PREP REWIND
Biggest takeaway
Old-school, ground-and-pound football still exists in the high school ranks in Arizona. Consider what Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin did to second-ranked 3A Phoenix Northwest Christian. Utilizing the double Wing T, Franklin chewed off more than 10 minutes to open the second half, running 17 plays covering 82 yards, before punching it in. Led by quarterback Danner Bowen and running backs Ammon Warby and Zach Jefferies, Franklin kept the Crusaders offense off the field for most of the second half and won 21-10. It was the highest ranked team the school ever beat and improved the Chargers to 4-0 with a game against another undefeated team, Coolidge, up next.
“I mean, I think ultimately it’s still football,” Franklin coach Dave Jefferies said. “It’s still blocking, teamwork and toughness. It’s time-tested. A lot of people don’t do it. It makes it tough to prepare for it.”
Phoenix Christian coach Brian Cole can go spread or double Wing T. He went with the latter in his team’s 3521 loss to the No. 1 team in 3A, American Leadership Academy Queen Creek, knowing that gave his team its best chance, trying to keep the Patriots’ explosive offense off the field as much as possible. He ran a lot of clock to open the game with a wing, usually Man-Man Freeman, coming in motion behind the quarterback before snapping the ball and running misdirection.
ALA-QC coach Rich Edwards expected Phoenix Christian to come out in that offense, because Cole did the same thing last year when the Patriots edged the Cougars 23-21.
Biggest breakthrough
Arizona College Prep, a 3A school that is the smallest in the Chandler district, had its biggest win since Myron Blueford restarted the program two years ago, knocking off Buckeye Odyssey Institute 34-20. It was the school’s first win against a top-10 opponent. And after going a combined 3-17 the past two years, the Knights are 3-1 and rolling with guys who endured a 48-0 loss to Odyssey last year. They were able to keep workhorse back Chris Weaver in check, which was a breakthrough after the 1-9 Knights were outscored 352-128 last year.
“We just got older,” Blueford said in an email. “When we started this program two seasons ago, we had (freshmen) and sophomores that had talent but hadn’t learned how to play. Now they are seniors and juniors who are hard workers, great leaders and determined. It’s been awesome to see them grow and see early success this season. We still have a lot to learn as our program navigates uncharted territory.”
Biggest play
Trailing by two touchdowns with less than three minutes left, Glendale Mountain Ridge got to the Laveen Cesar Chavez 20 before the Champions clinched it with a defensive touchdown. Scrambling to find a receiver, quarterback Keegan Stancato had the ball stripped loose by freshman outside linebacker John Butler. Defensive end Jacob Holmes scooped it and ran to the end zone to give Chavez an 18-point lead. Stancato drove Mountain Ridge back with a touchdown but it was too late, as Chavez held on for a 58-48 win. It was Mountain Ridge’s first loss in four games under new coach Doug Madoski, after the school had come into the season on a 16-game losing streak. Last year, Cesar Chavez hung 64 points on the Lions in a 64-3 rout.
“I’ll tell you right now, at the midway point in the season, he deserves Coach of the Year,” Chavez coach J.R. Alcantar said of Madoski.
Biggest opening quarter
Chavez and Mountain Ridge combined for three kickoff returns for touchdowns. Two of those were by Chavez with Deavon Crawford returning one back 85 yards for a score and Tyraill Carrethers returning another 65 yards for a TD. Mountain Ridge scored on two interception returns.
“It was just a crazy game, I can’t explain it,” Chavez’s Alcantar said.
Biggest statement
Phoenix Horizon plays defense. It helped the Huskies that Phoenix Sunnyslope senior quarterback Niko Haen got knocked out of the game with an injury and didn’t play in the second half, but the Vikings had both Haen twins, including wide receiver David, and couldn’t punch in a score in the first half. Horizon ended up winning 19-0, a great bounce-back performance after losing to rival Phoenix Pinnacle 63-46 last week. It was Horizon’s first shutout since beating Cave Creek Cactus Shadows 50-0 last October. Considering Sunnyslope was touted for its offense, especially the dynamic duo of the Haen twins, that was an impressive effort by the 3-1 Huskies.
Biggest separation
It’s no surprise the 6A Premier Region is the best region. Chandler and Perry have battled in the past two state championship games at the highest level. But did anybody expect the five teams – Chandler, Hamilton, Basha, Perry, and Brophy – to be a combined 18-1 (Chandler plays in Southern California on Saturday) after four weeks? There are five undefeated teams left in 6A and four of those reside in the Premier Region. Perry suffered the only loss, but that came against the No. 2 team in The Republic‘s Super 10, unbeaten Pinnacle, in the season opener. Since that 3914 loss, Perry has scored a total of 160 points in its past three games, and QB Chubba Purdy has been on fire.
Best return
Joe Germaine and Travis Schureman hadn’t been on the Mesa Mountain View sideline since they played there in the ‘90s, including for a 1993 state state championship under Jesse Parker. Times have changed at Mountain View in the past 10 years. It’s been tough to find continuity as the Southeast Valley continues to expand. That expansion has helped Queen Creek grow into a formidable 6A team, and with Germaine as head coach and Schureman as a top assistant, the Bulldogs defeated the Toros 27-10, taking advantage of a rash of miscues.
Best QB tandem
Brophy Prep has eased sophomore Elijah Warner into the game plan since he became eligible last week. The transfer from Scottsdale Desert Mountain is sharing the QB duties with senior Matt Winter. The two combined to complete 19 of 25 passes for 273 yards and five TDs in a 44-7 win over Glendale Copper Canyon. The Broncos improved to 4-0 under first-year coach Jason Jewell, who has Warner’s dad, Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner, coaching the quarterbacks.
Around the state
— Lakeside Blue Ridge hasn’t lost since dedicating the stadium to Paul Moro, who died in January. Moro won 13 state titles at Blue Ridge. The Yellow Jackets went through hard times after Moro left, but his former top aide, Bob London, has them back, led by his son, junior QB P.J. London. They improved to 4-0 with a 28-27 win over Florence.
— Top-ranked (4A) Scottsdale Saguaro (3-1) dominated Scottsdale Desert Mountain 55-9, as the Sabercats raced out to a 41-3 halftime lead. Saguaro resumes its rivalry at Chaparral next week.
— Mike Castro had four TDs, three rushing and one receiving, and had a combined 230 yards in Chandler Seton Catholic’s 48-23 win over Cottonwood Mingus.
— Two-time defending 5A champion Peoria Centennial bounced back from a 71-21 loss to national power Mater Dei with a 38-14 win over Vail Cienega.
— Three-time defending 2A champion Thatcher has not allowed a point since losing to ALA-Queen Creek 54-25. The Eagles (2-1) shut out rival Safford 14-0, as former Safford defensive end Collin Thompson had five sacks for minus-42 yards and 11 total tackles.
— Sophomore QB Angel Flores had 394 total yards and five touchdowns, three passing, in Casa Grande’s 33-21 win over Sahuarita Walden Grove.
— Hamilton, which won only three games last year, already has won more games (four) in coach Mike Zdebski’s second year, as the Huskies rolled to a 57-14 win over Tolleson.
— Gilbert Highland scored two touchdowns on blocked punts – Max Davis’ block, Jerhon McGee’s recovery and Daniel Wood’s block and recovery – in a 61-0 win over winless Mesa Skyline.
— Gilbert Higley’s offense had another huge night, this time in Seattle, beating Rainer Beach 57-30. Kai Millner had 362 yards and five TDs passing and Isaiah Eastman had four TDs and 360 all-purpose yards – 225 rushing and 135 receiving.