By Vincent Lombardi
So Az Hoops Review
Daron Cross, the Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach at Ironwood Ridge High School, has been a fixture in the Tucson Basketball Community for several years. He has paid his dues to get where he is at, spending countless hours working with kids of all ages in developing basketball skills and being a mentor that they can lean on when times are tough.
Coach Cross established the Tucson Heat Youth Club in 1994, and it is still going today. Some of his proudest moments as a coach come both as a Club Coach and a High School Coach. Coach Cross has several moments as a Coach that he is proud of. “Coaching my 1997 Tucson Heat Boys club team to a BCI National Championship and seeing some of them with their school team (Palo Verde, Santa Rita, Sahuaro High Schools) play and win a State Championship in the 97 and 98 seasons. And the other was my 2021-22 Ironwood Ridge girls’ team that reached the State Quarter-Finals by beating a really talented Fairfax team in the 2nd Round of State in their rowdy environment. They had 2 losses all season which were to 2 State Champions (Salpointe and Perry). We went on to the next game and lost to a really good State Runner-up Flowing Wells team pushing them to the brink.”
This year’s team looks to be amongst one of his best since he has been at IRHS. The team returns several starters and key backup players from a team that made the Playoffs last year and lost to eventual State Champion, Canyon View. Jaidyn Saucedo was last Year’s 5A Southern Region Offensive Player of the Year as a Freshman. “The Goals for Jaidyn this year is to continue getting better daily and making her teammates better. She already leads by example but I need her to be more vocal on the floor and have confidence in her 3-point shooting this season. She has the potential to accomplish anything she sets her mind to.” says Coach Cross
Molly Walter and Myla Elslager, both starters from last year, will be huge impact players for the Nighthawks this season. Both are seasoned veterans now, and have really worked hard in the off-season to prepare themselves for the upcoming season. “Molly has amazing athletic
ability and this could be her season to shine. She’s put in much work in the weight room and on
the court. Her skill development has made her lethal to where she can play inside or on the
Perimeter.” Says Coach cross. Backups Katelyn Cano and Scarlett Barton will continue to add depth and experience to the squad.
Incoming freshman, Serenity Hampton, Southern Arizona Hoops Review’s #1 ranked player in the 2028 class, will also be a player to watch for the Nighthawks. Coach Cross knows that Hampton will be a pillar of the program for a long time. “Serenity will play a huge role in our success this season. She is very talented and brings a DOG mentality to our team. She puts in a lot of work on and off the court. I look forward to seeing her development this season continue and into future years.”
This year IRHS moves down into the 4A Kino Region. However, that Region has been loaded over the last few years and this year will be no different. “The 4A Kino region is the most competitive in the State if you ask me. With Salpointe winning 2 out of the last 3 4A State Championships. In my mind this will be a tough challenge for us which we will embrace. All the teams in our region will be tough but right now I look at it as Salpointe and everyone else. I welcome tough competition. It adds to the development of making our team better and teaches players how to handle adversity when they are going through it.” Says Cross
Ironwood Ridge Girls Basketball has a very bright future and they couldn’t be in better hands than with Coach Daron Cross. His mix of experience and energy will be critical as the Nighthawks look to establish themselves as one of the top teams in Southern Arizona.
