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Lucas Colores, Cholla High School

Lucas Colores is a senior and varsity soccer captain at Cholla High School. He began playing soccer several years ago and has been a part of Cholla’s varsity soccer squad all four years of high school, including last season, when they didn’t win a single game. Colores is a natural leader on and off the pitch. He helped new head coach Gabriel Rocha acclimate to his new post by completing sponsorship and uniforms paperwork ahead of the season.

“He’s an exemplary leader. He’s humble and hard-working and he’s sincere,� Rocha said. “I think that combination of things just makes him very unique. And not many kids have that maturity or that mentality anymore. … He definitely has that potential. He has that leadership. And I know for a fact that he’ll work to get there.�

Sports: Soccer, tennis and cross country

GPA: 3.4

Future plans: Play collegiate soccer in the U.S. or overseas to help set up his family financially

Lucas fun fact: He works as a handyman in his free time and built his dream car, a 1978 Ford F-150, from the ground up.

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Isa Lopez and Neveah Urenda, Flowing Wells High School

For the first time since launching our “HS Student-Athlete of the Week� segment last fall, we featured two student-athletes in one week. Flowing Wells varsity basketball co-captains Isa Lopez and Neveah Urenda had an amazing start to their final season as Caballeros. Urenda surpassed 900 career points, while Lopez was soaking up every minute of being co-captain on the varsity team, something she had worked up to since freshman year.

“They’re the kids that I want my young kids to model themselves after when I look for role models,� head coach Michael Perkins said. “ ... Those are the kids we want to continue to foster, continue to grow and continue to be great role models in our community.�

Sports: Basketball

GPA: Both have above a 3.8

Future plans: Lopez plans on becoming a teacher, while Urenda hopes to play collegiate basketball and study marketing

Isa fun fact: She also sings in the school choir

Neveah fun fact: She enjoys building LEGO sets in her free time

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Jamin Booker, Buena High School

Jamin Booker is a senior and varsity basketball player at Buena High School in Sierra Vista. Although he’s only 17, he already towers over the court at 6-4. Toward the beginning of the season, Booker was putting up serious numbers, including 25 points during Buena’s game against Pueblo on Jan. 17. His efforts helped the Colts go 17-1 overall this season. Off the court, Booker participates in the school’s Key Club, where students participate in community service projects.

“It’s been a great experience,� said Dennis Baker, Buena’s varsity basketball head coach. “He’s easily the best athlete I’ve had the pleasure of coaching. And he’s an all-around good kid. He’s really smart, good in the classroom, has a good attitude and just everything that a coach would want when you’re trying to be successful on the floor and off the floor.�

Sports: Basketball

GPA: 3.9

Future plans: He wants to play basketball at the college level and study engineering or join the U.S. Army

Jamin fun fact: He resells computer parts and trading cards on eBay, a hobby he picked up during his free time

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Kameron Pippen, Palo Verde High School

Kameron Pippen is a star student-athlete at Palo Verde who plays football in the fall and basketball in the winter. He led the state in assists this year with 126 at the time of publication. Despite sharing a last name with NBA player Scottie Pippen, Kameron doesn’t think the two are related, but “maybe somewhere down the line.� Between basketball and football, Pippen’s whole life revolves around sports, he says.

“Next year, we’re going to ask Kam to score a little bit more,� head coach Anthony Smith said. “I think people will then see his full game.�

Sports: Basketball and football

Future plans: He plans on playing basketball or football in college, once he gets there in 2026, and hopes to study business

Kameron fun fact: His favorite basketball shoes are Kobe’s

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Daesiah Varner, Cienega High School

Daesiah Varner is a sophomore and varsity wrestler at Cienega High School. She became a first-time state champion in the Div. I 235-pound weight class last season and ran it back this season to snag her second state title just a few weeks ago. This season, she holds a 25-1 record and is undefeated in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, with her only loss coming from a wrestler in Texas.

