ArizonaVarsity - ArizonaVarsity Top 10 Rankings, 3A (8/30/2022)
ArizonaVarsity.com's 2022 Top-10 rankings for the 3A Divisions (8/30/2022)
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I was able to catch the Thatcher vs Eastmark game this week, and it's ultimately what led me to give Thatcher the #1 designation over Pusch Ridge despite Pusch Ridge starting the season 2-0. Normally I wouldn't displace the preseason #1 team for any reason other than losing, but Thatcher getting a win over a then-top-5 ranked Round Valley, followed by beating another top 5 team in Eastmark, earned them this spot.
But just because Pusch Ridge got bumped down doesn't mean I'm not impressed with QB Bubba Mustain and his 8 TD passes in the first two weeks.
The actual ending of the Thatcher/Eastmark game was one of the stranger conclusions I've ever seen. Down 30-28, Thatcher ran the ball on every down until they were inside the Eastmark 10-yard line, then on 2nd and goal, brought in kicker Jett Howard to attempt the game winner. Eastmark blocked the kick, and Jett Howard recovered the ball himself, which gave Thatcher another attempt at the game winner. Thatcher didn;t have any time outs though, so the clock would have run out, but an Eastmark player was injured on the FG attempt, giving Thatcher the time needed to re-set and re-attempt.
They nailed it, and won.
Some players that impressed me are Eastmark QB Mack Molander, and his massive TE target Ramar Williams (6-4, 235). On the Thatcher end, RB Ayden Bingham and QB Brandon Napier are a very dangerous pair. They carved up Round Valley, but to see what they did on the final drive in a game in which they were trailing in both the first half and fourth quarter was really special.
3A is by far the deepest conference when it comes to teams in consideration for a top 10 spot. Kingman, Arizona Lutheran and Benson all have a case. While I support teams that have a long history of success in a division being moved up by the AIA, two good years and a championship, in the case of a school like Arizona Lutheran, doesn't make sense to me. So if it seems like there's a lack of respect for Arizona Lutheran, a team @codytcameron went out and covered this last week, I don't mean it that way. I'm just not sure they're ready to be a top team in a higher division just yet.
