Sedona Red Rock High School celebrated its basketball and cheerleading programs during its annual Winter Sports Awards banquet on the evening of Feb. 12 by handing out awards and superlatives to its middle and high school student athletes.
“We have quite a few kids that are finishing their basketball careers who’ve played all four years here at SRRHS. They’re definitely going to be leaving some big shoes to fill,” Athletic Director Peter Brock said. “Steel Sturgeon [and] Ben Metzger. They’re definitely going to leave a legacy here.
“Diana Garcia, she’s such a hard worker. Victoria Araiza, she’s stepped up and helped the team in so many various roles.”
Boys Basketball
This was the first year of Jason Metzger leading the boys varsity program with assistant coach Justin Behrman, with the Scorpions closing out the 2025-26 season with a 4-17 overall and a 2-10 record in the 2A Conference.
■ Most Valuable Player: Steel Sturgeon
“Not just like how I did in games, just like I came to every practice, played in almost every game, played almost every quarter, and I learned how to shoot better,” Sturgeon said. “Consistently, [I] was able to score about 20 points a game.”
■ Most Improved Player: Samuel Callau-Knigge
“I often found myself trying to put myself in his shoes — being on the other side of the world, trying to fit in. But he just seemed to fit in like he’s one of the guys. When he came in, it’s like he’s played the game for way longer than one year,” Behrman said about Knigge, a Norwegian exchange student. “He has an old basketball soul.”
■ Sportsmanship Award: Paxton Corney
Girls Basketball
The girls basketball team finished the season 1-19 overall and 0-11 in conference play, earning their lone win on Dec. 30 against the Mayer Wildcats, 32-20, under first-time head coach Deb Miller.
On Feb. 11, Miller announced her resignation as head coach of both the girls basketball and softball programs. A replacement for the softball team has not yet been named.
“She was a great proponent of just having girls be involved with sports,” Brock said. “I hope that’ll be what she’s remembered for most and helping our kids improve in whatever sport it is that they were involved with.”
■ Most Valuable Player: Diana Garcia
“Even though we didn’t have the best record, we still played our hearts out a hard time every single game,” Garcia, a senior said. “My favorite part was going on the away games with everyone and going at eat after the games.”
■ Most Improved Player: America Ibanez
“I feel like it was good [season] because I was always there for my team when I could be, and I was always willing to help and learn as well and learn with the team,” Ibanez said.
Ibanez added that her post SRRHS plans are to go to cosmetology school and own her own salon eventually.
■ Sportsmanship Award: Analeya Martinez
Cheer Squad
Gerado Gonzalez, took over as head coach of the Sedona Red Rock High School cheerleading squad this fall after one year teaching history at the school. He’s tripled the team’s cheers from 10 to 35, and expanded performances to the football program that returned this fall as well as soccer games.
“The cheer squad, you make the games fun,” Scorpions announcer John O’Brien said. “You guys, get the crowd going. You get everybody going. And I love it when you’re making a lot of noise, so it’s great, because you get the players motivated.”
■ Most Valuable Player: Santiago Victoria Garcia
■ Most Improved Player: Neftali Ocampo Sanchez
■ Sportsmanship Award: Esmeralda Villalobos
“The amount of dedication that it takes from parents and the athletes and the coaches to participate in sports in northern Arizona is a lot,” Scorpion Booster Club President Matt Corney said. “You’re missing some school and normally to leave for a game you’re traveling two or three just to travel back home. To have to get up, you know, get back at midnight or 1 a.m. and then get back to school the next morning and keep your studies up and your grades going. It just takes a special person and dedication to keep that kind of thing going.”
For more information on how to support Scorpion Athletics visit scorpionboosterclub.com.
