arizona high school football aia open red mountain marana

There were breakthroughs, surprises and unexpected results in Week 10 of the Arizona high school football season. Here are the Republic’s top 10 surprises ahead of this weekend’s action.

1. Centennial Slippage

It was no surprise that Peoria Centennial lost its opener to Chandler Hamilton 17-10. But no one expected the Coyotes to be 2-5 with no chance in the Open state playoffs at the start of the week. They are clinging to a low 6A playoff spot. Their 15 or so transfers who became eligible mid-season didn’t quickly turn them into the expected powerhouse. Your difficult schedule seems even more difficult. And yet, some are still waiting for the season finale beast to emerge and run away.

2. Deer Valley’s 7-0 start

Just two years ago, Glendale Deer Valley went 0-10. The Skyhawks entered the week 7-0. It is ranked 13th in 4A by the Arizona Interscholastic Association, a low ranking mainly because it does not have a demanding schedule. Still, this is a feel-good story, with coach Dan Friedman showing patience with the current seniors, who won a game as freshmen. Most of the seniors started as sophomores on that 0-10 varsity team. Last year they went 6-4, and now that experience is paying off.

3. Marana’s Open jumps to first place

In the first three weeks of AIA state playoff seeding, 5A Marana held the top spot. This is a 5A team that hasn’t come close to making the Open since the AIA started the state playoff bracket in 2019. But there’s a cool story here: head coach Phillip Steward and senior wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck have built this program over the past two years. They embrace the Open, unafraid of any 6A team.

Emergence of Red Mountain: AIA Open Standings

4. Red Mountain’s Historical Beginnings

Mesa Red Mountain starting 7-0 was the best start in school history. After losing five straight games in the second half of last season, Red Mountain went on an incredible 6A playoff run to the finals. The dynamic return of QB Simon Lopez and WR Bode Wagner is huge. But in August, it would have been a success to have the Lions ahead of Basha and Liberty in the AIA Open standings at the start of the season. They entered this week in second place.

5. Tonopah Valley’s offensive surge

The big question mark Tonopah Valley had following the departure of 4,400-yard passer Malachi Wilt was answered this summer with wide receiver Sir-Izzik Sanchez Caldwell moving behind center. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound lefty has been brilliant, leading Phoenix to a 9-0 record and the No. 2 ranking in 2A by the AIA. And he racked up 2,818 yards passing and 32 TDs with 631 yards and 11 TDs on the ground.

6. Chandler occupies 8 spots outside the Open

Chandler has never failed to reach the Open since it began in 2019. The Wolves won the Open’s first two state championships, giving them five straight state titles. But at 5-2 the week before the Basha game, Chandler was on the sidelines watching. This is an experienced technical team that doesn’t give up. It turns out competition in the Chandler area is spreading with a power shift in the Southeast Valley toward Basha.

7. Horizon making open noise

Perhaps the most underrated coaching change of the offseason was 5A Horizon’s hiring of Tyson Ditmore to lead the program. This is his first head coaching job, and he made a big impression, leading the Huskies through the week to a 6-1 record and a 5th-place finish in the AIA Open, one spot below 6A and defending Open champion Liberty. The neighborhood is full of pride.

8. Seamless ALA Transition

It might have been strange in the American Leadership Academy football family tree after Randy Ricedorff was released from ALA Gilbert North and replaced by Ty Detmer, who had just led ALA Queen Creek to a third straight Open appearance. Rich Edwards then returned to ALA QC, where he won two 3A state titles, the last in 2019. The transitions at both schools were seamless. ALA QC was 6-1 at the start of the week and ranked 7th in the Open, with its only loss to Red Mountain. ALA Gilbert North was 6-1 and ranked 7th overall in 5A by the AIA.

9. Cesar Chavez’s comeback

After going through a 3-7 season, Cesar Chavez turned to alumnus Chandler Hovik to help the champions through a difficult period. He led them to a 5-2 start, making them trust his quick build process and believe in them. When Chavez trailed Chandler by just two points in the final quarter of the season opener, the situation shocked. Chandler ended up winning the game 27-18, but the champions’ confidence increased a lot.

10. Arcadia still undefeated

Senior quarterback Braylen Rooney was one of the few impact returners on a team that went 10-0 in the regular season last year. But after four games this season, he was sidelined with injury for the next three games. No problem. Junior backup Zach Smith helped the Titans go 7-0, passing for 616 yards and seven TDs with one interception.

Richard Obert has covered high school sports since 1980 for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University and Arizona Rattlers athletics. To suggest ideas for human interest stories and other news, contact Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert