By james art 
Valley Christian dominates Gilbert Christian in a 1-on-2 battle
January 25, 2025 by Ben Stapley, AZPreps365
Valley Christian’s Carson Grier (5) looks for an open teammate Saturday night against Gilbert Christian. (Ben Stapley/Azpreps365)
Valley Christian left no doubt Saturday night that it is once again the king of 3A and perhaps a top 10 team in all of Arizona.
The Trojans traveled to rival and second-ranked Gilbert Christian in front of a packed house and an electric atmosphere in a rematch of last year’s championship game.
But Valley Christian took care of business early, jumping out to an 8-0 lead and never looked back during A76-52 victory in a non-region 3A contest.
Valley Christian’s 1-2 punch from guard Colby Jessup and forward Carson Grier was no match for Gilbert Christian. Grier led all scorers with 29 points to go along with 13 rebounds. The 6-7 senior used his size and strength to dominate in the paint and on the glass, leading to high-percentage layups and putbacks. Grier also showcased his outside touch, connecting on an array of outside jumpers and 3-pointers.
Jessup scored 20 points and dished out eight assists. The junior hit four 3-pointers.
“It’s always a game we get paid for,” Grier said afterward. “It’s our rival and always our fun game. It’s fun to come play in this gym.”
The Trojans led 22-12 after one quarter and blew the game open by halftime with a 42-17 lead.
Gilbert Christian (13-7) dialed up its offense in the second half. Tyler Burr knocked down three 3-pointers in the third quarter to spark the Knights. But there was no slowing down the Valley Christian machine.
“Valley Christian is just an amazing team doing what they do best tonight,” Gilbert Christian coach Jason Pasquariello said.
“When they shoot well from the outside, they’re almost unstoppable. They have shooters everywhere and they’re very disciplined.”
Valley Christian (18-3) is making a run at its fourth straight state title. This is the first year of the copper division, which is essentially an open division for 1A-3A conferences. The Trojans only state loss this season came in a close game against 6A Mesa High (71-66).
“This is my fourth year and we have a bunch of guys who have been playing together for a lot of years,” Grieu added. “We pass the ball so well and really play well together.”
Owen Fermoyle led the Knights with 16 points.