Great defense, some classic finishes
There was a massive crowd. Unrelenting defenses. Some wins that turned into losses. Classic finishes. Let’s run down the Week 13 Arizona Friday high school football games that concluded the regular season for big schools.
Biggest takeaway
They’re going to need a bigger venue to play these Chandler-Hamilton Battle for Arizona Avenue games. There were so many fans that the Hamilton sideline was four rows deep. Impossible to cover that game from that side. Chandler’s visiting sideline was just a little bit lighter and more manageable to get around. The Chandler district could dump loads of money into expanding the stadium, like big-time Texas high school, because that’s what it’s become between these rivals. They could meet again for the Open title at Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium. If that happens, the Arizona Interscholastic Association would have their dream gate and possibly set a state attendance record for a state championship game. It’s a rare a rivalry this big comes with the hype of the No. 1 high school football game in the country between two unbeaten powerhouses ranked No. 10 (Chandler) and 15 (Hamilton) in the country by MaxPreps. It even brought out Cardinals star wide receiver Deandre Hopkins to check how great Arizona high school football can be.
Protection breakdown
Chandler has won the past two Open state titles, but it may not even get to the final for a rematch with Hamilton the way its offensive line has been playing. QB Blaine Hipa was pressures all night, sacked 10 times, including four in Chandler’s last two series, one of which was made by Chandler Davis that caused a fumble and led to Hamilton’s tie-breaking touchdown from 7 yards out with a little more than seven minutes in the Huskies’ 21-14 win. Offensive line coach Chris Chick, who died in May, would be furious. Chick played a huge role in Chandler’s last five state championships with offensive linemen who were flat beasts that opened up a big run game and protected quarterbacks. Chandler coach Rick Garretson knows his defense is what wins championships, but that defense can’t keep bailing out the offense that didn’t have a first down until four minutes remained in the third quarter and only hit on two big passes to be tied with Hamilton at 14 at the half.
Best finish
Chandler Valley Christian running back Kaden Majerek made a name for himself Friday in a 35-28 win over Mohave River Valley. Majerek ran for two touchdowns, including a 51-yarder with less that a minute to play to break a 2828 tie, and advance to the 3A semifinals and a rematch with Snowflake, a team it beat to open the season. This could be Valley Christian’s best team. Definitely the best under coach Jake Petersen. Majerek’s big plays were needed against a great River Valley team led by senior running back Zach Hammett, who scored two TDs and has set a 3A record for most touchdowns in a season with 42. This was a back-and-forth game throughout with Valley Christian delivering the final blow and stopping a Hail Mary pass in the end.
Best upcoming rematch
Maybe the can’t-miss game of the small-school playoffs are Saturday when American Leadership Gilbert North takes on Yuma Catholic in a 3A semifinal. These are two of the most prolific quarterbacks in the state. Yuma Catholic junior Richard Stallworth broke the state record for most touchdown passes in a season with 65, throwing eight more in a 68-13 3A quarterfinal rout of Eagar Round Valley. He will face off against ALA GN junior QB Adam Damante, who passed for 304 yards and four TDs and another rushing score. Early in the season, the Eagles beat Yuma Catholic 28-25 holding Stallworth to two TD passes. Damante had no TD passes in the game and was held to under 100 yards passing yards. But the Eagles ran for 324 yards and four TDs with Easton Webster gaining 204 on 24 carries.
Biggest disappointment
Tolleson and Sierra Linda capped great comeback seasons after the Tolleson Union High School District last year eliminated football because of COVID-19 concerns. Tolleson, in coach Rick Wellbrock’s first season,, beat Copper Canyon 53-0 to finish 7-3 and finish one spot outside the 16-team 6A playoff bracket. Sierra Linda finished with the best record in school history at 8-2 with a 56-18 win over Phoenix Washington. Sierra Linda went 0-10 in the last season it had a season in 2019. But the Bulldogs are four spots outside the 4A playoffs. What kind of solace can these coaches and players take from this? The Arizona Interscholastic Association, with the help of MaxPreps, uses a computer to rank the teams for the playoffs. Because the 6A, 5A and 4A committees didn’t want to give region champions automatic bids, they can’t blame the AIA. That falls on those conference leaders. Conferences either need to be reconfigured, more balanced or teams need to schedule tougher opponents, take a few losses and beat the teams they’re supposed to win to improve their chances of making the playoffs.
There are lessons learned from this. And silver linings can be found.
“I don’t believe there are 16 teams better than us in 4A,” Sierra Linda coach Nate Gill said. “The formula in place does, so we didn’t get in. The sun will come up tomorrow and we’ll use this as fuel all off-season. Proud of my team. We put the state on notice, I believe.”
Biggest mystery
Peoria did everything by the book to qualify for state in 4A. The Panthers played six playoff-bound teams in the regular season, and beat Phoenix Northwest Christian, a 3-7 team that got in as the 16th and final seed. They played No. 4 Open team Glendale Cactus tough with Sergei Chagolla having 16 solo tackles and seven tackles for losses. And yet they’re staying home at No. 18 by the AIA, two spots outside the playoffs.