5-10

Jr.

Jay Caserio

Scott Newendyke

Tommy Lemmons

Fabian Valladolid

Marcus MacDonald

Isaac MacDonald

Mr. Christopher Stroud

Dan Haasch

Shawna Bradjan

2017 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT TEAMS

Gilbert
TIGERS

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM SELECTIONS

Gilbert third quarter sinks Mesa
February 13, 2018 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365
 

What Gilbert High didn't do in the first half of Tuesday's 6A boys basketball playoff game with Mesa High was take care of the ball. Once they took care of that -- in a clean and decisive third quarter -- the evening belonged to the Tigers.

#10 Gilbert turned around a two-point halftime deficit by outscoring #7 Mesa 18-4 in the third period and went on to post a 56-39 victory over the Jackrabbits in a first-round game at Jackrabbit Gym.

Gilbert (16-11) moves on to the quarterfinals to face top-seed Pinnacle on Friday night at 6:30 at Pinnacle. Pinnacle trounced #15 Highland, 88-42. Mesa saw its season finish with a glossy 21-6 mark.

Gilbert's starting five was balanced in scoring in the victory. Brycen Long led with 11 points, Doc Self and Tyler LaGanke added 10 each and Carson Towt contributed eight. The low-man was Trajon Hawkins, who often leads the Tigers in scoring. This night Hawkins netted just six. All of them were tallied consecutively in the final 2:38 of the game as part of a 7-0 run that ended Mesa's hopes at a comeback. Playing well in reserve for Gilbert was sophomore guard Paul Maldonado, who had nine points and scored in every quarter.

"We'll be in games if we defend, rebound and take care of the ball," Gilbert coach Jay Caserio said. "We were better in the second half protecting the ball."

The teams were on their way to playing their usual tight contest that often ends with the winner and/or both teams scoring in the low 40s as they did back on November 30 when Gilbert prevailed, 44-42. An eight-turnover first half in a predominantly half-court contest was a major factor Gilbert was down 20-18. In the third quarter, Gilbert committed zero turnovers.

In addition the Tigers hit the open man the few times that was the case as Mesa was played pretty fair defense itself. And on occasion the Tigers went one-on-one when they had a mismatch in the paint. Gilbert made 7 of 9 shots from the field in the third quarter, including threes from LaGanke (2) and Long (1). Mesa meanwhile turned the ball over five times in the quarter and made only 1 of 7 shots from the floor. That basket came from junior Zach Hobbs, a key portion nightly of Mesa's offense.

Hobbs, however, hardly played in the second half after putting up seven points in the first half. Hobbs picked up his fourth foul with 3:11 left in the third quarter and didn't return until 5:44 remained in the game. He fouled out 27 seconds later finishing with 9 points and leaving Mesa without a weapon that could have been huge in mounting a comeback.

Seniors Xavier Fuller and Mark Hatch led Mesa in scoring with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Hatch endured a tough night shooting, hitting on only 2 of 9 from the field. Along with Hobbs, they were the only Mesa players to score in the first three quarters.

Desert Vista rally tops Gilbert
January 11, 2018 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365
 

Last year Desert Vista and Gilbert traded five-point wins in see-saw battles. Nothing changed in the manner of contest Thursday when they met for the first of two meetings at the Jungle.

Tyrek Chambers took 13 seconds to answer Gilbert's final salvo in the final 30 seconds providing No. 5 Desert Vista a 55-54 win over the No.12 Tigers in a 6A Central Region game.

Desert Vista improved to 15-3 overall and is now 2-0 in 2-1 in Central Region play. Gilbert, after notching a 10-point win on Tuesday over Corona del Sol, dropped to 10-8, 2-1 in region. Both are a game behind region leader and top-ranked Mountain Pointe. Gilbert's loss was its fifth by four points or less this season.

Chambers and Alijah Gammage led Desert Vista with 12 points apiece and center Christian Anigwe added 11 points -- nine in the second half. Gilbert led most of the game and held a 52-45 lead with 3:41 left after a basket by Brycen Long. The Tigers controlled Desert Vista's size advantage most of the game, but the 6-foot-8 senior Anigwe was a factor late at both ends. He disrupted shots in the paint down the stretch and scored a pair of baskets in the final two minutes to key the Thunder's rally along with Chambers.

