By Don Ketchum

Show Low (girls) and Lakeside Blue Ridge (boys) begin defense of their Division IV fall soccer championships with first-round games on Thursday (Oct. 25).

The Show Low girls are seeded sixth this year and will open play at No. 3 Round Valley at 6 p.m.

Other first-round games are No. 8 St. Johns at No. 1 Blue Ridge (3 p.m.), No. 5 Snowflake vs. No. 4 River Valley at Flagstaff High (3 p.m.), and No. 7 Camp Verde vs. No. 2 Tucson Desert Christian at Phoenix Xavier Prep (5 p.m.).

Thursday’s winners will meet in semifinal matches on Saturday (Oct. 27) at Gilbert Campo Verde High. Start times are 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

In boys’ play, second-seeded Blue Ridge has a first-round bye and will have its first match on Saturday at home (2 p.m.) against either No. 10 Show Low or No. 7 Snowflake.

Thursday’s games are No. 9 Willcox at No. 8 Benson (6 p.m.), No. 12 Camp Verde at No. 5 Payson (6 p.m.), No. 11 Round Valley at No. 6 Phoenix Country Day School (5 p.m.) and Show Low at Snowflake (6 p.m.)

In quarterfinals on Saturday, the Benson-Willcox winner plays at No. 1 Tucson Desert Christian (2 p.m.), the Payson-Camp Verde winner plays at No. 4 Tucson Alta Vista (2 p.m.), the Phoenix Country Day-Round Valley winner plays at No. 3 Chino Valley (2 p.m.), with Snowflake or Show Low at Blue Ridge.

Semifinals are Nov. 2 at Campo Verde, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Admission to the first round of the girls’ tournament and the first two rounds of the boys’ tournament is $8 for adults, $6 for students with school ID and free for children 5 and younger. Adult admission goes to $10 for semifinals and finals.

Golf

Phoenix Xavier Prep (Division I) and Tucson Salpointe Catholic (Division II) are the defending champions for the girls’ state tournaments that begin Friday (Oct. 26) and continue on Saturday (Oct. 27).

The Division I tournament will be played at the Aguila Golf Course in Laveen. Start times are 7:30 a.m. for the first round and 7 a.m. for the final round. Times are subject to change.

The Division II event will be played at Silverbell Golf Course in Tucson. Start times are 10:45 a.m. for the first round and 7:15 a.m. for the final round.

There is no charge for admission to these events, or the boys’ tournaments on Monday (Oct. 29) and Tuesday (Oct. 30) at the same locations. Division I is at Aguila, Division II at Silverbell.

Division I times are 7:30 a.m. both days. Division II times are 10:45 a.m. for the first round and 7:30 a.m. for the final round.

Phoenix Brophy Prep is the defending Division I champion, and Tucson Canyon del Oro is the defe