I’m looking at my football analysts for help here:

I’m moving to Flagstaff in May, as some of you may know. I’m obviously going to cover local football there.

That being said, who are some stud football players at Coconino or Flagstaff High that I should pay attention to coming up? Appreciate your help!

I legitimately was going to ask this before a lot of the football transfer news broke today. My question is does it seem that transfers happen more often in football than other sports? I'm not talking about kids coming here from other states. Arizona HS sports is definitely the spot, no doubt. I'm talking about as we have just seen kids going from Pinnacle to Saguaro, Seton Catholic to Williams Field, or within the CUSD. There are MANY other examples that we can come up with. While the rosters are of course bigger in football, the percentage of transfers seem to be much lower in basketball and certainly baseball. Maybe I'm wrong but if this is true why is that kids/parents feel that a better fit can be had elsewhere more often in football than other sports.

Here are some predictions that could change super super quickly if there are transfers or kids move to prep schools or whatever, but these are teams that I think have a good shot at the title or will win in 2021-22. I'm interested to see your thoughts.

6A: Barring transfers I think Sunnyslope and Mtn. Pointe could match up in the final again. Both will have to replace a lot of size up front for defensive and rebounding purposes, but the guard play will be solid. Perry with its talent and Anderson as a senior will be up there again as well.

5A: Centennial had a TON of junior and sophomore great players this year. I think they could be in the championship game again. Willow Canyon was almost all juniors atop its roster, and could take that next step maybe. Pike Tancil is great for the Wildcats. Gilbert with Pentelute could be up there again if the young guards can step up. I wouldn't be surprised if Millennium makes a HUGE leap from one year to the next, as they're only set to graduate one senior and have a lot of raw talent that could benefit from a full offseason.

4A: It's hard to tell what the future holds, but St. Mary's is going to be STACKED again if nobody leaves. Knights will return the majority of the starting 5, and had solid athletes that didn't even play a lot (Sophomore Seydou Tamboura is really raw but a great athlete physically, for example. He didn't get on the floor in the final) and some of the other 4A contenders from this year lost a lot of seniors. But I think Paradise Honors is probably a Final 4 team again, with Blessing Nwotite as a contender for POY. Mesquite will (as said before, if nobody transfers or goes prep) return its four top scorers and will be a contender. The Wildcats were better than the No. 12 seed this year, I thought. Cohen Gonzales scored 21 ppg as a sophomore and Nate Calmese is a great player who will enter his senior year.

I am CERTAIN I missed some. What do you think? @Gregg Rosenberg

QB Devon Dampier from Pinnacle High School and WR Deric English from Mt. Ridge High School have both transferred to Saguaro High School.

A big time AZ running back may be on the move!! SOOOOOOON!!! #StayTuned

You get 4 people from sports (players, coaches, media, retired, etc) together in a room to do a podcast or unedited video show for an hour, they can talk about anything and are 100 percent real. (Let's also say hypothetically they can understand each other and there's no language barrier) and they just interact as they would together.

Who are you picking? It's like the Mt. Rushmore of sports podcasters.

In the wake of the Gonzaga victory tonight, what is the most fun and exciting way to win a game?

buzzer-beater shot in hoops? Score at the last second in football? Game winning goal in soccer/hockey? Walk-off homer? Something else?

Here we go

I will update my Awards each week for 6A, 5A and 4A..A few things for the lower levels as well...

This story was fun!

Here we go
The annual weekly rankings
6A-4A Top-10

2A Top-4
3A Top-8

Ok here we go

I will list 16 games and you pick 15 of the winners.

The annual pick em is always fun !

via @Eric.Newman

Senior 6'4 PG Jalen Scott (Paradise Honors) had a monster stat line of 20 pts, 12 rebounds, 7 asts and 8 steals. WOW

Freshman 6'6 SF Jai Anthoni Bearden (Kellis) had 24pts 17 Reb 2 ast and 2 blk.

Junior 6'4 F Croix Sweeney (Horizon) 22 points w 3 3's in loss to Desert Mtn. (Game I went to).

Senior 6'2 PG Tony Elliott Jr (Desert Mountain) led them with 17 pts 7 rebs 4 asts 5 steals.



Please post stats/rumors or accolades in here...

via @JasonPSkoda

Which players who are currently not on this list do you think should be!? For me I think it's Treyson Bourguet, I think he's a top 10 talent in the state.

Casteel 2022 edge rusher Shak Bowser


Chandler 2022 DT Jacob Holmes


Mesa Mountain View 2023 TE Jackson Bowers

Love the effort from the ASU staff here, but let's see if the Sun Devils continue to recruit these players over time.

I’ve become a basketball guy temporarily, so I haven’t kept up with football as much. Are there any kids in AZ that are pretty unknown that will stand out in 2021?

Down a point in the big game, you've got the ball and 5 seconds left. What player in the AIA are you going with to take the final shot?

In girls' AIA I think I'd go with Marisa Davis-Jones of Valley Vista, who has already proven to be clutch in those moments in last year's tournament against Perry.

On the boys' side I don't know.

Colin Carey, Oakland Fort, Kimbrough, there are a ton to choose from. I'd go TyTy if you go outside AIA, but that's cheating.

Alec and I broke down tapes of six more local 2022 players in this article

6A
No surprise to see Slope and Perry on top...and MP hasn't played a tough schedule..YET

5A
No
surprise to see Ironwood and Centennial on top...

