WHAT HAPPENED LOCALLY WEEK 5

6A: There may be few shiny records when the 6A regular season ends - the 8-0, 7-1, 6-2 variety. Teams that go 5-3 and 4-4 may be numerous with the parity present in several regions. The Fiesta Region has no four-win teams at present with Queen Creek, Williams Field and Casteel 3-2, Red Mountain 2-2 and Desert Ridge 1-2. They've faced each other some already and noone who has played a region game is perfect. (Queen Creek, Williams Field and Casteel are all 1-1). They all play one another the final three weeks with a game or two outside the region. A similar look is in the Desert Valley Region with Liberty and Centennial 3-2, Pinnacle 2-2, Chaparral 1-1 and Brophy 0-5. Note Brophy has faced opponents all playing .500 or better thus far. Highland dropped its first game and is 4-1 after losing to Queen Creek. The Hawks schedulethe rest of the way will be grueling with the next two weeks vs. Hamilton and Chandler and after that Higley. Chandler and Hamilton are 5-0 and 4-0, respectively. Corona del Sol (leader in the East Valley Region) and Mountain View (second in Central region 1-0 behind 2-0 Basha) can change that by beating Basha on Nov. 13. Central Region teams play only three region games since the region's fifth-member - Cesar Chavez -- got a late start and is postseason ineligible.

5A: Saguaro found a late replacement in Casteel and dealt the Colts a second straight loss, 48-20. Saguaro lost a region game with Horizon due to COVID-19 and got the date with Casteel just more than 24 hours before game time. Casteel lost its game with Perry due to COVID-19. Gilbert, which struggled to score points the first four games, lit up the board for 46 last week against sister-school Mesquite only to lose via a late Wildcats' rally, 47-46. Gilbert scored 45 points in its first four games. The Tigers were led by quarterback Gavin Goulette, who passed for 348 yards and four TDs. Goulette had to sit the first four games after transferring from Hamilton. Gilbert is 1-4 and has region games left with Saguaro and Maricopa. Desert Mountain, Horizon and Paradise Valley all sat out last week due to COVID-19 cancellations. Desert Mountain and Cactus Shadows are unbeaten (3-0) and Horizon is 3-1. Cactus Shadows rescheduled, played and beat Verrado on Saturday. Campo Verde had its three-game winning streak snapped by Salpointe, which continues to navigate a season despite COVID-19 cancellations. Latest teams to lose a game are Notre Dame Prep and Gilbert. Notre Dame Prep reported a COVID-19 case forcing cancellation.

4A: The East Valley's triumvirate of Poston Butte (5-0), Mesquite (4-1) and American Leadership Academy Queen Creek (4-1) are clearly the best local teams in 4A. Each can score a boatload of points. Poston Butte and ALA-Queen Creek are averaging 51 points a game and Mesquite 48. Mesquite quarterback Ty Thompson outdid himself in the win over Gilbert, passing for a career-yardage high in a single game - 548 yards. Five throws were for TDs. 4A schools are playing seven regular-season games instead of eight to accomodate a 16-team play-in, state tournament bracket.

3A: Local 3A schools are unbeaten no more. Valley Christian suffered its first loss, a 7-0 decision to Az College Prep Az College Prep., h rebounded from its first loss the week before to Blue Ridge. AZ College Prep and Valley Christian are 4-1. ALA Gilbert North has won four games in a row and has a date with 3-2 Coolidge this week with the winner taking the Central Region title. 3A allows the top two teams in each region to gain automatic playoff berths to the 16-team state play-in tournament.

2A:  Chandler Prep made the most of a COVID-19 replacement game by beating Veritas Prep, 20-8, to move to 4-1 for the season. The other top local 2A teams -  Scottsdale Christian (4--0) and Scottsdale Prep (3-0) - were off last week due to COVID-19 cancellations. San Tan Charter won its third consecutive game edgking Arete Prep, 36-34. San Tan Charter (3-2, 3-0 region) is in first place in the Salt Region. The Roadrunners face the region's other two unbeaten teams the next two weeks - Miami (2-0) and St. Johns (2-0).

1A: Lincoln Prep struck paydirt with its first win of the season, topping Duncan, 24-22. Tempe Prep is 4-1 after knockoing off Cicero Prep on Saturday, 45-33.

STAT CHECK

(Stats are from games of Oct. 29-30-31 from schools who have posted thus far. Updated through Monday afternoon Nov. 2).

Top rushers (100 yards or more): Poston Butte RB Zion Burns, 232 yards, 2 TDs; Apache Junction QB Gavin Limongello, 224 yards; Eastmark RB Javien Celaya, 192 yards, 3 TDs; Notre Dame Prep RB Luke Nash, 148 yards, 1 TD; Chandler Prep RB Aidan Daly, 124 yards, 1 TD; Valley Christian RB Kaden Majercak, 120 yards; Corona del Sol RB Anyale Velazquez, 109 yards, 3 TDs; Higley RB Colton Allen, 104 yards, 1 TD; AZ College Prep RB Richard Williams, 101 yards.

