Before I release them on twitter I’m giving the forum first view at my personal awards from this basketball season. A lot of great players and teams, these awards should reflect the talent.

A few quirks: First, the all conference teams don’t have a traditional five players as I feel like it cuts into showing all the possible talent from a conference. Second, the team of the year went to teams who did not play in the title game. That award is for the teams that exceeded expectations and made noise when people didn’t expect as much. Third, the 5A coach of the year race was incredibly hard to pick a single winner. Randy Lavender took a Centennial team that was the favorite to its peak and was able to lead a program while encouraging his players to lead themselves. Ty Amundsen had multiple freshman/Underclassman players with key minutes and had the young team one shot away from the 5A semifinals. Both Ty and Randy deserve the love and have put in the effort, therefore since it’s my awards I’m giving it to both of them… You don’t like it? Make your own.

Without further ado… From Maryvale to Prescott, From Pueblo to Peoria I present the Seliga awards:

4A Conference
Player of the year: Nate Calmese, Mesquite, Point Guard, Sr.

1st Team:
Styles Phipps, St Mary’s, Point Guard, So.
Garrison Phelps, St Mary’s, Shooting Guard, Sr.
Nate Calmese, Mesquite, Point Guard, Sr.
Andrew Camacho, Peoria, Guard, Jr.
Dillan Baker, Salpointe Catholic, Small Forward, Sr.
Blessing Nwottie, Paradise Honors, Shooting Guard, Sr

2nd Team:
Jason Parent, Prescott, Small Forward, Sr.
Anthony Batson Jr, Notre Dame Prep, Shooting Guard, So.
Bradey Henige, Cactus, Center, So.
Luke Light, Paradise Honors, Power Forward, Sr.
CohenJ Gonzales, Mesquite, Shooting Guard, Sr.
Semajay James, Deer Valley, Point Guard, Sr.

3rd Team:
Marcus Coleman, Pueblo, Shooting Guard, Sr
Rob Jenkins, Cactus, Guard, Sr
Bryce Quinet, Notre Dame Prep, Point Guard, Fr
Jeremiah Cherry, St Mary’s, Center, Sr.
Calvin Windley, Peoria, Small Forward, Jr.

All Underclassman team:
Uriah Tenette, Prescott, Point Guard, Fr.
Styles Phipps, St Mary’s, Point Guard, So.
Bryce Quinet, Notre Dame Prep, Point Guard, Fr.
Anthony Batson Jr, Notre Dame Prep, Shooting Guard, So.
Bradey Henige, Cactus, Center, So.

Coach of the year: Shawn Lynch, Mesquite

Honorable Mentions: Jed Dunn, Deer Valley
Eric Castillo, Salpointe Catholic

Defensive Player of The Year: Greg Giles, Deer Valley, Guard, Sr.

Honorable Mentions: Calvin Windley, Peoria, Small Forward, Jr.
Blessing Nwottie, Paradise Honors, Shooting Guard, Jr.

Team of the year: Notre Dame Prep
Honorable Mentions: Deer Valley, Cactus


5A Awards:
Player of the year: Ahamed Mohammed, Apollo, Point Guard, Sr.

1st Team:
Ahamed Mohammed, Apollo, Point Guard, Sr.
Carter Gittens, Sunrise Mountain, Small Forward, Jr.
Yarell Greer, Higley, Point Guard, Jr.
Jaylen Wesley, McClintock, Power Forward, Sr.
Jake Lifgren, Centennial, Point Guard, Sr.
Pike Tancil, Willow Canyon, Point Guard, Sr.

2nd Team:
Nikko Pentelute, Gilbert, Guard, Sr.
Easton Reagan, Desert Mountain, Guard, Sr.
Gabe Pickens, Millennium, Guard, So.
Isaiah Kai, Campo Verde, Points Guard, Jr.
Emery Young, Centennial, SG/SF, Jr.
Jordan Talbert, Carl Hayden, Power Forward, Sr.
Erenzo Scroggins, McClintock, Small Forward, Jr

3rd Team:
Jai-Anthony Bearden, Kellis, Small Forward, So.
Reginald Mickens-Orr, Millennium, Shooting Guard, Sr
King Turner, North Canyon, Guard, Sr.
KJ Perry, Gilbert, Shooting Guard, Jr
Tate DeBoer, Willow Canyon, PF/C, Sr.
Rafe Canale, Sunrise Mountain, Point Guard, Sr.


All Underclassman team:
Tayvion Wilson, Kellis, Point Guard, Fr.
I’yar Shadowvine, Ironwood, Point Guard, Fr.
Gabe Pickens, Millennium, Point Guard, So.
Jai-Anthony Bearden, Kellis, Small Forward, So
Kendre Pride, Carl Hayden, Shooting Guard, So.
DeNali McNeal, Canyon View, Guard, Fr.
Kingston Tosi, Millennium, Power Forward, Fr.

Honorable Mentions:
Quincy Kirk, Centennial, Point Guard, Fr.
Jeremiah “JJ” Newcombe, Casteel, Point Guard, So.
JT Amundsen, Millennium, Guard, Fr.

*Co-Coaches of the Year: Randy Lavender, Centennial, Ty Amundsen, Millennium
Honorable Mentions:
Gary Rath, Sunrise Mountain
Sam Dentz, McClintock

Defensive Player of The Year: Abe Rangel, Centennial, Point Guard, Sr.

Honorable Mentions:
Yarell Greer, Higley, Point Guard, Jr.
Tate DeBoer, Willow Canyon, PF/C, Sr.

Team of the year: Millennium
Honorable Mentions: Higley, Campo Verde


6A Awards:

Player of the Year: Elijah Saunders, Sunnyslope, Center, Sr.

1st Team:
Elijah Saunders, Sunnyslope, Center, Sr.
Kevin Patton Jr, Small Forward, Maricopa, Jr.
Roosevelt “Tru” Washington, Shooting Guard, Mountain Pointe, Jr.
Cody Williams, Small Forward, Perry, Jr.
Oakland Fort, Sunnyslope, Point Guard, Sr.
Caden Hunter, Liberty, Power Forward, Sr.

2nd Team:
Koa Peat, Perry, Small Forward, Fr.
Quincy Adams, Hamilton, Point Guard, Sr.
Arman Madi, Brophy Prep, Small Forward, Jr.
Ashton Reese, Pinnacle, Shooting Guard, Jr.
Logan Hopkins, Mountain Ridge, Shooting Guard, Jr.
Mark Brown, Mountain Pointe, Point Guard, Jr.

3rd Team:
Bryce Ford, Pinnacle, Point Guard, Jr.
Braeden Speed, Brophy Prep, Shooting Guard, So.
AJ Riggs, Highland, Shooting Guard, Sr.
Dylan Anderson, Perry, Center, Sr.
Ky Green, Liberty, Small Forward, Jr.
Rowan McKenzie, Boulder Creek, Point Guard, So.
Aadem Isai, Valley Vista, Shooting Guard, Jr.

All Underclassman Team:
Koa Peat, Perry, Small Forward, Fr.
Rowan McKenzie, Boulder Creek, Point Guard, So.
Braeden Speed, Brophy Prep, Shooting Guard, So.
Kallai Patton, Maricopa, Small Forward, So.
Michael Simcoe, O’Connor, Power Forward, Fr.
Devin Murphy, Maryvale, Power Forward, Fr.

Honorable Mentions:
Royal Haley, Cesar Chavez, Small Forward, So.
Liam Bunker, Queen Creek, Point Guard, Fr.
Anthony Bolton, Dobson, Shooting Guard, So.
Jaylon Johnson, Mountain Pointe, Center, Fr.
Braylon Johnson, Pinnacle, Small Forward, So.

Defensive Player of The Year: Kevin Patton Jr., Maricopa, Small Forward, Jr

Honorable Mentions:
Braeden Speed, Brophy Prep, Shooting Guard, So.
Trey Phillips, Brophy Prep, Power Forward, Sr.
Braylon Johnson, Pinnacle, Small Forward, So.

Coach of the Year: Paul Gretkierewicz, Maricopa

Team of the Year: Boulder Creek
Honorable Mentions: Maricopa, Highland

Honorable Mentions:
Justin Collard, Boulder Creek
Matt Hooten, Brophy Prep

Some thoughts:

-It seems like most of the teams doing well are much older then in the past.
I remember that Musselman team for Nevada was all around 22. Well I believe Mia/FL had two 24, two 23 and one 21

-PAC-12 outside of UCLA and AZ somewhat have been looking shaky where

-BIG-12 has been very good.

-The BIG-12 all seem HUNGRIER ! They kind of all muck it up and are super physical compared to being super skilled.

