The second half of the regular season begins with region play and I'm heading out to Glendale to see Ironwood against Agua Fria in what should be a competitive matchup. Both teams come in with 3-2 records.

Agua Fria is happy to be 3-2 as the Owls have won three straight. Last week, AFHS retained the River Rock when it stopped Tolleson on a 2-point conversion in the game's final minute to claim a 27-25 win. Unfortunately, Agua Fria hasn't entered offensive stats all year, so it will be a mystery to see what they have. I do know they return RB Jayvier Cook, who was a 1,200-yard rusher last season.

Ironwood started out 3-0 with wins over three Phoenix Union schools (two on the game's final play) before losses to Kellis & Verrado. The Eagles have already surpassed last year's win total from a 2-8 campaign. Since IHS has entered offensive stats, we'll give some love to Khavontae Paul. The junior QB is a dual-threat and has ran for 732 yards and 8 TDs in the first 5 games. This will be my first trip out to Ironwood since the 2018 season.

Last year, this game was a good one as Agua Fria prevailed 28-26. We'll see if this one comes down to the end as well to see who claims their 4th win and begins 5A Northwest Region play at 1-0.

We hit the midway point of the Arizona high school football season this week (even though it's supposed to hit 109 Friday!). It's been 14 years since I've done a game at Mesa High. How long ago was that, the winning quarterback that night was Brett Hundley of Chandler. Time to change that as the Jackrabbits host Casteel.

Casteel (2-2) is averaging 33 points per game. It's a balanced and powerful offense for the Colts led by QB Paul Palmer (13 TDs 0 INT), who was the most experienced returner in the CUSD at the position. On the ground, it's newcomer Isaiah Linyear, a transfer from New York. Linyear had his 2nd 100-yard game in a 45-6 win over Mountain Ridge last week. The Colts only 2 losses have come by 1 and 7 points.

Mesa (2-2) has rebounded from an 0-2 start to pull back even. QB Adrik Reed is a dual-threat with 5 TD passes and is also the Jackrabbits rushing leader with 186 yards. Griffin Yamamoto is a 2-way player for MHS, who has started on varsity since his freshman year. He leads the team in receiving and also plays safety. Mesa outscored district foes Skyline and Dobson 90-14 over the past 2 weeks. Are the 'Rabbits ready for the CUSD? I'll be on hand to find out as Mesa closes in on 700 wins in its illustrious history (MHS is currently at 695).

Gridiron Arizona's 8 Shining Stars: Week 3