Here is your Cronkite News lineup for Friday, Oct. 11.
For news story questions, contact Julia Thompson at julia.thompson.1@asu.edu.
If not linked below, stories promised for today, along with photos and links to multimedia elements, will post to our client site at cronkitenews.jmc.asu.edu/clients.
By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – In the stands of SHI Stadium, Gary and Vicky Melton wiped away tears.
Their sons, Bo and Max Melton, took the field as teammates for the first time at the collegiate level for Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights walked away with the victory over Michigan State, but the 38-27 final score took a backseat for the proud parents as they witnessed their sons fulfill their football dreams.
Now, four years later, Bo and Max will accomplish another milestone for the Melton family Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Bo, in his second year at wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, and Max, rookie defensive back Cardinals, will face off against each other for the first time in the NFL.
For Max, the matinee matchup against his brother is one he always envisioned before his first NFL snap. Continue reading “Melton brothers set for first sibling rivalry as Max and Bo battle in Cardinals vs. Packers”
EDS: Cronkite School students profiled candidates for Phoenix City Council and the Maricopa County sheriff race. You can find all the profiles here.
By Kennedy Chanell
Special for Cronkite News
By Fletcher Anderson
Cronkite News
TEMPE – Arizona State swimmers took center stage in Paris during the Olympic finals of the 200-meter butterfly on July 31. The Canadian-born Ilya Kharun captured Olympic bronze, while his former Sun Devil teammate Leon Marchand of France won gold. Four days later, in the 100-meter butterfly, Kharun secured his second bronze for Canada at just 19 years old.
Nearly three months later, as Marchand settles into his professional career, Kharun is back in the Valley and leading the Sun Devils as ASU’s swim and dive team leaps into a new season under a new coach, Herbie Behm. Last Monday, Kharun and Behm paused to reflect on a wild summer in Paris, while looking ahead at the Sun Devils’ new era as part of the Big 12 Conference.
“Such an honor, representing the country and performing at that stage,” Kharun said about his Olympic experience. “It did take me some time to actually (realize) like wow, I was there. Because in the moment at the Olympics, I didn’t think of it as a big deal.” Continue reading “After 2024 Paris Olympics success, ASU men’s swimmer Ilya Kharun looks to build on Sun Devils legacy”
By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News
TEMPE – As Arizona State looks to earn its first Big 12 win at home against Kansas University on Saturday, the Sun Devils could benefit from a look at the program’s past and its first Pac-10 win and historic upset in 1978 against USC.
The Sun Devils had moved from the Western Atlantic Conference and were set to join the Pac-8, helping expand it to the Pac-10 for the 1978 season. Like the 2024 Sun Devils squad, the 1978 team lost its first conference game on the road to Washington State at 51-26.
While ASU’s Sept. 21 loss to Texas Tech in its Big 12 debut was more competitive at 30-22, losing in the season’s first conference game and as a new member can be daunting. Former senior defensive lineman for Arizona State Al Harris remembered this feeling all too well. Continue reading “Echoes of 1978? Arizona State football seeks first Big 12 conference win in spirit of 1978 upset vs. USC”
By Saleh Awward
Cronkite News
CHANDLER – The memory still lingers as if it happened yesterday, the details as crisp and clear as the summer sky.
Arizona State defied all odds, down 34-32 with the football at their 28-yard-line and just 23 seconds to go and no timeouts remaining. After a strike down the middle of the field from Mike Bercovici to Gary Chambers to the 45-yard line, the Sun Devils spiked the ball and had one final play left in store with seven seconds remaining.
Bercovici dropped back and let it fly for a Hail Mary, where Jaelen Strong high-pointed the ball over USC defenders and found himself in the end zone for a touchdown, upsetting the No. 16 Trojans on the road, 38-34. Continue reading “Still going Strong: 10 years after ‘Jael Mary,’ former ASU star receiver inspires next generation at AZ Compass Prep”
By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News
CHANDLER – Grand Canyon men’s basketball coach Bryce Drew knows a thing or two about the role summer plays for a top recruit.
Named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball and the 1994 Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year during his senior season at Valparaiso High School, Drew credits productive summers as the key to having success during the high school season and in future careers.
However, the 16th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft doesn’t recall his high school summers being this intense. Continue reading “Summer grind: AZ Compass Prep stars Miikka Muurinen, Kaden House enjoy hectic year-round schedules”
By Kendall Flynn
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – With harassment and racism suddenly serving as the soundtrack to the increasingly popular WNBA, the league hopes its recent news of expansion will shift the narrative.
