Chandler takes down tough Colorado foe
Bold statements were made across the state in Week 4 of the Arizona high school football season. Maybe the biggest one is that the Open Division could be wide open this year.
Let's wind through with the biggest moments, brightest stars, greatest breakthroughs as many of the big schools found their second week of competition a turning point:
Biggest takeaway
It's not a cakewalk. For anybody. Chandler. Hamilton. Saguaro. Those are the big three in Arizona high school football, but don't pencil in the Open Division title trophy for any of them yet. There is so much season left, but, for now, they're getting through some things that will certainly benefit them down the road.
Although Chandler continued its streak, now at 38, with its 17-7 win over a tough Colorado team, Cherry Creek, it could have been a blowout if there weren't so many holding penalties. The young offensive line is going to be a work in progress. But the defense is ridiculously fast and physical, as it has been in the last five state championship seasons.
Saguaro had to fight hard to keep 4A American Leadership Queen Creek from shocking the state in a 20-14 win. It may not be until Week 9 that Saguaro really peaks and shows that it has an Open title team. It will have everybody then, and the talent could overcome a lot of mistakes.
Hamilton ducked defeat with a 23-13 win over resilient Queen Creek Casteel a week after blowing out Mesa Desert Ridge. Like Chandler's win over Cherry Creek, defense pulled out this Hamilton win with a strong pass rush, led by Chandler Davis' four sacks.
Biggest breakthrough
Phoenix Sierra Linda's 34-6 win over American Leadership Ironwood marked just its second win since 2015. Sierra Linda went 0-10 in both 2016 and '17, 1-9 in 2018 and 0-10 in 2019. It snapped a 20game losing streak. Its last win came in the 2018 season opener, which was Nate Gill's first game as the Sierra Linda coach. Sierra Linda, which didn't have a 2020 season because the district shut down fall sports due to the pandemic, showed last week in a narrow 32-26 loss to Glendale Raymond S Kellis that it had made strides in the program after a year off. And even though ALA Ironwood tried to limit wide receiver Stephon Daily's touches by triple teaming him, Josh Berg-Nabors had 173 yards and three touchdowns rushing and Traven Vigenser caught nine passes for 106 yards and two TDs.
"I just know that it was a tough job when I got here," Gill said. "Our guys' expectation now is to win ball games. That’s the standard, and we are working towards it every day."
Best bounce back
Chandler Arizona College Prep was getting much attention with its new campus and first football stadium, but two losses out of the chute put a damper on that. Until Friday, when the Knights knocked off defending 2A champion Eloy Santa Cruz 31-28, marking their first win on their new field. Jayden Diaz passed for 172 yards and four TDs and ran for 51 yards for the 3A Knights.
"It's been a learning process," coach Myron Blueford said. "So many new aspects of our program this year and we are trying to figure out who we are as a team.
"Unfortunately, we had to learn those lessons against two tough teams. But it prepared us for this game and moving forward we will be battle tested. This was a major step in the right direction for this team."
Best comeback
Phoenix Arcadia trailed at home to Tucson Sahuaro 12-0 in the fourth quarter with sophomore backup quarterback Rocco Mortensen came in. Mortensen threw two touchdown passes to sophomore Brady Forst and a two-point conversion pass to rally the Titans to a 15-12 win. The second TD pass came with under two minutes left. The defense stopped Sahuaro at its 38 and took a knee for former NFL player and coach Ray Brown's first win as head varsity coach. Arcadia made a controversial coaching change during the summer with Brown taking over for Vance Miller, who coached only one season at Arcadia during the COVID-19 year when it was hard to get any offseason work in. The Arcadia JV last year went 6-1, losing its only game in the finale to 6A Queen Creek. That JV staff basically took over the varsity with Grant Sanders becoming defensive coordinator. "The kids were already bought into the coaching staff," Sanders said.
Best finish
Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep, forced to punt with five seconds to play, watched the Tempe Corona del Sol return man fair catch it with no time left. Apparently, there is a rule that then allows that team to attempt a no-time field-goal try. Carston Kieffer's booming kick was just short of the crossbar and the Saints celebrated a 30-28 victory. Andrew Vines was the offensive player of the game, as well as special team. He kicked a 42-yard field goal and ran for three touchdowns. They survived a Corona del Sol rally, coming back from a 24-7 deficit and taking a 28-24 lead. This was Corona del Sol's second straight heartbreaking loss after going undefeated in last year's regular season. The Aztecs lost by one last week to open the season against Phoenix Mountain Pointe, unable to convert a two-point try.
Best emphatic start
As good as Peoria Liberty was the past two seasons — capturing its first 6A title in 2019 and sending Chandler into overtime in the Open semifinals last year — this might be the Lions' best team if their 2-0 start and how they're winning is any indication. They beat Glendale Mountain Ridge — a team that just hung 70 points on Laveen Betty Fairfax — in their opener 72-27, then on Friday beat Anthem Boulder Creek 42-6. This is probably Liberty's best defensive team. But where did the offense come from? In the first game, junior quarterback Dom Ochoa threw five TD passes in his first varsity start. Against Boulder Creek, junior running back Zach Wallace ran for 145 yards and five TDs on eight carries. This is a young Liberty team. Both of its defensive ends are juniors and playmakers, forcing turnovers. Senior safety Jax Stam already has eight tackles for losses in two games. Liberty is on its way to the Open again with the way it is playing.
