With some of last year’s 2A stalwarts moving up, some thought the 2A would go down.

That didn’t happen.

Some also believed that the 2A was top heavy this year. But that’s partly because the 2A frontrunners returned a ton of experience.

This year’s 2A state football tournament is well-balanced and offers something for everybody. There are the obvious favorites, No. 1 Pima and No. 2 Morenci.

There’s a strong contender, Willcox. This year, the 2A tourney also offers teams that can pull off upsets and plenty of feel good stories.

Pima and Morenci deserved the attention from the start. They met preseason expectations as azpreps365’s favorites to earn top billing in the postseason.

Earning the top seed was the only uncertainty. They settled that when Pima’s Seth Russell completed a final second touchdown pass to a primary target, Jaxon John, for a 21-20 win, handing Morenci its only regular season loss.

But don’t be surprised if the teams with strong interior linemen and experience—32 combined returning starters—reconvene during the Nov. 26 final at Desert Vista. Pima might be the top seed, but on its side of the bracket is a battle-tested team that stood toe-to-toe with Pima as well as Morenci this season.

Willcox lost to both squads and wouldn’t mind a little payback. Willcox is home to an excellent coaching staff and probably the 2A’s best one-two run punch.

Seniors Ayden Fuentes and Cristian Pando have rushed for a combined 2,499 yards and 41 touchdowns.

“Our ability to compete,” said coach Eric Hjalmarson when asked what he likes about his team. “We have played the best two teams in 2A football and lost by a combined score of 21. Willcox kids play hard and are tough.”

Another team that only lost to Morenci and Pima this year is the 2A’s No. 3 seed, Scottsdale Christian.

With only four seniors, the program is likely a year away from truly competing for a title. But the experience it gained was put to use in its final regular season game.

Scottsdale Christian routed Scottsdale Prep, 41-8, for the 2A Verde Region title. Their previous two meetings, with region titles on the line as well, were each one point affairs won by Scottsdale Christian.

Despite the loss, Scottsdale Prep, the No. 6 seed, tied a school record with eight victories this season. This year’s Scottsdale Christian team is passing more and starts one of 2A’s best centers, Luke Richardson.

Valley Lutheran, Scottsdale Christian’s first round opponent, is 4-5 but played one of the toughest schedules in 2A this year.

The best opening round game in the 2A playoffs features probably the top passers in the conference, juniors Tyson Buckley of Camp Verde and Zayden Neill of San Tan Charter. Buckley (43 touchdowns) is one of this season’s breakout stars in 2A, and so is his team, which was unranked by azpreps365 in the preseason.

Niell has thrown 67 touchdowns in his first three varsity seasons. The only undefeated team in the 2A bracket, Holbrook, also is one of the biggest question marks.

The squad hasn’t played any of the top-10 teams this year, but it did beat three 3A teams this year and returned 18 starters from last year’s playoff team. In the first round, Holbrook will host a Veritas Prep program that’s enjoying its best stretch of football since Jason Black took over in 2017.

One playoff team’s 2A days are numbered. Gilbert Christian is moving up to 3A next season with a couple of talented underclassmen.

Sophomore Sam Webb is currently Arizona’s rushing leader with 1,757 yards, and Bennett Juve’s 701 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches leads all freshmen in AZ. But the Gilbert Christian's field generals, Peyton Johnson, Gavin Biesterfeld and Jesse Morales, are stationed on a very experienced offensive line.

“We are lucky to have these three young men leading this football program into the playoffs,” Gilbert Christian coach Danny Norris said.

Last but not least, a group of teams deserve some high fives for overcoming the odds to reach the playoffs.

They are:

• Chinle. This is only the fifth time in the past 29 years that the Wildcats are in the playoffs.
• St. Johns. The Redskins saw their coach Mike Morgan, AZ’s career leader in wins, step down last year. But his pupil, Jon Richardson, a St. Johns alum, kept St. Johns in the playoff picture.
• Heritage Academy Laveen. This season, the Heroes won their first region title, clinched their first playoff berth and will record their first winning season.
• Tanque Verde. The 15-year-old program had never experienced a winning season until last year and made the playoffs this year for the first time ever.