After my wild suggestion in last night's Chilly 2-piece about Saguaro possibly losing one of their final 2 games (to Horizon or Gilbert), I figured I need to re-educate myself about the domination of the Sabercats against regular competition. I'll be heading out to Horizon this Friday to see how much the Huskies have closed the gap since last year's Open quarterfinal loss (49-3), a game which I attended last November.

Where's everyone headed?

via @Gregg Rosenberg

Fill in your ballot in the replies, you are not required to submit a ballot for every division. Submit your ballot by 11/10 at midnight to be included in this week's rankings.

6A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

5A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

4A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

3A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

2A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Has anybody seen this show? Awesome spoof of the Marvel/DC Universe, pretty much a world with Super Heroes protecting Earth but with a very dark twist. Just binged the first two seasons this past month, loved it!!

This question may have been asked already but what Arizona HS is at the top of your list for a first time visit. Whether its for a game (of any sport), practice, tour, etc... For me I haven't ever been to Red Mountain. My assignments / choices have never led me over to the Mountain Lions for any particular reason. I'm sure it will happen sooner or later!

Fill in your ballot in the replies, you are not required to submit a ballot for every division. Submit your ballot by 11/3 at 6pm to be included in this week's rankings.

6A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

5A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

4A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

3A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

2A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Due to COVID-19 cancellations, Perry had to shut down for 2 weeks and Westview (along with the Tolleson District) never got started. That created a matchup last weekend of Higley at Cesar Chavez. That's where I'll be on Friday night. Higley may be 2-3, but they've lost 2 of those by a single point. For Chavez, this has to feel like their Super Bowl as the rest of their games this year will be against Phoenix Union teams. Cesar Chavez was originally placed in the Central Region with Mountain View, Basha, and the Ahwatukee schools. I would have to believe the Champions would have had a good shot at a region title. Also, it'll be my first chance to see Kai Millner, the Cal commit, in person.

Hope everyone is doin well!! I checked in with a few of yall this week... And it seems like everyone is surviving the pandemic... Keep masking up... Its been nice seeing some of the #TeamAZV folks this past weekend.. S/O to Sande Charles and Eric Newman who I saw at the Desert Edge game!! Also S/O to Eric Newman who I saw again at the Juco game on saturday... That was a blowout...

Curious what some of yalls thoughts are about the Juco league.. Not sure if yall have been out to a game yet or not... IF you do go DONT go see the ACU team.. Eric will tell you it was a snoozer... Ive heard that the Maricopa Gila River game will be worth while.... I may be down to check it out at campo if anyone else is interested... Well anyways I just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doin.. Hope to see some of yall out and about...

PS there is a little BBQ spot on Mcclintock and Warner... its not bad... Its not lil miss but its not bad...

Predict the 8 teams you believe will make the Open Division Playoff. I'll post the submissions in article form at 6pm on 11/2.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

So Apollo is officially the region champion after a 30-0 win over North Canyon on Friday. This is because these are the only two teams in the region that are eligible this season.

Apollo is 2-3 with tough games coming up against Millennium (having a tough year but still no slouch) and Ironwood.

My questions: Should the Hawks celebrate a region title? And should that mean anything with just two teams in the region playing this season?

I have yet to see them this season but I like many people based on their returning talent had them as an open division team come playoff time. My question for anyone who has seen them or is close to the program is, the 2-2 record a surprise at the midway point of the season? Granted their two losses have been by a total of 12 points so by no means are they playing bad but it might be fair to say that many of us felt they would be at least 3-1 now. Big game this week for sure, but 5-3 might be a reality at the end of the season which is not open division material. What's been going right for them and what hasn't been going as well as we thought it would?

There were lotsa Chilly Bombs goin off this off-season. So with all the player movement goin on I just wanted to keep people informed on who some of the biggest names to watch are. I also asked Cody, Alec, and Zach for some insight.

TJ McCrae DL/OL Centennial
Came to the west(side) from Saguaro. McCrae fits in perfectly with the OL mentality at Centennial he's big and nasty. And now he fully is going to get the opportunity to showcase that nastiness on the other side of the ball absorbing DL duties. McCrae should be a beast of an addition to this Centennial DL next to Dylan Jett Roberts and opening things up for Gleash to eat more.

Wyatt Milkovic LB Basha
Came over from Hamilton and is one of the best players in his class! Basha didnt just upgrade their LB unit, but their entire defense benefits off this. Athletic and aggressive Milkovic can make plays in the backfield or cover space. Last year he spent time a little out of position on the DL and STILL caused problems! Now he is in the comfort of playing his natural position look for Milkovic to break out. Again!

Chris Thomas ATH Cactus
Left Moon Valley and took his talents to Cactus. Thomas will help on both sides of the ball. Cactus will be able to use him anywhere in the secondary so paired up with Will Galvan this could be a very tough team to pass against! Flip him to offense and you have a WR capable of going deep and/or catching over DBs!

