Basha and Perry Highlight Top Winners of the Weekend
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Week 1 is officially in the books and what a weekend it was. With games scattered all over the past couple days in multiple time slots in multiple states, it was one of the best opening weeks the state of…
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Continue ReadingWeek 1 is officially in the books and what a weekend it was. With games scattered all over the past couple days in multiple time slots in multiple states, it was one of the best opening weeks the state of Arizona has ever seen. Some schools had better weeks than others, here are some of the best winners of week 1.
Arizona vs Everybody
A lot of schools traveled out of state week 1 to face some top tier opponents. Some to Vegas, some to California, and the AZ schools represented well. Overall, Arizona schools went 9-4 versus out of state schools, with wins from Red Mountain, Williams Field, Basha, and Pinnacle. Arizona has been represented well in the top 25 rankings for the entire country the past couple years and has been getting more respect nationally for being a well rounded state for high school football. But after this weekend, Arizona has a whole will have more eyes watching it, and for good reason.
Chandler Wins Handily
The Chandler Wolves are ranked third in the state and could be argued that third is too low for them. With top recruit in the class of 2024 leading their way in Dylan Raiola Dylan Raiola 6'3" | 220 lbs | QB Buford | 2024 State GA , Chandler comfortably won Friday against Cathedral Catholic (CA) 63-7. Raiola was almost perfect, going 16-19, 265 yards and three scores. Their defense held their ground as well, only allowing 1 score in the second quarter. After the game, defensive end A’Mauri Washington A’Mauri Washington 6'5" | 295 lbs | DL Chandler | 2023 State AZ committed to the University of Oregon, putting a cherry on top of a great weekend for Chandler. Not to mention Saguaro losing ahead of them, the start of the season could not have gone better for the Wolves.
Notre Dame Statement Win
One of the teams I was excited to see this year and had my eye on as a sneaky pick to make some noise in the Open Playoff was Horizon out of the 5A conference. Notre Dame had other plans. Notre Dame came out and put on a show. Up 21-7 at half, they were in control and never looked back. And after sealing the win with a 20 point fourth quarter performance, they cruised to a 48-21 victory. Junior QB Noah Trigueros Noah Trigueros 6'2" | 175 lbs | QB Notre Dame Prep | 2024 State AZ threw for 364 yards and 5 TDs, and Notre Dame’s defense held Horizon’s stud tight end Matthew Klopfenstein Matthew Klopfenstein 6'5" | 230 lbs | TE Horizon | 2023 State AZ (Baylor commit) to only three catches. ND rockets up the rankings to #5, and aren’t done yet.
Perry First Out of State Game in School History
History was made this weekend, when the Perry Pumas traveled to Las Vegas and took on Spring Valley (NV). This was the first time the Pumas left state lines, and they might want to keep scheduling out of state opponents after this week. They came home with a W, making their first trip a successful one. With great defensive performances by Bo Hall and Aiden Herring Aiden Herring 6'3" | 250 lbs | DL Perry | 2023 State AZ who had 4 sacks, this Perry team is a force in the conference and will stand behind their defense all year long. A great win under Joseph Ortiz and the staff at Perry, they travel again next week to Desert Vista, and try to start 2-0 on the season.
Higley Knights Offense Starts Hot
The Higley Knights weren’t on a lot of people’s radars to start the year. Going 2-8 last year and scoring 29 points a game, the Knights were looking to rebound this year. And did they ever. Even the rain delay couldn’t slow down their offense. Led by 4 star QB Jamar Malone class of 2025, he threw for 384 yards 4 touchdowns and put a 50 piece on the board, leading his team to a victory. Yes, he is a sophomore. Daxen Hall led the way on the ground, racking up 123 yards and getting 2 scores of his own. Higley has a prolific offense, and being Malone’s second year and looking and feeling more comfortable already in week 1, make sure you put Higley high on your list of teams to see this fall.
Overall, what a weekend. First week of the year with football back in our lives, and it did not disappoint. Arizona has talent everywhere you look, in every division in every conference. The season has just begun, football is BACK!