Best field ceremony
Mesa Mountain View didn't have to do it again, but, with the new synthetic turf put in this year, the Toros re-dedicated the field to its first coach, Jesse Parker. Appropriately, the Toros beat Surprise Valley Vista with defense, shutting out the Monsoon 21-0, and giving former Parker pupil Joe Germaine his first win at home since coming back to Mountain View. The Toros are off to a 2-0 start under Germaine, and it starts with a staunch defense that the Toros had been lacking since their elite status began to slip in the 2000s. It's early, but the Toros might be back behind Germaine, who wants to live up to the Parker legacy of greatness.
Best response
With everything looking bleak in the Laveen Cesar Chavez football program with it gutted by transfers from COVID-19 and the Phoenix Union High School District's decision to pause sports last year and limit the season to just three games, the Champions answered like their nickname — like champions. New coach Lenny Chipley never complained. He just looked at all of his underclassmen and asked them what they could do. Obviously, they can do a lot. After beating Avondale La Joya 58-0, they dominated Tempe McClintock 55-12.
"Still a young team trying to find our groove," Chipley said. "We had no players return with varsity experience but there is clearly some playmakers in the group of young talent."
Kezion Dia Johnson had 250 all-purpose yards and four TDs, and QB Jorge Beltran passed for 235 yards and four TDs against McClintock.
Best versatility
After a tough loss to Queen Creek, Scottsdale Chaparral bounced back with a 27-9 win over Scottsdale Desert Mountain, behind another great game by all-everything Grady Hickey. With an injury to running back Jamarei AshbyPhan, Hickey filled that spot and ran for 107 yards and a TD on 15 carries and caught three passes for 59 yards. Coach Brent Barnes said that Hickey had another 106 yards rushing wiped out by penalties. In the loss to Queen Creek, Hickey played receiver and caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a TD.
Around the state
- Mountain Pointe, under secondyear head coach Eric Lauer, has doubled its win output from a year ago in its first two games, this time with QB Chris Arviso II finding Amier Boyd for a touchdown with about a minute to play to rally to beat Phoenix Brophy Prep 26-23. Arvizo outdueled E.J. Warner, passing for 318 yards and two TDs.
- Jace Snyder passed for 132 yards and three TDs and Brian DominguezPerez and Izik Durazo each ran for more than 100 yards in Phoenix Sandra Day O'Connor's first win under new coach Brian Cole, 43-6 over Tolleson. This was Tolleson QB Isaac Madrigal's first game since being cleared to play after transferring from Laveen Cesar Chavez.
- Mountain Ridge beat Fairfax 75-22, behind QB Brendan Anderson's 218 yards and six TDs passing with no interceptions, and Jacob Kelly's 169 yards rushing on 18 carries.
- Phoenix Horizon is off to a 2-0 start under new coach Andy Litten with defense setting the tone. Defense was kind of an afterthought for past great Horizon offensive teams, but it appears turned around this season with a 17-16 breakthrough win over Pinnacle and a 24-15 win over defending 5A champion Peoria Sunrise Mountain.
- Lakeside Blue Ridge overcame the passing of San Tan Charter sophomore Zayden Neill (37 of 47, 285 yards, three TDs) and won 28-26 by forcing four turnovers.
- Casa Grande defeated Peoria 35-21 behind R.J. Keeton's 189 yards and three touchdowns rushing and strong defensive play by linebacker Jake Sylvestre and Zion Gomez to improve to 2-0.
- Winslow running back Gage Thomas ran for four touchdowns in Thursday's 54-40 win over Holbrook.
- Eagar Round Valley became the Air Elks, beating rival St. Johns 62-20, as Ryker Marble passed for 246 yards and four TDs to go with Seth Wiltbank's 106 yards and two TDs rushing.
- Buckeye had one of the biggest upsets of the week, beating Phoenix Northwest Christian 29-27. Northwest reached the 4A semifinals last year. Tanner Merrill blocked a a field-goal try at the end to preserve Buckeye's win. Viliami Tongotea had a combined 203 yards rushing and receiving and Jordan Martinez had 170 return yards.
Best moment
Before their game, San Tan Charter and Lakeside Blue Ridge football players and coaches locked arms to remember Sept. 11, 2001 and lives lost in terrorist acts in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
Hathcock tweeted, “Thank you to San Tan Charter and the Kerry Taylor coaching staff. San Tan and Blue Ridge locked arms and stood in unity for our first responders, all military in honor of 9/11 and we stood against any form of bullying, harassment, and Racism. Coach Taylor and his staff were a class act.”
Week 5 Game of the Week
Las Vegas Bishop Gorman at Hamilton, Friday, 7 p.m., ESPN
National TV will be turned onto this with Hamilton playing on ESPN for the third time in the last two years. QB Nicco Marchiol, WR Christian Anaya and a nasty defense, led by Chandler Davis and Russell Davis II will try to show they belong on the national map with the traditional powerhouse team from Las Vegas, which is 2-0 and plays Lone Peak (Utah) Saturday night.