The WNBA announced its return to Portland recently, giving the Phoenix Mercury a new opponent on the West Coast starting in 2026. The Rip City will be the WNBA’s 15th franchise, and it will join the Golden State Valkyries and Toronto in the league’s planned expansion from 12 teams.
“As we’ve seen throughout our 2024 record-breaking season, the demand for the W brand of basketball is unprecedented,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said while announcing the Portland expansion on Sept. 18. “We’re selling out games at historic pace, setting ratings records, introducing our veterans and new stars to new fans and the world.” Continue reading “Harassment, racism claims overshadow growth of WNBA, including Portland expansion”
By Sean Brennan
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – A day after they were eliminated from the postseason, the mood in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ clubhouse mirrored the vacant Chase Field seats above.
Aside from designated hitter Joc Pederson quietly clearing out his stall, the clubhouse was empty with only the palpable sense of frustration and disappointment hanging in the air.
The empty feeling was both warranted and predictable given how things ended. Continue reading “‘We should be in Milwaukee’: Mike Hazen, Torey Lovullo lament end of Diamondbacks season”
By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – The only way that Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia will feel vindicated is by winning a championship. And he expressed that desire Monday at Suns media day.
Ishbia’s goal this offseason after the Suns were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves was to cultivate a more collective winning culture. He believes that goal starts with him and putting his team in a position to succeed.
“I’m not trying to be the best player or the best coach or the best GM,” Ishbia said. “My job is to be the best owner in sports which means give (the Suns) the best resources.
“I learned that it’s a team game … you have to have great players, a great coach, a great GM, great CEO, great owner, great marketing people, great concession people. We’re a team. That’s why we’re able to compete for a championship at all levels.” Continue reading “‘Let’s go for it’: Phoenix Suns seek greatness at all levels ahead of 2024-25 NBA season”
By Ethan Desjardine
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – As he stood outside the stadium that housed the early years of his college career, Jayden Daniels spoke fondly of competing for Arizona State.
“It started all this, laid the foundation.” the Washington Commanders quarterback said Wednesday. “Obviously, the people that recruited me here, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me and my football career, and the relationships that I’ve made off the field here. I still cherish them to this day.”
Continue reading “Commanders’ Jayden Daniels reflects on how ASU laid foundation for his success”
By Tom Forbes
Cronkite News
TUCSON – Anyone who knew Rich Alday had nothing but kind remarks about the former Pima Community College baseball coach. People described his amiable nature, fair and measured approach with his players and the family atmosphere he created on the diamond in the midst of fierce competition.
Those values translated into three NJCAA World Series appearances from 1974 to 1989 for the Aztecs before Alday became the head coach at the University of New Mexico from 1990 to 2007. He carried the same traits to Albuquerque, where he left his mark as the winningest coach in program history with 515 victories. He returned to Pima for one last season in 2017 before retiring.
While the Pima County Hall of Famer died in 2021 at age 71, his unmatched legacy still lives today through his numerous accolades and the Rich Alday Memorial Golf Tournament, which held its fourth annual event last Saturday at El Rio Golf Course to fundraise for the upcoming baseball season. Continue reading “Local baseball community honors late Rich Alday in golf tournament to support Pima baseball”
By Fletcher Anderson
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – For decades, the Catholic high school battle in the Valley revolved around Brophy and St. Mary’s. With their roots and history tied together, at one point the schools merged during the Great Depression. Once Brophy reopened in 1952, a rivalry was born. The two battled back and forth for generations, with campuses just miles apart. Fans and athletes bickered about mascots, school colors and even engaged in territorial spats over which side commanded certain watering holes along Central Avenue.
But over the years, as Brophy grew bigger and bigger, the rivalry began to diminish. After 2012, the schools mostly stopped playing each other in football. However, a new rivalry has emerged, with Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale filling the hole left by St. Mary’s, which gradually fell off the sports scene as the seasons changed.
On Friday, what is now called the Holy Bowl is set to be played for the fifth time in as many years, between Notre Dame Prep and Brophy. This Catholic school series started in 2020, and has developed into not just a rivalry, but a coming together between the two. Continue reading “Notre Dame and Brophy football rivalry carries more respect than animosity”
By Nash Darragh
Cronkite News
MESA – Election season is in full swing. Arizona is one of the most important states in this year’s presidential “race to 270.” The purple state contains 11 electoral votes that could make or break either campaign for former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans in Arizona who are publicly switching their support to Harris could have an impact.
