Sunnyside 1992-93 Boys Basketball Team

Inducted Class of 2025

Dwight Rees had been the Arizona Daily Star’s 1975, 1977, 1987 and 1989 boys basketball Coach of the Year.
Rees also knew what it was like on the other side, finishing 4-19 in 1990 and 7-15 in 1986 with the Blue Devils.
So when Sunnyside began the 1992-93 season, picked among the top teams in Tucson, Rees had it covered. He knew all the angles, good and bad. But he could not have imagined what would happen over the next four months.
Sunnyside won ‘em all. The Blue Devils went 29-0, racing to the state championship game. It almost seemed easy. The ‘93 Blue Devils had only one truly close game in the regular season, beating Nogales 76-73. Otherwise, they beat everyone else by at least six points.
And the first three games of the state playoffs were also blowouts, beating Peoria, Flowing Wells (57-33) and Flagstaff (83-63) before facing a tough Sabino game for the state title.
Sunnyside trailed 33-29 after three quarters but won in overtime 60-53 as junior Jermaine Watts scored 34 points. That wasn’t unusual. Watts had scored 45 earlier in the year and averaged 25.
“Jermaine leaves his mark on both sides of the court,’’ said Rees, who began coaching at Sunnyside in the mid ‘70s but then left the school to be the head coach at Pima College for four seasons in the early ‘80s.
He returned to Sunnyside and accurately said, “You can shoot for the rainbow anywhere.’’
And the stars.
Other than Watts, who would go on to play at DePaul, Sunnyside’s ‘93 state champions were loaded with grit and toughness.
Hector Montaño scored eight points in the fourth quarter of the state title game. Anthony Figueroa was an all-city guard. William Sims, Jason Holmes, Quinton Gwarzo, David Holmes and Gabe Gonzalez were reliable performers.
“I’ve had great kids to work with,’’ said Rees. “Great kids who are a throw back to 1950s athletes. You couldn’t ask for a better quality of kids to work with.’’
Sunnyside remains the last Tucson high school basketball team, boys or girls, to go undefeated.