Now that the high school season has been officially over, it is nice to reflect on the season that we just witnessed in the Arizona basketball community, as this was certainly a season to remember, forever. This high school season was much different than anyone I can remember, and for numerous reasons. I want to reflect for a moment on why this season meant so much to me and why I enjoyed covering it so much.
This season was simply different than any other high school basketball season, as the season will forever be scarred and blemished by the death of Combs High School student and basketball player Preston Lord. A junior for Combs High School, Lord was brutally beaten and murdered on Halloween night. While it is still being determined who is guilty for Lord's murder, seven different people, teens and adults, have now been indicted on murder charges. This terrible tragedy changed the Combs' team, their student body and faculty and their community forever. As a result of such a tragedy, this incident also changed the Arizona basketball community as well forever.
"It was such an emotional roller coaster," Combs High School Head Coach Hoseah Graham told the Arizona Republic. "Every day it provided different challenges to keep mental health, and to keep guys on track from falling into a dark place, where their frustrations would take over."
Hoseah Graham was also honored this week as the Arizona Republic's 2023-2024 Arizona High School Coach of the Year - a tremendous honor for Coach Graham after everything he and his community had to deal with this high school season, and now will have to deal with for the rest of their lives. Thank you Coach Graham for all you have done for your program of student-athletes and your community, through such an amazingly difficult season for everyone that was involved. So many drew inspiration from Coach Graham's sensitivity, love and transparency through such a difficult situation.
Coach Graham has meant so much to so many in the state of Arizona through his many, many years of coaching in this state. Coach Graham was the first high school Head Coach in this state to ever show me love and support. When I first began organizing a club program in 1998, Coach Graham allowed me to use his high school gymnasium @ Seton Catholic High School, and this was after he was named as the Arizona High School Coach of the Year then, and that was almost (30) years ago now. Coach Graham recently came out of retirement to coach at Combs High School, and God put him in the right place at the right time for the right reasons. There is not a better coach, person or human being that could have taken that job, as Hoseah Graham is a mighty man of faith and loves the youth. He was able to provide leadership and love to a community that surely needed it. My heart and prayers continue to go out to this community during this very difficult time, and I am thankful that my friend and brother, Coach Graham was and continues to be on the job.
This community will surely need healing for some time, as will the Arizona basketball community as a whole. As a result of such a tragic incident taking place this high school season, I will also remember the vigor and sense of urgency that Arizona high school teams played with the season, as I was consistently reminded of just how grateful we all were to witness such an excellent high school season, while for a student-athlete named Preston Lord, he would not get a chance to finish his junior season.
For many players this high school season, it was about winning an Open Division State Title, or winning a state championship, or just winning games, but I was reminded by this tragedy that there are also so many student-athletes who just love the high school season. Players that will never be recruited, but rather are learning life skills through the sport of basketball that will help them be successful in life. Life lessons through playing on a team, being coached, and playing for a common goal, while building meaningful long lasting relationships and friendships. For so many student-athletes, this season will be the last basketball season they will ever play in, so the memories will last a lifetime.
As a result of this fact, this is why the basketball season each year means to much for me to cover it, and I have for almost (30) years now. I see myself in many of these Arizona youth each game I attend. I see players that do not play much, but are still cheering on their teammates every game. There are so many kids in the state that I want to write about, but just do not get to it, as we simply cannot cover them all. Not just top performers, but student-athletes in general - Arizona youth that simply love and enjoy the game. Unfortunately, our staff cannot cover everyone, but I sure would like to, if we could. My heart goes out to all Arizona kids that want an opportunity to play college basketball, or simply want to be a part of a team, winning or not.
We can all learn something very valuable this season from Head Coach Hoseah Graham and his program, as their varsity finished with a very strong season, a 19-10 overall record this season in the state's 4A Division. While they did not win a state championship this season, they won at life. A lot was learned and taught through such a horrific experience, and somehow, this program held it together and relied heavily on one another to get through it. This will always be a season to remember, but not for basketball, but rather for the life lost by Preston Lord to a senseless act.
