Central High School (21-2) is absolutely on another level this high school season. The Bobcats are putting the finishing touches on a terrific year that looks as if it will end very favorably for Head Coach Darren Bustos and his coaching staff. Coach Bustos has consistently put together a nice program in the state's 5A Division annually, as Central has been a very good program, but not like now. This season, after the welcomed additions of several transfers to their program and a new freshman star, the program has completely flourished and go to another level - now becoming one of the favorites to win a 5A State Championship this season, and also be right in the thick of things for an Open Division State Championship.
While this year's Open Division State Championship is 3-time defending State Champion Perry High School's to lose, and there are numerous high school programs this season that will compete with Perry to win it, throw Central High School in the hat as well. A member of the state's 5A Division, Central High School will give Perry and any other team this high school season, for that matter, a serious run for their money. Central is capable of winning it all this high school season, and they do it with a brand of basketball that is very enjoyable to watch - making the game look easy, as evidenced by their amazing performance as a team this high school season.
Central High School, for the most part, has blown past their competition this season, and they did it without having a lot of their star power for the first (9) games of the season, as stud 6-foot junior guard John Mattingly, 5-foot-9 junior Dominic Rojas and 6-foot-6 senior Anthony Maciel each missed the first (9) games of the season due to the AIA transfer rule.
Without several of their best players this season, the team was still able to dominate much of their competition behind the strong play of 6-foot-1 freshman guard Grant Mattingly. Mattingly immediately went to work in his brother and teammate's absence, and more than held it down for his program. Mattingly has turned in one of the top freshman performances in the state, as he has been the team leader as a mere incoming freshman starter - something I have rarely seen throughout my scouting career. Mattingly became the focal point of the offense from day one, and he more than held his own - leading his team to an impressive 10-1 record to start the season, before his team's narrow loss to a very tough Carl Hayden HS team (58-57). Mattingly has averaged impressive numbers on the season - 16.5 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per/game.
Grant now has the impressive help of his brother, star guard John Mattingly, who has immediately inserted himself into the lineup, and is already having his best high school season to date as well. Since joining the team, John Mattingly has significantly raised the overall performance of the team - averaging a team-high 23 points, 5.3 assists, 6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per/contest. Mattingly is one of the state's top overall guard prospects and one of my top overall prospects in Arizona's very strong 2026 Class. I previously spoke about Mattingly exploding for his junior season, and he certainly has, as he is posting the best numbers of his high school career this season. John Mattingly, like his teammates, does not look to overpower the game with scoring, but instead is a pure point guard prospect that can score almost at will. His offensive ability is very unique, once he makes up his mind to make plays, as he is an efficient scorer and shooter of the basketball that has a strong handle of the ball and can get to where he wants on the floor. He is a very difficult guard to defend for opposing guards, as a result of his feel for the game and advanced basketball IQ and skillset.
The addition of John Mattingly and also his backcourt mate, Dom Rojas, has simply taken the Central program to another level, as Rojas is also posting strong numbers since joining the team. What also makes Central such a tough team to beat, is that Coach Bustos and his staff have developed a serious basketball culture where everyone on the team contributes. The Central team has numerous players currently that are close to averaging double-figures in scoring on this year's team, as many as (8) different players could average double-figures by season's end.
This team simply plays the game to win and is not worried about statistics, although I like to point them out. This Central team and program are different than most teams they face, and they play the game in the manner it was meant to be played. Any team that faces this group in the Open Division State Playoffs will certainly have their hands full, as they move the ball efficiently and make shots consistently, from the perimeter, inside the lane or in transition where they thrive as a team. While not a big team in size, they make up for it with tenacity and a high level of competitiveness. They simply play the game to win, and make winning plays as a team. While it may come as a surprise to you, this team could certainly win it all this high school season, as their ability to play the game is just as menacing as Perry's frontcourt.
I will continue to follow Central High School for the remainder of the high school season, as they look to make a strong finish to the season, and prepare for a big state playoff run. Central will face Carl Hayden at home on 2/4, in an exciting rematch, in what should be a great game.