For four straight years, the road to a state title in the smallest divisions ran through Valley Christian. On Saturday night, San Tan Charter closed it.

The Roadrunners pulled away late for a 53-43 win over the Trojans in the AIA Copper Division championship game, ending Valley Christian's four-year reign and bringing home the program's second state title in three seasons.

Valley Christian struck first, leaning on senior guard Colby Jessup to build an early 10-5 lead midway through the opening quarter. The Roadrunners answered with the kind of run that defined their season, closing the first quarter on a 12-2 surge keyed by Peyton Lubash, who scored five of his 12 points in the period. San Tan never trailed again, building the lead to 29-16 on a Bryce Whiting basket with 2:48 left in the second quarter.

But Valley Christian refused to go quietly. The Trojans answered with a 13-2 run that spanned 7:32 across the second and third quarters, cutting the gap to 29-20 by halftime and continuing to chip away after the break. Colby Jessup pulled Valley Christian within 31-29 on a tough back-door cut at the rim with 3:55 left in the third quarter โ€” the closest the Trojans would come.

Notorious Street finally halted the run, drilling a three from the left wing off a kick-out pass from Jachin Reynolds at the 3:16 mark. Moments later Kristo Jackson buried a three of his own with 1:25 remaining in the quarter to stretch the lead to 39-33 โ€” a two-possession cushion San Tan would not relinquish the rest of the way. Jackson finished with a game-high 15 points, including three triples, and was named Copper Division Most Valuable Player.

Jase Benjamin matched Lubash with 12 points, knocking down a pair of threes and adding five rebounds, a block and three steals in a complete two-way performance. Lubash iced the result from the line, going 7-of-8 on free throws down the stretch.

The Roadrunners controlled the glass and the tempo behind their supporting cast. Dylan Vargas grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, Street filled the box score with four rebounds and three assists to go with his five points, Reynolds added four points and Bryce Whiting chipped in three.

Jessup paced Valley Christian with a game-high 22 points to close out his career, but the Trojans couldn't keep pace with the Roadrunners' depth. When it ended, San Tan Charter had captured the 2026 Copper Division championship โ€” and a new banner for The Nest.