The Phoenix Union High School District is beginning to make a comeback.

David Hines, the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s executive director, confirmed Monday during the AIA’s monthly board meeting that the Phoenix Union will compete during the AIA’s spring sports season. The district’s football teams played during a condensed season against sister schools.

The spring programs, however, will be the first Phoenix Union teams to compete for AIA playoff berths during the pandemic. The district's winter teams are preparing to play a shortened schedule against each other.

The AIA’s board approved a motion to allow Phoenix Union winter teams to compete during the spring season. Hines also announced during his monthly report to the board that the Tolleson Union High School District will play a spring schedule but only against its sister district schools.

Tolleson Union's fall and winter teams didn't play.

“We support those decisions,” Hines said. “We are looking forward to, and as things begin to get better, that we can have those schools join us again.”

During his monthly report, Hines also thanked Xavier Prep’s sports administrators and their staff for recently hosting the annual AIA Legislative Council meeting.

The Legislative Council, the body that adopts and amends the AIA bylaws, voted to allow the AIA to collect dues and fees for a legal defense and recovery fund. It also voted to allow the AIA’s board president to vote during board meetings.

The president, in the past, only voted to break a tie.

Hines also thanked all of the schools that hosted winter postseason games so far and the AIA’s state tournament coordinators for helping run postseason games during the pandemic. Arizona’s first high school team state championship meet for girls was held on March 6, with Basha winning it.

Toni Corona, the AIA’s board president, shared a moment from the wrestling team championship that caught her attention. As a couple of wrestlers walked into Mesquite High’s gym, one of them asked, “All of them (girls) do what I do?”

“It was a touching moment,” Corona said.

Added board member Jim Love, “To give these kids a chance to be able to do what they are doing and and give them a little sanity, to me, when I left there, I felt that we had all been rewarded.”

The board denied the appeals of nine of the ten schools wanting to move into different football conferences for the 2021-22 season.

The schools and vote:

Arete Prep’s request to move from 2A to 1A was declined by a 6-3 vote.

American Leadership Academy Ironwood (3A to 2A, 5-4 vote).

Phoenix Christian (3A to 2A, 9-0 vote).

Round Valley (3A to 2A, 9-0 vote).

Benjamin Franklin (4A to 3A, 9-0 vote). The board made a recommendation to allow Benjamin Franklin to be move into a different 4A region.

Mohave (4A to 3A. Approved by 5-4 vote.)

Maryvale (5A to 4A, 7-1 vote). AIA board member Dr. Zach Muñoz, the district athletic director of Phoenix Union, recused himself from the discussion about Phoenix Union schools Maryvale, North and Trevor Browne.

North (6A to 5A, 7-1 vote).

Trevor Browne (6A to 5A, 7-1 vote).

Copper Canyon (6A to 5A, 7-2 vote).

The board reaffirmed the role conferences play in scheduling football games.

A letter, presented to the board Monday and signed by nine of the 18 members of the AIA’s Football Reclassification Committee, was seeking clarification.

“The conferences are responsible for their schedules, and that will remain in the hands of the conferences,” Corona said. “And how they move forward will be at their liberty.”

Football schedules won't change for the 2021-22 school year unless the conferences need to make adjustments, Hines said.

Game results now help decide conference placement annually for football teams, but some districts didn't participate during the AIA's 2020 fall season because of the pandemic.

That led to the decision to keep the schedules unchanged.  

“It’s clear by the interpretation of our board that by our bylaw that the conferences, through their regions, are responsible for their schedules,” Hines said.

The board unanimously voted to deny a request to stage the Southern Arizona All-Star Football Showcase on May 8 at Tucson High School.

AIA board approval is needed to organize All-Star/showcases during the school year. The board and the AIA voiced their concerns about extended catastrophic insurance, the condition and availability of football equipment, heat acclimatization regulations and hosting the event at a AIA member school during their discussion.

The Southern Showcase was organized before AIA approval was sought.

The board approved Jerry Jennex, the superintendent of the Globe Unified School District, as its next representative of the Arizona School Boards Association on the board.

Jennex's term will begin during the following school year.