“She’s quietly very caring of people,� head coach Terence Hickey said. “You won’t necessarily see it on the surface, on the outside, but I think that she truly cares about people’s well-being. … And as much as she cares about people, she doesn’t mind snapping their faces down to the mat and beating them up. But after that, she’ll give you a hug and tell you she loves you.�

Sports: Wrestling

GPA: 3.5

Future plans: She hopes to attend Liberty University or Penn State and continue her wrestling journey

Daesiah fun fact: She loves baking during her free time. Her favorite cookies to make are Snickerdoodles or red velvet cookies.

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America Romero, Douglas High School

America Romero isn’t your typical high school sophomore. The Douglas soccer player recorded over 100 saves this season. With the help of Romero, the Bulldogs went undefeated in their region and conference. Her record landed her spots on local, state and even national leaderboards this season. At one point, she was No. 16 in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and No. 97 in the U.S. And even though soccer is a high-intensity sport, she says playing is like therapy for her.

“Even though she’s young, she’s very vocal on the field,� said Mario Romero, the head coach of Douglas’ girls varsity soccer team. “Once she’s on the field, you see the competitor in her and stuff. And she’s very good. It’s amazing to watch her.�

Sports: Soccer

GPA: 3.9

Future plans: She hopes to play soccer at UCLA and become an orthodontist

America fun fact: Her favorite soccer player is Guillermo “Memo� Ochoa

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Sarah Perez, Sahuarita High School

Sarah Perez is a senior at Sahuarita High School who took home her first state championship title last season. This season, she took home first place in her division in the 114-pound weight class at sectionals. The win marked her first and final time as a sectional champ. Her team went through numerous injuries this season and only had two wrestlers competing at sectionals. Perez and another senior battled it out and helped Sahuarita take home seventh place in the team event.

“Just seeing the progression from when she started to where she’s at now and then committing into a college to wrestle and all that has been rewarding,� head coach Ralph Lopez said.

Sports: Wrestling, swim and track and field

GPA: 3.48

Future plans: Perez will attend Hastings College in Nebraska this fall to wrestle and study exercise science. She plans to get a master’s degree and become a dietitian who works with athletes, especially wrestlers.

Sarah fun fact: She has a pet bearded dragon named Maui

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Angel Bracamontes Pulido, Sunnyside High School

Sunnyside senior Angel Bracamontes Pulido broke so many career conference records this season that we don’t even have enough print space to list them all. So, we’ll keep it simple: He recently became the all-time career leader in total points scored, goals and assists in the 6A conference with 81 goals, 233 points and 71 assists recorded. Despite being a star player on the soccer team, Bracamontes Pulido focuses on enjoying his time with his teammates, not breaking records.

“He loves the game. He loves his teammates, he’s a super unselfish player. It’s fun to have kids that are a superstar, that don’t even know that they’re a superstar,� head coach Casey O’Brien said. “Because he doesn’t really buy into that at all. He just wants to play. He wants to win, he wants to be successful. But he’s more happy for his teammates than himself. It’s really cool because a lot of times it’s not really like that, kids can be kind of self-involved a little bit, but he’s legitimately just playing.�

Sports: Soccer

Future plans: He’ll attend and play soccer at Phoenix College. He hopes to eventually play soccer at a university.

Angel fun fact: He enjoys fishing in his free time. His favorite fishing spots include Sahuarita, Arivaca and Patagonia.

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Leo Gutierrez, Salpointe Catholic High School

When you think of Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ high school soccer, you’ve probably heard the name Leo Gutierrez a time or two. The Salpointe Catholic senior broke numerous state and conference records this season, including the state soccer career goal-scoring record with 173. Gutierrez also recorded 140 points this season, a 4A record. After his junior year, Gutierrez received an offer from New York City FC but decided to return home for his senior year. Long-time Salpointe soccer head coach Wolfgang Weber has some high praise for the senior:

“He has a lot of talent, I think, I’ve not seen in the 43 years a player who is as efficient in the box, inside the box taking on people or receiving the ball and shielding the ball and then turning and shooting,� Weber said. “I mean, that’s just a special quality he has and he’s very fluid in what he does.�

Sports: Soccer

Future plans: Possibly play soccer at Pima Community College

Leo fun fact: His soccer GOAT is none other than Ronaldo

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