Alexis Sanchez OL Mountain Ridge
Big upgrade for Mountain Ridge coming from Apollo! Big Alexis Sanchez will be shoring up Coach Madoski's line. I feel like the addition of Sanchez will help '23 QB Brendan Anderson sleep better on Thursdays! In addition to that the ground game should see its stock go up too!

Aziya Jamison RB Williams Field
One of the best '22 RBs in the state and fresh off a 3A State Championship and MVP over at ALA QC! Now paired up with '22 RB Kaden Cloud this could be what Williams Field needs to open some things up while they put their line together. Jamison doesn't mind going through people if he has to! LBs your on notice! Easily one of the best RB combos.

Angel Sanchez LB Desert Edge
Super strong and athletic LB that finds a home at Desert Edge! He'll fit right in with or next to Hobbes or even in the rotation. Desert Edge has already been lights out on defense Sanchez will just be one more piece to add to a defense that is top 3 in the state!

Dhayven Valentine WR Desert Edge
Might be the new fastest kid at Desert Edge!? Thrown in the mix with '21 WR Andrew Patterson and '22 WR Richard Kulick it will be a long night for opposing secondaries! Im expecting '22 QB Adryan Lara's numbers to go up exponentially!

Chris Arviso Jr. QB Mountain Pointe
Arviso made the move to Mountain Pointe from South Mountain and brings a high football IQ to the Pride. He’s more of a classic pocket passer compared to his counterpart, Amier Boyd, who also transferred from South Mountain this offseason. But Arviso’s arm strength and accuracy allows Mountain Pointe to open up the playbook and do something similar to what Saguro is doing with Ridge Docekal and Xander Werner. -Zach Alvira

Robert Moore III RB Mountain Pointe
A transfer from Chandler, Moore has done nothing but work this offseason and throughout his mandatory four-game absence. While just a sophomore, he has the ability to make an immediate impact alongside current Mountain Pointe running back Cam Gillum. The two can work as a one-two punch that will keep opposing defense on their toes due to the athletic ability from both backs. -Zach Alvira

Taron Thomas, ATH, Saguro
Thomas figured to do just about everything for Desert Vista before transferring to Saguaro this past summer. At one point, the Thunder coaching staff experimented with Thomas at quarterback, a position he played and excelled at as a freshman. Thomas emerged as one of the top playmakers at Desert Vista from the cornerback position last year as a junior. Now at Saguaro, he will likely step into a starting role immediately and add to an already strong Sabercat defense. -Zach Alvira

Zach Blackwood DE/LB Desert Edge
Blackwood is a DE/LB hybrid transfer coming from La Joya HS. At 6-4 250 pounds, Blackwood brings a solid combination of athleticism and size to the linebacker position. He’s also a very instinctual player who does a nice job of reading then reacting to the football and making a physical finish on his opposition. Will be exciting to see the NAU commit make an instant impact on this Desert edge defense. -Alec Simpson

Gavin Goulette QB Gilbert
Every bit of 6'3 200-pounds with a rocket arm. Goulette has a great throwing motion and possesses nice touch on his deep ball. I expect him to light up secondaries, averaging 250 yards passing a game for the Tigers. -Cody T Cameron

RB/WR Mikey Castro Seton Catholic
An athlete that can be used at multiple positions. Over 1300 all-purpose yards as a sophomore, Castro is a big-time playmaker. Get him the ball and watch him go to work. Seton should have no trouble making their offense revolve around Castro in the near future. -Cody T Cameron

RB Rodney Clemente Hamilton
A player who possesses a great combination of both speed and power. Clemente averaged 12.5 yards per carry at Chandler last season, he'll be another instant spark for an already loaded Hamilton offense. -Cody T Cameron

Jordan Morris TE/WR Red Mountain
One of my favorite 2022's in the entire state. Morris was a beast at Apache Junction, this is a player who will become an impact player Day 1 for Red Mountain. His height is a mismatch for DBs to try and cover, especially down in the red zone. He's the type of player Red Mountain has desperately needed in the first few weeks of the season. -Cody T Cameron

Fill in your ballot in the replies, you are not required to submit a ballot for every division. Submit your ballot by 10/27 at 6pm to be included in this week's rankings.

6A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

5A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

4A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

3A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

2A

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

I’ll be checking out Benjamin Franklin at ALA- QC on Thursday, I’m debating on going to Boulder Creek/O’Connor on Friday if we have someone else on the team headed to Salpointe/Campo Verde, and I’ll probably hit the Saturday morning game between Trevor Browne and Betty Fairfax before stopping at Cactus Shadows vs Verrado.

Each week we'll pick a few players whose highlight film we'll review, spearheaded by @codytcameron.

