LOOKING AHEAD TO POSTSEASON AS REGULAR SEASON WINDS DOWN 

Two weeks left of regular season games for 6A and 5A. Last week for 4A, 3A and 2A. 1A playoffs begin Friday.

6A: Teams in contention for the conference tournament (8 teams) are: Corona del Sol (6-0), Mountain View (6-0), Chandler (5-0), Hamilton (5-0), Boulder Creek (5-1), Centennial (4-2), Liberty (4-2), Williams Field (4-2), Queen Creek (4-2), Highland (4-2), Basha (4-2), Higley (3-3), Casteel (3-3). Bubble teams are Chaparral (2-1), Red Mountain (2-3), Sandra Day O'Connor (3-3), Mountain Ridge (3-3) and Pinnacle (2-3). Teams in hunt as Open Division qualifiers: - Chandler, Hamilton, Corona del Sol, Mountain View,  Boulder Creek. Interesting to see if any two-loss teams with hearty schedules can qualify. Teams must play a minimum of five games to qualify for postseason.

5A: Teams in contention for the conference tournament (8 teams) are: Desert Edge (6-0), Salpointe (4-0), Cactus Shadows (4-0), Sunnyslope (4-0) Saguaro (3-1), Horizon (3-1), Desert Mountain (3-1), Sunrise Mountain (4-2), Ironwood (4-2), Notre Dame Prep (3-2), Campo Verde (3-2), Ironwood (4-2) and Verrado (3-3). Teams in hunt as Open Division qualifiers from 5A: Desert Edge, Salpointe and and perhaps one-loss Saguaro. Teams must play a minimum of five games to qualify for postseason.

4A: Teams in contention for the conference tournament (16 teams, first round is play-in) are: Coconino (6-0), Mesquite (5-1), American Leadership Academy QC (5-1), Poston Butte (5-1), Glendale (5-1), Washington (5-1), Northwest Christian (4-1), Casa Grande (4-1), Cactus (4-2), St. Mary's (4-2), Flagstaff (4-2), Marcos de Niza (3-3), Apache Junction (3-2). Teams in hunt for Open Division from 4A: Can't imagine it this year, although a 7-0 Coconino - my alma mater - if it beats Flagstaff this week could qualify as an unbeaten. Teams must play a minimum of five games to qualify for postseason. Unbeaten teams in 6A, 5A and 4A are likely to have a shot, outside shot to qualify for the Open depending on strength of schedule.

3A: The playoff format for 3A is a departure from 6A, 5A and 4A. Teams must play minimum of four games to qualify. Top two teams in each region (six regions) after this week's games gain automatic berths. Power rankings and 3A Conference committee select the remaining four for the 16-team bracket. That said top two teams at present in each region are:  Central - ALA Gilbert North, (tie Gilbert Christian-Coolidge for 2nd); Metro East - Az College Prep and Valley Christian; East - Round Valley and Snowflake; West - Yuma Catholic, (tie River Valley-Dysart for 2nd); South - Pusch Ridge, Thatcher (*Safford third, but can earn second-place and automatic berth with win this week over Thatcher); Metro West - Phoenix Christian and Wickenburg.

2A: The playoff format for 2A is different from the others as well. Teams must play minimum of three games to qualify. Automatic berths go to the five region champions and the other 11 qualify via the power-rankings. The first round of the 16-team tournament is considered play-in. The remaining eight teams after play-in round will be seeded according to the final power rankings that include the play-in game. Region leaders at present are: Salt Region - St. Johns; San Pedro - Benson; Verde - tie between Scottsdale Christian and Scottsdale Prep (they play this week); Gila - Arizona Lutheran; Agua Fria - Parker.

1A:  Playoffs begin this week with eight teams qualifying. Here are matchups set for Friday Nov. 13: Anthem Prep at Superior; Williams at St. David; Tempe Prep at Bagdad; San Manuel at Mogollon.

STAT CHECK

(Stats are from games of Nov. 5-7 from schools who have posted thus far. (Updated through Tuesday at noon Nov. 10).

Top rushers (100 yards or more): Gilbert Christian RB Brody Curtner, 241 yards, 3 TDs; Gilbert Christian QB Matt Hershey, 184 yards, 3 TDs; Eastmark RB Javien Celaya, 183 yards, 1 TD; Pinnacle RB Jacobie Rucker, 163 yards, 1 TD; Scottsdale Christian QB Ben Tobin, 155 yards, 2 TDs; Skyline RB Zeke Branham, 154 yards, 3 TDs; Poston Butte RB Zion Burns, 152 yards; Basha RB Caleb Jones, 140 yards, 5 TDs; Queen Creek RB Payton Barlow, 136 yards, 3 TDs;  Sequoia Pathway RB Tre Lacey, 133 yards, 2 TDs; Casteel RB Jayce Knutsen, 124 yards, 2 TDs; AZ College Prep RB Richard Williams, 112 yards, 1 TD; Marcos de NIza RB Jayden Calderon, 108 yards. 

