ArizonaVarsity's Top 25 Games: Week 3
Last week I went 16-9 in my Top 25 picks. I'm now 49-25 overall.
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25) Mohave at #14 Flagstaff (4A)
After Flagstaff's win at Youngker, they're on the precipice of their first 3-0 start in 11 years. If Everett Evangelesta and the Eagles' defensive line is up to the task, they'll win this week, and head into next week as a heavy favorite against Cortez.
24) (6A) Alhambra at (5A) South Mountain
Daryl Phillips won 6 games in 6 seasons as South Mountain's head coach. The Carter brothers have started 2017 3-0, and have a chance to get the Jaguars to 4-0 for the first time since 1994. The Jaguars lead the all-time series with Alhambra 23-15.
23) #2 (4A) Salpointe at (6A) Tucson
Salpointe lead the all-time series 37-24-1, and last year's 14-3 Tucson win over the Lancers broke a 22-win streak over the Badgers. This year's Salpointe team looks very strong, and Tucson is coming off a shutout loss to Desert Ridge.
22) #1 Centennial at Maricopa (5A)
Richard Taylor has coached in 58 shutout wins in his 26 years at Centennial, Friday at Maricopa, he'll go for three in a row. The Coyotes beat Maricopa 28-0 last year in the only meeting the two schools have ever had. Maricopa is 3-0 right now, and coincidentally, Maricopa's last playoff win also came 26 years ago. Chris McDonald hopes to get the Rams to the promised land this year.
21) Poston Butte at Glendale (5A)
Is Glendale better than last year's team, or are they just waiting to be exposed by Poston Butte again? I predicted Poston would be a playoff team, and if they can't get the win against Glendale, I'll have to admit I was probably wrong.
20) #2 (5A) Queen Creek at (6A) Boulder Creek
Queen Creek won without Devin Larsen last week, and that should scare everyone in 5A. Boulder Creek has weapons, but so did Hamilton, a team that Queen Creek beat already- and who has beat Boulder Creek. It'll take a big effort from the home team to get a W on Friday.
19) #8 (3A) Snowflake at #1 (2A) Thatcher
Snowflake is coming off a loss to an out-of-state opponent, while Thatcher is counting their lucky stars that they were able to overcome a 14 point 4th quarter deficit against Safford. If Thatcher can stop the run, they can control the action. If not, we'll see some fireworks.
18) #9 Chaparral at Valencia (CA)
Could this be the debut of Jack Miller? He won his AIA appeal, and he's obviously a next-level talent, but Davis Chahuan has done enough to help Chaparral be competitive in the early part of the season. The QB won't matter in this game though- the outcome is going to be decided by Chaparral's run defense. If they can hold Valencia under 150 yards rushing, they'll come out on top.
17) #8 Peoria at #12 Marcos de Niza (4A)
With the news that head coach Paul Moro is hospitalized and battling cancer, Marcos de Niza is facing plenty of uncertainty headed into a game with a Peoria team that has been steamrolling the opposition. The Padres shut Peoria out last year, and Will Babb's Panthers have revenge on the brain.
16) (2A) Kingman Academy at (4A) Lee Williams
The winner is essentially king of Kingman, and despite Kingman Academy's lower enrollment, their dismantling of Kingman High last week shows they might just be able to hang with Lee Williams. The winner will also probably find themselves ranked in their division.
15) #15 Red Mountain at Basha
I genuinely believed Red Mountain could be a contender, even after dumping their coach right after reaching the 2016 semifinals, and even after losing their QB to the baseball team. It's looking more and more like I was wrong- Red Mountain is no stranger to losing to powerhouses, but they're definitely not accustomed to getting blown out. Their tour of CUSD continues with a Basha team that's in a rebuilding year, but would love nothing more than to get right this week against the Mountain Lions.
14) #13 Cesar Chavez at Corona del Sol (6A)
Cesar Chavez might be the best winless team in the state, but they'd rather be a quiet 1-1 than a loud 0-2. Corona del Sol wants to continue to show progress- and to be frank, a win against Chavez might be necessary with Perry waiting around the corner.
13) #14 (6A) Millennium at #13 (5A) Desert Edge
Millennium's win over Verrado shocked a Viper fan base that wholeheartedly believed they wee a top 5 team in 5A. Now Verrado's nemesis gets a crack at Millennium, and nothing would get under Verrado's skin more than the Scorpions finding a way to beat a team that Verrado couldn't. Meanwhile, Millennium is hoping to show that they're deserving of a top-10 ranking in 6A.
