The end of a decade 

As the end of the 2010’s is nearing, it’s important to remember some of the best athletes this school has had as well as some moments that will always be remembered. 

10. Markus Howard:  a Puma legend

Markus Howard is one of the most legendary athletes to have walked Puma halls. In a game against Corona in 2015, Howard dropped 47 points. The game was one of the most memorable ones for the Pumas and fans everywhere.

Markus was named to the all-American second team and player of the year award. After transferring to Findlay prep junior year, Howard graduated that year, 2016, and went on to Marquette University to continue his basketball careers

9. Purdy dominant

The two Purdy brothers, Chubba and Brock, had been the varsity starting quarterbacks for 4 years putting up 15,773 passing yards and 176 passing touchdowns combined. They both got scholarships to play college ball; Brock is currently the starting quarterback for Iowa State and Chubba committed to Louisville in June. Both quarterbacks lead Perry to back-to-back state championship appearances and 4 straight playoff appearances.

8. Four time coach of the year

Dive coach Keddi Murrish has been a part of our schools staff since we first opened our doors in 2007 and is very well known around campus. Not only does she teach PE and dance, but she is also the head dive coach and has accomplished a lot with the team.  

Her efforts were awarded in 2010 when she won dive coach of the year for the first time. Her efforts were also recognized and awarded two years later in 2012, then two more times in 2013 and 2019! Murrish continues to push her team to be their best selves and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. 

7. The Fred Mann affect

Up until 2013, the girls varsity volleyball team had always had significantly more losses than wins. In 2012, they ended the season 9-20-0. The following year, Fred Mann became the coach and the girls finished the season 25-15-0; better than that team has ever done before.

Flash forward six years, and the girls volleyball team became ranked 1 in the state and division and made it to the state championship where they would play rivalry school Basha. The girls had dominated the game but came up short 2-3. You can’t have a good team if you don’t have a good coach and in the case of the pumas, it was crucial to have Coach Mann.

6. Olivia Vernon

On Feb. 2, 2017, point guard Olivia Vernon dropped 53 points over Desert Vista, had 9 rebounds, shot 72.7% from three and 51.2% on two point field goals, and also had 3 steals and made 17 of 19 free throws. The team went on to win the game in an overtime thriller 73-60. Olivia graduated in 2017 and went on to Canisius College in November after committing there in 2016.

5. Girls soccer: Two times too close

The Pumas have progressively gotten better and better as the years go on. They have been top 10 in the state since 2012-13 and have been second in state for two years in a row. In 2018, the girls had only two losses that season to Basha and Hamilton. When they got to the state final they played an intense game against Xavier but came up one goal short, losing 0-1. 

The following year, the girls went the entire season without a loss, but tied the two teams they had lost to previously: Basha and Hamilton. They made it to state again and this time played Chaparral. It was pouring rain and freezing cold but the girls played tough, unfortunately losing 1-2 and being runners-up the second year in a row.

4. One drive away

In 2017, the varsity football team had an unforgettable season and made it to the state finals for the first time in school history. The semi final game against Mountain Point was a overwelmigly high scoring win for the Pumas with the final score ending as 56-31. Quarterback Brock Purdy led the team in an amazing and intense game, leaving fans on their toes all night. 

Facing defending champions Chandler, the Pumas knew they would have to play harder than they ever have. Unfortunately, the Pumas fell just short to Chandler 42-49, but the team played tough and never stopped trying. They made school history that night and it will never be forgotten. 

3. Baseball first to the ‘ship

In 2011 the baseball team had gone 20-13 in just their third year as a varsity program. The season was full of some huge wins including their 20-7 win over Casa Grande, and the 11-1 win over Skyline, and it was also the first season in which the team qualified for the playoffs.

They blew past the first couple of games in the playoffs with the first game ending 15-0 and the second 12-2, and beat top-seed Boulder Creek as well as Millennium to become the first PHS team to ever reach a state title game.

However, the experience of Chaparral proved to be too much in the state final. It was a rough game and the Pumas lost 10-3, but it was a big accomplishment for only having been a team for three years. 

2. Beach Volleyball comes out on top

In just their second season as a team, Girls Beach Volleyball won the state championship. They won 11 out of their 13 league games 5-0 and one 4-1, their one loss of the season being to Xavier ending 2-3. 

The girls also sailed through playoffs: beating Chandler (5-0), Xavier (4-1), Sandra Day O’Connor (5-0) and facing Millennium in the final. They won 4-1 and gave the audience an amazing, intense game to watch and leaving the girls with tons of pride. 

1.Badminton dominates

For the first time in school history, our girls badminton team won state in 2017. But what’s even more impressive than that? They did it not once, but twice after that! Three years in a row the girls have won state titles and are ranked 1 in the state. Not to mention they have not lost a game since 2016. 

Three straight years of only winning for this team. 43 wins, more than half of them ending 9-0. The team is full of crazy talented players with a crazy good coach. It is no surprise they are the reigning champs of 2017, 2018 and 2019. 

The past 10 years years were full of many amazing athletes and achievements for the pumas; here’s to the next 10 years that will be full of even more!