TUCSON, Arizona — The Gregory School Hawks boys basketball team, under head coach Craig Everson, has built a powerhouse program in Arizona's Class 1A division, a division Everson knows well.
"A lot of small towns.," Everson said. "They'll play basketball like football, so it can get pretty physical at times."
Senior Devin Dawson echoes that intensity: "A lot of teams, they like to play hard no matter what ranking they are."
Senior Devin Dawson has risen to meet that challenge, as has junior Razin Smith.
"He's an elite rim protector," Everson said about Smith.
In 2024, the Hawks captured their third state title during Everson's tenure (following back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019). The team was aiming for consecutive championships last season when star player Ben Head suffered a serious setback.
Head experienced intense back pain: "It was tough because I didn't know what the injury was. It just hurt really bad."
Despite the pain preventing him from practicing, Head was determined to compete in the state playoffs.Head: "It took everything to try to push through."
"It says a lot.," added Everson. "He wanted to play for a state title, play with his teammates, and play through any pain."
"It was inspiring to see him go through that," said Dawson.
Head's grit helped propel the Hawks to back-to-back state titles. After the season, a second opinion revealed he had a pars fracture in his back.
"Especially, finding out what the injury actually was," said Head. To know that I had pushed through that for ten games. Yeah, that meant a lot."
Now, after missing the early part of this season, Head is healthy and fully cleared to play. The Hawks are positioned for another strong postseason run—potentially pursuing a three-peat in Class 1A or competing in a new small-school open division tournament featuring the top teams from Classes 1A through 3A.
Either path looks promising for this resilient group.
"If they get better every day and they enjoy playing with each other and they want the season to last as long as possible, those things will happen," said Everson.
With a history of success—including recent championships in 2024 and even a repeat in 2025 under Everson—the Hawks embody toughness, perseverance, and team spirit in Arizona's competitive small-school hoops scene.