“I remain registered as a Republican because I think it most closely identifies with where I’m at politically,” said Mesa Mayor John Giles, who has endorsed Harris. “There are absolutely things about the Biden-Harris administration that I have policy differences with. I think the fearmongering from the Trump campaign about Vice President Harris being a socialist or calling her Comrade Harris, you know, those are way overblown. I think she’s demonstrated that when it comes to governing and when it comes to problem solving, she will do that. She will compromise, and she’ll work with Republicans, and she’ll govern from the middle.”
By Jalen Weathers
Cronkite News
TEMPE – The Arizona State women’s volleyball team is off to a strong 11-1 start this season. Ranked No. 14, the team’s only loss was to Nebraska, which jumped from No. 5 to No. 2 in the national rankings this week.
Other than that blip, the Sun Devils have been dominating, sweeping eight of their 12 opponents.
A vital part of ASU’s success is libero Mary Shroll. Continue reading “Defensive anchor Mary Shroll keys ASU women’s volleyball hot start entering inaugural Big 12 campaign”
By Ethan Desjardine
Cronkite News
CHANDLER – At Basha High School, nothing draws a larger crowd than when the Bears play under the Friday night lights at Jim Wall Stadium. The stands are packed with a few thousand fans, and as the Bears enter the field, the crowd’s roar is deafening.
The fans expect success, and the Basha Bears under coach Chris McDonald have been one of the best success stories in all of Arizona high school football over the past few years.
Not surprisingly, the Bears are off to a hot start in 2024 and have talent on both sides of the ball. Continue reading “Championship fever? Basha Bears charging toward football state title under coach Chris McDonald”
By Cooper Burns
Cronkite News
AVONDALE – As the host of two NASCAR stops, including the Cup Series Championship, Phoenix Raceway has emerged as one of the premier tracks on the circuit. Now it hopes to flex its charitable muscle as a key figure in the community, too.
A recent luncheon at the track featured several drivers, including Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, to recognize the 20th anniversary of the Drive for Diversity program. Additionally, the luncheon benefited the Fighter Country Foundation, a charity that helps those who have served at Luke Air Force Base.
In November, Blaney finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway, giving the driver of the No. 12 Ford the title in NASCAR‘s premier series. As the Cup Series champion, he travels the nation representing the sport at a variety of events. Continue reading “NASCAR Cup champion Ryan Blaney returns to Phoenix Raceway as track embraces community engagement”
By Tucker L. Sennett
Cronkite News
TEMPE – From conference realignment to a new 12-team playoff format to coaching changes at some of the nation’s powerhouse programs, the college football landscape has experienced a series of tectonic shifts over the last year.
And in 2024, programs are adjusting to new technology-based rules for the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, including coach-to-player wireless communication and access to computer tablets on the sidelines.
While optional for all FBS schools, many – including Arizona State – have implemented the next-level communication technology that has been in use in the NFL to allow coaches to talk to quarterbacks since 1994 and communicate with a player on both sides of the ball since 2008. Continue reading “Signs of the times: Arizona State football implements coach-to-player communication system”
By Phineas Hogan
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – Kari Lake has consistently underperformed Donald Trump in Arizona, an anemic showing that spells trouble for Republicans hoping to nab the state’s open U.S. Senate seat.
A Fox News poll of Arizona voters on Aug. 28 showed Lake lagging Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego by 15 percentage points, even as the former president remained virtually tied with Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.
Other polls also find a persistent gap between Trump’s support and hers in Arizona, which bodes well for Democrats who would almost certainly lose control of the Senate without the Arizona seat.
By Tucker L. Sennett
Cronkite News
TEMPE – Kenny Dillingham was quieter than usual in his Monday afternoon press conference. While his team reaped the rewards of a long weekend after Thursday’s 31-28 win over Texas State, the coach stayed hard at work.
“Friday … I was in San Marcos, then went (from) San Marcos to San Antonio, saw five schools in San Antonio, then left San Antonio and went to El Paso,” he said about his recruiting journey. “Saturday we had a day off, so I got to hang out with the little guy.”
Such is the schedule of the modern college football coach. Between his team posting a 3-0 start for the first time since 2019 and being a dad, Dillingham doesn’t have time to slow down. His team doesn’t either. Continue reading “Old friends, tortillas and more: ASU prepares for Texas Tech in first conference clash in Big 12”
