ArizonaVarsity Top 10 Preseason Rankings, 6A
ArizonaVarsity Top 10 Preseason Rankings, 6A
ArizonaVarsity.com's Preseason Top 10 Teams in the 6A Division
I spent a week convinced that I was going to have Hamilton at #1, waited to see if the AIA was going to grant the Hamilton appeal of their probation to affirm that I'd have Hamilton at #1, slept on it, and them woke up with Hamilton at #3. The reality of losing coach Doherty (assuming he's not involved in any way behind the scenes) had me drop the Huskies to #3 behind Saguaro and Chandler.
I know everyone at the top wants some type of proof that they had doubters, so a pre-emptive 'you're welcome' to Chandler, and an apology to Saguaro for the order of my 1-2. What it came down to for me was simple- the biggest flaw Chandler had last year was the running game, and unless I see for myself that it's been repaired, it was hard for me to give them the top spot over the team that just beat them 9 months ago in the Open final.
Brett Quintyne asked me if this is Basha's best team. I believe it is. And I believe they're going to open some eyes in their opener against Los Alamitos. They have talent everywhere, and a level of buy-in that makes them a legit title contender.
Highland is your returning 6A champion, and I think they'd have made noise in the open had they been included. Brock Farrel is a fantastic coach, and all of the sudden, the Hawks are beyond a neighborhood success story, and becoming a destination school.
The 6-10 spots are the teams that I believe are going to compete for the 1-5 spots in the 6A playoffs, though the better of Liberty and Centennial when the dust settles should absolutely be placed into the Open playoffs. It's wild to think that the eventual 6A champion might not even be in my preseason 6A Top 10, any combination of Mountain Pointe, Brophy, Chaparral, Salpointe and Williams Field could make it happen, and it's crazy to exclude O'Connor and Perry from any playoff conversation as well!
This is the most loaded 6A I've ever seen, and I genuinely believe 12+ teams would be considered the top team in 5A if they were to be placed down a division.