-ACC has also been undervalued by the NCAA selection committee!
UNC, Notre Dame and Mia,Fl prob could of been higher seeds!

-SEC is obviously way overrated. #2 KY, #2 Auburn, #3 TENN, LSU and Alabama all didn't look great--obviously had good moments !

Ok here we go

I will list 16 games and you pick 15 of the winners. The annual pick em is always fun !

We will start for Tuesday games like always. Get picks in by Monday night or Tuesday before 7:00pm.

I believe we have seen an announcement that Basha is traveling to Southern California for a 2022 game. I thought I saw @Zalvira post something involving Desert Vista having an out of state opponent (California). Any games confirmed or rumours floating around involving AZ against other squads not from here.

Trivium prep is looking to add a QB, OL or DL and Possible DB coach to the staff. If interested, please reach out to Stephen Hemming at coachhemming@gmail.com or 480-865-5916. Please send resume and references.

Welcome to a brand new year of the ArizonaVarsity Film Session. Next up, the incoming senior class of 2023. Our goal is to continue to dedicate our platform for these athletes and to help them reach their goal of becoming student-athletes at the next level. If you wish to nominate a player for articles in the members only forums for upcoming weeks, hop into the TeamAZV message boards to nominate a football player.

Perry 2023 6'3 260-pound DE Aiden Herring

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One of the top pass rushers in the 6A Premier Region last season, Herring wrapped up his junior campaign totaling up 57 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. A versatile edge rusher who can play in either a 2-point stance or a 3-point stance, Herring uses a variety of rush moves to overpower or speed passed opposing offensive tackles.

I sat down with Herring a few weeks ago to break down his junior highlight film, and I was blown away by the (already) high football IQ that this young man possesses. I was really impressed with his pre-snap reads and quick reactions off the snap based on the opposing tackles alignment and first step. At the high school level, usually everything is a simple rip move around the tackle or a bull rush move. Herring dove in deep when discussing plays with various rush techniques where he would slant, stunt, and shed when we broke down the tape at Perry High School.

Here's a couple quotes from our sit down:

Aiden Herring on the 1st play of his film: “Pre-Snap I’m outside leverage, I’ve seen some of his moves before. I knew I had to make a quick inside move and then get back out (for contain). I attacked and ended up getting that sack."

Herring on which he prefers more, playing in a 2-point stance vs 3-point stance “It really depends on the tackle, if there’s a bigger tackle that I can utilize my speed on I prefer a 2-point stance, but if it’s a smaller tackle who’s more agile, then I love getting into my 3-point stance and using my strength.”

Herring on the play against Highland at the :39 second mark, “This was a stunt to the inside, I’m on the outside going in…I use my speed to get inside and get the sack.”

Herring on playing against multiple D1 QBs last year, “It was great knowing that every game that we played there was one if not two (future Division 1 players)…You’re never playing anyone that’s sorry, you’re always playing really good teams no matter what."

Herring clearly has a nose for the QB and what I love about his film is how active and furious his motor is in pursuit to get a sack on every passing down. He has a great understanding of leverage and shows nice lateral quickness and change of direction when he's hunting down the ball carrier. The soon-to-be senior has put in work in Perry's off-season lifting program and has already packed on another 15 pounds of solid muscle. Herring holds early offers from Idaho, NAU, and Idaho State, and with an awesome 4.13 GPA in the classroom, do not be surprised when his offer sheet starts to fill up this upcoming Spring.

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Out of the three major conference brackets, the 4A conference has the potential to be the most predictable. The top two seeds No. 1 Salpointe Catholic and No. 2 St Mary’s to many fans and members of the media are on a collision course to meet in the 4A championship Monday, February 28th.

But that doesn’t mean the rest of the bracket doesn’t have a chance to make noise. Region rivals No. 3 Peoria, No. 4 Deer Valley, and No. 5 Notre Dame Prep all have the talent to pull off an upset of the higher seeds with their combinations of strong starting fives and individual stars (in order: Andrew Camacho, Semajay James, Anthony Batson Jr).

No. 6 Mesquite has the most prolific scorer in the big three conferences with Nate Calmese who averages 31.3 points per game.

No. 7 Paradise Honors only graduated five players from last season’s championship game appearance and brought back plenty of talent including last year’s leading scorer Blessing Nwottie who went over 1000 career points earlier this season.

No. 8 Cactus has one of the best big men in the state with young Bradey Henige who can impact the game on both ends of the court.

Overall the top half of the 4A conference proves why all season the 4A conference has been viewed as a “top heavy” conference and I predict that trend to continue in the postseason. Lower seeds like #11 Prescott and #12 Dysart have individual players who can keep them in games such as Jason Parent for the Badgers and Darius Anderson for the Demons but don’t have the depth nor the talent to carry them past the first round, as is the case for each team seeded 9-16 in the bracket.

Sweet 16:
#1 Salpointe Catholic vs #16 Rio Rico
(Salpointe Catholic Win)
#8 Cactus vs #9 Sahuaro
(Cactus Win)
#5 Notre Dame Prep vs #12 Dysart
(Notre Dame Prep Win)
#4 Deer Valley vs #13 Flagstaff
(Deer Valley Win)

#3 Peoria vs #14 ALA-Queen Creek
(Peoria Win)
#6 Mesquite vs #11 Prescott
(Mesquite Win
#7 Paradise Honors vs #10 Coconino
(Paradise Honors Win)
#2 St Mary’s vs #15 Pueblo
(St Mary’s Win)

Elite 8:
#1 Salpointe Catholic vs #8 Cactus
(Salpointe Catholic Win)
#4 Deer Valley vs #5 Notre Dame Prep
(Deer Valley Win)

#3 Peoria vs #6 Mesquite
(Peoria Win)
#2 St Mary’s vs #7 Paradise Honors
(St Mary’s Win)

Final 4:
#1 Salpointe Catholic vs #4 Deer Valley
(Salpointe Catholic Win)

#2 St Mary’s vs #3 Peoria
(St Mary’s Win)

Championship Game:
#1 Salpointe Catholic vs #2 St Mary’s

4A Champion: St Mary’s

St Mary’s has a legitimate argument to be the best team in the state and I believe a run to another 4A state title will prove why. The main reason I believe this is because of Sophomore point guard Styles Phipps. When people mention St Mary’s basketball most in the media instantly talk about Jeremiah Cherry and Garrison Phelps, two players who helped the Knights win the title last year. But Phipps has progressed immensely throughout the season and has the potential to be one of the best if not the best player on the west coast by the time he graduates. Phipps has already picked up an offer this season from Auburn and is currently receiving looks from some of the top schools in the Pac-12. Phipps on the season is averaging 24 points and 9 assists per contest and will receive national attention during the off-season and Summer during events such as Section-7 if not during the state tournament.

Welcome back to week two of the Seliga team rankings! This is my personal ranking system to determine the best of the best in Arizona high school hoops. Updates for this week include new title game/semifinal projections as well as each contenders key game as they enter the final week of the season.

Enter the Seliga rankings, a ranking system that separates the top 28 teams in each conference into four separate tiers. Beside each team is their record in regular season play as of today (February 2nd) and their ranking in the AIA system. These are my rankings based off how I’ve seen these teams play both live and on film as well as their potential to succeed whether or not they make the postseason. As well as previous head to head matchups and how the team has looked as of today and whether or not they would win a rematch or beat the team ranked above or below them.

Top Tier:
“The Contenders” This tier contains the teams that most fans, media, and teams expect to be in the semifinals or playing for the championship. Ex: Sunnyslope (6A)

Second Tier:
“Dangerous Loomers” These are the teams that have the ability to make a run to the title game or semifinals that wouldn’t surprise people. These are programs that should make it past the play-in and can compete as a lower seed. Ex: Casteel (5A)

Third Tier:
“Solid Playoff/Play-In teams” These programs at this point in the season are fighting for seeding in the play-in games or are fighting to stay above 24 in the AIA rankings. Each year there’s at least one or two teams who can pull off a surprise in the play-in round/first round but overall a run to the title game would be unexpected. Ex: Youngker (4A)

Final Tier:
“The Bubble” These programs are fighting to make the play-in and either are right above the cutoff line or right below it. These teams usually have one or two guys that can possibly carry them in a play-in game, but most likely don’t have either the depth or the talent to compete against a higher seeded team.

