Each week, Prep2Prep will provide summaries of key games involving Arizona high school football teams throughout the six divisions.
Division III
Saguaro juggernaut rolls on
The top team in Arizona in our opinion but apparently not the judgment of the MaxPreps computer, lost its spot at the top of those rankings, and in fact dropped to No. 3 despite a stellar performance. Saguaro had its high-water mark for points as the Sabercats put a 70-14 shellacking on a host Higley-Gilbert team that three weeks ago was involved in the highest combined point total in state history in a 95-75 win over Apache Junction. What else did Saguaro need to do to please the computer?
For a team that came into the game averaging over 52 points a game, the offense of the hosts never really got untracked against a Saguaro team that bolted to a 28-0 lead and led 63-14 at halftime. With the win the Sabercats are 9-0 and 6-0 in III Section III action.
Division I prospect Christian Kirk (2 catches, 42 yards, 1 TD) didn’t get the 199 yards receiving he needed to become the state all-time leader for career receiving yards, but he was the leading rusher with 147 yards on five carries with three TDs including a 55-yard run. Fellow senior and D-I prospect Kamron Johnson also only carried five times and he went for 156 yards rushing that included a 57-yard run to paydirt.
Quarterback Kare Lyles was pinpoint again after completing 11-of-13 passes for 292 yards and five touchdowns. His favorite target against Higley was Byron Murphy. The junior wide receiver had seven catches for 225 yards with four scores.
Lyles, a 6-foot, 207-pounder who is getting some D-I looks, is now an incredible 110-of-157 (.701 completion percentage) for 2,185 yards and 27 TDs with only three interceptions. That translates into a stratospheric 144.2 quarterback rating.
Saguaro has now wrapped up the III Section III title and has a week to go before opening the playoffs. In the meantime the Sabercats 22-game winning streak should get a little better test this week in a non-section battle against a 6-3 Marcos de Niza-Tempe, a Division II team that has played everyone tough and has some solid wins.
Division II
Arizona’s second-largest enrollment division has been weaker than Division III this season but that has been mostly because of the D-III Saguaro team Arizona Division II No. 5 Marcos de Niza faces this week on the road.
The visitors from Tempe have losses to 2012 Division II state champion Scottsdale Chaparral (21-7) and 2012 D-II state titlist Salpointe Catholic-Tucson (28-21), and their other loss is 34-26 to a very solid and state-ranked Poston Butte-Sun Tan Valley.
The Wildcats, who are coming into Saguaro off a 52-15 win over Mesquite-Gilbert, also own a 34-17 victory over a Horizon-Scottsdale that is No. 13 in MaxPreps Arizona rankings and whose only other loss was 52-35 last week to Division I and No. 7 Pinnacle-Phoenix.
So much for the who beat who scenario because the only real question this week is can Marcos de Niza stop the Saguaro juggernaut? The answer is probably not but it will be a good test heading into the Division II playoffs.
Division I
Pinnacle handles Horizon
One of the games we had to watch for and one that was featured by MaxPreps was the showdown between host Pinnacle and Horizon.
MaxPreps predicted a 38-31 Pinnacle victory but the margin was two TDs and a field goal in a 52-35 victory.
Pinnacle now moves to 8-1 and 4-0 in I Section V play and the Pioneers, who have a lone 37-35 loss to state No. 2 Hamilton are the new MaxPreps Arizona No. 7. They may very well be a factor in the Division I playoffs.
In the Horizon victory quarterback Brian Lewerke didn't have his most accurate day after finishing 10-of-24 for 309 yards, but Lewerke did have five touchdowns and no interceptions with six of the receptions for 218 yards and four TDs going to Cules Rose.
Pinnacle will look to lock up the I Section V title this when it meets Boulder Creek-Anthem (8-1, 3-1) in what will be one of the top games in the Grand Canyon State this week.
Chandler 55, Basha 10
After getting snubbed last week and dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 behind a Hamilton team they own a 56-24 head-to-head win over, the Wolves get the affection of the MaxPreps computer and not only jump a Hamilton team that had posted a 46-7 trouncing of Highland of Gilbert, but they also pass a Saguaro team that put 70 points on the board.
The combination of the Chandler win over Basha and the Hamilton win over Highland-Gilbert caused the Division I teams to have more weight in how the MaxPreps subjective computer system works.
Quarterback Bryce Perkins was a pinpoint 13-of-15 for 286 yards and three touchdowns with N’keal Harry pulling in three of the receptions with two TDs and 107 yards receiving.
Chandler (8-1, 4-0) will close out I Section I play this week with Highland.
