THE WEEKEND REPORT: September 4

The weekend report is back.  Each week I will recap the weekend in Arizona sports.  I will also recap any major games including any upsets.

The weekend started early for ASU football as they hosted the New Mexico State Aggies.  The Aggies kept it close for a half, but ASU was too much.  The final score was 37-31 and it showed how likely the Sun Devils will struggle this year.

The Arizona Wildcats also opened their season at home this weekend.  The hosted in state foe Northern Arizona and had a much easier time.  They won impressively 62-24.

The Arizona Cardinals also played on Thursday in Denver, their last preseason game.  They lost 30-2 but not a big deal seeing as how most who played won't play much during the regular season,  if they are even on an NFL roster.

Now lets switch gears to baseball!

The last team to talk about is the Arizona Diamondbacks.  It's now September and the Diamondbacks find themselves in the middle of a wild card fight.  A fight they are winning.  They swept the Colorado Rockies this weekend.  Even more impressive, that comes after handing the Los Angeles Dodgers their first series sweep of the season.

THE HIGHSCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: ROSS REITER

High school football is back in the Valley of the Sun and so is The High School Highlight.  We start this season at Brophy Prep with long snapper and defensive lineman Ross Reiter.

Reiter is a 17 year old senior with a 3.43 GPA. He also runs track and is a member of the National Honors Society. He has been on the varsity team for 3 years.

Reiter will play football at Colorado State University next season. His goal is to graduate college and then play in the NFL. He also has goals for this season which include a state championship and ending his high school career with a 3.5 GPA.

Reiter says " I have had a love for the game as long as I can remember."

His love for the game shows on the field. He is a five-star recruit and is ranked second in the nation among the long snappers.

He does not take all the credit for his accomplishments. He says the scout team are the real MVPs.

He is excellent athlete with a bright future ahead of him.

Ross Reiter's highlights

COPPER CANYON IMPRESSIVE IN SCRIMAGE

The Copper Canyon Aztec football team took a ride to the heart of Glendale to scrimmage the Glendale Cardinals.

This was the first time both teams got to line up against another team.  Both teams are coming of seasons of improvement from the year before.  Both teams are also hopeful they will continue to improve this season.

When the game started the Cardinals had a few big gains on offense but the game was dominated by the Aztecs.

Glendale is a team to watch this year but if tonight was any preview of the coming season Copper Canyon will surprise people this year.

Copper Canyon is led by coach Shawn Kemmer, an army vet who has turned around a struggling program in just a few years with the program.  He finds a way to get the best out of his players.

TRAGEDY FOR FORMER HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT

Todd Heap was one the greatest football and basketball players to come out of Mesa's Mountain View High School.  He went on to be a star tight end for the Arizona State Football team and spent 12 years in the NFL before retiring due to injury.

Friday afternoon Heap's life changed forever.  According to reports he was moving his truck when he accidentally hit and killed his 3 year old daughter.  Not much more is known yet at this point.

My heart truly goes out to Todd and his family.  I played high school when he did and followed hos career all the way to retirement.  Although I didn't know him personally, through mutual friends I know he is a great guy and I know he can get through this.

AARON HERNANDEZ FOUND NOT GUILTY

A short time ago Aaron Hernandez was found not guilty of 2 counts of murder.  You may remember Hernandez from his days as a tight end for the New England Patriots. 

The charges stem from an alleged drive-by shooting that left two people dead back in 2012.  The murders occurred in Boston.  A jury of his peers found him not guilty of the murders, but Hernandez will remain in prison.

Hernandez was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole for another murder, this one in 2013.  Hernandez is just 27 years old and has a very ling road ahead of him, but he does have the support of his fiance, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, who was in the court room when the verdict came down.

REMEMBERING A TRAGEDY

21 years ago today the South Mountain Community College baseball team was riding high.  They were in first place in their conference as they prepared to travel south to play Cochise College.  The team loaded up in 3 vans and headed out.  At 4:00P.M. when they were just outside of Casa Grande, tragedy struck.

The right rear passenger tire blew in one of the vans being driven by one of the players, 19 year old Thomas Eaton.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.  19 year old valley native Alfred Stell Jr. Was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died.

The accident hit home for many people in west Phoenix.  Stell was a graduate of Carl Hayden High School and loved by many.  He was a "gentle giant".  Always polite, respectful and loved life.

Several other players were taken to local hospitals with various injuries and were released.  The team decided to continue it's season in honor of both Stell and Eaton.

The tragedy of losing these 2 young athlete's, reminds us to live life to the fullest and not to take what we have for granted.

SHAZAM! RING OF HONOR HERE HE COMES

The Phoenix Suns legendary play-by-play announcer Al McCoy will be inducted into the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor tonight. This is an amazing feat comma and not just because there are only 14 other members of the Ring of Honor. But because McCoy is a broadcaster, and they are rarely recognized.

A legend like McCoy is hard to not notice.  He has been doing play by play for the Suns 45 seasons.  He has literally spent a lifetime calling games and has many catch phrases to prove it.

Shazam, shwish-a-roo for two, wham bam slam and heartbreak hotel are just a few phrases made famous my McCoy.  He is also the longest tenured announcer in the NBA.

SUNS TANKING BUT WHY

The NBA season is nearing its end and here in Phoenix all we have to look forward to is the draft.  The Suns are doing there best to tank the rest of the season to ensure themselves a top draft pick.  Some people like the idea, but me,  i hate it!

Why would you throw your season away like that!

The Suns aren't a very good team to begin with so losing games isn't hard for them.  The thought of professionals purposely losing games just to have a very slight edge in the draft is ridiculous.  That is not how to properly rebuild your struggling team.

The Suns did absolutely nothing at the trade deadline except send the core of the team away in exchange for.....absolutely nothing.

The problem isn't the players or coaches.   Its management and starts with the owner.  Something needs to be done in the front office to show loyal Suns fans that they want to build a winner in Phoenix again.

PATS, BRADY WIN EXCITING SUPERBOWL

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots made history last night by overcoming a 25 point deficit in Superbowl LI.  The Falcons had the Patriots on the ropes but could not hang on.  This also marked the first ever Superbowl to go in to overtime.   The final score was New England winning 34-28.

The game was a tale of two halves. The Atlanta Falcons controlled the first half. Their defense dominated in the second quarter and they LED 21-3 at halftime. In the second half they could not continue their great play, scoring just seven points the rest of the game.

The Patriots scored 19 fourth-quarter points to force overtime. That's when Tom Brady took over and led his team to Victory. Brady was named the game's MVP. Brady is now the winningest player in NFL history when it comes to Super Bowl victories. He may have also sealed his legacy as the best quarterback to ever play the game.

SUPERBOWL LI

Today is Superbowl LI in Houston between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. Both teams have had great seasons and have definitely earned the right to be in the big game.

The Falcons have never won a Superbowl. They are led by a high-powered offense. Their defense isn't too bad either. Many people would like to see them win the Super Bowl, but is it because they are fans of the Falcons, or is it because they don't want to see the Patriots win?

This game has a lot of meaning for the Patriots as well. If they win it will be Tom Brady's 5th Super Bowl, making him the winningest player in Super Bowl history. But if they lose they are just four and three and Superbowl appearances. That makes them just above average.

Now on to the game, who will win you ask? I wish the answer was simple but it's not. This is an evenly-matched game and I could see either team coming out on top. I will give the slight Edge to the Patriots. Brady has proved time and again that there isn't a secondary that can handle him.

The prediction: New England 38, Atlanta  36