Anigwe's putback dunk with 54 seconds gave Desert Vista its first lead (53-52) since midway through the third quarter. Gilbert broke a three-minute scoreless streak with 28 seconds left as Trajon Hawkins capped a brilliant, hustling effort with a decisive drive in the lane for a 54-53 advantage. Hawkins finished with a game-high 22 points and was dazzling in the third period with 12 points.

Desert Vista didn't seek a timeout after Gilbert took its final lead. Chambers controlled the possession and made a nifty move in the paint to net for the game-winner with 15 seconds left.

Gilbert called time with 8 seconds left to set up a final shot. Long got off a perimeter shot that caromed off the front of the rim. Teammate Doc Self tracked it down but his off-balance toss at the hoop went awry. Self scored 12 points and Long chipped in 11.

Mountain Pointe Escapes Gilbert In OT
by Justin Vargas Thursday, December 28

Wednesday night would mark one of the more anticipated match-ups of this years McClintock Holiday Shoot-Out hosted at McClintock High School. The red-hot Mountain Pointe Pride (12-1) coached by Duane Eason, who was coming off of a hard-earned win against Mesquite High the night before, would take on a tough team in Coach Jay Caserio's Gilbert Tigers (8-5).

The two teams playing having contrasting styles of play, with Mountain Pointe pressing the entire game; usually with their run-and-gun system against a very half-court based Gilbert offense, that is very patient and methodical and chooses their shots carefully. It had the makings of a good mid-season match-up.

Mountain Pointe's full-court pressure seemed to wreak a little bit of havoc on Gilbert early, but the Pride allowed Gilbert to hang with them by committing careless turnovers in transition after creating turnovers on the defensive end. Both teams would go back-and-forth in the opening quarter with neither willing to give an inch to allow either team to go on any kind of run. A baseline fall-away jumper by Mountain Pointes 6-foot-4 senior guard Amarion Cash before the buzzer would break a 15-all tie to give his team the lead out of the first quarter.

Both teams would continue their stingy ways early In the 2nd quarter as neither team could create more than a one possession lead. Gilberts 5-foot-10 senior guard Doc Self would hit a 3-pointer to give his team their biggest lead of the game, 25-19, with 4 minutes to go in the 1st half. Their 6-foot senior guard Trajon Hawkins would hit his second 3-ball of the quarter to give them a 28-21 lead with less than 3 minutes left. Gilbert would take a 31-27 lead into the half.

Gilbert would come out of the locker rooms attempting to take the air out of the ball to slow down the fast-paced Mountain Pointe attack. The Pride just could not get any type of flow going early in the 3rd quarter, looking out of sorts with the ball. Gilberts feistiness on defense giving the Pride more problems than they could handle. A sweet feed from Gilberts 6-foot sophomore guard Paul Maldonado to teammate, 6-foot-1 sophomore wing Brycen Long, under the rim would give the Tigers their first double-digit lead with 2 minutes to go in the 3rd. But showing they were just down and not out, Mountain Pointe would get back-to-back 3-balls from their sharpshooting 6-foot-5 senior forward Ryan Pate and 5-foot-9 junior guard Khalid Price to bring them back to within 4 with 15 ticks left in the 3rd period. However, Brycen Long would strike again as he would answer with a 3-pointer of his own at the buzzer to send the Tigers into the final quarter up 49-42.

The two teams would get back to their ways of trading buckets early in the 4th quarter, with Mountain Pointe really struggling to convert from the free-throw line. The Gilbert defense would give the Mountain Pointe shooters more open looks from 3 than mall Santas giving out candy canes, however the Pride failed to cash in on the opportunities. Nevertheless, with 1 minute left in the game, Price would can 2 free-throws to tie the game at 53. Hawkins would give the Tigers back the lead with 2 free-throws of his own. A possession later, he would do it again, canning another set of clutch free-throws to give his team a 4-point advantage. However, Price would score a lay-up in less than 5 seconds to get Mountain Pointe back to within 2 with 9.4 seconds to go. Out of a Gilbert time-out, Mountain Pointe would force a jump-ball on the in-bound pass with 6.8 seconds left and the arrow in their favor. Price would find 6-foot-7 sophomore forward DeAndre Henry under the hoop on a beautifully drawn up inbound play by Coach Eason to force overtime.

