5 impact games to watch in Week 10 of the Arizona high school football season
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As the calendar flips towards the back half of October, playoff pictures across the state are crystallizing. That’s true for the big schools, but it’s especially true for small schools, many of which have just one or two regular-season games left.
With that in mind, here are five matchups to watch in Week 10 of the Arizona high school football season:
Hamilton at Basha, Thursday, 7 p.m.
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Regardless of what the resumes or rankings say, it’s hard to imagine that the five best teams in Arizona are anyone but Chandler, Liberty, Saguaro, Hamilton and Basha. Any time two of those five schools face off, it’s a game to circle on your calendar — a potential preview of a showdown in the Open playoffs with everything on the line come December.
Thursday’s matchup, though, is a little bit more than that. Both schools enter with something to prove.
Hamilton’s season has been a weird one. The Huskies had their postseason eligibility taken, then reinstated. They lost 45-0 to a Bishop Gorman team they beat last year. They scored just 10 in a win over Highland. So while they’re No. 4 in the AIA’s rankings, they don’t have the same hype that they did a year ago.
Basha, meanwhile, was hyped, but then lost, 35-7, to Liberty. That’s the type of defeat that can change a team’s perceived ceiling. Now, the Bears also face uncertainty.
The winner on Thursday night will put much of that uncertainty to rest with a marquee victory. The loser will forge ahead with unanswered questions.
Saguaro at Highland, Friday, 7 p.m.
For Saguaro, the story is the same every week now. They’re a good team, as evidenced by pushing both Chandler and Liberty in consecutive weeks last month. But they also have three losses, thanks to a schedule that’s among the toughest in the nation.
Last week’s AIA rankings release revealed exactly what that means: The eighth-ranked Sabercats have no margin for error. Another loss and they’re heading to the 6A playoffs, not the Open Division, which they won last year.
Although Pinnacle awaits on Nov. 4, the toughest test remaining for Saguaro might just be Friday’s battle against Highland. The Hawks haven’t clicked offensively, but they have one of the best defenses in the state.
While Friday’s game is a potential landmine for Saguaro, it’s a major opportunity for Highland to show just how far its defense can carry it. With a win, we’ll be talking about the possibility of the Hawks repeating as 6A champions.
Game of the Week: 5 storylines to follow in Saguaro vs. Highland game
Campo Verde at ALA-Queen Creek, Friday, 7 p.m.
At this point, the clear top two teams in 5A seem to be Scottsdale rivals Desert Mountain and Notre Dame Prep. The door, though, is still open for both schools to make the Open Division. If that happens, the 5A playoffs will be wide open.
Among the favorites would be both Campo Verde and ALA-Queen Creek. After reaching the Open last year, ALA-Queen Creek’s success isn’t particularly surprising. Campo Verde, though, has gone under the radar after struggling to a 4-7 finish last year.
The Coyotes have made major statements in each of their last two games. On Sept. 29, they crushed Gilbert, 30-13. Then, on Friday, they beat reigning 4A champions Casa Grande with ease, 26-7.
Arizona Prep at ALA-Gilbert North, Friday, 7 p.m.
Arizona Prep’s rise has been incredible. The school’s first year fielding a football team was in 2017, when the Knights went 2-8 in 2A. After going 1-9 the next year in 3A, they found their footing at that level.
But this year is their first in 4A. In theory, it should be a challenging jump. Not for this group. At 4-1, the Knights, part of a Chandler school district that also includes the likes of Chandler, Hamilton, Basha, Casteel and Perry, are No. 1 in the AIA’s 4A rankings.
ALA-Gilbert North, meanwhile, came into last week at No. 4 before knocking off No. 3 Snowflake, 31-21, thanks to an explosive first-half performance from quarterback Adam Damante. The Eagles are sure to be top three this week and might even be No. 2.
Don’t be surprised if these two teams face off again on the second Friday in December.
Under the lights: The ultimate guide to Arizona high school football
Sabino at Thatcher, Friday, 7 p.m.
With two weeks left in the 3A regular season, few teams have dominated their competition as thoroughly as Thatcher.
The undefeated Eagles have only been held within 14 points once, in a thrilling 31-30 win over Eastmark back in August. Both their run-heavy offense and suffocating defense have made life miserable for opponents.
With Palo Verde unlikely to push Thatcher in the finale, Friday’s showdown against Tucson Sabino is their last test before it really matters. Critically, the 6-2 Sabercats have a star quarterback in Cameron Hackworth (2117 yards, 27 TDs, six interceptions). He’s the type of weapon who could make things difficult for Thatcher.
Theo Mackie covers Arizona high school sports and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He can be reached by email at theo.mackie@gannett.com and on Twitter @theo_mackie.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 5 impact games to watch in Week 10 of the Arizona high school football season