ArizonaVarsity's Top 25 Games: Week 2
Last week I went 15-10 in my Top 25 picks (33-16 on the season).
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25) #13 Seton Catholic at #12 Moon Valley
I'm a genuine fan of both of these rosters, I'm not just saying that. Moon Valley's Isaiah Southwick is coming into his own as a QB, and Gary Galante's Sentinels have made huge progress over last year on both sides of the ball.
24) #1 (3A) Pusch Ridge at (4A) Walden Grove
Something about this game says "hangover." Pusch Ridge is coming off their best win since the 2015 championship, and Walden Grove has a promising roster, and potentially a tad more depth. Could we see a major upset?
23) Kellis at Willow Canyon
After Wilow Canyon's shutout of Havasu last week, I'm wondering if they can't wrangle Josiah Bailey and Kellis. This game has the potential to be the most exciting of the weekend.
22) #14 (5A) Cholla at #14 (4A) Catalina Foothills
Has anyone has a better last 4 games than Cholla's Jordan Porter? (1,465 yards passing, 18 TD, 558 yards rushing, 9 TD). Catalina Foothils will be his first real test to see if Cholla is a legitimate playoff contender.
21) #12 Desert Vista at Basha
Both teams are coming off a loss they didn't expect, and there's no reason for either team to not at least be competitive. Neither team will have an easy road if they enter week three already having two losses.
20) Valley Vista at #10 Skyline
What happened to Skyline? Last week they were shut out for the first time since 2012, but the good news is the last two times Angelo Paffumi's team was blanked, they responed with a win. Expect a low-scoring affair as Valley Vista continues to work on developing a passing game.
19) #9 (3A) Safford at #1 (2A) Thatcher
Thatcher needs to slow down Safford's Manuel Aparicio, and I believe they have the defensive talent to do it. Both teams have had as impressive a start as you can, and are bringing lots of attention to Eastern Arizona football.
18) #11 Casa Grande at #5 Sunrise Mountain
This was the most fun I had at a high school game last year, but without Chase Cord and Brock Hall, it's a whole new ballgame. Look for new young players to make a name for themselves in this contest.
17) (6A) Gilbert at #13 (5A) Campo Verde
Jack Plummer threw 5 TD passes against Mesquite, something the highly touted recruit has only done once before. Campo Verde's defense has been solid in recent years, and I expect that whichever team gets to 28 first in this game will be victorious.
16) #10 Marcos de Niza at #4 Cactus
Did Marcos de Niza have early season jitters in their narrow win over Prescott, or do they need to make some serious changes to hang with Cactus and their rushing attack on Friday?
15) #3 Mountain Pointe at Chaminade on 8/30
Mountain Pointe's annual trip out of state should go the way it usually does. I expect Norris Vaughan to get a fifth OOS win in a row.
14) East (UT) at #1 Saguaro
Saguaro might have lost on the road in Nevada last weekend, but don't count them out at home against East High of Salt Lake City. The key will be stopping RB Sione Malisi, a similar RB to the one who helped Saguaro win champinships the last two seasons- Stone Matthews.
13) South Mountain at North
South Mountain had 4 wins in the last 3 seasons, but on Friday they have a chance to go 3-0 if they can get past Bernie Busken's North Mustangs.
12) #13 San Tan Foothills at #5 Gilbert Christian
Gilbert Christian's win over Pima made it seem like both schools were still playing 8-man football. 600+ yards passing for Nick Hershey? Yikes. San Tan will look to shorten the game and pound the ball to stay in this one.
11) #13 Tucson at #5 Desert Ridge
Last year this game had some serious high and low notes. Desert Ridge's locker room was robbed, but the Harris brothers' father, a Tucson alum, was honored at halftime. This year the Harris brothers are gone, and the game is at Desert Ridge. If the Jaguars can get the turnover problems they had in week 1 under control, they should be able to defend home field against the upstart Badgers.
10) #9 (5A) Verrado at (6A) Millennium
Lots of people think I have Verrado under-ranked. Seeing them against Millennium will be a great way to evaluate them one week after Millennium lost 57-25 to Perry, who I consider to be a top-5 team in the state.
9) #8 Highland at #15 Cesar Chavez
Highland's eye-opening shutout of Skyline has me wondering if Brock Farrell can have the Hawks 3-0 for the first time since 2005. Cesar Chavez stands in the way, and after seeing what Queen Creek did to Hamilton, Chavez' 6-point loss to the Bulldogs in zero week is even more impressive.
8) #15 Desert Edge at #11 Fairfax
Can you imagine Desert Edge starting 0-3? Well, it could happen if Dylan Winemiller's staff calls a great game for the Fairfax Stampede. This is a huge game for both teams.
7) #14 Corona del Sol at #8 Mesa Mountain View
Last week Mesa Mountain View submitted a Valley Vista team that doesn't have a reliable pasing game. This week they'll face the exact opposte offense. If the Toros can handle a heavy passing attack, they'll have proven they're ready for anything anyone can throw (literally) at them.
6) #3 Sabino at #5 American Leadership
American Leadership stuggled with ball security in their loss to #1 Pusch Ridge last week, and now they have to deal with the Sabercats dual-threat QB Alex Bell. If either team wants to challenge Casteel or PR, they're going to need to show thay canplay mistake free football against an opponent of equal caliber.
5) McClintock at Marana
Why would I have two unranked teams as a top 5 game? First of all, Marana is the best 0-2 team in the state, having scored 85 points and lost to two ranked teams by a singel score each... but this Tiger team is already in a must win situation, and they face an intruiging Corbin Smith-coached McClintock team that had rushed for over 300 yarsd last week. Can the Chargers finish off the wounded Tigers, or will Marana roar back?
4) #11 Hamilton at #7 Red Mountain
I firmly believe that on talent alone these are two of the top 6 teams in 6A, but after Friday, one fo these teams will have two losses and a schedule that isn't getting any easier. Lance Lawson's health could determine whether Hamilton has a shot in this game.
3) #9 (6A) Desert Mountain at #8 (5A) Notre Dame
Two teams with rising fortunes. Desert Mountain lost 9 games in a row from late 2015 to mid-2016, and since breaking the losing streak they've won 6 in a row. Notre Dame is coming off two years of missing the playoffs, but they've won none of their last 10 games, and are 13-1 against their last 14 in-state opponents.
2) #4 Tempe Prep at #2 Round Valley
To me, this is the battle for the #2 spot in next week's 2A rankings, but who knows, if Safford can upset Thatcher, this might be the battle for #1.
1) #1 Chandler at #2 Pinnacle
Just how good is Pinnacle's defense? Just how healthy is Chandler QB Jacob Conover? Are the Pioneers legitimate title contenders? Will the short turnaround hurt Chandler? Lost of questions will get answered on Friday night.
Best of the Rest
Page at Winslow
Empire at Casteel
Catalina at Benjamin Franklin
St. Johns at Blue Ridge
Desert View at Maricopa
Kingman at Kingman Academy
Chandler Prep at Phoenix Christian
Goldwater at Sierra Linda
Northwest Christian at Valley Christian
Flagstaff at Youngker
Coconino at Greenway
Apollo at Mesquite