6A Bracket
Final Four Picks:
Corona del Sol vs Pinnacle, Desert Vista vs Basha
Championship Pick:
Corona del Sol vs Desert Vista
Predicted Champion:
Desert Vista
Potential first round upsets:
Hamilton over Brophy- Huskies lost last matchup by two points on the road.
Desert Ridge over Gilbert- Jaguars lost last matchup by two points on the road.
Don't be shocked if:
...La Joya gives Desert Vista a great opening round game. They're coming off an 8-game streak of double-digit, dominant wins.
...Pinnacle struggles to shoot the ball against Mountain View. Ever since the Toros last loss to Pinnacle, they've surrendered only 40.5 points per game, and have stepped up their team defense.
5A Bracket
Final Four Picks:
Apollo vs Chaparral, Cienega vs Arcadia
Championship Pick:
Apollo vs Arcadia
Predicted Champion:
Apollo
Potential first round upsets:
Mountain View over Buena- Buena is 5-4 in 2017, including a loss to Mountain View.
Sahuaro over Cholla- Sahuaro has had five games in the last month decided by 5 points or less. They might be accustomed to the kind of pressure the playoffs bring.
Don't be shocked if:
...Sunnyslope wins the whole thing. Sure, I have them taking a shocking loss to a Cienega team that is 11 points away from being 11-0 in 2017, but Sunnyslope is the best equipped to handle what Arcadia and Apollo both have to offer.
...Chaparral gets to the Final Four with two wins of 15-20 each, but struggles to move to the final game. Each of Chaparral's losses this season have come against teams that provide equal or better competition. Six losses by a total of 30 points and six combined overtime periods.
4A Bracket
Final Four Picks:
Shadow Mountain vs St Mary's, Catalina Foothills vs Tempe
Championship Pick:
Shadow Mountain vs Catalina Foothills
Predicted Champion:
Shadow Mountain
Potential first round upsets:
Saguaro over Salpointe Catholic- I'm not confident that #2 seed is befitting of the season Salpointe had.
Marcos de Niza over Rio Rico- Rio Rico's last four wins came over teams that are a combined 38 games below .5o0.
Don't be shocked if:
...Cactus Shadows gives Moon Valley a game. They had two quality wins in early February and while I don't think they'll win, they're a better scoring team than Moon Valley has been facing lately.
...Shadow Mountain doesn't finish a single game in the playoffs closer than 15 points.
3A Bracket
Final Four Picks:
Valley Christian vs American Leadership, Fountain Hills vs Northwest Christian
Championship Pick:
Valley Christian vs Fountain Hills
Predicted Champion:
Valley Christian
2A Bracket
Final Four Picks:
Pima vs Scottsdale Christian, San Carlos vs Alchesay
Championship Pick:
Alchesay vs Scottsdale Christian
Predicted Champion:
Alchesay
1A Bracket
Final Four Picks:
The Gregory School vs Valley Lutheran, Red Mesa vs NFL Yet
Championship Pick:
The Gregory School vs NFL Yet
Predicted Champion:
NFL Yet
