NOTE: This football roundup primarily covers the area from north Scottsdale west through Phoenix, the southwest and northwest Valley, northwest Arizona, northern Arizona and northeast Arizona, including Native American communities.

By Don Ketchum

Trying to make headway in a new division/section is a difficult task for a football team, particularly if the previous season’s state champion is in the same listing.

Phoenix Shadow Mountain entered Friday night’s (Sept. 16) game against visiting Phoenix Arcadia in Division II, Section III, which also features Scottsdale Chaparral, winner of the last two Class 5A Division II titles.

Arcadia is in a similar situation in Division III, Section III. The Titans are in the same lineup with Scottsdale Saguaro, the Class 4A Division I winner, and Phoenix Thunderbird, the 4A Division II winner. Also, Phoenix Paradise Valley appears to be rejuvenated, particularly after rallying for a 40-33 victory in overtime over Thunderbird, and Goodyear Desert Edge appears to be priming itself for a possible playoff run.

Arcadia rolled to a 42-22 win over Shadow Mountain, due in large part to its large fullback, 6-foot, 217-pound senior Sosaia Maafu. He scored five touchdowns, four on the ground, rushed for 134 yards on 18 carries and caught five passes for 99 yards.

Shadow Mountain, meanwhile, tried to put together consistent drives on offense, but couldn’t quite accomplish its goal. That was frustrating for coach Mike Giovando, a former quarterback who has tutored some of the Valley’s top quarterbacks along the way before taking over at Shadow Mountain.

Giovando’s Matadors showed glimpses of promise, and hopefully they won’t run out of time before seeing positive results.

A few more observations from Friday night . . .

*From the just-when-you-thought-you’ve-seen-everything department – I have heard the National Anthem thousands of times at sporting events over the years, but not twice within about 15 minutes.

The Shadow Mountain public-address announcer led the crowd in the first rendition. Shortly thereafter, the school band came onto the field and the PA man said, “Well, it looks like we are going to hear the National Anthem again . . .’’

The band started playing, but the football team did not know and charged through its new air-inflated “tunnel’’ amid machine-generated fog. They ran toward the band, whooping and hollering, thrusting their arms into the air. To its credit, the band was unfazed and kept playing, finishing the Anthem.

Stuff like that can happen at a high school game. Innocent and fun. It reminds us that we are all human, but we can play through some of the tough situations.

Nice job by the band, and a nice gesture by the school’s booster club to provide the tunnel, giving the football program an emotional lift . . .

*The Chandler schools and Mesa Desert Ridge are undeniably in the Division I title picture, but who is that red-clad team standing in the background? Phoenix Brophy Prep. The Broncos appear to be back at 4-0, and don’t be surprised if they end up in the front of the picture.

*Make no mistake, Peoria Centennial has a very good football team. But after watching the Coyotes play against Apollo on Thursday night (Sept. 15), it seems that they aren’t quite as talented as some of their recent predecessors. Of course, Apollo’s tough-as-nails play might have had something to do with it. A Centennial-Chaparral matchup still would be one of the marquee games of the year.

*Division IV apparently has a new contender. Snowflake handled Class 3A champion Show Low 28-15, a week after falling to 3A runner-up Lakeside Blue Ridge. Snowflake can solidify its standing with a win over St. Johns next week and a win over Cottonwood Mingus on Oct. 21. On that same night, Show Low will attempt to regain a measure of redemption when it plays host to Blue Ridge.

*By turning away Heber Mogollon, its top challenger, 72-26, the path appears clear for Joseph City to earn another crown, this time in the new Division VI eight-man setup.

*There’s been a great deal of talk about which running back is the state’s best. Glendale Deer Valley’s Trae Armstrong, perhaps better known as a sprinter in track and field, certainly merits consideration.

*Kudos to Phoenix Carl Hayden, which won its second game in a row, 34-14 over Phoenix Maryvale. The Falcons once had the state’s longest losing streak, and it’s good to see them having some success. Phoenix Camelback also appears to help in the rejuvenation of the Phoenix Union High School District with a 4-0 record.

Before people say, “Well, they haven’t played anybody,’’ it’s still a fine accomplishment for these teams, even though the competition might not be as strong. These teams put in the hard work and sweat, just as the Hamiltons of the world do.