Thirty-five consecutive playoff appearances. Twenty-one regional championships. Two state titles. A 2019 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year.
For more than three decades, the Sahuaro High School girls basketball program has been a model of consistency and dominance in Arizona high school basketball.
On Thursday, the team is set to make its 35th consecutive playoff appearance when they face Cactus Shadows High School in the first round of the 4A Arizona state tournament
The team finished the season with a strong 21-9 record. They now enter the first round of the tournament, after a victory in the play-in round last week against Yuma High School
The Cougars are aiming to make a longer run than they did last year, as they were defeated by Estrella Foothills High School in the quarterfinals.
From the early years of the program to the powerhouse it is today, Sahuaro’s success has been built on more than just talent. It is a culture of discipline, teamwork and an unrelenting drive to win, says longtime head coach, athletic director and Sahuaro graduate Steve Botkin.
Botkin, in his 24th season with Sahuaro, has helped shape the program into one of Arizona’s most respected, with 635 all-time wins, the fourth most all-time for Arizona girls high school basketball.
Botkin, only the third coach in the program’s history, has created a culture of winning through a commitment to a standard that never wavers. Success is built on the hard work and dedication of the players, who are “mostly neighborhood kids,” the coach said.
“Sometimes we get a transfer or two in here, but most of the time, it’s the hard work and effort that they put in,” he added. “There’s something different about each team that makes every season special. This year’s group, the chemistry is awesome, it’s wonderful, and we all get along great.”
The team entered the season battle tested after spending the summer competing in tournaments against some of the top talent on the West Coast, including the Section 7 tournament at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Botkin is looking to the team’s four senior leaders – the team’s only seniors – to guide the team deep into the tournament
Dazmyne Gambrell, who transferred to Sahuaro two years ago, said having Coach Botkin “has been a blessing for me.”
“I’ve been to three different high schools, and this has been my favorite program by far,” she said.
“The program has been really amazing to me,” Maggie Boyd added. “Everyone has been so accepting since I’ve been here. And it’s taught me a lot. I’ve learned a lot of good lessons and hard lessons.”
The Cougars are in prime position to make another run at the 4A state title this month. The team’s mindset is to play not only with each other, but for each other too.
“We set the tone this year because we are really good friends and have a lot of chemistry together,” Carly Coolidge said. “I think a big factor is that we are very unselfish on offense. We don’t care about the points, or who scores or anything — we just want to get a bucket at the end of the possession.”
“For all of us, we have a great role,” Biale Sika added. “Everyone plays their role, and together we can be great.”
Sahuaro’s first round playoff game is set to tip off on Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. in Cave Creek. The game will be played at Cactus Shadows High School, located at 5802 E. Dove Valley Road.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
