By: Jake Novy

The 2011 Arizona State Playoffs get underway on Friday night as the seventh-seeded Marcos de Niza Padres host the number-10 Canyon del Oro Dorados in a Division Two first round matchup.  The Padres have been on an absolute tear in the second half of the season and are riding a five-game winning streak.  Marcos is coming off a 34-7 victory over Chavez last week in its regular season finale to end their campaign at 8-and-2.  MDN has been clicking on all cylinders during its five-game streak, outscoring opponents to a mark of 233-to-32 during that stretch.  The Padres last tasted defeat on September 23^rd in a 34-20 setback to Ironwood Ridge.  Their only other loss this season was in Week Two to top-seeded Chaparral, 24-6.  The two teams could possibly faceoff again, in a rematch of the 2009 championship, but it would have to be in the Division Two State Title game.  Since that home loss to the Firebirds, the Padres have gone a perfect 4-and-0 at Marcos in Tempe.

Meanwhile, the Dorados also are riding high having won their past four games dating back to the beginning of October.  CDO surely has some momentum of its own coming into the contest after routing Amphitheater, 49-0, last Friday night.  Canyon del Oro’s last loss came to Salpointe Catholic, a 21-12 defeat, on September 30^th.  The Dorados ended the regular season at 7-and-3 and have surprisingly been even better on the road this year, sporting a 4-and-1 mark away from home.

These two teams have never played before, but both have rich and recent playoff success.  The Padres haven’t captured a State football title, but have been extremely close the past two seasons.  In 2009, Marcos lost in the championship game to Chaparral and last season they fell in the semifinals to Westview.  On the other side, CDO finished 10-and-0 in 2009, ended Saguaro’s 37-game win streak and topped Sabino, 40-0, to win the State Championship.  Last season, the Dorados went 13-and-1 and suffered their lone defeat in the title game to Saguaro to finish as the State Runner-Up.  The loss in the State Championship snapped a 27-game winning streak for CDO.  The winner of Friday night’s matchup between the Padres and Dorados will square off against either second-seeded Cienega or number-15 Sahuaro.