Williams Field hosts Campo Verde in title rematch to kickoff campaign
WEEKLY BLOG: 9/14/20
As we begin Take Two of the listing of the 2020 schedules in this space, there is one key word that will describe them: Fluid.
The season (originally slated to begin on Aug. 17), was pushed forward twice and we now appear to be on track for an Oct. 2 start date. It will be an eight-game regular season for 5A and 6A teams and seven games for 2A through 4A.
In the return of sports since the interruption of COVID-19 into the United States, many planned games have gone by the wayside, whether they be in major league baseball (five teams have had to cancel games due to positive tests), college football (three NCAA Division I games were canceled or postponed yesterday), or high school football (Georgia had a dozen games called off last Friday night.
It's been a different offseason for everyone. Spring ball and summer 7-on-7's were replaced by Zoom meetings on computer screens. Some districts have permitted practicing at different phases while others have not. It's going to bring a start to the season reminiscent of the current college football atmosphere where some schools are playing games while others are waiting.
As per what the AIA currently has on its web site, the schedules for the 6A and 5A football teams have been posted on Arizona Varsity.
In case you want to jump over to them now (but, please come back), here are the 2020 6A schedules as well as the 2020 5A schedules. All 82 of them are there for your viewing pleasure in just two clicks (and some rolling up and down).
The first thing you will notice is many of them are incomplete. The Phoenix Union District, Tolleson District, and most the public schools in Southern Arizona either have not been permitted to hold practices, or began doing so after the planned Labor Day date. In addition, the Buckeye District was just given instruction to scale back yesterday. Some of those schools have schedules listed, while others are blank.
Like we said, this is a fluid situation. For the first time since I've been tracking my own spreadsheet with the schedules (and this is Year 12), I'm doing everything in pencil. No ink. The AIA is permitting teams to jump in when their districts clear them to practice. They have said teams can qualify for the playoffs with a minimum of four games played. It seems unlikely that the AIA will sponsor a spring "league" for those schools that want to wait.
One thing to watch for are those schools that will likely start late. However, schedules for some of them have been listed in full. This could result in missed games for their opponents. For example, Cactus Shadows is set to open the season at Fairfax. If the Stampede aren't ready to go yet, CSHS will either need to see if they can find a new opponent in the next few weeks, or it won't begin until Oct. 9.
The Yuma public schools will not take part in normal region play. Instead the four teams will play one another twice each for a six-game season.
If you discover any errors in the schedules, or know of any confirmed changes, please drop me a line at gridironarizona.yahoo.com.
The regular season starts on Thursday, October 1. It will mark the return of Thursday Night Football, which is being streamed by the JV Sports Show this year. The opening game will feature Willow Canyon traveling to Maricopa. The eight-week schedule concludes on Friday, November 20 with bye weeks being eliminated.
The playoffs will begin with just eight teams (instead of 16) on the day after Thanksgiving. The three-week event is scheduled to finish on December 12 with the championships in 5A, 6A, and the Open.
For the 2A through 4A conferences, the top 16 teams after seven weeks will meet in a "play-in" game. The winners will become the eight schools in the playoffs (also starting Thanksgiving week). It sounds like a bracket won't be released in Week 8, but teams will be reseeded for the quarterfinals (bracket-style). Because of this new change, it leads me to believe that the Open will consist solely of 5A and 6A schools.
The AIA has determined that fan attendance for regular season games is up to each individual district. Scottsdale USD announced it will be limiting home games to just the parents of players.
There is no two-year schedule block this year. With the new realignment moving teams up and down annually, schedules are now just in one-year installments. Here's a look at what region everybody will be in for this year.
One thing we won't see in 2020 are out-of-state games. Nevada, California, Colorado, and New Mexico all opted to postpone their seasons to the spring and Utah started its way back on Aug. 14.
Looking at the games we will have, the teams that met for both the 6A and 5A Conference championships will have rematches early in the regular season. Liberty travels to Red Mountain on Oct. 9. They staged an epic 6A title game last December with LHS taking it in overtime, 34-28 in the battle of Lions. Williams Field is now a part of 6A, but the Black Hawks will play a game against Campo Verde at home in Gilbert on Oct. 2. WFHS shut the Coyotes out, 19-0 in the 5A championship game. If there is to be a meeting of Open finalists Chandler and Saguaro, it will have to come during playoff time in the Open Division tournament. Chandler (6A) and Saguaro (now 5A) are not scheduled to face one another during the regular season. Chandler will play Open participants Pinnacle, Centennial, and Hamilton. Saguaro will face Chaparral, Hamilton, and Horizon.
When we get to Week 8 on the 20th of November, it will be the resumption of many familiar rivalries. Looking for the games between Centennial-Liberty, Hamilton-Chandler, Perry-Basha, Mesa-Westwood, Desert Vista-Mountain Pointe, O'Connor-Mountain Ridge, Maryvale-Alhambra, or Verrado-Desert Edge? You'll find those down at the bottom of those team's respective schedules, because those are the season enders.
One of the recommended guidelines for the return of play was that of positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. The number that was submitted by the AIA with assistance from the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee was 10. In order to have games begin, the recommendation was to have the local cases at that number. This doesn't look likely (only two counties in Arizona are meeting it and neither is Maricopa) and probably won't happen until an actual vaccine is out (it is currently 42 for Maricopa County). This information has been out for a week and the AIA has not changed it in its recommendations as of yet. Most expect this number to be changed, but it bears watching as we get closer to the anticipated kickoff date.
It will be a season unlike any other and we have almost made it. It is a time to feel fortunate and grateful for those able to take part in the 2020 season. It's also one that will be subject to change from week to week, so exercise a little more patience as we navigate our way through football in a pandemic.