Key:
⬆️ - Up from previous week
↔️ - No movement
⬇️ - Down from previous week

4A Boys
Contenders:
1. (⬆️1) St. Mary’s (11-3 AIA #2)- Key Game Remaining: vs Seton Catholic, Feb. 2
2. (⬆️1) Salpointe Catholic (16-0, AIA #1) - Key Game Remaining: vs 5A “#1” Buena, Feb. 4
3. (⬆️1) Peoria (14-2 AIA #3) - Key Game Remaining: vs #6 Notre Dame Prep, Feb 4
4. (⬇️3) Deer Valley (14-2, AIA #4) - Key Game Remaining: vs #8 Cactus, Feb. 4
5. (↔️) Paradise Honors (13-3, AIA #7) - Key game remaining: vs Youngker, Feb. 4
6. (⬆️2)Notre Dame Prep (14-2, AIA #5) - Key Game remaining: @ Peoria, Feb. 4
Dangerous Loomers
7. (⬇️1) Mesquite (14-1, AIA #6)
8. (↔️) Cactus (12-4 AIA #8)

Most Likely to make a run: Mesquite
Solid Playoff/play-in teams
9. Sahuaro(10-4, AIA #9) (⬆️2)
10. Coconino (12-3, AIA #10) (↔️)
11. Canyon Del Oro (8-5, AIA #12) (⬇️2)
12. Prescott (11-6, AIA #11) (↔️)
13. Dysart (11-5, AIA #13) (↔️)
14. Flagstaff (11-5, AIA #14) (⬆️2)
15. Saguaro (10-6, AIA #17) (⬆️2)
16. ALA-QC (8-6, AIA #16) (⬇️2)
17. Bradshaw Mountain (10-6, AIA #15) (⬇️2)
18. Buckeye (7-6, AIA #19) (↔️)
19. Pueblo (10-7, AIA #20) (⬆️1)
20. Mica Mountain (5-6, AIA #21) (⬇️1)
21. Desert Edge (5-11, AIA #22) (↔️)
22. Thunderbird (10-7, AIA #18) (⬆️1)
23. Estrella Foothills (7-9, AIA #23) (⬆️1)
24. Youngker (7-6, AIA #25) (⬆️2)

Sneakiest team “sleeper”: Dysart
Bubble
25. Marcos De Niza (⬇️3)
26. Cholla (⬇️1)
27. Moon Valley (↔️)
28. Poston Butte (↔️)

4A Semifinals predictions:

#1 St. Mary’s vs #4 Deer Valley & #2 Salpointe Catholic vs #3 Peoria

Championship: #1 St Mary’s vs #3 Peoria

Champ: #1 St. Mary’s

5A Boys
Contenders:
1. (⬆️4)Centennial (12-3, AIA #3)- Key Game Remaining: vs #4 Sunrise Mountain, Feb. 4
2. (⬇️1) McClintock (14-1, AIA #5)- Key Game Remaining: vs Horizon, Feb. 2
3. (⬆️1) Gilbert (14-3, AIA #2) - Key Game Remaining: vs Casteel, Feb 7
4. (⬇️2) Sunrise Mountain (14-3, AIA #4)- Key Game Remaining: @ Centennial, Feb. 4
5. (⬆️2) Millennium (12-4, AIA #6) Key Game Remaining: @ Verrado, Feb. 8
6. (⬆️2) Buena (16-0, AIA #1) Key Game Remaining: @ 4A #2 Salpointe Catholic, Feb. 4
7. (⬇️1) Apollo (11-5, AIA #7) - Key game remaining: @ Ironwood, Feb. 4
8. (⬆️1) Ironwood (10-5, AIA #11) - Key game remaining: @ Centennial, Feb. 2
Dangerous Loomers
9. Casteel (12-4, AIA #9) ⬆️1
10. Higley (12-4 AIA #8) ⬇️ 7
11. Horizon (10-5 AIA #10) ⬆️ 3
12. Catalina Foothills (13-2, AIA #12) ⬇️1
13. North Canyon (14-3, AIA #14) ⬇️1
14. Desert Mountain (10-6 , AIA #15) ⬆️2
15. Campo Verde (11-6, AIA, #13) ⬇️2
16. Willow Canyon (12-4, AIA #17) ⬇️1

Most likely to make a run: Higley
Solid Playoff/Play-In teams
17. Arcadia (10-6, AIA #16) ↔️
18. Marana (10-6, AIA #18) ↔️
19. Canyon View (11-5, AIA #21) ↔️
20. Sunnyside (11-6, AIA #19) ⬆️1
21. Ironwood Ridge (7-8, AIA #22) ⬆️2
22. Cactus Shadows (6-10, AIA #24) ⬆️2
23. Cienega (10-8, AIA #22) ⬆️3
24. Verrado (10-6, AIA #25) ⬆️3

Sneakiest team “sleeper”: Arcadia
Bubble Teams:
25. Kellis ⬇️5
26. Nogales ⬇️4
27. Carl Hayden (New)
28. Gila Ridge ⬇️3

5A Semifinals predictions:
#1 Centennial vs #4 Sunrise Mountain & #2 McClintock vs #3 Gilbert

Championship: #1 Centennial vs #3 Gilbert

Champ: #1 Centennial

6A Boys
Contenders
1. (↔️) Sunnyslope (15-1, AIA #1) - Key game remaining: vs Shadow Ridge, Feb. 8

2. (↔️) Brophy Prep (14-1, AIA #2) - Key game remaining: vs #5 Pinnacle, Feb. 5

3. (↔️) Mountain Pointe (14-1, AIA #3) - Key game remaining: vs Desert Vista, Feb. 2

4. (↔️) Perry (11-4, AIA #4) - Key game remaining: @ #8 Hamilton, Feb. 3

5. (⬆️5) Pinnacle (12-3, AIA #5) - Key game remaining: @ #2 Brophy, Feb. 5

6. (⬆️1) Highland (12-4, AIA #6) - Key game remaining: @ Desert Ridge, Feb. 3

7. (⬇️2) Liberty (12-4, AIA #10) - Key game remaining: @ Boulder Creek, Feb. 4

8. (⬇️2) Basha (10-6, AIA #7) - Key game remaining: @ Chandler, Feb. 3

Dangerous Loomers
9. Hamilton (11-5, AIA #9) ↔️
10. Maricopa (14-3, AIA #11) ⬇️2
11. Mesa (13-3, AIA #8) ↔️
12. Tucson (13-4, AIA #12) ↔️
13. Mesa Mountain View (12-4, AIA #15) ↔️

Most likely to make a run: Hamilton
Solid Playoff/Play-In teams
14. Boulder Creek (11-5, AIA #13) ⬆️1
15. Queen Creek (8-8, AIA #14) ⬆️1
16. Shadow Ridge (9-5, AIA #18) ⬇️2
17. Corona Del Sol (8-6, AIA #16) ⬆️1
18. Valley Vista (8-8, AIA #17) ⬆️5
19. Dobson (12-5, AIA #23) ⬆️1
20. Desert Vista (4-9, AIA #21) ⬆️1
21. Sandra Day O’Connor (6-10, AIA #19) ⬇️2
22. Desert Ridge (7-9, AIA #20) ⬇️5
23. Cibola (9-5, AIA #26) ⬆️1
24. Cesar Chavez (8-5, AIA #25) ⬆️1

Sneakiest team “sleeper”: Valley Vista/Dobson
Bubble teams
25. Chandler ⬆️3
26. Chaparral ⬇️ 4
27. Rincon/University ↔️
28. Mountain Ridge ⬇️2

6A Semifinals predictions
#1 Sunnyslope vs #4 Perry & #2 Brophy Prep vs #3 Mountain Pointe

Championship: #1 Sunnyslope vs #2 Brophy Prep

Champ: Brophy Prep

As the basketball regular season enters its final stretch, rankings and wins become crucial to whether or not a program makes the postseason. The AIA rankings create controversy at times regardless of sport, which sparked my imagination…

Enter the Seliga rankings, a ranking system that separates the top 28 teams in each conference into four separate tiers. Beside each team is their record in regular season play as of today (January 26th) and their ranking in the AIA system. These are my rankings based off how I’ve seen these teams play both live and on film as well as their potential to succeed whether or not they make the postseason. As well as previous head to head matchups and how the team has looked as of today and whether or not they would win a rematch or beat the team ranked above or below them.

Top Tier:
“The Contenders” This tier contains the teams that most fans, media, and teams expect to be in the semifinals or playing for the championship. Ex: Sunnyslope (6A)

Second Tier:
“Dangerous Loomers” These are the teams that have the ability to make a run to the title game or semifinals that wouldn’t surprise people. These are programs that should make it past the play-in and can compete as a lower seed. Ex: North Canyon (5A)

Third Tier:
“Solid Playoff/Play-In teams” These programs at this point in the season are fighting for seeding in the play-in games or are fighting to stay above 24 in the AIA rankings. Each year there’s at least one or two teams who can pull off a surprise in the play-in round/first round but overall a run to the title game would be unexpected. Ex: Marcos De Niza (4A)

Final Tier:
“The Bubble” These programs are fighting to make the play-in and either are right above the cutoff line or right below it. These teams usually have one or two guys that can possibly carry them in a play-in game, but most likely don’t have either the depth or the talent to compete against a higher seeded team.

