Fresh off their second state championship in three years and one of the most successful seasons in program history, the San Tan Charter School Roadrunners are wasting no time looking ahead. The Roadrunners have announced their 2026 Juneball schedule โ three elite summer events that will put them in front of college coaches and against some of the best competition in the country.
The Summer Slate
San Tan Charter has secured spots in three marquee summer tournaments:
- Primetime Classic โ June 5โ6, Goodyear, AZ
- Section 7 โ June 12โ14
- Vegas Live โ June 26โ28, Las Vegas
Section 7 and Vegas Live are NCAA-certified live period events, meaning college coaches at every level will be in attendance and eligible to evaluate players. It is an opportunity that programs at any classification would be proud to provide โ and one that speaks directly to what Head Coach Kyli Crooms has built at The Nest.
"We just came off a great season, and I'm so proud of what these guys accomplished. But what excites me most right now is what's ahead. We're returning one of the best senior classes in the state, and we've put together a summer schedule that gives them every opportunity to be seen and compete against the best. A lot of people see a Copper Division school and make assumptions, but we don't shy away from that. We have a track record of finding the toughest competition we can, and we've been doing that for years with tournaments like Battle by the Beach, Kreul Classic, Section 7, LV8 Invitational, and we're excited to add Primetime and Vegas Live to this summer in addition to the Section 7. We are very appreciative of the invites to all these events, both past and this summer, giving our kids the ability to play at a high level and in front of college coaches, and we're excited to see our boys compete this summer and continue to prove they belong."
โ Head Coach Kyli Crooms
A Historic Season to Build On
The 2025โ26 season was one for the record books. San Tan Charter captured the AIA Copper Division State Championship, claiming its second title in three years โ the program also won the 2024 AIA 2A Conference Championship. The season featured standout individual performances up and down the roster, ending with several individual accolades, highlighted by senior Kristo Jackson being named the Championship Game MVP after leading the team with 15 points against Valley Christian. Junior Peyton Lubash proved he is more than just an elite shooter, showcasing his complete game throughout the season, and was awarded 2A Conference Player of the Year, as well as the Verl Heap Award (Arizona Small Ball Podcast). Finally, senior Jachin Reynolds earned 2A Defensive Player of the Year honors for his dominant performance throughout the year, highlighted by his impact in erasing a double-digit deficit with six steals and six deflections in San Tan Charter's victory in the state semifinals over Phoenix Country Day. Both Jackson and Reynolds will graduate this spring, leaving enormous shoes to fill โ but the cupboard is far from bare.
The Return: A Senior Class Built to Compete
Despite losing two key contributors, and a four-year varsity letterman in Jackson, the Roadrunners are returning what many consider to be the top senior class in the state of Arizona heading into 2026โ27.
Leading the group is Lubash, who has been one of the most consistent performers in the program across multiple seasons and enters his senior year with both the accolades and the experience to continue leading the program. Alongside Lubash is fellow captain Jase Benjamin, who missed most of the season due to injury, but returned in the playoffs and made a significant impact against Valley Christian in the championship game, including 12 points, five rebounds, three steals, one assist and one block. Also returning are Dylan Vargas, Tori Street, and Jason Gremillion, each having played important roles in the championship run.
The Roadrunners also get a significant addition with transfer Kellan Walz, a 6-foot-7 forward who brings size, skill, and a high basketball IQ that will give San Tan Charter a different dimension on both ends of the floor.
Primetime: The Field and the Bracket
The 15th Annual PrimeTime Invitational is the centerpiece of the summer. Hosted at Millennium High School in Goodyear on June 5โ6, the 8-team bracket brings together an elite group of Arizona programs for what amounts to a showcase of the state's best.
San Tan Charter's day opens on June 5 with a showcase game against No. 2 seed Sunnyslope at 4 p.m. on Court 2. Showcase games carry no bracket implications, but facing the defending Open Division State Champions โ who closed the season ranked fifth in the nation โ before the bracket even begins sets the tone for what kind of competition this event delivers. From there, the Roadrunners enter bracket play as the No. 8 seed, opening against No. 1 seed Millennium at 6 p.m. on the Main Court. Millennium spent much of the season ranked in the top 10 nationally and finished the year ranked 19th in the country. In the span of a few hours on June 5, San Tan Charter will have gone toe-to-toe with two of the top programs in the nation.
Primetime Bracket โ Click to expand
Sunnyslope arrives as the gold standard. The Vikings won the 2026 Open Division State Championship, defeating St. Mary's 60โ51 in the title game behind a championship MVP performance from senior Rider Portela โ who finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds. Sunnyslope closed the season ranked No. 5 nationally and No. 1 in Arizona. Portela, a Colorado signee, was surrounded by a loaded squad that includes point guard Delton Prescott and 6'10 center Darius Wabbington, both part of the Vikings' incoming senior class that will also rank among the best in the state. They also just announced the transfer of Donovan Palmer (class of 2028) from Chandler, adding a major piece to a roster that is graduating seven seniors.
Millennium had one of the strongest seasons in recent Arizona high school basketball history. The Tigers spent the majority of the year ranked in the top 10 nationally, cracking the top 6 in MaxPreps at their peak. Their season ended in the Open Division semifinals in dramatic fashion โ sophomore five-star guard Adan Diggs, who earned MaxPreps Sophomore All-America honors, had 33 points but it wasn't enough as St. Mary's Mick Riordan hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the Knights to the title game 66โ64. Despite the heartbreaking exit, Millennium finished the year ranked 19th in the country, and with Diggs returning, they will be a major threat again in 2026โ27.
St. Mary's made the Open Division championship after pulling off the upset of the year against Millennium in the semifinals. The Knights were powered by five-star Duke signee Cam Williams, who poured in 23 points in the championship game. St. Mary's played Sunnyslope tough but ultimately fell 60โ51. Carter Bagley, a sophomore who dropped 48 points in an earlier postseason win, is a name to watch going forward.
Perry, Willow Canyon, Liberty, and Mountain Pointe round out the Primetime field, each having competed in the Open or 5A tournaments this year. Perry, following its four consecutive state championships behind Arizona star forward and expected 2026 NBA Lottery Pick Koa Peat, lost in the first round of the Open Tournament before advancing to the 6A Championship Game. Willow Canyon fell in the Open bracket before advancing to the 5A semis, while Mountain Pointe reached the 5A State Championship game before losing 62โ53 to two-time champion Central.
And then there is San Tan Charter.
The Roadrunners are the only Copper Division program in the field โ a classification reserved for the state's smaller schools. But that distinction has never stopped this program from competing at the highest level. While the rest of the Primetime field was competing in the Open tournament, San Tan Charter was winning their own state championship โ the Copper Division title, also known as the AIA "Small Ball" Open Championship. Two titles in three years, an elite incoming senior class, and a summer schedule that matches up against programs with national rankings. The expectations are high, and this program has shown it can meet them.
What's Next
The Roadrunners will open Juneball action at the Primetime Classic on June 5โ6 at Millennium High School in Goodyear, starting with a showcase game against No. 2 Sunnyslope at 4 p.m. before jumping into bracket play against No. 1 Millennium at 6 p.m. that same evening. From there, Section 7 runs June 12โ14, and the summer closes at Vegas Live from June 26โ28 in Las Vegas. Schedules and game-by-game matchups for Section 7 and Vegas Live will be updated on the site as they are finalized. Keep it locked to stcshoops.com for coverage, recaps, and updates all summer long.