Big first-round upset means the folks in Peoria are now a step closer to their town getting both ends of Division II playoff finalists
Division I
We’ll try to stop figuring out the lunacy of why the MaxPreps computer can raise and drop teams after a win that doesn’t or even sometimes does involve head-to-head action.
Two weeks ago Hamilton-Chandler was mysteriously raised to No. 1 from No. 3 in the MaxPreps Arizona rankings and also given the No. 1 seed in the Division I playoffs. At the same time, archrival Chandler, which owns a head-to-head 56-24 win over Hamilton, was dropped to No. 2 in Arizona and also only received the Division I No. 2 seed.
Now, after both teams turned in impressive performances in the opening round of the playoffs, Chandler is back at No. 1 and Hamilton No. 2 in MaxPreps rankings. At this point this kind of subjective ranking can’t mean anything compared to the ultimate goal of winning a state championship.
For its part top-seeded Hamilton (10-1) took care of business in a 52-15 victory over Valley Vista-Surprise. It was the second straight week of scoring 50-points or more for a team averaging 40 points a game.
Next up for the Huskies is a Friday night visit from No. 9 seed Skyline-Mesa (10-1), a 28-12 winner over Boulder Creek-Anthem.
Chandler (10-1) lost brownie points with the MaxPreps computer but on the field walloped Red Mountain-Mesa, 54-14. For the Wolves it was the sixth time this season they’ve been over the 50-point mark and are averaging over 47 points a game.
In the Red Mountain win the Wolves coasted to a 34-14 halftime lead before turning on the afterburners for 20 third-quarter points that closed out the scoring.
Quarterback Bryce Perkins was a pinpoint 17-of-21 for 267 yards and four touchdowns. Seven different receivers caught passes and four different ones had the scores. Chase Lucas and Micah Reed-Campos rushed for two TDs apiece.
Chandler now faces a visiting cross-town Basha. Seventh-seeded Basha (7-4) squeaked out a 38-34 win over Sandra Day O’Connor-Phoenix in a game it pulled out in the fourth quarter after trailing 14-0 after one quarter and 21-17 at the half.
In the other two quarterfinal matchups it will be No. 3 seed Pinnacle facing visiting No. 6 seed Mountain Pointe-Phoenix. Pinnacle (10-1) posted a season-high point total in a 69-40 win over Highland-Gilbert while Mountain Pointe (9-2) was a 31-21 winner against Westview-Avondale.
Division II
There were no upsets in Division I but the same can’t be said for a Division II field that saw No. 2 seed Ironwood Ridge-Tucson not only lose to No. 15 seed and cross-town Sunnyside, but handed the hosts a 35-14 thrashing.
Ironwood Ridge (9-2) had won nine straight since a season-opening loss to top-seeded Liberty-Peoria and had scored 40-ponts or more in the previous six victories.
Visiting Sunnyside (7-4) only led 21-14 at halftime but scored single TDs in the third and fourth quarters while the defense pitched a second-half shutout.
Ironwood Ridge was without senior quarterback Michael Franzese (high ankle sprain) and the offense suffered, held to roughly half its per-game total yard average. Sunnyside out-gained Ironwood Ridge 420-271 and took advantage of turnovers and long scoring drives to get head coach Glenn Posey his first playoff victory.
Next up for Sunnyside is a matchup with No. 10 Chaparral-Scottsdale (8-3), coming off a minor upset of its own in a 30-0 road shutout of No. 7 seed Westwood-Mesa.
On the upper half of the bracket, top-seeded Liberty, whose lone loss was a 17-14 road setback at No. 3 seed cross-town Centennial, kept its portion of the all-Peoria title-game possibility alive in a potential re-match with Centennial after a 45-20 victory over St. Mary’s-Phoenix.
Liberty (10-1) led 24-6 at the half before exploding for three third-quarter TDs to make it 45-6 entering a fourth quarter that saw the visitors score twice against the reserves in a running clock.