4A Boys
Contenders:
1. Deer Valley (13-0, AIA #1) - Key Wins: vs 6A #15 Boulder Creek, #4 Peoria.
Key Player: Semajay James, G, Sr

2. St. Mary’s (9-2, AIA #3) - Key Wins: #4 Peoria, #5 Paradise Honors.
Key Player: Styles Phipps, G, So

3. Salpointe Catholic (12-0, AIA #2) - Key Wins: #5 Paradise Honors, 6A #10 Pinnacle (Tournament).
Key Player: Dillan Baker, combo, Sr

4. Peoria (12-2, AIA #4) - Key Wins: 6A #5 Liberty (Tournament), #7 Notre Dame Prep. Key Player: Andrew Camacho, G, Jr

5. Paradise Honors (10-3, AIA #7) - Key Wins: vs #13 Dysart, #16 Flagstaff.
Key Player: Blessing Nwotite, G, Sr

Dangerous Loomers
6. Mesquite (12-1, AIA #6)
7. Notre Dame Prep (10-2, AIA #5)
8. Cactus (9-3, AIA #8)

Most Likely to make a run: Notre Dame Prep
Solid Playoff/play-in teams
9. Canyon Del Oro (8-2, AIA #9)
10. Coconino (11-2, AIA #11)
11. Sahuaro (8-3, AIA #10)
12. Prescott (10-6, AIA #12)
13. Dysart (10-4, AIA #13)
14. ALA-QC (6-5, AIA #15)
15. Bradshaw Mountain (9-4, AIA #13)
16. Flagstaff (8-5, AIA #16)
17. Saguaro (9-5, AIA #17)
18. Buckeye (6-5, AIA #18)
19. Mica Mountain (4-5, AIA #20)
20. Pueblo (9-5, AIA #19)
21. Desert Edge (5-8, AIA #23)
22. Marcos De Niza (6-6, AIA #25)
23. Thunderbird (6-7, AIA #21)
24. Estrella Foothills (6-8, AIA #26)

Sneakiest team “sleeper”: Dysart
Bubble
25. Cholla
26. Youngker
27. Moon Valley
28. Poston Butte

4A Semifinals predictions:

#1 Deer Valley vs #4 Peoria & #2 St. Mary’s vs #3. Salpointe Catholic

Championship: #1 Deer Valley vs #2 St. Mary’s

Champ: #1 Deer Valley

5A Boys
Contenders:
1. McClintock (13-0, AIA #2) - Key Wins: 6A #7 Highland (Tournament), #3 Higley
Key Player: Jaylen Wesley, F, Sr

2. Sunrise Mountain (13-2, AIA #4) - Key Wins: 6A #5 Liberty, #7 Millennium
Key Player: Carter Gittens, combo, jr

3. Higley (12-3, AIA #6) - Key Wins: #4 Gilbert, #6 Apollo
Key Player: Yarell Greer, G, Jr

4. Gilbert (12-3, AIA #3) - Key Wins: #3 Higley, 6A #4 Perry (Tournament)
Key Player: Nikko Pentelute, G, Sr

5. Centennial (9-3, AIA #5) - Key Wins: #6 Apollo, #2 Sunrise Mountain
Key Player: Jake Lifgren, G, Sr

6. Apollo (10-4, AIA #7) - Key Wins: #2 Sunrise Mountain, #4 Gilbert
Key Player: Ahamed Mohammed, G, Sr

7. Millennium (10-4, AIA #8) - Key Wins: #9 Ironwood, #19 Canyon View
Key Player: Reggie Mickens-Orr, G, Sr

8. Buena (14-0, AIA #1) - Key Wins: #4 Gilbert, #21 Sunnyside
Key Player: Jake Smith, G, Sr

Dangerous Loomers
9. Ironwood (8-5, AIA #11)
10. Casteel (11-4, AIA #9)
11. Catalina Foothills (11-2, AIA #10)
12. North Canyon (12-3, AIA #13)
13. Campo Verde (10-5, AIA #14)
14. Horizon (8-5, AIA #12)
15. Willow Canyon (10-4, AIA #17)
16. Desert Mountain (8-5, AIA #15)

Most likely to make a run: Ironwood
Solid Playoff/Play-In teams
17. Arcadia (9-5, AIA #16)
18. Marana (9-5, AIA #18)
19. Canyon View (9-4, AIA #20)
20. Kellis (5-10, AIA #26)
21. Sunnyside (9-6, AIA #19)
22. Nogales (7-7, AIA #21)
23. Ironwood Ridge (6-8, AIA #22)
24. Cactus Shadows (5-8, AIA #24)

Sneakiest team “sleeper”: Kellis
Bubble Teams:
25. Gila Ridge
26. Cienega
27. Verrado
28. Betty Fairfax

5A Semifinals predictions:
#1 McClintock vs #4 Gilbert & #2 Sunrise Mountain vs #6 Apollo

Championship: #1 McClintock vs #2 Sunrise Mountain

Champ: #2 Sunrise Mountain

6A Boys
Contenders
1. Sunnyslope (12-1, AIA #1) - Key Wins: #2 Brophy Prep, 5A #6 Centennial
Key Player: Elijah Saunders, F, Sr

2. Brophy Prep (10-1, AIA #2) - Key Wins: #4 Perry, 4A #2 St. Mary’s
Key Player: Trey Phillips, combo, Sr

3. Mountain Pointe (11-1, AIA #3) - Key Wins: #7 Highland, #10 Pinnacle
Key Player: “Tru” Washington, G, Jr

4. Perry (10-3, AIA #4) - Key Wins: #3 Mountain Pointe, #6 Basha
Key Player: Koa Peat, F, Fr

5. Liberty (12-3, AIA #9) - Key Wins: 4A #1 Deer Valley, #10 Pinnacle
Key Player: Ky Green, combo, Jr

6. Basha (9-3, AIA #5) - Key Wins: #5 Liberty, #9 Hamilton
Key Player: Brady Reynolds, F, Sr

7. Highland (10-4, AIA #6) - Key Wins: 6A #6 Centennial, #11 Mesa
Key Player: Mason Knollmiller, G, Sr

8. Maricopa (13-2, AIA #12) - Key Wins: #12 Tucson, #16 Queen Creek
Key Player: Kevin Patton Jr, combo, Jr

Dangerous Loomers
9. Hamilton (9-5, AIA #11)
10. Pinnacle (10-3, AIA #7)
11. Mesa (11-3, AIA #8)
12. Tucson (12-3, AIA #10)
13. Mesa Mountain View (10-3, AIA #13)

Most likely to make a run: Hamilton
Solid Playoff/Play-In teams
14. Shadow Ridge (9-4, AIA #16)
15. Boulder Creek (8-5, AIA #15)
16. Queen Creek (6-7, AIA #14)
17. Desert Ridge (7-6, AIA #18)
18. Corona Del Sol (6-5, AIA #17)
19. Sandra Day O’Connor (5-8, AIA #19)
20. Dobson (9-5, AIA #23)
21. Desert Vista (4-6, AIA #21)
22. Chaparral (3-11, AIA #22)
23. Valley Vista (6-7, AIA #20)
24. Cibola (9-5, AIA #24)

Sneakiest team “sleeper”: Valley Vista/Dobson
Bubble teams
25. Cesar Chavez
26. Mountain Ridge
27. Rincon/University
28. Chandler

6A Semifinals predictions
#1 Sunnyslope vs #4 Perry & #2 Brophy Prep vs #3 Mountain Pointe

Championship: #4 Perry vs #3 Mountain Pointe

Champ: Mountain Pointe

Now that football conference appeals are done... 6A regions have also been posted by AIA, but how do we think that the 5A and 4A football regions will align? For other sports, it seems like some of the regions are really all over the place (Being a former AJ coach/media member for example, in the past in 4A, AJ, Combs were in a region with Dysart, Glendale, Cortez and Washington... Currently in other sports starting in 2022, AJ is in a separate region from Combs and Poston Butte.. why?!)

Would really like to see if the conferences take true "regional" alignment in to consideration... Which also would hopefully create more local competition and some "rivalries" too...