Top passers: (150 yards or more):  Mesquite QB Ty Thompson, 428 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; Hamilton QB Nico Marchiol, 353 yards, 2 TDs;  Arcadia QB Jack Benson, 310 yards, 4 TDs; Red Mountain QB Evan Svoboda, 291 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INT; Gilbert QB Gavin Goulette, 290 yards, 5 TDs; San Tan Charter QB Zayden Neill, 286 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INT; Valley Christian QB Jadon Hanzal, 285 yards, 4 TDs; Eastmark QB Gianni Masculino, 282 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT: ALA Queen Creek QB Logan Hubler, 279 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT; Casteel QB Dane Christensen, 259 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Highland QB Gage Dayley, 251 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Basha QB Demond Williams Jr., 231 yards, 1 TD;  Az College Prep QB Mark Chavez, 224 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INT; Sequoia Pathway QB Alex Montano, 218 yards, 4 TDs; Mesa QB Gabby Mendoza, 213 yards, 2 TDs; Westwood QB Gavin Letourneau, 211 yards, 3 TDs; Pinnacle QB Devon Dampier, 210 yards; Desert Mountain QB Aiden Cerullo, 206 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Desert Ridge QB Austin Kolb, 199 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Queen Creek QB Devin Brown, 193 yards, 2 TDs; Florence QB Christopher Walter, 193 yards, 2TDs, 2 INT; Higley QB Kai Millner, 177 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Arete Prep QB Matthew McClelland, 173 yards, 0 TDs, 4 INT; Marcos de Niza QB Antonio Hernandez, 172 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT: Mountain Pointe QB Amire Boys-Matthews, 169 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Combs QB Tanner Hale, 162 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT. 

Top receivers: (100 yards or more):  Mesquite WR Eric Lira, 200 yards, 2 TDs; Valley Christian WR Sherome Weatherspoon, 178 yards, 3 TDs; Arcadia WR Noah Richardson, 174 yards, 2 TDs; ALA Queen Creek WR Elijah Peters, 172 yards, 3 TDs; Eastmark WR Austin Johnston, 144 yards, 1 TD; Red Mountain WR Anthony Carrington, 136 yards, 3 TDs; Az College Prep WR Bryan Dyson, 131 yards, 4 TDs; San Tan Charter WR Trae Baker, 122 yards, 3 TDs; Mesa RB Craig Montgomery 112, yards, 1 TD; Sequoia Pathway WR Jyrie Gamble, 111 yards, 2 TDs; Desert Mountain RB Zack Kilburg, 109 yards; Valley Christian RB Kaden Majercak, 105 yards, 1 TD; Mesa WR Josh Irish, 100 yards, 2 TDs.

 

WEEK 7 REGULAR SEASON GAMES: East Valley & Northeast Valley schools - (all games Friday Nov. 13 unless noted)

6A

Casa Grande (4-1) at Dobson (2-4) - Nov. 12

Liberty (4-2) at Brophy (0-6)

Chaparral (2-1) at Centennial (4-2)

Highland (4-2) at Chandler (5-0)

Westwood (1-5) at Corona del Sol (6-0)

Casteel (3-3) at Desert Ridge (1-3)

Higley (3-3) at Hamilton (5-0)

Basha (4-2) at Mountain View (6-0)

Pinnacle (2-3) at Perry (0-4)

Mountain Pointe (0-6) at Queen Creek (4-2)

Mesa (2-4) at Skyline (1-5)

Red Mountain (2-3) at Williams Field (4-2)

5A

Cactus Shadows (4-0) at Desert Mountain (3-1)

Maricopa (2-4) at Gilbert (2-4)

North Canyon (2-4) at McClintock (2-4)

Greenway (3-3) at Paradise Valley (0-4)

Saguaro (4-0) at Horizon (3-1)

4A

Tempe (0-6) at =Buckeye (3-3)

Mesquite (5-1) at Benjamin Franklin (1-4) - (cancelled)

Seton Catholic (0-5) at Marcos de Niza (3-3)

American Leadership Queen Creek (5-1) at Northwest Christian (4-1)

Arcadia (1-5) at Peoria (3-3)

Combs (2-2) at Poston Butte (5-1)

3A

ALA Gilbert North (5-1) at ALA Ironwood (0-6)

Az College Prep (4-2) at Coronado (0-3)

San Tan Foothills (0-4) at Eastmark (2-4)

Coolidge (3-3) at Gilbert Christian (3-2)

Florence (1-5) at Pusch Ridge (5-1)

2A

Holbrook (0-4) at Arete Prep (1-4)

Scottsdale Prep (5-0) at Scottsdale Christian (5-0)

Antelope (1-2) at Sequoia Pathway (4-2)

San Tan Charter (3-3) at St. Johns (3-1)