TUCSON — The gymnasium at Pueblo High School echoes with the sound of sneakers squeaking against hardwood and the rhythmic bounce of a basketball.
For America Cazares, these sounds have been the soundtrack to four unforgettable seasons, and now they're accompanying her march straight into the record books.
At just 6 years old, Cazares fell in love with basketball, following in the footsteps of her family.
What started as a childhood fascination has blossomed into a record-breaking career that has captivated Southern Arizona.
"My dad played when he was younger, and then my sister started playing," Cazares said.
Her older sister Victoria had already etched her name in Pueblo history, breaking the school record for most points. But America wasn't content to live in anyone's shadow, she was determined to create her own legacy.
The foundation of Cazares' success was built on toughness and an unrelenting competitive spirit that was forged in her own backyard and neighborhood courts.
"I used to play with the boys… they play more physical, so I had to be more physical. And with my three sisters, they were always competitive so I had to be competitive," Cazares said.
Those early battles against older, stronger opponents taught her lessons that no coach could provide.
Every elbow thrown, every hard foul absorbed, every game where she had to prove herself became building blocks for the player she would become.
But her path to greatness wasn't without significant obstacles.
During her freshman year, when most players are still adjusting to high school basketball, Cazares faced a devastating setback that would have ended many careers before they truly began.
"A broken elbow and torn patellae tendon," Cazares said, describing injuries that limited her to just around 500 points that season.
And she came back even stronger.
As a junior, she accomplished what seemed impossible just two years earlier – she broke Victoria's all-time Pueblo record, surpassing her sister's mark and establishing herself as the greatest scorer in school history.
Now, as a senior, Cazares stands on the precipice of even greater achievements.
She is just 68 points away from beating the Southern Arizona girls career scoring record, a milestone that would cement her place among the region's basketball elite.
Even more remarkably, she sits 154 points away from the coveted 3,000 career points milestone – a feat no girl in Arizona high school basketball history has yet to reach.
The statistics are staggering, but they only tell part of America Cazares' story.
Each point represents hours of practice, games played through pain and a commitment to excellence that extends far beyond individual accolades.
"My main goal is to win a state championship," Cazares said, revealing the team-first mentality that has made her not just a great scorer, but a great leader.
While individual records capture headlines, Cazares understands that basketball is ultimately a team sport.
Her pursuit of personal milestones has never come at the expense of team success, and her teammates have rallied around both her individual chase and their collective championship aspirations.
Tonight's game against Nogales represents another step in both journeys.
Every bucket moves her closer not just to history, but to the memories she's built with teammates who have become family over years of shared battles, victories and defeats.
"Little moments you remember forever because like we grew up together," Cazares said.
As the final weeks of her high school career unfold, America Cazares continues to chase history while never losing sight of what truly matters.
Whether she breaks every record in sight or falls just short, her impact on Pueblo basketball and the teammates who have shared this incredible ride will endure long after the final buzzer sounds.