4A football will surely be interesting when it comes to alignment, with schools spanning from the southern Arizona, Almost all of the Yuma schools, western AZ with Lake Havasu area, northern AZ and now Snowflake will be the furthest northeast school in the conference. Would the Lobos be the road warriors traveling across northern Arizona (325 miles from Snowflake HS to Lake Havasu HS) or potentially be aligned with the schools in the far east valley? (168 miles from Snowflake to Poston Butte.. oh and that potential Snowflake/ALA Gilbert region rivalry? THAT'S GONNA BE SPICY.)

I took a crack at this today with the 4A teams...

4A FOOTBALL REGION ALIGNMENT
49 SCHOOLS

GRAND CANYON - 7
BRADSHAW MOUNTAIN
COCONINO
FLAGSTAFF
LAKE HAVASU
LEE WILLIAMS
MINGUS UNION
PRESCOTT

BLACK CANYON - 6
DEER VALLEY
GLENDALE
GREENWAY
INDEPENDENCE
NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN
PEORIA

KINO - 6
CANYON DEL ORO
CATALINA FOOTHILLS
MICA MOUNTAIN
PUEBLO
SAHUARO
VISTA GRANDE

GILA - 6
AMPHITHEATER
DOUGLAS
EMPIRE
RIO RICO
SAHUARITA
WALDEN GROVE

DESERT SKY - 6
AZ COLLEGE PREP
ARCADIA
MARCOS DE NIZA
SETON CATHOLIC
ST. MARY’S
THUNDERBIRD

EAST SKY - 6
ALA GILBERT NORTH
APACHE JUNCTION
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
COMBS
POSTON BUTTE
SNOWFLAKE

SKYLINE - 6
ALHAMBRA
CARL HAYDEN
MARYVALE
MOON VALLEY
SIERRA LINDA
WASHINGTON

SOUTHWEST - 6
BUCKEYE UNION
ESTRELLA FOOTHILLS
GILA RIDGE
KOFA
YOUNGKER
YUMA CATHOLIC

Also, would really LOVE if the conferences brought back the automatic playoff bids for REGION CHAMPIONS.

Congratulations to all that won an award!! Yall worked hard and made it an amazing season!!

Thank you all!!

POY
Unanimous Decision
Nicco Marchiol QB Hamilton
2690 Passing Yards 37 TDs / 369 Rushing Yds 6 TDs
11-1 / 10-0 Regular Season
Open Division Qualifier
Led the comeback vs Bishop Gorman
Beat Chandler to take back AZ AVE

OPOY
Demond Williams QB Basha
2632 Passing Yards 20 TDs / 644 Rushing Yards 14 TDs
10-1 / 10-0 Regular Season
Open Division Qualifier

DPOY
Unanimous Decision
Jax Stam S Liberty
107 Tackles / 46 Solo / 8.5 TFL / 2 Sacks / 1 INT
Open Division Qualifier

Chilly & Cody 2Way Player of the Year
Amier Boyd-Matthews ATH Mountain Pointe
928 Yards of Offense 5 TDs / 57 Tackles 2 INTs

Offensive Underclassmen of the Year
Bryson Dedmon WR Basha
60 Receptions / 1014 Yards / 9 TDs

Defensive Underclassmen of the Year
Miles Lockhart DB Basha
36 Tackles / 2 TFLs / 2 INTs

Offensive Breakout Player of the Year
Lennox Lawson WR/RB/RET Red Mountain
819 Rushing Yards 9 TDs / 577 Receiving Yards 6 TDs / 353 Return Yards

Defensive Breakout Player of the Year
Unanimous Decision
My'Keil Gardner DE Liberty
86 Tackles / 24 TFLs / 10 Sacks

Coach of the Year
Travis Schureman Queen Creek
8-2 Regular season
Open Division Qualifier

Asst Coach of the Year
Terry Fair OL Highland
Coached up the best OL in the state with 2 potential division 1 guys

Quarterback of the Year
Gage Dayley Highland
2652 Passing Yds 29 TDs / 282 Rushing yds 2 TDs
10-2 as a starter

Running Back of the Year
Payton Barlow Queen Creek
1102 Rushing YDs 9 TDs / 223 Receiving YDs 2 TDs
7 games 100+ yds rushing

Wide Receiver of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Christian Anaya Hamilton
996 Receiving YDs 17 TDs

Tight End/ Flex Player of the Year
Duce Robinson Pinnacle
972 Receiving YDs 8 TDs

Offensive Line of the Year
Highland

Offensive Lineman of the Year
Grayson Stovall Hamilton
35+ Pancakes
Gave up 0 Sacks

Defensive Lineman of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Russell Davis Hamilton
87 Tackles 48 Solo 28.5 TFLs 17.5 Sacks

Linebacker of the Year
Parker Mcclure Red Mountain
155 Tackles 6 TFLs

Cornerback of the Year
Ben Morrison Brophy

Co-Safety of the Year
Franky Morales Chandler
78 TKLs 32 Solo 3 TFLs 3 INTs

Josh Sovereign Williams Field
70 TKLs 42 Solo 4.5 TFLs 8 INTs

Return Specialist of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Cole Martin Basha
578 Return yds 2 TDs

Kicker of the Year
Marcus Lye Brophy
12 FGM 26 PAT Made 62 pts

Punter of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Roch Cholowsky Hamilton
1445 yds 46.6 Avg 72 long 20 inside the 20

Specialist of the Year
Lance St Louis Williams Field

Welcome to a brand new year of the ArizonaVarsity Film Session. Next up, the incoming senior class of 2023. Every week, myself and/or Ralph Amsden will spotlight a player from the 2023 class and break down their film. Our goal is to continue to dedicate our platform for these athletes and to help them reach their goal of becoming student-athletes at the next level. If you wish to nominate a player for articles in the member only forums for upcoming weeks, hop into the TeamAZV message boards on to nominate a football player.

Eastmark 2023 WR Austin Johnston (6-0, 178)

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Last Friday, Zach Alvira and I took a trip out to Eastmark High School to meet up with Firebirds' Head Coach, Scooter Molander, as well as interview some of the returning 2023 and 2024 Firebirds' players. I watched a ton of Eastmark film the night before to prep for the interviews, that's when I stumbled across 1st Team All-Arizona WR Austin Johnston's tape.

Johnston racked up 1186 yards receiving and 15 TDs in his Junior campaign for the Firebirds. The thing that jumped out immediately while watching Johnston's film was his superb route running. Johnston did a fantastic job of consistently getting opposing DBs on their heels with quick acceleration off the snap, all while creating separation with lightning bursts out of his breaks. Johnston shows his big playmaking ability by absolutely torching DBs on double-moves throughout the tape.

Diving into the film at the :41 second mark vs Poston Butte (4A runner-up last season), Johnston lines up on the short-side boundary. Poston Butte is in a 2-high look pre-snap, the opposing corner has deep-inside help from the safety with the pre-snap alignment. In the beginning of the play, Johnston drops his hips and breaks like he's running an out-route, getting the corner to bite up, he explodes passed not only the DB but also the safety, hauling in the deep pass for a large gain on the double-move.

On the very next play at the :57 second mark, Johnston shows off impressive footwork off the snap, completely leaving the corner on skates as he jabs inside faking the DB out, to get a free outside release. Johnston shows tremendous hand-eye coordination and athleticism going up to snag the deep pass at it's highest point, all while staying in bounds.

Johnston will be one of the best WRs in all of 3A next Fall, and I'm excited to see the big numbers that he'll put up.

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What’s going on y’all! From the beginning of Hoophall West, I set out on a goal to watch 40 teams across 40 days to evaluate who some of the best players and teams both boys and girls in the state are. My goal was to cover games from December 8th to January 17th but a stomach bug took three days off and tonight (January 20th) was the final day of the stretch.
I observed a lot of great talent in that stretch and below is a list of some of my standout players! These names are in no order and are only players that I watch play live, these reflect who caught my eye and who you should keep an eye on as region play ramps up and we get closer to the postseason!


