Rivals to teammates: Paradise Honors boys basketball team making history

Editor's note: Paradise Honors saw its 2017-18 season come to an end on Friday, Feb. 23, losing 67-61 to Whiteriver Alchesay, 67-61, in a 2A state semifinal tournament game at the Prescott Valley Events Center.

A year ago, they were Surprise charter-school rivals, just a few miles apart.

Now they've merged to fuel Paradise Honors' history-making basketball season on the doorstep of the 2A school's first state championship.

Paradise Honors (28-1), ranked second in 2A by azcentral sports, plays Whiteriver Alchesay (32-1) on Friday at noon at the Prescott Valley Events Center. It is the first sport at the charter school to reach a state semifinal. The championship game is Saturday at 5 p.m.

This run has much to do with Arizona Charter Academy closing its high school last May as it has to do with the great job Zach Hettel has done.

Hettel built the program around 6-foot-7 Jared Perry, who only began playing high school basketball last year.

Last year's team went 17-5 and made the state tournament for the first time in the school's history. It was also the school's first winning season.

Hettel was returning three starters before ACA's closure sent its top three scorers to Paradise Honors: 6-3 Josh Hawkins (15 points a game), 6-4 Jon Jackson (11.1) and 6-3 Ian Jackson (10.3) their leading scores.

Since the high school shut down, those three became immediately eligible to play for Paradise Honors. Daishawn Davis-Mays, who also started at Arizona Charter, came over to Paradise Honors.

"You can't play more than five at a time," Hettel said. "I've got seven kids who are used to starting. And I have a freshman who starts for us now. There are eight kids who think they should be playing starer minutes. It's tough."

Somehow, it has worked out.

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Perry (14.1), Hawkins (12) and Ian Jackson (10.3) are all averaging in double figures scoring. There are a total of eight players averaging at least five points.

"Any of these seven or eight kids could score 15 to 20 a game at any other small school," Hettel said. "But they bought into what we're trying to do, stuck it out."

The Surprise charter school has turned into "Dunk City," with close to 100 dunks among the players this season.

"It was smooth for me," Hawkins said. "I played for a couple different club teams over the summer and you have to adjust to your role on the team and the others' playing style. So it felt fairly simple."

Ian Jackson said his first thought after his high school ceased to exist was, "What's next?"

"I was thinking here, because I know a lot of people here," Jackson said.

Perry said the newcomers from Arizona Charter were welcomed.

"Originally, I was worried about the two losses of our seniors last year," Perry said. "But these guys were able to come in not only to fill the gaps but to make our team better. Our overall skill is a lot better."

Perry, who signed with NCAA Division II Adams State, said the additions have helped lessen the pressure, although he still faces double teams.

"Now I know when I throw it out to them, they can deliver," Perry said.

Perry, who didn't play basketball his first two years of high school, is on a mission to finish this out.

"We don't want to lose," he said. "If we keep on it, we can win this year."

Ian Jackson, a senior, feels good about it.

"I knew right away," he said. "At practice, we push each other to the limits. This is our season. I don't want to go out my senior year without a ring."

Boys 2A tournament

Friday, Feb. 23

Semifinals at Prescott Valley Events Center

No. 2 Surprise Paradise Honors vs. No. 3 Alchesay, noon

No. 1 Pima vs. No. 4 Scottsdale Rancho Solano Prep, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24 final

Final at Prescott Valley Events Center

5 p.m.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him at twitter.com/azc_obert.