On their first offensive possession, Price would hit a running floater to give the Pride their first lead since early in the 2nd quarter. With the game tied, Brycen Long would hit another trey with a minute and 30 seconds left. But not to be outdone, Price would come up big again with a 3-ball of his own to tie it back up. With Mountain Pointe clinging to a one-point lead and 10 seconds left, Long would try another shot from deep but would miss as the Pride escapes with a 66-64 victory.

Price would lead all scorers with 24 as Gilberts Trajon Hawkins left it all on the floor with 21 points of his own in the losing effort. Hawkins is as tough as they come in this state. The kid has no fear and is not afraid of getting inside and banging with the big boys in the paint for rebounds or hitting the deck for the loose ball with the guards. The Tigers go as he goes. Though they came up short, he made all 6 of his late-game clutch free-throws and he might not have hit the rim on 4 or 5 of them. He defines the way the Tigers like to play.
 

Gilbert outlasts Mesa
November 30, 2017 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365

Gilbert High boys basketball coach Jay Caserio and Mesa High coach Shane Burcar grew up close by in the same Michigan town separated in age by five years. Their teams play a similar brand of basketball and this season with little size on either side it was a defensive battle worth watching.

Two technical foul free throws by Trajon Hawkins and three by Doc Self in the final 2:44 proved the difference as Gilbert hung on for a 44-42 win over Mesa in a 6A contest at the Jungle.

Gilbert (4-2 overall), fielding the youngest team in Caserio's 11-year tenure, was more than happy to nab its first power-ranking win after losing one at the buzzer Tuesday night against Boulder Creek. Mesa (5-1) lost for the first time this season and is 1-1 in power-ranking games.

Gilbert used a huge third-quarter advantage sparked by Self that turned a two-point halftime deficit to a 39-28 advantage heading to the fourth quarter. Self, who tied for game-high honors with 19 points, made all four of his field-goal attempts in the third quarter -- three from 3-point range. Hawkins added five points in the quarter and Jaqwuan Myles four combined to outscore Mesa, 22-9, in the third period.

Gilbert did not make another basket the rest of the game. The Tigers led 39-30 after a timeout with six minutes to play and that's when Mesa senior guard Mark Hatch (team-high 19 points) and Zach Hobbs (14 points) went to work to rally the Jackrabbits. Hatch made a three-point play and sank a long three. Hobbs, an outstanding 3-point shooter, also hit a three (his fourth of the night) and the game was tied at 39.

Gilbert took the lead for good, 41-39, with 2:44 left after Hawkins sank free throws off a technical foul assessed to Hobbs. Gilbert turned the ball over three times in the next 2 1/2 minutes, but Mesa missed shot attempts on all three of the ensuing possessions. Hatch missed a tough three with 18 seconds left and Gilbert ended up with the ball. Self went to the line for a one-and-one with 12 seconds left and made both. Hatch raced up court and couldn't convert on a drive to the basket. Self was fouled again and made one of two free throws with three seconds left to seal the victory. Hatch banked in a three at the buzzer.

"Neither of us has size, but size can be overrated," Caserio said. "We both have the ability to shoot it and handle it, and the three-ball can be the equalizer. One of the keys for us was the defense by Tyler LaGanke on (Mesa's Xavier) Fuller. Fuller can be a handful. Tyler played all 32 minutes and Fuller (five points, none in the second half) didn't have a big game."

2017/18 CENTRAL ALL-REGION SELECTIONS

Player of the Year
Tyrek Chambers, Desert Vista

1st Team All-Region
Amarion Cash, Mountain Pointe
Wesley Harris, Desert Vista
Trajon Hawkins, Gilbert
Khalid Price, Mountain Pointe
Dalen Terry, Corona del Sol
Aaron Sayco, Desert Ridge

2nd Team All-Region
Christian Anigwe, Desert Vista
Jalen Graham, Mountain Pointe
Doc Self, Gilbert
Eric Blackwell, Corona del Sol
Ryan Pate, Mountain Pointe

Honorable Mention
Justin Stidhum, Highland
Brycen Long, Gilbert
Tyler LaGanke, Gilbert
Alex Medellin, Desert Ridge

Defensive Player of the Year
Jalen Graham, Mountain Pointe

Offensive Player of the Year
Tyrek Chambers, Desert Vista

Coach of the Year
Duane Eason, Mountain Pointe
 

Mountain Pointe wins 2017
"Welcome" Championship
 

GILBERT VS CESAR CHAVEZ
December 14, 2017

GILBERT AT RED MOUNTAIN
December 05, 2017

JAY CASERIO..
Varsity Head Coach..