Girls: 3 seniors, 3 juniors, 1 sophomore
Jennah Isai, Guard/Forward, C/O ‘22, Valley Vista
Mikela Cooper, Forward, C/O ‘22, Valley Vista
Taeja Bartee, Guard, C/O ‘24, Sandra Day O’Connor
Sasha Daniel, Guard, C/O ‘22, Seton Catholic
Khamil Pierre, Forward, C/O ‘23, Perry
Janae Floyd, Combo, C/O ‘23, Mountain Ridge
Michaela Lee, Center, C/O ‘23, Deer Valley

Boys: 15 seniors, 5 juniors, 4 sophomores, 2 freshman
Rafe Canale, Guard, C/O ‘22, Sunrise Mountain
Carter Gittens, Forward, C/O ‘23, Sunrise Mountain
Tayvion “Tay” Wilson, Guard, C/O ‘25, Raymond S. Kellis
Trey Phillips, Forward, C/0 ‘22, Brophy Prep
Logan Hopkins, Guard, C/O ‘22, Mountain Ridge
Kylen Mamon, Guard, C/O ‘23, Tolleson
Styles Phipps, Guard, C/O ‘24, St Mary’s
Garrison Phelps, Guard, C/O ‘24, St Mary’s
Quincy Adams, Guard, C/O ‘22, Hamilton
Ky Green, Forward, C/O ‘23, Liberty
Caleb Shaw, Guard, C/O ‘22, Valley Christian
Jason Parent, Guard, C/O ‘22, Prescott
Andrew Camacho, Guard, C/O ‘23, Peoria
Alijah “AJ” Marsh, Guard, C/O ‘24, Raymond S. Kellis
Jake Lifgren, Guard, C/O ‘22, Centennial
Emery Young, Forward, C/O ‘23, Centennial
I’yar Shadowvine, Guard, C/O ‘25, Ironwood
Ringo Aguek, Forward, C/O ‘22, Ironwood
Antwon Miles, Guard, C/O ‘22, Betty Fairfax
Semajay James, Guard, C/O ‘22, Deer Valley
JoJo Montgomery, Forward, C/O ‘22, Deer Valley
Jovan Allen, Combo, C/O ‘23, Desert Edge
Rowan McKenzie, Guard, C/O ‘24, Boulder Creek
Pike Tancil, Guard, C/O ‘22, Willow Canyon
Tate Deboer, Forward/Center, C/O ‘22, Willow Canyon
Jordan Talbert, Guard, C/O ‘22, Carl Hayden
Denton Latimore, Guard, C/O ‘22, Dobson

This year's Arizona Varsity Pick'Em contest is going to be open to any subscriber or staff member.

Media may not pick a game that they are going to attend.

Each Week I'll post 15 games with pointspreads- three from each division.

Whoever gets the most right in any given week will win a $10 cash prize (via venmo or cash app)
Whoever gets at least 11 games correct in any given week will win a $5 cash prize (via venmo or cash app)

The top 3 participants in win% over the course of the season (minimum average of 12 picks per week) will be eligible for the following:

1st place: $200
2nd place: $100
3rd place: $50

If you have any questions let me know!

This week's games will be posted on Wednesday, September 1st, and then every Tuesday for the rest of the season.

Congrats to Andrew Morgan on winning our fantasy league. I thought I had you beat, but our commissioner unknowingly set the championship to a two week total, and me being an idiot found out Saturday before the Cowboys game, and I benched Dak Prescott, giving you the win. With the weekly name changes to various forms of "Zach Alvira," this was easily the worst fantasy football league of all time, so with that being said we might as well congratulate Andrew on being our first, AND last ever Arizona Varsity fantasy football league champion. 😂

Last January around this time I was busy setting up my spring garden in Maricopa, Arizona. I had purchased two horse feeding troughs, and filled them with hundreds of pounds of compost and soil. I genuinely had no idea that in the ensuing days, my wife and I would start to entertain the idea of moving out of Arizona. By the end of January, I was on a factfinding tour of the southeast with my wife that stopped over in Athens, Georgia. I messaged former Saguaro DB Kelee Ringo while hanging out on the campus and he responded right away. I'd spent time around Ringo in the state of Georgia twice before, for the 2019 and 2020 Rivals 5-Star challenge events. The first year with @ChillyASU, and the second year with @codytcameron. I asked him how he liked living in Athens and he spoke glowingly of the environment, especially on game day. It made me happy to know that he felt at home, especially because it's often rare for an Arizona prospect to assimilate to life on the East Coast- especially one that was originally from the Pacific Northwest.

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Ringo was part of a third consecutive #1 class in the nation for Georgia, and because of that, the competition for playing time, as well as the expectation for success on a national stage, were elevated beyond anything he'd ever experienced. He spend his freshman season in Athens nursing an injury, as well as dealing with his mother's cancer diagnosis. To start his sophomore campaign, he earned one of the starting corner roles on what would be a historic Georgia defense, but as I witnessed firsthand in their season opener against Clemson right here in my new hometown of Charlotte, he was going to need to elevate his discipline in order to keep hold on his starting job. I believe in that first game, Ringo drew two pass interference flags, and even though Clemson didn't score an offensive touchdown, there was plenty of criticism (or as the optimist says, growth opportunities) related to Ringo's play.

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Seeing Kelee Ringo get a deflection in the end zone of the national championship was incredible enough, but watching him grab the interception that sealed Georgia's first National Championship in 42 years, as well as taking it to the house, has to be one of the coolest moments in the last 10 years of covering Arizona High School football. Not only that, but for Kirby Smart's first televised comments after the game to be about Ringo's improvement and character, and for him to reiterate those things from the podium during the trophy presentation was truly special. Ringo is one of the most unique people I have covered in my time doing this, and I've seen him grow from someone who thought he was going to be a receiver headed into his junior year at Saguaro, to someone who had to humble himself and earn his way back from a season ending suspension later that year, to a leader who helped elevate Saguaro to be able to compete for the first ever open division championship. I have a ton of favorite moments covering Ringo, whether that was watching him run a laser-timed 4.35 40-yard dash in front of the nation's top prospects in Atlanta, watching him share the field with guys like Jeremiah Trojan and Brendan Rice as part of 2020 Elite's 7v7 team in Mesquite, Nevada, or when he gave me an interview on signing day wearing an Oregon short despite having secretly signed with Georgia... but my favorite moment with Ringo actually happened field-side at Arizona State when he was there observing a 7v7 finals.

A kid of probably 10 or 11 years old was passing by as I was interviewing Ringo and you could hear him say "Oh wow that's Kelee Ringo," and Ringo broke out in a big smile, gave the kid a high five, and turned back to me, saying "I really love it that people know my name. That's what I want, for people to know my name." I told him that he wouldn't have a problem making that happen, and that it was all in what he did with that attention once he had it. "Yes sir," he said, smiling.

Now everybody knows his name. I can't wait to see what he does with the attention.

The NFL playoffs kick off this weekend, and by my count, there are 11 former Arizona High school football players participating. Some of the players are on their teams' respective practice squads, but some are regular contributors. I put a list of all the ones I could find up on our Instagram:

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I'm an enormous Josh Allen fan, but at least I'll be able to stomach a Bills loss if it means N'Keal Harry gets a shot at the Super Bowl. While Harry's time with the Patriots has been disappointing, he's actually a big factor in their run packages, and if the previous matchups between these two teams are any indication, he'll get plenty of snaps. I'd love to see Tucson alum Levi Wallace lined up on him just once.

Bryce Perkins has been on the Rams active roster all year, but if he gets in the game against the Cardinals, that's a big problem for LA. Byron Murphy, Christian Kirk, and Devon Kennard all have prominent roles for the Cards, with Murphy growing into their best DB option, and Kirk nearly posting his first 1,000-yard receiving campaign.

The most important AZ HS alum in this postseason, however, is Tennessee Titans OL Taylor Lewan, who played his senior season at Chaparral before heading off to Michigan and becoming a first round pick. Lewan missed the Titans postseason run last year with an ACL injury, and this year despite being one of the most beat up teams in the history of the NFL, the Titans secured a first round bye in the AFC, and if they expect to win, they're going to need Lewan at his best.

I'm curious- who are you rooting for in this year's playoffs? I'm a lifelong Cardinals fan, but I'm also a fan of anyone who played high school ball in Arizona, or college ball at Wyoming, so there's a lot for me to enjoy this year. Before the season, however, I did have the Cowboys heading to the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. I'm not sure either one of those teams has any of the three things I root for...

The 2nd Annual MLK Dream Classic presented by Tempe Union High School District is scheduled Monday, January 17 at McClintock High School. Eleven high schools from five cities in the Valley of the Sun will be participating as the six games will honor Dr. King and his stance on non-violence, inclusion, and diversity. The schedule is as follows:

10a Tempe High vs. Phoenix St. Mary's Catholic (girls)
11:30a Tempe Corona del Sol vs. Chandler Hamilton (girls)
1p Chandler Basha vs. Phoenix Desert Vista (girls)
2:30p Tempe Marcos de Niza vs. Scottsdale Saguaro (boys)
4p Phoenix Desert Vista vs. Phoenix Sunnyslope (boys)
5:30p Gilbert Higley vs. Tempe McClintock (boys)

Cost for spectators is $5 per person through GoFan. Link will be available on Twitter (@MonarchSportsAZ). The event is hosted by McClintock HS boys varsity head coach, Sam Dentz, McClintock AD Jermaine Whitaker, and TUHSD AD, David Huffine. Event is coordinated by Marc A. Beasley with Monarch Sports Arizona. McClintock will be be providing a live-stream link later this week. Look for it, too, at @MonarchSportsAZ. If members of the media would like to be placed on the pass list, please email marcbeasley23@gmail.com.

