10 questions entering this week’s playoffs
We’re into the semifinals for the 3A and 2A Arizona high school football teams, but the playoffs begin this week for 4A through 6A, with the Open 8 getting a week off to prepare for the quarterfinals.
Here are 10 questions ahead of this week’s games:
1. Are the 6A playoffs watered down?
Some can see it that way, yes. But the reason for the Open was due to the football-motivated transfers to schools that usually dominate the state, such as Chandler, Saguaro, Hamilton, Centennial and now Basha. Elevating top teams into a separate Open Division playoff helps create parity in the 6A playoff bracket, which could see first-round upsets.
2. What 6A team is primed to pull the upset this week?
Phoenix Brophy Prep. The Broncos are 3-7 and seeded No. 11, traveling to play No. 6 Mesa Red Mountain. Red Mountain is a good team, but Brophy is so battle tested at this point and has been playing its best football the last month. Brophy woke up Saguaro last week in a 14-10 loss. This game was not expected to be close. But Brophy also played Pinnacle (18-14 loss) and Highland (13-8 loss) tough. Running back David Lopez has been on a mission. He ran for 128 yards against Saguaro after breaking 200 yards three games in a row.
3. Who is the most underrated player in the postseason?
It might be St. Mary’s senior quarterback/linebacker/long snapper David Galindo. The Knights are coming off a 31-28 loss to Yuma Catholic that sent the Knights on the long bus ride to Tucson to play Canyon del Oro on Friday in the 4A first round. But Galindo proved in that game (21 carries, 90 yards, three TDs) what a warrior he is. With the option to hand off on counters or keep it himself,
he can consume a whole quarter of action with his ability to drive forward for tough yards in coach Jose Lucero’s old-school Double Wing T. He’s the definition of X factor.
4. How much will playing in the Premier Region help Perry?
Some. But Perry has to face No. 2 Highland in the 6A first round Friday. And Highland is an Open-quality team in most people’s minds. The Pumas had a soft front end of their schedule, winning all four of their games in September. Against the Premier teams, the Pumas weren’t that competitive, losing to Chandler, Hamilton, Casteel and Basha by a combined 190-20.
But maybe that hard schedule the second half of the season will harden them and make it tougher for Highland to advance.
5. Can Gilbert Higley win its first state championship?
Yes, the third-seed Knights are more than capable and find themselves in a nice bracket in 5A, starting with a home game Friday against No. 14 Canyon View. If this high-powered offense, led by quarterback Jamar Malone II, keeps playing like it has in the last few weeks, there may be no stopping them to the gold ball. And it helps them that ALA Queen Creek was moved out of 5A and into the Open.
6. What conference has the most parity?
That’s easy. The 4A Conference has no clear favorite, even with American Leadership Gilbert North getting the top spot in the playoffs. ALA Gilbert North has one of the best quarterbacks in the state in Adam Damante, but the Eagles are vulnerable just like anybody else. They start with No. 16 Arizona College Prep, which, at one point this season was the No. 1 team in 4A. Then it plays either No. 8 Bradshaw Mountain or No. 9 Northwest Christian. Either of those teams could pull an upset because of how they play defense.
7. Which small-school semifinal holds the most intrigue?
I’ll take Show Low against Thatcher on Saturday night at Mountain Pointe. Although I’ll pick Thatcher to win, Show Low is no joke, especially after putting up 77 points last week against Surprise Paradise Honors in the 3A quarterfinals with senior athlete Ryan Kishbaugh leading the way. This is the first meeting between the teams. The Republic had Show Low No. 1 and Thatcher No. 2 much of the season.
8. Who is the best small-school player left in the playoffs?
Some could argue for Eastmark wide receiver Austin Johnston. But I’m leaning towards Willcox running back Cristian Pando, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior, who has the No. 4 Cowboys playing No. 1 Pima on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Safford in a 2A semifinal. Pando leads the state with 37 touchdowns and has 72 career TDs to go with 3,564 all-time rushing yards.
9. Does Scottsdale Christian have a chance against Morenci in the rematch?
Yes, but the Eagles will need to play near perfect in Saturday’s 2A semifinal at Westwood. In the 30-6 season-opening loss to Morenci, SCA got down 22-6 in the first quarter as Patrick Chavez ran for 137 yards with Morenci’s top rusher, Michael Casillas, relatively quiet. Morenci is a tough, physical team that wants to get into the final after losing to Arizona Lutheran in last year’s 2A title game.
10. Which team has the best path to the 6A final?
It might be Casteel, the top seed, which opens Friday night at home against No. 16 Laveen Cesar Chavez. Chavez has some explosive game breakers, but Casteel is a well-oiled team right now going through the Premier Region and quarterback Landon Jury is very good at leading the team. A semifinal matchup could come against Pinnacle or Queen Creek.