Coach Caserio is entering his 11th season and has the longest tenure of any other coach at Gilbert High School. He is the all-time leader in wins and has an overall record of 174 - 108. Under Coach Caserio's direction, the Tigers have won Region titles, have earned a #2 ranking into the state tournament with two semi-finalist appearances, and have been to the quarter-finals or better in 6 out of his 10 years. Coach Caserio has also been named coach of the year in the Fiesta Region and by the East Valley Tribune three times and in Section 1 of Division in the 2014 season.

Coach Caserio graduated from Northern Michigan University, and earned his Master’s degree from Northern Arizona University. He teaches Honors Biology at Gilbert and is in his 17th year of teaching. He has been married to his wife Christy for 16 years. They have two daughters, Madison (14) and Meisha (12) and two sons, Crew (7) and Tripp (4).

Coach Caserio is passionate about coaching, teaching the details of the game and the daily process of what it takes to be successful. Coach Caserio and the Tiger coaching staff are excited for the upcoming season as they return with a young but determined team.
 

Scott Newendyke..
Assistant Varsity Coach

Coach "Newey" is excited to start his 5th season at Gilbert High School. He has spent the past 25+ years coaching at Red Mountain, Mountain View and Mesa High Schools. He grew up in a coaching and basketball family. He has also spent the past 12 years coaching on the national AAU circuit, as well as running many youth leagues and tournaments in the valley. His father is also a well-known coach in Arizona winning a state championship with Mesa High.

Coach Newendyke has four sons, Greg, Paul, Steven and Scotty and you can either find him in a gym or spending time with his sons.
 

CLYDE MYLES
Junior Varsity Head Coach

This will be Coach Myles 8th year coaching at Gilbert High School and he is excited to head up our JV team this year. Coach Myles has been a coach for 14 years on the AAU\Club circuit. He moved to Arizona 8 years ago from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he was born and raised.

Coach Myles currently lives in Gilbert with his wife Nikita and they have two daughters, Nakyra (19) Nyah (8) and three boys, DeAndre (24), Anthony (21) and Jaqwaun (15) who all have previously worn or presently wear the Tiger jersey.

Coach Myles brings dedication and knowledge to the Tigers Basketball Program.
 

Fabian Valladolid
Assistant Coach

Coach Fabian graduated from Arizona State University with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Basketball is a way of life for him and his family. The tradition was passed down from their father, who was one of the top players in Mexico many years ago. Coach Fabian is deeply rooted in high school basketball and club basketball in Arizona. He is dedicated to motivating and inspiring youth to be successful in their daily lives. He has been highly successful locally and nationally with many of his teams. As part of the Tiger program, he hopes to continue to foster the success and development of talented youth.

Coach Fabian has an innovative career in education and youth sports. He is committed to his family, friends, and community in everything he does. He lives in Gilbert, with his family including his son Prince (12) who has a bright future in basketball, and his daughter Zelda (6).
 

CLINT TREADWAY
Freshman Head Coach

Coach Treadway is entering his 3rd year coaching in the Gilbert High School basketball program and this season will be his first season heading up the Freshmen program. Coach Treadway is also Gilbert’s Head Junior Varsity football coach. Prior to coming to Gilbert, Coach Treadway was the Greenfield Jr. High 8th grade boy's basketball head coach for 3 years, winning the Superstition Conference title twice.

Coach Treadway graduated from Arizona State University earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. Coach Treadway currently lives in Mesa with his wife Libby and his son Ridge who just turned 3.
 

GILBERT HIGH SCHOOL
1101 E. Elliot Rd.
Gilbert, AZ 85234
(480) 497-0177 Ext. 169
GILBERT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 

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