University administrators sometimes refer to the athletic department as the “front door” to the school. This is where the perception and public image of the institution is created.

As such, many schools see an increasing degree of responsibility to ensure that athletes meet character, academic, and athletic standards.

Honesty is easy to preach. Starting his football team after he pleaded guilty in juvenile court to an allegation of sexual assault in Hawaii in 2018 to determine whether his quarterback can remain eligible. is even more complicated.

Some of that court filings revealed last week show that the Arizona junior quarterback jayden de laura A high school teammate “physically overwhelmed” and raped a female student.

Arizona’s decision isn’t necessarily wrong. As with many court cases, the veracity of the charges against De Lora is often unknown to outsiders. The full picture of de Laura’s actions is never known to the public.

However, this means it will become a divisive issue within the UA community and will have repercussions both in and out of the field.

UA’s so-called “front porch” is seen by some as an organization that wins at all costs, puts football first and integrity first.

No Decision UA ​​President Robert C. Robbins As for de Laura’s eligibility, we were able to satisfy all members of the school. There is no doubt that the following questions will arise and there will be a great backlash.

• What do you think of de Laura’s teammates, especially those with sisters?
• Would second-string linebackers receive similar support?
• Do you want your son to play soccer on a team with sex offenders?

This is not the complete foundation of the Pac-12 Sport. In Oregon he had a similar controversy six years ago.

2017, Portland newspaper revealed All-American pitcher from Oregon Luke Heimlich In 2012, when he was 15, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his 6-year-old niece. The Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year left the team before playing (and losing) in the ’17 College World Series.

But before the 2018 season, OSU President Ed Ray determined to be Heimlich welcome to beaver“If Luke wants to, I support him continuing his education at Oregon State University and returning to the team next season,” Ray said.

Heimlich returned and was named NCAA Pitcher of the Year as the Beavers went 16-3 and won the College World Series.

However, his professional career was shattered. No MLB team drafted him, even though Heimlich was considered a likely first-round pick.

De Laura isn’t expected to be a top pick in the NFL Draft next year or in any year, but his value to the UA football team’s on-field success is unmatched.

He is the team’s most important player. Removing him from the 2023 Wildcats would have finally scored Arizona’s much-needed winning record and greatly reduced his expectations of playing in a bowl game.

The Wildcats could win a few more football games in the fall, but the damage to the school’s reputation could be substantial.

After serving as lead pitcher for Tucson High School’s 1945 and 1946 state championship baseball teams, Brad Tolson Moved to an even higher level in Arizona.

During his four years with the Wildcats, Tolson set a school-record 17-game winning streak and finished the 1950 season with a perfect 10-0 record. And it wasn’t soft he was 10-0. Tolson won his season opener against UCLA and the NCAA Tournament opener against No. 1 seed Texas.

son of 7-time state championship baseball coach at Tucson High School Andy Tolson, Brad Tolson died here last week. he was 93 years old.

After two years in minor league baseball, Tolson returned to Tucson to run an irrigation business. I once asked him what his fondest baseball memory was. He stopped, smiled and said: “

I listened intently as Tolson talked baseball for half an hour.

Tolson and his father were inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and 1997 respectively. Brad continued to play baseball two or three times a week until he was nearly 80, and Udall played in the Park’s Tucson where he entered the Oldtimers League.

After graduating from Rincon High School Ken Jakam When he was hired from the New Mexico Lobos baseball staff in 2018 to become Pima College’s head coach, the school’s long-standing baseball tradition was in decline.

Aztecs Consistently NJCAA Top 10 Program Rich Alday and Roger Welbiro From about 1975 to 1995, they hadn’t won 40 games in a season since 1992. They hadn’t played in the NJCAA World Series since 1993 and hadn’t won a league title in 30 years.

For decades, ACCAC was governed by Central Arizona College, Yavapai College, and Cochise College.

But that has changed. Jacome’s Aztecs are 43-15 this season, and he faces the CAC or Arizona Western in the Region I Championship next week. Jacome’s Aztecs have not lost a season in his five years he is 171-73. Impressively, he took over his PCC baseball program, which has been 39-81 in his conference games over the past three years.

The Aztecs went 26-12 this season.

Jacome’s plan, similar to Alday’s and Werbylo’s, is to win with a core of Tucson players. That wasn’t as obvious as it was last week when I was a sophomore catcher. Andrew Stucky The Canyon Del Oro High School student was named ACCAC Player of the Year. Stucky is the CDO’s future major leaguer, Scott Hairstonhit .501—but for Central Arizona College.