4A
4A is not who you may of thought should be on top...it usually takes care of itself though..
Peoria has had one of the toughest 4A schedules but did not get rewarded...

Final Version the '24 Watchlist!

Theres been a lot of player movement if your school is wrong please drop a message and ill get it fix.. If you arent actually a '24 blame your coach!! Thanks guys!! see yall soon!!

QB
1. Demond Williams Basha
2. Brady Mcdonough Desert Mountain
3. Connor Ackerley Corona Del Sol
4. Zayden Neil San Tan Charter
5. Rocco Mortensen Arcadia
6. Noah Trigueros NDP
7. Rowan Mckenzie Boulder Creek
8. Jack Germaine Mountain View
9. Cameron Hackworth Sabino
11. Philip Jones Mesquite
12. Mason Bray Saguaro
13. Gabriel Lee Smith Walden Grove
14. Jacob Buggie Brophy
15. Cy Lumbano-Larson Casteel

RB
1. Jaedon Matthews Saguaro
2. Don Tinsley Corona Del Sol
3. Jaxon Banhie Salpointe
4. Kaden Armstrong Centennial
5. Ca'lil Valentine Chandler
6. Dax Hall Higley
7. Javien Celaya Eastmark
8. Zues Pinder Millennium
9. Jaylen Jones Casteel
10. Jayden Staple Saguaro
11. Dillon Lee Williams Field
12. Ben O'Rorick Pinnacle
13. Matt Hernandez Arcadia
14. Jaqua Anderson Liberty
15. Athan Ferber Campo Verde

WR
1. Legend Bernard Hamilton
2. Mason Arhin Basha
3. Bryson Dedmon Basha
4. Alex Richmond Corona
5. Dylan Tapley Desert Mountain
6. Angelo Jones-Guttierez Desert Ridge
7. Jacoby Spence Saguaro
8. Justice Spann Chandler
9. Ricky Munoz Centennial
10. Will White Sabino
11. Shepherd Small Arete Prep
12. Isaac Worley Centennial
13. Nate Wingfield Jr NDP
14. Diego Aguirre Saguaro
15. Laron Smith Red Mountain

OL
1. Sa'Kylee Woodard Canyon Del Oro
2. Luis Cordova Salpointe
3. Jacob Cortina Desert Edge
4. Mateo Rodriguez Chandler
5. Martine Vera Corona Del Sol
6. Layton Firestone Hamilton
7. Greg Bienvenue Desert Ridge
8. JT White Williams Field
9. Keaton Palmer Williams Field
10. Cade Price Basha
11. Owen Lee Desert Vista
12. Kolton Muntz Desert Mountain
13. Camden Jury Casteel
14. Sayid Talbert Sabino
15. Aiden Tabbish Casteel
16. Amare Taase Saguaro
17. Cade Price Basha
18. James Cobb Desert Mountain
19. Kennedy Ellsworth Mica Mountain

DL
1. Elijah Rushing Salpointe
2. Jack Franklin Pinnacle
3. Mardale Rowe Brophy
4. Xavier Sharpe Basha
5. Trey Markham Brophy
6. Joseph Degraves Desert Edge
7. Frankie Gleash Pinnacle
8. Javery Mayberry Eastmark
9. Kaden Gibson ACP
10. Colt Cooper Desert Vista
11. Deshawn Warner Desert Edge

LB
1. Jojo Clark Saguaro
2. Ja'aire Ahquin Chandler
3. Jaylen Dawson Desert Edge
4. Nate Escandon Chandler
5. Jack Bleir Basha
6. Jake Howell Hamilton
7. Randall Parker Mountain Pointe
8. Markhi Mckinnon Goldwater
9. John Colter Arcadia
10. Champ Gennicks Red Mountain
11. Christian Nunnaly Saguaro
12. Diego Morales Queen Creek

DB
1. Myles Lockhart Basha
2. JJ Newcombe Casteel
3. Nijrell Eason Higley
4. Kennedy Urlacher Chandler
5. Gerayas Grimes Casteel
6. Aundre Gibson Desert Edge
7. Tommy Prassas Basha
8. Jacob Boice River Valley
9. Kenny Worthy Centennial
10. Orion Kupu Chandler
11. Kayvon Thomas Corona Del Sol
12. Parker Orr Chandler
13. Noah Carter Centennial
14. Santana Wilson Desert Mountain
15. Keion Fox Basha

ATH
1. Jaci Dickerson Saguaro
2. Isaiah Savoie Apache Junction
3. Zuri Glenn Corona Del Sol
4. JoJo Taylor Chandler
5. Deacon Shea NDP
6. Jason Gonzalez Corona
7. Isaih Lassiter Desert Vista
8. Anthony Morris Mesquite
9. Cordell Killingsworth Desert vista
10. Chansyn Mapa Higley
11. Blake Heffron Chandler
12. Jason Wood Marana
13. Braxton Thomas Desert Vista
14. Bertrand Berry Jr Highland
15. Jack Freeburg Desert Mountain
16. James Trapp Scottsdale Christian

So now that EA Sports announced that they will be restarting the NCAA Football series, what was your favorite memory on the game?

The 2020 ArizonaVarsity.com Football Awards: Nominees

Really happy for Coach Blueford, fantastic coach who truly cares about his players. His program might double in size in the next few years with that new upgraded campus. Very bright future ahead for ACP!!