Quarterback Tyler Wyatt threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in under three quarters work, wide receiver Alex Jackson had five receptions for 109 yards and one TD, and running back Jake Schuiteboer rushed for 125 yards and two scores. Linebacker Chase Hulbert led the defense with 15 tackles and a sack.
Next up is No. 8 seed Paradise Valley-Phoenix (10-1), a 38-24 winner over Sahuaro-Tucson.
Centennial-Peoria (9-2) barely broke a sweat in a 56-7 victory over visiting Lake Havasu-Lake Havasu City. Next up for the Coyotes is a visit from Sunnyslope-Phoenix. Sixth-seeded Sunnyslope (11-0) was a 42-7 winner over Salpointe Catholic-Tucson.
Fourth-seeded Cienega-Vail (10-1) was a 32-6 winner over Poston Butte-Sun Tan Valley but its quarterfinal opponent will be surprising No. 12 seed Marcos de Niza-Tempe (7-4), which toughened up with top early season opponents that helped translate into a 42-7 shellacking of No. 5 seed Deer Valley-Glendale.
Marcos de Niza quarterback Nazareth Greer had a huge game with 350 yards and four touchdowns passing, plus he rushed for two more scores. Greer’s favorite receiver Luke Nguyen had 168 yards receiving and two TDs, including an 80-yarder.
Division III
The road to a second straight state championship, third in four years and eighth overall started on a solid note for top-seeded Saguaro-Scottsdale, which rolled to a 55-14 over No.16 Sabino-Tuscon.
Saguaro has been so dominant against Division III teams this season that the only team it didn’t score at least 40 points on is a No. 5 seed Queen Creek team it beat 34-18 on the road in III Section III action - the same Queen Creek team that hammered No. 12 Catalina Foothills-Tucson in a 51-0 whitewash.
Besides dominating the D3 teams this season Saguaro (11-0) also has a season-opening 41-14 win over D2 quarterfinalist Chaparral. All in all, the Sabercats have averaged just under 53 points a game this season while giving up a mere 11 a contest.
In the Sabino win, the Sabercats 24th straight, quarterback Kare Lyles passed for 338 yards and four touchdowns. Division I recruit and Saguaro slotback Christian Kirk rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns and also had two TDs receiving. With the 96 yards he had receiving the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Kirk now has 3,739 yards (50 TDs) to become Arizona’s all-time receiving yards leader.
Next up for Saguaro is No. 8 seed Canyon del Oro-Tucson (9-2). The Dorados were a 38-21 winner over Verrado-Buckeye.
Saguaro isn’t the only D3 playoff team to have a record-setter in its offense.
Third-seed Tempe with quarterback Emanuel Gant, faced off against high-scoring Higley, and although the Buffaloes won to stay perfect at 11-0, it was a low-scoring affair that resulted in a 28-14 victory.
Gant, the state's career record holder in passing yardage with 9,891 yards (103 touchdowns) entering the game, completed 12-of-21 passes for 192 yards with a touchdown. He now has 10,183 yards passing in his four-year Tempe career.
Tempe now moves on to host No. 11 seed Cactus-Glendale (9-2), a 51-38 upset winner over No. 6 Sunrise Mountain-Peoria.
Second-seed Williams Field-Gilbert (10-1) was a 49-14 winner over Buckeye. Next up is No. 10 moon Valley-Phoenix, which pulled off a minor upset in a 40-32 victory over No. 7 Peoria.
The last quarterfinal pits Queen Creek against a No. 4 Desert Edge-Goodyear (10-1) team that put a 63-6 shellacking on Bradshaw Mountain-Prescott Valley.
Division IV
All top eight seeds made it through to the quarterfinals highlighted by a 70-0 thumping by top-seeded Seton Catholic Prep-Chandler (11-0) over Page. It was the second time in three weeks the Sentinels have scored 70 or more points for a team averaging 53 points a game this season.
For complete brackets and results please check out www.aia365.com/brackets/football.
Look for recaps next week from all six AIA divisions.
