Perhaps it's too early to tell, but on the other hand.....

Hamilton, which missed the playoffs for the first time in its history last season (two decades), has opened the season 2-0 with impressive wins over teams it lost to last year. That would be Chaparral and Highland. The schedule is quite managable the next few weeks before Premier Region play engages, but it may not be out of the question the Huskies go from no playoffs to  playoffs to Open Division qualifying. Not far fetched. Interesting to watch this team that was down and certainly not out. Some people didn't have them ranked when the season began. I wonder who that was??? The caution is the overall strength of the Premier Region which is improved if the the first two weeks are an indication.. Basha, Brophy, Hamilton, Perry and Chandler. All of them could be .500 or better this year unless one gets dominated in region play. 

Another school with a routine 2-0 start is Red Mountain. The Mountain Lions can take a step up the ladder with a strong showing this week at home vs. Perry. After that Red Mountain  could run the table with the lone conceivable stumbling block Basha before its softer East Valley Region slate kicks in. Open Division on the horizon at 9-1 or 10-0. The Mountain Lions seem like a player to that destination and at worst a 6A champion contender.

Over in 5A it's shocking to see Williams Field and Higley 0-2. No doubt they've played solid opponents collectively in those four losses. There is time to rebound. In the meantime Campo Verde (2-0) and Casteel (1-1) are making hay and building confidence for when San Tan Region play starts up Sept. 27. Campo might well be 5-0 by the time San Tan Region wars begin. Casteel's TD loss to Centennial may have felt more like a win than a loss and a 4-1 mark at the halfway point is in sight. What this means is a competitive race for region supremacy is in the offing. Gilbert could have something to say as well if it makes a strong showing at Notre Dame Prep this week.

Another impressive start belongs to Horizon (2-0) --  also not in someone's preseason top-10 -- with romps over Marana and Higley with 50-point-plus outbursts. The Huskies began 0-3 last year and rallied to make the playoffs. Pinnacle is up this week and it's a tough one to reverse last year's outcome. They've done enough to show they can contend for the Northeast Valley crown with defending champ Notre Dame as they did a year ago.

 

6A

Highland (1-1) at Boulder Creek (1-0) - Last year: Highland won, 70-20

Tolleson (0-1) at Brophy Prep (2-0) -  Last year:  Brophy won, 63-17

Basha (2-0) at Corona del Sol (1-1) - Last year: Basha won, 35-20

Arbor View (NV) (2-0) at Hamilton (2-0) - Last year: Hamilton won, 23-17

Chaparral (1-1) at La Joya (1-0) - Last year:  Chaparral won, 54-14

Dobson (0-2) at Maryvale (0-2) - Last year:  Dobson won, 48-6

Chandler (2-0) at Mesa (1-1) - Last year:  Chandler won, 62-0

Mountain Pointe (1-1) at Mountain View (0-2) - Last year:  Mountain Pointe won, 45-18

Horizon (2-0) at Pinnacle (2-0) - Last year: Pinnacle won, 49-35

Cesar Chavez (1-1) at Queen Creek (1-1) - Last year: Queen Creek won, 30-21

Perry (1-1) at Red Mountain (2-0) - Last year:  Perry won, 35-19

Desert Ridge (1-1) at Skyline (0-2) - Last year:  Desert Ridge won, 17-14

Copper Canyon (0-1) at Westwood (0-2) - Last year:  Westwood won, 29-20

5A

Raymond Kellis (0-1) at Campo Verde (2-0) - Last year: Campo Verde won, 44-7

Verrado (1-0) at Casteel (1-1) - Last year:  Casteel won, 48-12

Betty Fairfax (1-1) at Desert Mountain (0-2) - Last year:  Betty Fairfax won, 62-49 

Marana Mtn. View (0-1) at Higley (0-2) - Last year:  Higley won, 39-14

Apollo (1-1) at Maricopa (1-1) - Last year: Maricopa won, 27-20

Tempe (1-0) at McClintock (1-1) - Last year:   McClintock won, 21-7

Gilbert (1-1) at Notre Dame Prep (2-0) - Last year:  Notre Dame Prep won, 47-0

Paradise Valley (1-0) at South Mountain (1-1) - Last year: Paradise Valley won, 19-18

Cactus Shadows (1-1) at Williams Field (0-2) - Last year:  Williams Field won, 49-3

4A

Apache Junction (1-1) at Canyon del Oro (2-0) - Last year:  Canyon del Oro won, 55-26

Poston Butte (1-1) at Estrella Foothills (1-1) - Last year:  Estrella Foothills won, 50-49 OT

St. Mary's (0-1) at Marcos de Niza (0-1) - Last year:  St. Mary's won, 15-14 

Mingus (0-2) at Mesquite (1-1) - Last year: Mingus won, 24-21 

Shadow Mountain (0-1) at North Canyon (0-2) - Last year: Shadow Mountain won, 27-14

Xavier Prep (Palm Desert CA) (2-0) at Seton Catholic (1-0) - Last year: Seton won, 39-13

Arcadia (2-0) at Washington (2-0) - Last year:  Arcadia won, 38-30

Saguaro (1-1) at Faith Lutheran (NV) (0-1) - Sept. 7 - Last year:  Did not meet

3A

Monument Valley (0-1) at American Leadership QC (2-0) - Last year:  ALA QC won, 52-0

Coronado (0-2) at Arizona College Prep (1-1) - Last year: Coronado won, 40-23

American Leadership Gilbert (2-0) at Benjamin Franklin (2-0) - Last year:  ALA Gilbert won, 41-35

San Tan Foothills (0-2) at Gilbert Christian (1-1) - Last year:  San Tan Foothills won, 34-16

Coolidge (2-0) at Paradise Honors (0-1) - Last year:  Coolidge won, 44-20

American Leadership Ironwood (0-2) at Phoenix Christian (2-0) Last year:  Phoenix Christian won 56-7

Florence (1-0) at Snowflake (1-1) Last year:  Snowflake won, 34-14

2A

Scottsdale Prep (2-0) at Scottsdale Christian (0-2) - Last year: Did not play

North Pointe Prep (1-1) at Tempe Prep (0-1) - Last year: North Pointe Prep won, 72-22

Chandler Prep (1-1) at Veritas Prep (0-1) - Last year:  Chandler Prep won, 34-6

1A

Baboquivari (2-0) at Arete Prep (0-2) - Last year: Arete Prep won, 85-60