Top passers: (150 yards or more): Mesquite QB Ty Thompson, 548 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT; Casteel QB Dane Christensen, 370 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INT; Gilbert QB Gavin Goulette, 341 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INT; Arete Prep QB Matthew McClelland, 316 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; ALA Gilbert North QB Jack Ricedorff, 304 yards, 3 TDs; ALA Queen Creek QB Logan Hubler, 303 yards, 3 TDs; Chaparral QB Brayten Silbor, 300 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INT; Higley QB Kai Millner, 273 yards, 1 TD; Red Mountain QB Evan Svoboda, 232 yards, 3 TDs; Mountain View QB Owen Jones, 229 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Apache Junction QB Gavin Limongello, 217 yards, 3 TDs; Notre Dame Prep QB Tyler Schweigert, 208 yards, 3 TDs; Hamilton QB Nicco Marichol, 205 yards, 1 TD; Chandler QB MIkey Keene, 199 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Mesa QB Gabby Menodza, 191 yards, 2 TDs; Saguaro QB Ridge Docekal, 190 yards, 1 TD; San Tan Charter QB Zayden Neill, 190 yards, 4 TDs; Highland QB Gage Dayley, 170 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; Basha QB Demond Williams, 169 yards, 3 TDs; ALA Ironwood QB Justyn Martos, 160 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT; Corona del Sol QB Quade Swearingen, 151 yards, 2 TDs. 

Top receivers: (100 yards or more): Apache Junction WR Cameron Garcia, 175 yards; Saguaro WR Anthony Gonzales, 163 yards; Mesquite WR Andrew Brown, 158 yards, 4 TDs; Mesquite WR Riales Hopper, 141 yards, 1 TD; Mesquite WR Eric Lira, 130 yards; Gilbert WR Tylon Thompson, 130 yards, 1 TD; Notre Dame Prep WR Harrison Wood, 120 yards, 2 TDs; Casteel WR Isaiah Newcombe, 119 yards; Mesa WR Kvon Sutton, 118 yards; Casteel WR Dominic Digian, 115 yards, 1 TD; Chaparral WR Max Minor, 111 yards; ALA Ironwood WR Derek Baca, 111 yards, 1 TD; Higley WR Truitt Robinson, 108 yards, 1 TD; Arete Prep WR Joseph Connelly, 107 yards. 

WEEK 6 SCHEDULE (all games Friday Nov. 6 unless noted)

6A

Dobson (2-3) at Corona del Sol (5-0) - Nov. 5

Brophy Prep (0-5) at Centennial (3-2)

Casteel (3-2) at Chaparral (1-1)

Williams Field (3-2) at Desert Ridge (1-2)

Chandler (5-0) at Desert Vista (0-5) - cancelled COVID-19

Hamilton (4-0) at Highland (4-1)

Basha (3-2) at Mesa (2-3)

Mountain View (5-0) at Mountain Pointe (0-5)

Liberty (3-2) at Pinnacle (2-2)

Red Mountain (2-2) at Queen Creek (3-2)

Skyline (1-4) at Westwood (0-5)

Higley (2-3) at Cesar Chavez (1-0)

5A

Agua Fria (3-2) at Cactus Shadows (3-0)

Saguaro (3-1) at Campo Verde (3-2)

Maricopa (1-4) at Marana (0-0)

Gilbert (1-4) at Notre Dame Prep (3-2) - cancelled COVID-19

McClintock (1-4) at Paradise Valley (0-3)

Desert Mountain (3-0) at Sunnyslope (3-0)

Combs (1-1) at Gilbert (1-4) substitute reschedule for both schools

4A

Casa Grande (4-1) at Benjamin Franklin (1-4)

Marcos de Niza (3-2) at Mesquite (4-1)

Poston Butte (5-0) at Peoria (2-3)

ALA Queen Creek (4-1) at Seton Catholic (0-5)

Arcadia (0-5) at Tempe (0-5)

3A

Coolidge (3-2) at ALA Gilbert North (4-1)

Santa Cruz Valley (4-1) at Az College Prep (4-1)

Gilbert Christian (2-2) at Eastmark (1-4)

Safford (3-1) at Florence (1-4)

Valley Christian (4-1) at Payson (2-3)

ALA Ironwood (0-5) at Pusch Ridge (4-1)

Coronado (0-2) at Round Valley (4-1)

San Tan Foothills (0-3) at Thatcher (2-3)

2A

Chandler Prep (4-1) at Antelope (1-1)

Sequoia Pathway (3-2) at Heritage Academy Laveen (0-5)

San Tan Charter (3-2) at Miami (3-1)

Veritas Prep (2-3) at Scottsdale Christian (4-0) - cancelled COVID-19

Arete Prep (1-3) at St. Johns (2-1)

1A

Anthem Prep (3-1) at Tempe Prep (4-1) 

Cicero Prep (1-4) at Lincoln Prep (1-4)