Central repeats as 5A champions behind Mattingly brothers

Posted by Navajo Times | Mar 7, 2026 | Basketball |

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

PHOENIX

Central High School repeated as 5A boys basketball state champions Friday night, defeating Mountain Pointe for the second straight year.

Tournament MVP John Mattingly led the Bobcats with 24 points, while his brother, Grant Mattingly, added 12. Dominic Rojas scored 13 points and John Fahrendorf finished with 11, giving Central four players in double figures.

Central appeared to be in full control late in the third quarter. The Bobcats outscored Mountain Pointe 19-9 in the period to build an 18-point lead entering the fourth. But the Pride mounted a late rally, trimming the deficit to seven with just under two minutes remaining.

Central responded with poise. John Mattingly and the Bobcats repeatedly attacked the basket down the stretch, drawing fouls and converting at the free-throw line. John scored the final 10 points of the game and went 6-for-6 from the stripe to secure the championship.

The victory capped a dominant season for Central, which finished 31-3 overall and a perfect 12-0 in the 5A Metro Region. The Bobcats’ only regular-season losses came against 6A power Basha and California’s Los Alamitos.

Special to the Times | Reginald Chee
Phoenix Central High players John (35) and Grant (0) Mattingly pose for a photo after winning the AIA 5A State Championship at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Friday, Mar 6. John was named the most valuable player in the 5A championship game.

Central’s postseason path included early adversity. The Bobcats were seeded 21st in the Open Division tournament but were eliminated in the second round by O’Connor after both Mattingly brothers left the game following an incident involving their mother, Jackie Mattingly, and school officials.

Central regrouped in the 5A tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Bobcats rolled through the opening rounds, defeating Independence 109-65 and Carl Hayden Community 71-44 by an average margin of 35 points. In the semifinals, Central edged top-seeded Willow Canyon 67-66 to advance to the title game.

The championship marked the final high school appearance together for the Mattingly brothers, who helped lead Central to a combined 59-6 record over the past two seasons.

John Mattingly, who signed with the University of Nevada last season, was named the 5A Tournament MVP after leading the Bobcats throughout the postseason.

“John is a true point guard with the ability to shoot the ball at a high level, as well as the ability to pass the ball with great vision,” Nevada head coach Steve Alford said of the senior guard.

For Central, the repeat championship capped one of the most successful two-year runs in program history.

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