TeamAZV members can submit their own film reviews to be included in each Friday's article, and subscribers to ArizonaVarsity's TeamAZV forum will be able to submit film for us to review as well.

Submit this week's nominations in the replies!

Predict the 8 teams you believe will make the Open Division Playoff. I'll post the submissions in article form at 6pm on 10/27.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

Greetings my good people... I Usually dont post too much in here in terms of "Starting" the convo... Unless its my ALWAYS controversial watch list... I hope this Wednesday is treating everyone fabulously as we all hope for our friday games to go as scheduled and not get cancelled... I wanted to take a few minutes to say thanks..
I wanna say thanks to:

Cody for teaching me some things he literally explained to me what b roll was... If you don't know what it is I let him explain it to you to... But more importantly by watching and reading his film sessions I learned how to do it better too.. I remember Ralph trying to explain it to me once and it wasnt processing for me.. So I read Codys stuff and I listened to what Cody was doin.. Hes still the best film breaker downer in the valley... But Im gonna keep working... And Ill be better than most because Cody was a great example...

Andy Silvas for always coming through with any graphic that I need super timely and making it look perfect and fit to my personality.. I always wonder... How well people know my personality but he makes EVERY graphic or picture a graphic or picture that Im SO proud to put up.. And showcase...

Jordan has for a long time inspired my desire to find ways to work harder and do something better hes half the inspiration for the Vlog... And without his persistence to be great at what he does I wouldnt try so hard to be better at what I do...

Andy Luberda for being an awesome person who once a year takes me on the county line road trip.. Who has endured similar personal situations to myself.. Thanks to Luberda I know that football literally extends past Chandler it goes to "The County Line"... Andy has written some great pieces lately that have been fun to read...

Zach and Eric.... Zach is my brother in hype.... We talk about all sorts of common interest stuff revolving around clothes and shoes.... and Im grateful that he is on the team... If Zach is my brother in Hype then Eric is my brother in quirk... I have always aspired to have the cool quirkiness that Eric exudes so pleasantly.... he has an honest filter that isnt really a filter... and thats the best thing about that.. Both of these guys have contributed one of the amazing podcasts that I listened to almost every episode.... and though listening to every episode I have fully gotten to know a little bit more about some people that i thought i already knew enough about....

Brett my brother from NY has been an amazing person to talk to over the years... doing the Ctown rivals podcast... and a variety of other projects together has been awesome... Im also thankful for all the baseball talks... and Im glad at least one other person shares the same disappointment annually when the yankees crumble...

Sande my journalistic spirit person.. kinda.. when Im up late choppin up videos I keep wanting to sleep but the Sande in me says "Keep pushin get it done now so you dont have to do it later..." I thank her for changing my will to kinda get things done and not wait..

I gotta thank my dawg Ralph who has kept me on a path with this... even though I dont know which way it goes or whatever theres at least a road paved in front of me cause of him.. I dont always agree.. Im not always the best teammate... But I know that If Im steppin over the cliff instead of staying on the path hes gon pull me back so I dont plunge.. embraced the vlog, embraced the weekly periscope that goes no matter where i am.... Taught me that teammates dont have to do everything the same to succeed..

I didnt thank everyone... yet.... Because quite honestly I am still getting a feel for some.... Experiences with people are different.... and I also have to save a few for next wednesday....
BTW im at higley tonite for the higley dridge freshmen game .... hoping if yall dont share a Team AZV person youre thankful for then at least let me know your favorite higley or dridge memory....

Hope Everyone is having a great Wednesday and hope to see some of yall on sidelines... ill be at the Desert Edge game... pull up!!

Welcome to the debut episode of "The Espo Show," from Greg Esposito, featuring a mix of Arizona-centric sports, pop culture, guests and humor. Espo's first guest is Joey Artigue, promotions director for Arizona Sports and KTAR, and they get into the top 5 Arizona Sports jerseys of all time. (49 minutes)

Login to view embedded media

I'll be heading up to Surprise to make my first trip to Shadow Ridge. The 3-0 Stallions pulled one out in the final minute last week and host O'Connor. SRHS is rushing for 252 yards per game, but I haven't put them in my top 10 yet. They still have region games coming up against Boulder Creek and Mountain Ridge, but I think it's time to pay these guys some attention. O'Connor got run all over by Max Davis last week, but the Eagles gave Desert Edge, I team most of us think are Open material, all it could handle in a 26-21 game a couple weeks ago.

Kevin Derryberry and Chris Eaton return for another year of the Gridiron Scroll Podcast!

In this episode, get a recap of all the 5A/6A action in week 1 of the Arizona high school football season.

Login to view embedded media

Predict the 8 teams you believe will make the Open Division Playoff. I'll post the submissions in article form at 6pm on 10/20.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)