Season ready to kick off with Zero Week

Centennial-Casteel matchup opens Game of Week coverage

High school football is here. Zero Week is upon us with a full slate of games on Friday night.

With a new season comes a fresh focus from azcentral sports: expanded coverage of our Game of the Week.

All season our mission will be to identify and go deep covering the best matchup of the week. We’ll lead you right up to kickoff with top story lines, spotlights on the key players and up-to-the minute updates Friday night on azcentral.com.After the stadium lights go dark, we’ll break down the game with analysis and award-winning visuals you can’t get anyplace else.

Kicking things off is our first Game of the Week: Peoria Centennial at Queen Creek Casteel.

Centennial is a traditional power and a defending state champ. Casteel is the upstart program, a young 3A team with its first senior class but also a defending state champion.

Now, Casteel shares the 5A stage with a Centennial program that has won six state titles since 1985.

Another great matchup we’ll be covering is Scottsdale Chaparral at Chandler Hamilton. Chaparral is now a 6A program. Let’s see how the Firebirds handle the upgraded competition, and how Hamilton grows with its new head coach.

Other games we’re covering in Zero Week: Gilbert Perry at Phoenix Pinnacle, Glendale Apollo at Scottsdale Desert Mountain, Phoenix Northwest Christian at Fountain Hills, Marana at Scottsdale Horizon, Phoenix Brophy Prep at Peoria Liberty, Tempe Corona del Sol at Mesa Mountain View.

Here’s how you can follow our coverage:

❚ All of our content is available seven days a week, any time of day, online and on your mobile devices at sports.azcentral.com or on the azcentral sports app. This will be your go-to for everything high school football. And full digital access is included in your subscription.

❚ Go to newsletters.azcentral.com to sign up for our weekly high school football newsletter to get news and game coverage via email.

❚ Go to subscribe.azcentral.com/activate or log in to your digital subscription to read all the coverage on your computer, phone or tablet.

SEAN LOGAN/THE REPUBLIC Centennial’s Jeiel Stark rushes during a scrimmage against Arcadia on Wednesday at Chandler High. Centennial opens its season Friday against Casteel.