AIA weighs sites for title games
Chase Field, UA among possibilities
Without Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium and the Cardinals’ University of Phoenix Stadium as football championship site options, the Arizona Interscholastic Association has reached out to a few places with hopes of landing a Dec. 2 destination.
Executive Director David Hines said that he has inquired with the University of Arizona in Tucson and Chase Field in Phoenix, along with Scottsdale’s Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex.
Hines said he still was waiting to hear from UA. Chase Field might be out of the AIA’s price range, and, Hines said, he was told that the field can only be laid down for 10 days.
The Cactus Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 26 at Chase Field.
“We had a big conversation with them,” Hines said of Chase Field. “Part of it is they’ve got the Cactus Bowl and when they put a field down there, they can’t keep it down for more than 10 days. They would have to put it down two times.”
Hines said it would cost the AIA roughly $150,000 for Chase Field.
“Chase, the Maricopa County group, they were awesome,” Hines said. “They were willing to bend over backwards to help us. It’s an expense that people don’t understand.”
Hines said ideally the AIA wants to hold the 6A, 5A and 4A football finals at the same place on the same day but they could be spread over two days, Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 2.
The AIA also met with Phoenix Rising representatives about their stadium.
Hines likes the location and the quality of that field, but the AIA would have to find goal posts and a football scoreboard. He also said seating capacity is about 6,600 and the locker rooms are small. More seats could be added, but Hines said, “that would be incurred by us.”
There also is concern that the field might get worn out by playing two or three games on it, especially if it is raining.
“Again, great people, good conversation,” Hines said. “They have tiny locker rooms. They’re a little concerned about the field. And they don’t have a scoreboard outside a time clock.”
Arizona Stadium in Tucson and Northern Arizona’s Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff are possibilities. Hines said there are some construction plans at UA, but he’s not sure when those are scheduled to take place.
“We’re still considering all options,” Hines said. “I’m just hoping we can get through this year.
“We’re considering everything. We’re not ruling out anything.”
4A baseball, softball to have double-elimination tourneys
The 4A conference had its double-elimination state tournament proposal for baseball and softball approved by the AIA Executive Board on Monday. It will follow the same structure as the 6A and 5A tournaments, where it would be single elimination in the first round, before turning into double elimination.
On Aug. 29, the AIA board will hold a special meeting for fall sports hardships that are being appealed after being denied.
PV QB Finley is ‘fine’
Paradise Valley sophomore quarterback Ben Finley is doing fine, according to coach Greg Davis, after Finley was taken off the field on a stretch during Friday’s game with his body fully supported.
“It was just precautionary,” Davis said in an email. “Was having back pain.”
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602316-8827. Follow him at twitter.com/azc_obert. Watch azcentral sports high school football Facebook live every Wednesday at 7 p.m.