Congrats to all that were nominated, and now to all the finalists!!
(Finalists were chosen based on nominees that received votes)

6A Award Winners will be announced on tonites episode of #Chillys2pc
go to @ArizonaVarsity on Twitter or Facebook to watch at around 7:00 PM!!

POY
Russell Davis DE Hamilton
Demond Williams QB Basha
Nicco Marchiol QB Hamilton
Jax Stam S Liberty
Brayten silbor QB Chaparral

OPOY
Gage Dayley QB Highland
Christian Anaya WR Hamilton
Jonathan Kubat RB Corona Del Sol
Demond Williams QB Basha
Brayten Silbor QB Chaparral

DPOY
My'Keil Gardner DE Liberty
Cole Lalama LB Queen Creek
Jax Stam S Liberty
Parker McClure LB Red Mountain
Russell Davis DE Hamilton
Josh Sovereign S Williams Field

Chilly & Cody 2 Way POY
JJ Newcombe CB/ATH Casteel
Lance Holtzclaw DE/ATH Desert Ridge
Amier Boyd-Matthews ATH Mountain Pointe
Payton Barlow RB/CB Queen Creek
Miles Lockhart DB/RB Basha

Offensive Underclassmen of the Year
Navi Bruzon QB Liberty
Jamar Malone QB Higley
Bryson Dedmon WR Basha
Jack Germaine QB Mountain View

Defensive Underclassmen of the Year
JJ Newcombe CB Casteel
Mardale Rowe DE Brophy
Miles Lockhart DB Basha
Tommy Prassas S Basha

Offensive Breakout Player
Terrance Hall WR Mountain Ridge
Lennox Lawson WR/RB/RET Red Mountain
Brendan Anderson QB Mountain Ridge
Deshaun Buchanan RB Basha
Jonathan Kubat RB Corona Del Sol
CJ Greer RB Browne

Defensive Breakout Player
Chandler Davis DE Hamilton
My'Keil Gardner DE Liberty
Joseph Allen S Highland
Aiden Herring DE Perry

Coach of the Year
Rich Wellbrock Tolleson
Brock Farrel Highland
Colin Thomas Liberty
Travis Schureman Queen Creek
Mike Zdebski Hamilton

Asst Coach of the Year
Jeremy Kitamura QB/OC Hamilton
Blake Silberschlag LB Basha
Terry Fair OL Highland
Kelvin Hunter DB/DC Williams Field

QBotY
Brenden Anderson Mountain Ridge
Gage Dayley Highland
Brayten Silbor Chaparral
Sebastian Tomerlin Queen Creek
Gavin Letourneau Westwood

RBotY
Jordan Wilson Desert Ridge
Kaden Cloud Williams Field
Payton Barlow Queen Creek
Nick Switzer Hamilton
Jonathan Kubat Corona Del Sol
AJ Murphy Casteel

WRotY
Grady Hickey Chaparral
Kyion Grayes II Chandler
Christian Anaya Hamilton
Kyler Kasper Williams Field
Quaron Adams Chandler


Tight End /Flex POY
Jackson Bowers Mountain View
Nason Coleman Chandler
Duce Robinson Pinnacle
Michael Masunas Hamilton
Tyler Powell Brophy

TEAM Offensive Line of the Year
Hamilton
Liberty
Highland
Basha

Offensive Lineman of the Year
Caleb Lomu Highland
Elijah Paige Pinnacle
Grayson Stovall Hamilton
Cooper Stevens Highland
Kaleb Jones Mountain Pointe

Defensive Lineman of the Year
Zac Swanson Brophy
Amauri Washington Chandler
Russell Davis Hamilton
Aidan Herring Perry
Anthony Lucas Chaparral

LBotY
Brandon Craddock OConnor
Grant Degraffenreid Hamilton
Cole Lalama Queen Creek
Parker Mcclure Red Mountain
Wyatt Milkovic Basha
Faimafili Snuka Williams Field
Timothy Weddell Hamilton

CBotY
Alfred Smith Chandler
Ben Morrison Brophy
Cole Martin Basha
Travis Roberts Chandler
KJ Minnifield Desert Ridge
JJ Newcombe Casteel

SotY
Kade Farrell Queen Creek
Joseph Allen Highland
Franky Morales Chandler
Josh Sovereign Williams Field
Jacob Franze Chaparral

Return Specialist of the Year
Myles Libman Pinnacle
Cole Martin Basha
Kezion Dia-Johnson Cesar Chavez
Michael James Valley Vista

KotY
Brysen Gardner Centennial
Trevor Miller Basha
Marcus Lye Brophy
Braeden Lacombe Mountain Ridge
Matthew Krneta Hamilton
Crew Crockett Highland

PotY
Jace Snyder OConnor
Roch Cholowsky Hamilton
Marcus Lye Brophy

Specialist of the Year
Jackson Lee Perry
David Bird OConnor
Lance St Louis Williams Field
Drew Nicholson Corona Del Sol
Chris Buchan Mountain View

Congratulations to all that won an award!! Yall worked hard and made it an amazing season!!

Thank you all!!

Player of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Javen Jacobs - WR/ATH Saguaro
1839 all purpose yards 16 total TDs
Open Division Champion

Offensive Player of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Skyler Partridge - QB Horizon
2557 Passing yds 33 TDs
680 rushing yds 8 TDs
5A Conference Champion

Defensive Player of the Year
Tristan Monday - DE Saguaro
76 TKLs 10.5 Sacks 35 TFLs
Open Division Champion

Chilly & Cody 2Way Player of the Year
Sam Brown - ATH Marana
883 Receiving yds 9 TDs
65 TKLs 5 TFLs 1 Sack 5 INTs 2 Def TDs

Offensive Underclassmen of the Year
Jaedon Matthews - RB Saguaro
972 Rushing yds 6 TDs
298 Receiving yds 2 TDs

Defensive Underclassmen of the Year
Elijah Rushing - DE Salpointe
75 TKLs 9 TFLs 7.5 Sacks

Offensive Breakout Player of the Year
Devon Dampier - QB Saguaro
770 passing yards 7 TDs
721 rushing yards 10 TDs

Defensive Breakout Player of the Year
Daniel Delponte - LB Millenium
154 TKLs 86 Solo 13 TFLs 5 Sacks

Coach of the Year
Jason Mohns Saguaro
12-1
40.6 ppg
Open Division Champion
Beat 2 top 20 Nationally ranked teams

Asst Coach of the Year
Cam Wierson - Defensive Coordinator Horizon
97 TFLs
37 Sacks
18 INTs
5A Conference Champion

CO-Quarterback of the Year
Treyson Bourguet Salpointe
2110 yds 30 TDs 60.7 C% 120.9 QBR
615 yds rushing 10 TDs

Ridge Docekal Saguaro
1577 yds 13 TDs 70.9 C% 127.8 QBR

Running Back of the Year
Wesley Lambert Horizon
1694 yards 21 TDs

Wide Receiver of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Cole Linyard Horizon
948 yards 11 TDs

Tight End / Flex Player of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Matthew Klopfenstein - TE Horizon
575 Receiving yards 10 TDs

Team Offensive Line of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Saguaro
Parker Brailsford
Micah Lutu
Raul Aguilar
Amare Ta'ase
Leo Tuituu

Offensive Lineman of the Year
Gavin Broscious Desert Edge
50+ Pancakes

Defensive Lineman of the Year
Porter Sweet Desert Mountain
85 TKLs 39.6 TFLs 13 Sacks

Linebacker of the Year
Jacob Steward Cactus Shadows
181 TKLs 90 Solo 32 TFLs 14 Sacks 2 INTs 2 Def TDs

Cornerback of the Year
Ethan Tinsley Horizon
20 TKls 13 Solo 3 TFLs 4 INTs

Safety of the Year
Tommy DeChesaro Saguaro
81 TKLs 37 Solo 7 TFLs 2 INTs 2 Def TDs

Return Specialist of the Year
Gavin Smith NDP
428 Total Return Yards 3 Total TDs

Kicker of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Grady Gross Horizon
12 FGM 52 Long 68 PATs 2 TKLs 104 Total points

Punter of the Year
Unanimous Decision
Easton Black Sunrise Mountain
1434 yds 44.8 Avg 77 Long 16 Inside the 20

Specialist of the Year
Austin Hall Sunrise Mountain

The 8/24/2021 Tuesday Two-Piece

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Tyty Washington set the Kentucky assists record (17) tonight, which is amazing.

