By Don Ketchum

The beginning of the Division VI eight-man playoffs and a battle between unbeaten neighboring rivals in Division IV highlight this week’s football schedule.

Here is a look at some of the top games for teams in Scottsdale, Phoenix, the southwest, northwest and north Valley, and northern Arizona . . .

Division VI playoffs

(Seedings in parentheses)

Duncan (9) vs. Phoenix Valley Lutheran (8), Saturday (Oct. 20), 6:30 p.m., at Phoenix Sunnyslope. Winner faces Scottsdale Prep (1) on Oct. 26.

St. David (12) at Joseph City (5), Friday (Oct. 19), 7 p.m. Winner faces Glendale Joy Christian (4) on Oct. 26.

Salome (11) vs. Mesa Prep (6), Saturday, 6:30 p.m., at Gilbert Christian. Winner faces Pima (3) on Oct. 26.

Gilbert Christian (10) at Bagdad (7), Friday, 7 p.m. Winner faces Heber Mogollon (2) on Oct. 26.

Week 9, regular season

Show Low (8-0, Division IV, Section I) at Lakeside Blue Ridge (8-0, DIV, SI) – Whether it’s for the state championship, the playoffs or regular-season games, this has become one of the state’s best rivalries. Both teams put a lot of points on the board, but the scoring usually is reduced once the defenses take the field.

Scottsdale Chaparral (5-3, DII, SIII) at Phoenix Horizon (7-1, DII, SIII) – Chaparral is playing with more consistency after its early season struggles. Horizon is nothing flashy, but plays good, solid, all-around football. The Huskies have one of the more underrated backs in Charlie Quinn.

Scottsdale Desert Mountain (7-1, DI, SIII) at Phoenix Pinnacle (7-1, DI, SIII) – Nobody figured that these teams would have these records at this point, but that’s the beauty of the unknown. Pinnacle always seems to have a tough defense, and will have to figure out a way to stop the Desert Mountain passing combination of quarterback Kyle Allen and receiver Mark Andrews.

Kayenta Monument Valley (8-0, DIV, SI) at Winslow (5-3, DIV, SI) – Monument Valley’s defense continues to roll. Despite its record, Winslow perhaps has the best defense that Monument Valley has faced to this point.

Glendale Cactus (6-2, DIII, SII) at Peoria Sunrise Mountain (7-1, DIII, SII) – Cactus has its eyes focused on its usual spot in the playoffs, but getting past a surprising Sunrise Mountain team might not be so easy.

Goodyear Millennium (6-2, DII, SI) at Surprise Valley Vista (7-1, DI, SI) – Both teams are hungry for seedings points, with only one regular-season game to go next week.

Goodyear Desert Edge (8-0, DIII, SIII) at Buckeye (6-2, DIV, SIII) – Desert Edge showed its strength by knocking Peoria Liberty from the unbeaten ranks last week, so that might be too big of an obstacle for an always feisty Buckeye team to overcome.

Flagstaff (6-2, DIII, SII) vs. Flagstaff Coconino (5-3, DIII, SII) at Northern Arizona University Walkup Skydome – It’s been awhile since these two teams have had winning records going into this game, but the rivalry always seems to be entertaining.