2017 and 2018 Salpointe Catholic forwards majok den and Catalina Foothills Guard Sam Beskind They are probably Tucson’s best male high school basketball players, racking up more than 3,000 combined career points in 2017 and 2018, and had epic state playoff battles, both with 77-72 and 57-72 monkey points. 55 wins.

His longtime rival is now his teammate at the Colorado School of Mines. Denn transferred to a Colorado school last week after spending three years at Pepperdine, where he started just four games. Beskind was at Stanford University where he played three years, starting four games, and a year ago at Colorado where he transferred to the School of Mines, where he won a 26-6 Division II NCAA Tournament with his team. scored an average of 9.4 points. …

… Linebacker/Shortstop at Ironwood Ridge Jake Matthews One of Tucson’s leading prep athletes for the past decade or so, he made All-City appearances in both sports, was drafted by the Kansas City Royals to play baseball, and was eventually drafted to play soccer in Arizona. offered a scholarship.

He chose to attend the University of Arizona, where Matthews started 27 games and had 107 tackles in his career before making the Pac-12 All-Academic Team. It was just the beginning.

Matthews graduated from UA College of Medicine this weekend. In June, he will begin his one-year preparatory surgery internship at her UA Medical School in Phoenix. In June 2024, Matthews will begin her radiology residency at Creighton Medical College in Phoenix. Six years later, she became a board-certified interventional radiologist. This is more than just making a few tackles in a Pac-12 match. …

Arizona junior outfielder Emilio Corona He hit three homers and hit eight in a game against Oregon State in Corvallis last Sunday. However, the Wildcats took the lead and in the bottom of the ninth he lost 11-10.

Its collapse was against the history of UA baseball. His previous seven Wildcats had three home runs in his one game, and Arizona won all seven games with a combined score of 79-29. Nonetheless, Corona joined the Wildcats’ impressive list with three home runs in a game.

• Denise Haynes In 1972, he got three hits against UTEP.
• Ron Hussey In 1974, he had three hits against Weber State.
• Eric Torres 3 hits against Washington in 2000.
• sherry duncan 3 hits against Utah in 2001.
• Brad Glenn 3 hits against Utah Valley in 2007.
• CJ Ziegler 3 hits against Utah Valley in 2008.
• Dillon Baird 3 hits against Sacramento State in 2008.

All but Torres were drafted by MLB teams after their UA careers. Hussey, Duncan, and Glenn advance to the big leagues. …

… Tucson’s Ben Khan In 2001, he won the state golf championship during his senior year at Palo Verde High School. After that, he became an All-Big 12 golfer at Kansas State University and in 2004 he won the Arizona Amateur Championship.

his father, Jeff KahnA seven-time Tucson City Amateur Champion, he now plays professionally for the 49ers Country Club and won the Arizona Amateur in 1977.

Last week in New Mexico, Ben Kahn shot 70-68-72-73 among a field of 144 PGA Club Pros to win the next PGA Championship (May 18-21 at New York’s Oak Hill Country Club). ) qualified. Khan placed him 15th overall, and he was one of 18 players to make it to the PGA. He earned $10,875.

Sound familiar? In 2018, Khan also qualified for the PGA Championship and was the only club pro to make the cut. Tony FinauIts PGA title is Brooks Koepka He defeated runner-up Tiger Woods. Khan is currently the head of his professional club in Ohio’s Hickory Hills Country.

If you’re worried that Arizona’s national record of 35 consecutive NCAA Softball Tournament appearances is coming to an end this year, especially if the Wildcats lost to Cal on Friday with a 5-17 win in the Pac-12. There is some consolation after a loss.

Oregon State achieved a Pac-10 record of 4-17 in 2004 and a conference record of 5-16 in 2003, earning them general slots in the NCAA Tournament. Pac-12 records of 8-16, 9-14, 9-14, 9-15, 9-14, 9-15.

Some raised eyebrows a year ago when both the OSU and the 8-16 Wildcats were granted illegal residency. However, the NCAA selection turned out to be valid. Both the Beavers and Wildcats won Regionals and Super Regionals and advanced to the Women’s College World Series.

RPI – inherently the strength of the schedule – mostly works in favor of the Pac-12.

This year, however, Arizona is so close that attending the big dance could be the infamous “last team-in.”