While Fountain Hills High School was closed for the holidays, several local sports teams still managed to get in some competition in the form of winter break tournaments.

Boys Basketball

The Fountain Hills High School boys basketball team kicked off the Epic Tourneys New Year’s Classic with an epic comeback victory on Tuesday, Dec. 28. The Falcons played Carl Hayden (3-8, 5A) on the first day and found themselves down 34-19 with 5:15 left in the third quarter. The Falcons clawed back and won 59-54 in overtime.

The Falcons’ only loss was against Tucson Magnet (13-0, 6A) on the second day. Tucson Magnet beat the Falcons 56-41 and went on to win the tournament. Head coach Jeff Bonner said he was impressed with how his team played against bigger schools and more experienced athletes.

The Falcons played Westview (4-5, 6A) several hours after Tucson Magnet, and the Falcons destroyed the Knights 60-22. On Thursday, Dec. 30, the Falcons defeated Mohave Accelerated (13-4, 1A) 53-48 in their last game of the tournament. The boys host Payson on Tuesday, Jan. 4, and they host ALA – Ironwood on Friday, Jan. 7 at 7p.m.

Girls Basketball

The high school girls basketball team also played in the Epic Tourneys New Year’s Classic this year and, unlike previous years, this time both teams played at the same facility and could cheer each other on. The Lady Falcons started off their tournament with a huge 57-17 win over Mountainside (0-6, 1A) on Dec. 28.

The Falcons had close matches over the next two days, but they couldn’t get another win. They lost 36-31 to San Pasqual (4-4, 1A), 61-50 to Red Mesa (6-5, 1A), and ended the tournament with a tough 24-23 loss to Mayer (7-8, 1A).

Senior Ezra Scaife scored 12 points in the first game but dealt with a calf injury on day two and couldn’t contribute as much. Fellow senior Soliel Smith averaged 13 points across the four games, junior LJ Holland averaged eight points and freshman CC Smith averaged 10.5 points for the tournament.

The girls host Payson on Tuesday, Jan. 4, and ALA – Ironwood on Friday, Jan. 7 at 5:30p.m.

Boys Soccer

The Falcon soccer team played in the Bohdie Larson Celebration Classic tournament over winter break. The Falcons played four games over two days, and they were the last games coached by Matt Pugliano.

The Falcons went 0-4 in the tournament. They fell 3-1 in the first match to Central (3-5-2, 5A), with senior captain Anthony Kasson scoring the lone goal. The Falcons played American Leadership Academy – Ironwood (0-5, 3A) on the afternoon of Dec. 29 and lost 3-0.

The next morning, the Falcons lost 1-0 to Mountain View (Marana) (3-0-1, 3A), and then the Falcons played Ben Franklin (3-5-2, 3A) in their final match. The Falcons fell short, losing 3-1.

Now 0-7-1, the Falcons host Northwest Christian on Tuesday, Jan. 4, and Scottsdale Preparatory Academy on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 4p.m.