Preview: Horizon @ Pinnacle

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Horizon</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending 5A champs enter the contest 1-2 but are prone to get hot at some point here in 2022. They're two losses come against some really tough programs with a loss last week at Hamilton and a week 1 loss to Notre Dame Prep. They beat up on Cactus Shadows a few weeks back 49-25 and have all the talent on their roster to be a playoff contender in 5A once again. It won't be easy, as Pinnacle is another tough challange for Horizon. Horizon's offense has some weapons, including the Baylor TE commit [player_tooltip player_id='42926' first='Matthew' last='Klopfenstein'] and big play WR [player_tooltip player_id='211752' first='Cole' last='Linyard'], who has been criminally under recruited thus far. Both guys can pose as certain mismatches in man coverage- Linyard with his twitch and speed and Klopfenstein with his frame, strength, catch radius and plus athleticism. Horizon is a scrappy team with a tough schedule here in 2022. Aside from Hamilton, Notre Dame Prep, and now Pinnacle, Horizon also has to play Higley and ALA-Queen Creek which makes every game much more valuale to Horizon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Key Players </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='42926' first='Matthew' last='Klopfenstein'], TE '23 (Baylor commit) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='211752' first='Cole' last='Linyard'], WR '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='358600' first='Hudson' last='Muller'], LB '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='927191' first='Carson' last='Kolb']</strong>, LB '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/HorizonFootball/status/1575162641466609669?s=20u0026t=zPMTICOOOFmNRmhZsB6FYQ","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/HorizonFootball/status/1575162641466609669?s=20&amp;t=zPMTICOOOFmNRmhZsB6FYQ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Pinnacle </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pinnacle is legit this season, and a big reason why is due to the 2025 QB [player_tooltip player_id='368975' first='Wyatt' last='Horton'] stepping up big and taking command of that Pinnacle offense. They come into this contest 2-1 after blowout wins over El Camino (CA) and Queen Creek. Their lone loss comes against Liberty in a rough 7-49 matchup. There's been a buzz about Pinnacle possibly being in that open division coversation as maybe the 7th or 8th seed depending on how the season goes form here on out. If they don't end up being an open division playoff team, then I believe teams should consider them as a top seeded 6A playoff team. Super talented squad that's had some new faces step up. We'll get to see two of the top TE's in the state get loose tonight, with the highly recruited [player_tooltip player_id='42949' first='Duce' last='Robinson'] being that difference maker in this one. Overall a very intriguing matchup that holds some weight going forward for both teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Key Players </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='42949' first='Duce' last='Robinson'], TE '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='42943' first='Elijah' last='Paige'], OL '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='165887' first='Myles' last='Libman'], ATH '23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='368975' first='Wyatt' last='Horton'], QB '25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/GoBigBlue_PHS/status/1575843979874091010?s=20u0026t=GxerR7Aye6VM-8DmzfzjKw","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/GoBigBlue_PHS/status/1575843979874091010?s=20&amp;t=GxerR7Aye6VM-8DmzfzjKw </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->