a five-tool basketball player. She is a defensive stopper, an unselfish passer, a feared 3-point shooter, someone who can play four positions effectively, and a smiling, do-whatever-it-takes teammate, which are in limited supply. When senior Semaj Smith lost a contact lens Thursday, searching for it alone during a time stoppage, Thomas sprinted from the bench and found the missing lens in less than 10 seconds.
Jerry Tolle was one of Tucson's best
I was fortunate to meet Jerry Tolle eight or nine years ago when I joined him on the selection committee of the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame. But "getting to know" had its limits.
Tolle, who died last week at age 88, was an old-school personality. Getting him to talk about himself was not easy. When I discovered he pitched for Arizona’s NCAA powerhouse baseball teams of the mid 1950s, all he would say was "I was on the same staff as All-Americans Donnie Lee and Carl Thomas, who both made it to the big leagues."
But I blew Tolle’s cover when I found that he had pitched Tucson High to the 1951 and 1952 state championships — he was all-state in 1951 — and had been a regular in coach Frank Sancet’s UA pitching rotation, a lefty with a power fastball.
After pitching in the minor leagues in 1955 for the Tucson Cowboys, Tolle injured his elbow and didn’t pitch again. But he became one of the leading amateur golfers in Tucson, winning the 1963 Randolph Men’s Club championship and becoming a multiple winner in the Citizen Cup golf championships. Beyond that, Tolle became part of the Tucson Bowling Association board, and regularly averaged between 180-200, among the top bowlers of the greatest generation of Tucson bowlers, 1950-90.
Tolle was a competitor. A good man. He will be missed. He will be honored at the Class of 2021 induction ceremony of the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame. Nov. 14 at the DoubleTree Hotel at noon. Tickets are available at 520-244-8907.
Ex-Cat Lovieanne Jung hears hall's call
Lovie Jung autographs softballs for a girl scout troop Thursday May 19, 2005 at Hi Corbett Field.
Second baseman Lovieanne Jung, who hit a remarkable .460 for Arizona’s 2003 softball team, becoming a first-team All-American, was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame last week in Oklahoma City. Jung later played for Mike Candrea’s 2004 Olympic gold medal softball team. Getting into the National Softball Hall of Fame is one of the most difficult honors in any sport. In the long and successful history of softball in Tucson and the UA, the only such inductees have been Tucson High grad Billie Harris, 1982; UA first baseman Leah O’Brien-Amico, 2009; pitcher Jennie Finch, 2016; and Candrea, 2017. No Jennie Dalton. No Nancy Evans. No Laura Espinoza-Watson. They all seem overdue for induction.
Wildcats beat Georgia without Hou sisters
UA golfers Vivian Hou, left, and Yu-Sang Hou, right.
Arizona’s women’s golf team, which has been the school’s most successful sport the last 20 years, beat defending NCAA champion Ole Miss in the prestigious East Lake Cup last week in Atlanta. Yet coach Laura Ianello’s team did so without its two leading players, Vivian Hou and her sister, Yu-Sang Hou, who had just completed stage II of the LPGA’s Qualifying School in Florida. The Hou sisters both advanced and now enter the Q Series final round Nov. 29 to Dec. 12 in Alabama. It is a two-week process that will award the top 45 finishers (from about 175 golfers) with full privileges on the 2022 LPGA Tour. The Hou sisters both shot 68 in the final round of Stage II to advance. If they do not qualify and choose to return to Arizona for the 2022 college season, the Wildcats would again be a favorite to contend for the NCAA championship. Arizona has reached the women’s golf "Final Four" in three of the last four years.
Mickelson sells Stone Canyon, other courses
Last Thanksgiving weekend, Phil Mickelson hosted Steph Curry, Peyton Manning and Charles Barkley in a made-for-TV golf event at Mickelson’s Stone Canyon Club in the Tortolita Mountains. Don’t expect that to return for Year 2. Mickelson sold Stone Canyon last month, as well as his other six Arizona golf properties.
Marvol Bernard re-elected
Marvol Barnard has been re-elected as National President of the LPGA Professionals in a vote by its members. Barnard, who is Director of Instruction at Haven Golf Course in Green Valley, has become one of the world’s most notable golf instructors. She was the 2018 PGA/LPGA Instructor of the Year, followed by being named the Nancy Lopez Achievement Award winner of 2019, and one of the top 50 golf instructors of the year by the LPGA.
Ex-UA assistant Scott Thompson connected with gubernatorial candidate
Tucsonan Scott Thompson was a key part of Lute Olson’s first coaching staff at Arizona, 1983-84, helping to recruit foundational players Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott. Thompson went on to become the head coach at Wichita State, Rice and Cornell before returning to Tucson to work in development for the Arizona Cancer Center. He is now CEO of the Legends Leadership Group. While coaching at Rice, Thompson developed a leader, Glenn Youngkin, who is now running for governor of Virginia. UA football coach Jedd Fisch might want to consult with Thompson about leadership. When Thompson became Rice’s head basketball coach in 1987-88, the Owls had suffered through 16 consecutive losing seasons. In Year 5 at Rice, Thompson coached the Owls to a 20-11 record.
Sabino's Matt Bushman makes NFL debut
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Matt Bushman (84) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, in Las Vegas.
Sabino High School grad Matt Bushman, a tight end who went to BYU where he caught 125 passes, became the 35th football player from a Tucson high school to play in an NFL game last week. Bushman, signed as a free agent by the Las Vegas Raiders, participated in last week’s game against Philadelphia, but did not catch a pass. Bushman, who graduated from Sabino in 2014 and spent two years on a Mormon mission, is the fourth ex-Sabercat to reach the NFL, joining pass rusher Brooks Reed, kicker Cole Ford and offensive lineman Jeff Kiewel. There are now four high school football players from Tucson in the NFL: Bushman; Tucson High grad Levi Wallace, a cornerback for the Bills; Tucson High’s Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, a special teams player for the 49ers, and Blake Martinez, a Giants linebacker from CDO who is out for the year with a knee injury.
My two cents: High school football reaches crisis point
High school football in Tucson has gone beyond the crisis point.
In Friday’s games involving teams from the greater Tucson area, the winners outscored the losers 650-76. That’s an average score of 43-6 per game.
The prep football facilities are near empty every Friday. With the exception of Salpointe Catholic, Sabino, Ironwood Ridge and Cienega, an average attendance of 250 might be an exaggeration.
The split between the haves and have-nots — which is especially true for the beyond-struggling TUSD teams — has reached the point that TUSD needs to be proactive in deciding the football future of enrollment-struggling schools Palo Verde (which did not field a team this year), Catallna, Santa Rita, Rincon/University and Cholla. Once-mighty Tucson High is 1-7 and has been outscored 306-143, with its only victory coming against 1-7 Rincon.
The Arizona Interscholastic Association should consider the novel proposal that TUSD schools combine two schools to make one team, such as making Catalina and Rincon/University one football program, as well as Cholla with Pueblo, and Santa Rita with Palo Verde.
Friday’s scores included games of 71-7, 63-0, 63-7, 56-0, 55-0, 49-0, 47-0, 42-3 and 48-7.
That isn’t a good experience for the players, the coaches, the fans, parents or school administrators. Help.