I don’t know what the takeaway is from this or what other context or take I can give, other than that he is really good

Here we go.

My annual Top-10 in every conference:

Congrats to all that were nominated, and now to all the finalists!!
(Finalists were chosen based on nominees that received votes)

5A Award Winners will be announced on tonites episode of #Chillys2pc
go to @ArizonaVarsity on Twitter or Facebook to watch at around 7:00 PM!!

POY
Skyler Partridge QB Horizon
Tristan Monday DE Saguaro
Javen Jacobs WR/ATH Saguaro
Adryan Lara QB Desert Edge
Treyson Bourguet QB Salpointe

OPOY
Javen Jacobs WR/ATH Saguaro
Skyler Partridge QB Horizon
Treyson Bourguet QB Salpointe
Adam Mohammed RB/ATH Apollo
Adryan Lara QB Desert Edge

DPOY
Porter Sweet DE Desert Mountain
Jacob Steward LB Cactus Shadows
Brock Narveson LB NDP
Tristan Monday DE Saguaro

Chilly & Cody 2Way POY
Ethan Tinsley WR/DB Horizon
Carter Allen WR/DB Central
Sam Brown ATH Marana
Dylan Tapley WR/DB. Desert Mountain

Offensive Underclassmen of the Year
Adam Mohammed RB Apollo
Jaedon Matthews RB Saguaro
Zues Pindernation RB Millennium

Defensive Underclassmen of the Year
Dylan Tapley DB Desert Mountain
Aundre Gibson DB Desert Edge
Jaylen Dawson LB Desert Edge
Elijah Rushing DE Salpointe
Ryan Willey DE Verrado

Offensive Breakout POY
Wesley Lambert RB Horizon
Drew Tapley QB Desert Mountain
Devon Dampier QB Saguaro
Cole Linyard WR Horizon
Rex Underhill RB Sunrise Mountain

Defensive Breakout POY
Joe Loveall DL Gilbert
Tanner Webb LB Sunrise Mountain
Juan Virgen DB Verrado
Daniel Delponte LB Millenium
Cooper Zellner DB Gilbert
Carlos Bravo LB Nogales

Coach of the Year
Conrad Hamilton Desert Mtn
Jason Mohns Saguaro
Andy Litten Horizon

Asst Coach of the Year
Andy Johnson Saguaro
Michael Sanders Desert Mountain
Scott Mohr Salpointe
Cam Wierson Horizon
Nick Smith NDP

QBotY
Adryan Lara Desert Edge
Ridge Docekal Saguaro
Treyson Bourguet Salpointe
Drew Tapley Desert Mountain
Elijah Joplin Marana

RBotY
Anthony Wilhite Salpointe
Wesley Lambert Horizon
Serge Gbowweiah Desert View
Zack Kilburg Desert Mountain
Adam Mohammed Apollo

WRotY
Gavin Smith NDP
Carter Allen Central
Gavin Parks Desert Edge
Cole Linyard Horizon
Jack Freeburg Desert Mtn

TE/FotY
Matthew Willis Desert Edge
Anthony Pacheco Central
Matthew Klopfenstein Horizon
Samuel Kelly Millennium

TeamOLotY
Desert Edge
Desert Mountain
salpointe
Saguaro
Horizon
NDP

OLotY
Parker Brailsford Saguaro
Gavin Broscious Desert Edge
Matt Katergaris Desert Mountain
Micha Lutu Saguaro

DLotY
Daniel Santiago Horizon
Raef Wilkins North Canyon
Porter Sweet Desert Mountain
Ryan Willey Verrado

LBotY
Brock Narveson NDP
Joey Sumlin Salpointe
Jacob Steward Cactus Shadows
Richi Mccormack Cienega
William Stemler Buena
Keegan Landis Canyon View

CBotY
Cole Shivers Saguaro
Breshaun Brown Desert Edge
Aundre Gibson Desert Edge
Ethan Tinsley Horizon
Avaunt Ortiz McClintock

SotY
Dylan Tapley Desert Mountain
Jesus Castro Agua Fria
Tommy Dechessaro Saguaro
Juan Virgen Verrado
Carter Allen Central
Tommy Romano NDP

RSotY
Adam Mohammed Apollo
Aundre Gibson Desert Edge
Gavin Smith NDP
Amos Slokan Camelback
Xereque Parham Willow Canyon

KotY
Easton Black Sunrise Mountain
Jase Hudson Campo Verde
Grady Gross Horizon

PotY
Grady Gross Horizon
Easton Black Sunrise Mountain
Colby Adkins Campo Verde

Specialist of the Year
Trey Naughton Salpointe
Austin Hall Sunrise Mountain
Shea Freibaum Saguaro
Josh Jaffe North Canyon

Congrats to everyone that won!! It was an amazing season!!

Player of the Year
Will Galvan - QB Cactus
1333 Passing yards 24 TDs
510 rushing yards 8 TDs
2 receiving TDs
7 tackles
1 interception
10-1 record
Led Cactus to the Open Division Playoff

Offensive Player of the Year
Unanimous Selection
Angel Flores - QB Casa Grande
2671 passing yards 205.5 ypg 26 tds 76% completion percentage 148.9 rating
1292 rushing yards 19 Tds

Defensive Player of the Year
Unanimous Selection
Justin Holmes - DL Cactus
86 TKLS 20 TFLs 11.5 Sacks

Chilly & Cody 2Way Player of the Year
Unanimous Selection
Andrew Morris - LB/WR Mesquite
53 Receptions 997 yds 17 tds
110 Tackles 9 Sacks 3 INTs 22 TFLs

Co-Offensive Underclassmen of the Year
'24 Isaiah Savoie - RB Apache Junction
1702 rushing yards 170.2 ypg 8.8 ypc 24 TDs
263 receiving yards

'24 Zechariah Owens - QB Glendale
1847 passing yds 142.1 ypg 65% completion percentage 19TDs
1378 rushing yds 7 tds

Defensive Underclassmen of the Year
Lennox Hicks - Edge Sierra Linda
46 TKLs 22 Solo 7 sacks 13 TFLs

Offensive Breakout Player of the Year
Stephon Daily - WR Sierra Linda
51 Rec 1001 yds 12 TDs 19.6 avg 9 gms

Defensive Breakout Player of the Year
Andon Diaz - DB Casa Grande
46 TKLS 35 SOLO 10 INTS
INT in 7 straight for the conference champs

Coach of the Year
Joseph Ortiz - Head Coach Cactus
10-0 regular season
3 wins over 5A teams
50.9 ppg reg season
6.2 points against reg season
49-7 vs the 5A
only gave up 41 points to 4A competition

Asst. Coach of the Year
Max Hall - Offensive Coordinator ALA QC
478 points
played 2 of the top teams in state
20-14 loss to sag
38-14 loss to ham

Quarterback of the Year
Unanimous Selection
Logan Hubler - ALA QC
2762yds 251.1 pg 71% comp 36 tds 132.0 rating
367yds 7Tds
Led team to the Open Division Playoff

Running back of the Year
Octavious Joe - Poston Butte
2067 yds 159 ypg 8.5 ypc 21 TDs

Wide Reciever of the Year
Garrett Garcia - Apache Junction
79 rec 1361 yds 13 TDs

Tight End / Flex Player of the Year
Duncan Hoover - Walden Grove
56 receptions 1021 yards 14 TDs

Offensive Line of the Year (Team)
Cactus Cobras
Mason Cullop
Isaiah Cromack
Mason Webber
Victor Meza
Michael Carlson

Offensive Lineman of the Year
Unanimous Selection
Mason Cullop - Cactus
25+ pancakes

Defensive Lineman of the Year
Brodee Tucker - Combs
63 TKLs 40 SOLO 16 Sacks 5 FF

Linebacker of the Year
Ata Teutupe - Cactus
93 TKLS 14 TFLs

Cornerback of the Year
Ryan Meza - ALA QC
21 TKLS 2 INTs

Safety of the year
Amari Gilmore - Poston Butte
109 TKLs 53 Solo 3 INTs

Return Specialist of the Year
Angelo Alvarez - Mingus
899 KOR yds 34.5 avg

Kicker of the Year
Tanner Bobic - Deer Valley
66 points 6 ppg 51PATs 5 FGs

Punter of the Year
'Joey Meyn - Shadow Mountain
44.2 avg

Specialist of the Year
Jordan Pfeiffer - Sahuaro