Winners of the Week: Corona Del Sol, ALA Gilbert, Mountain Ridge
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Week 7 is in the books, and after this week we are getting more of a sense of what the playoffs may look like. After last week’s AIA official rankings, team know where they stand and if they want to…
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Continue ReadingWeek 7 is in the books, and after this week we are getting more of a sense of what the playoffs may look like. After last week’s AIA official rankings, team know where they stand and if they want to improve to get to where they want to be. Here are the top winners of the week in the state of Arizona.
Corona Del Sol Aztecs
After the first official state rankings came out, Corona unfortunately did not see themselves in the top 8 teams for The Open Playoffs. But, they were the number 1 seed in 6A if the season ended today. That was a great way to start off the week, and on Friday they topped it off with a 35-28 win over Mountain Pointe. After a 21-21 first half, Corona pulled away in the fourth to seal the win and improve to 5-1. Connor Ackerley Connor Ackerley 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB Corona Del Sol | 2024 State AZ led the way for the Aztecs, going 17-27 for 270 yards and 2 TDs. Seniors Jovin Gomez Jovin Gomez 5'9" | 170 lbs | RB Corona Del Sol | 2023 AZ and Aalijah Burn combined for 21 tackles and held Mountain Pointe to 7 second half points. With their only loss being to Chandler (#2 in Open), Corona has a real chance to win out and sneak into a final spot in The Open.
ALA Gilbert-North
Friday night was a pivotal night within the 4A conference, with ALA Gilbert-North (#4 seed) taking on Snowflake (#3 seed). ALA Gilbert-North took the win 31-21 and more than likely improving their seeding when the next seedings come out. Adam Damante Adam Damante 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB American Leadership Academy (Gilbert North) | 2023 State AZ threw for 3 scores and had a QB rating of 112.0. ALA also held Snowflake to 100 yards passing, with standout defensive performances by Zach Morton and Trevor Tenney (combined 27 tackles). Their next game is against AZ College Prep, the #1 team in 4A. Next week will be the biggest week yet for the Eagles, and can go from 4 to 1 real quick.
Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions
Mountain Ridge faced off against Boulder Creek, and snuck out the victory 23-21. Mountain Ridge needed this win, now improving to 4-2 and trying to get into the 6A playoff conversation. Mountain Ridge with a tough task upcoming, with Liberty next on the schedule. If Mountain Ridge can put up a good fight against the #1 team in the state, and then run the table after, they can find themselves right in the thick of it when the season is over.