12) #10 (4A) Seton Catholic at #6 (3A) Yuma Catholic
Seton Catholic's defense is better than it's been in a couple of years, and the Vince Wallace-Nick Wade QB/RB combination has the potential to match some of the celebrated duos they've had in the past. Yuma Catholic want s to avenge last year's 3-point loss to the Sentinels, and prove that they're still the same team that beat Casteel twice last season on the road to the 4A quarterfinals.
11) #9 Skyline at #10 Desert Vista (6A)
Both of these teams have followed a bad loss with a good win, and both want to prove they're still contenders in 6A. This game could come down to the quarterback, and both Desert Vista's Derek Kline and Skyline's Steven Castle are coming off of their best games.
10) (5A) Cholla at #9 (4A) Pueblo
Cholla might have lost their first game of the season, but Jordan Porter is still putting up video game numbers at quarterback. Pueblo had no problem playing up a two divisions and handling an offensively challenged Sunnyside team, but how will they stop a QB who is on pace for 3500 yards passing and 1500 yards rushing?
9) Brophy at #6 Highland (6A)
I've picked against Highland three weeks in a row, and three weeks in a row I've had to apologize to the Hawk faithful. Brophy found a way to steal a win last week, and we're reaching the point in the season where Scooter Molander's teams usually hit their stride.
8) #3 Williams Field at #12 Verrado (5A)
How could Williams Field's defense have improved over last year? This might be he best defense in all of 5A, maybe in all of Arizona, and Verrado's young, talented offense is going to have to solve the Blackhawks' puzzle to get the upset.
7) #7 Mesa Mountain View at #3 Pinnacle (6A)
Mesa Mountain View has had this game circled on their calendar, because they know its he one that will prove to themselves and others whether or not they belong in the top-5 conversation or the first time since they were the powerhouse Toros of old.
6) #6 (4A) Canyon del Oro at #6 (5A) Ironwood Ridge
Canyon del Oro is on a six-year losing streak to Ironwood Ridge, and this is anther solid Nighthawks team that CDO will have to elevate their play to keep up with. Coming off back-to-back games where they let inferior competition hang around a little too long- they'll have to have a fast start if this is the year they break the streak (on the road, no less).
5) #5 Desert Ridge at #8 Hamilton (6A)
Hamilton's offense is potentially the best in the state, so this game is all the more intriguing with Desert Ridge coming off a shutout win. It's even more compelling considering it was Desert Ridge that really exposed Hamilton's flaws last year when they ran wild on the Huskies in the Jaguars first win over the Huskies in school history.
4) #1 Pusch Ridge at #9 Safford (3A)
I thought Pusch Ridge would have a post-victory hangover after beating American Leadership, and I was very wrong. They crushed Walden Grove, and now they have to face a Safford team that was one play away from upsetting 2A powerhouse Safford the previous week. I'm starting to thing Casteel is potentially the real favorite in 3A, but if Pusch Ridge can get a third quality win in a row, there's no way I drop them from the top spot.
3) #1 Chandler at #4 Mountain Pointe (6A)
Last year members of the Chandler High team declared the Hamilton rivalry "dead," saying the true foe is Mountain Pointe. While I'm not willing to admit that the Pride-Wolves game is on equal footing to either the Battler for AZ Ave, o the 'Tukee Bowl for the matter, it's still definitely must-watch football.
2) #1 Higley at #3 Saguaro (4A)
Saguaro gets no breaks. They went from a championship rematch, to two out-of-state powers, to having to face the team that's looking to end their reign atop 4A. If Saguaro's defense doesn't have to make extra trips onto the field because of turnovers, I feel like this will be a very competitive, intense, and possibly even matchup.
1) #7 (5A) Liberty at #4 (4A) Sunrise Mountain
All I've heard for the past few years is that this is one of the best rivalries around, and while I've experienced Hamilton/Chandler, William Field/Higley and Mountain Pointe/Desert Vista several times each, I've never found the time to head out west to see if it compares- so this Friday, that's where I'll be.
Best of the Rest
Campo Verde at McClintock
Westview at Horizon
Mingus at Cactus
Apache Junction at Estrella Foothills