A few stray prep sports thoughts have been floating around in my head, so I rounded them up and am tossing them out into the blogosphere . . .

While Joseph City and Heber Mogollon have been dominating the Division VI eight-man football scene for awhile, it is refreshing to see an infusion of new blood in the championship conversation. Glendale Joy Christian won it all on Saturday (Nov. 10) 60-24 over Pima after finishing as runner-up a year ago.

But the absence of Joseph City and Mogollon might be brief, since Joy Christian likely will move up to Division V and the 11-man game in 2013. Joy Christian played two 11-man games this season.

Joy Christian is expected to develop a rivalry with Phoenix Northwest Christian, which plays in the Division V semifinals on Saturday. Joy Christian coach Brian Cole led Phoenix North Canyon to the old Class 5A Division II state title in 2005 with Northwest Christian coach David Inness as his defensive coordinator.

*As for Pima, it was good to see representation from southeast Arizona in the title game. The Pima-Thatcher-Safford area, one of the most beautiful areas of the state, produces some quality athletes and teams in all sports, year-in, year-out, and you can toss Morenci into the mix as a Division V semifinalist this week . . .

*Yuma Catholic, which defeated Northwest Christian in last year’s Division V state championship game, looks like it is ready for its rematch this week. The 79 points that the Shamrocks put up on Phoenix Scottsdale Christian must have taken Inness’ breath away, if only for a moment . . .

*Defending Division IV champion Lakeside Blue Ridge defeated Snowflake 50-0 earlier this season, but if memory serves me correctly, Snowflake multi-threat quarterback Chase Walden was out with a knee injury.

Walden is back now, but whether he is capable of leading Snowflake to an upset of Blue Ridge in Saturday’s semifinal is another story. Blue Ridge coach Paul Moro has his players focused on another trophy, and a possible rematch with Show Low, which meets Chandler Seton Catholic in the other semifinal. And don’t necessarily count out Seton, which has an outstanding quarterback of its own in Ryan Bresnahan . . .

*It was a great show put on by the volleyball teams from Phoenix Horizon, Phoenix Xavier Prep, Flagstaff and Phoenix Arcadia in the Division I and II championship matches last Tuesday (Nov. 6) at Gilbert Mesquite High. Just about every point was exciting, and the girls displayed a great deal of emotion and sportsmanship. It might have been more exciting than basketball title games of either gender . . .

*Sharing the wealth. It was another great cross-country state meet at the Cave Creek Golf Course in north Phoenix. There’s something about having such an event at the course every year. But there also is something to be said about having it at some of the more picturesque sites around the state such as Monument Valley area, where that sport rules, or perhaps Flagstaff, the higher desert around Tucson or the rich agricultural areas around Yuma or the Thatcher-Safford area.