July 2021 School Spotlight

While we’re all busy cheering on the Phoenix Suns, we wanted to highlight some of our high school basketball stars that recently won the state championship for Saint Mary’s High School in Phoenix.

The Saint Mary’s Knights had a record of 21-1 during the regular season.  They defeated Paradise Honors by a score of 50-47 to win the State Championship for Division IV in March at Saint John Paul II.  This was the fourth time Saint Mary’s has won the title.

On the team there are multiple Arizona Leadership Foundation scholarship students. Keiren Brown just graduated from Saint Mary’s where he spent four years of high school with the aid of a scholarship from the Arizona Leadership Foundation.  He knew he wanted to attend Saint Mary’s because of their long tradition of success, in both the basketball program and academically.  His favorite subject is Math and he is going to attend Metro College in Denver, CO and is thinking about studying business while he continues his basketball career.  “The Arizona Leadership Foundation provided funding for me for four years and I am truly grateful. ALF’s support allowed me to attend a private school that was safe, secure and challenging. I’ll never forget my time at Saint Mary’s and thank ALF for their support.” Remarked Keiren.

Rising Senior Jacob Estrella wanted to attend Saint Mary’s because his father was a student-athlete at the school and played football.  He told us he was familiar with the school and appreciated its long-standing tradition and wanted to be a part of that legacy. He started at Saint Mary’s as a Freshman and has been on scholarship with ALF since that time.  According to Jacob, “The Arizona Leadership Foundation has given me a chance to attend Saint Mary’s, a private school that is safe, has a strong academic program and great basketball tradition. I continue to grow in my faith here at Saint Mary’s and am grateful for the support from ALF.”

Styles Phipps, who was a freshman this past year is new to the team but made an impact both on and off the floor for the Saint Mary’s program as he looks to continue on the 104-year tradition of athletic and academic success.

About St. Mary’s Catholic High School:
There’s something special about this place. Saint Mary’s Catholic High School is the first and oldest Catholic high school in Arizona. Since 1917, Saint Mary’s has served a diverse population of students that have set the tone for spirituality, academics, and athletics. The young men and women of Phoenix come to Saint Mary’s to receive an outstanding Catholic liberal arts education that fosters faith, promotes academic and athletic achievement, and encourages civic responsibility. Students come to be formed; they go on to shape the face of our nation as business leaders, civil servants, first responders, and public figures. Saint Mary’s is an extraordinary academic community enveloped by unwavering Catholic faith.