WHAT HAPPENED LOCALLY WEEK 4
6A: Unbeaten 6A schools from the East valley were reduced by one with Casteel dropping its first game (all four Colts' games decided by a five points or less). Williams Field bested Casteel, 31-28, in their first meeting as 6A foes. Casteel remains winless vs. Williams Field (0-4) having played the Black Hawks the last four years. Chandler, Hamilton, Highland, Mountain View and Corona del Sol moved to 4-0. Chandler pummeled Higley, Highland and Mountain View were easy winners over winless teams and Corona del Sol trounced Mesa High. Hamilton worked hard to move to 2-0 and hand Saguaro a rare regular-season loss to an Arizona opponent.The last one  was in September 2015 to Pinnacle. There's a good chance Mountain View and Corona del Sol could be unbeaten (7-0) heading to the final week of the regular season. They meet Nov. 20 at Mountain View. Coaches don't look ahead, but writers have the luxury.  The first power-rankings will come out on Tuesday Nov. 3. It's going to be interesting to see where some perennially solid programs are when those rankings come out. The likes of Williams Field, Higley, Liberty, Queen Creek are 2-2 with more quality opponents ahead. Pinnacle, Red Mountain and Desert Ridge are 1-2 with similar menus awaiting. It's nearly unthinkable Brophy Prep, Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe are each 0-4. Their collective opponents' records: Desert Vista (14-2); Brophy (8-4) and Mountain Pointe (10-6). Congrats to Skyline for snapping a five-game losing streak dating back to last year and notching its first win - 28-27 over McClintock.

5A: Desert Mountain and Cactus Shadows are the only unbeaten East Valley or Northeast Valley schools in 5A. Desert Mountain's scheduled game with Casa Grande was COVID cancelled. Cactus Shadows found another replacement for a COVID cancellation beating Arcadia, but its Oct. 30 game with Goldwater is a COVID victim. Campo Verde and Horizon won their third games in a row since opening-night losses. Horizon is a victim of COVID cases this week and Campo Verde scrambled to replace a COVID-lost contest with Millennium by hooking up with Salpointe for this coming week. Horizon was supposed to play Saguaro.

4A: Poston Butte (4-0), Mesquite (3-1) and American Leadership Academy Queen Creek (3-1) are clearly 4A's top teams. Poston Butte is on its way to a 7-0 record. Will that elevate the Broncos to an Open Division berth? Maybe. Would their 7-0 provide a higher ranking than a 6-2 or 5-3 6A or 5A school with a better strength of schedule. I would like it better if Broncos missed the Open and competed with Mesquite, ALA-QC and other contenders for 4A prowess.

3A: Valley Christian is the only local 3A school unblemished. The Trojans are 4-0 after beating Florence, who rescued the Trojans from a bye due to injury and player shortage concerns by Coronado. Arizona College Prep lost its first game, a high-scoring affair with Blue Ridge, 42-37. ACP faces Valley Christian this week. ALA Gilbert North has won three games in a row and has region games with Gilbert Christian and Coolidge the next two weeks.

2A: Scottsdale Christian advanced to 4-0 while Sequoia Pathway suffered its first loss. The loss was to Veritas Prep, who subbed for Arizona Lutheran in a COVID cancellation. Sequoia Pathway has a date with Santa Cruz Valley this week. Santa Cruz Valley subbed a COVID-lost game and stepped up two conferences to play Casa Grande. Casa Grande won, 35-14, so the Dust Devils won't be happy heading into this one. Scottsdale Christian handled Camp Verde. Scottsdale Prep is still perfect and had its game cancelled vs. North Pointe Prep due to player injuries, shortage not COVID.

1A: Tempe Prep suffered its first loss, but not an unexpected one. The Knights ran into the buzzsaw that is Superior. A 54-7 loss ensued.

STAT CHECK

(Stats are from games of Oct. 22-23-24 from schools who have posted. Updated through Monday evening Oct. 26).

Top rushers (100 yards or more):  Highland RB Max Davis, 207 yards, 4 TDs; Campo Verde RB Caden Calloway, 201 yards, 2 TDs; Poston Butte RB Zion Burns, 193 yards, 2 TDs; Horizon RB Omar Muse, 179 yards, 3 TDs; Horizon QB Drew Boxwell, 170 yards, 2 TDs; ALA Ironwood QB Justyn Martos, 147 yards, 2 TDs; Coolidge RB Greg Rodriguez, 142 yards; Mountain Pointe RB Cam Gillum, 139 yards; Chandler Prep RB Aidan Daly, 133 yards, 1 TD; Skyline RB Zeke Branham, 127 yards, 1 TD; Mountain View RB Reese Marzial, 125 yards, 2 TDs; Corona del Sol RB Anyale Velazquez, 124 yards, 3 TDs; Arete Prep QB Matthew McClelland, 122 yards, 1 TD; Skyline QB Jack Nelson, 116 yards, 1 TD;  Chandler RB Eli Sanders, 116 yards, 3 TDs; Florence RB Josh McEvoy, 114 yards, 1 TD; Gilbert Christian RB Brody Curtner, 110 yards, 4 TDs; Gilbert Christian RB Marcus McWilliams, 110 yards, 1 TD; Florence RB Devante Neal, 109 yards, 1 TD; Chandler RB Jeremiah Moore, 110 yards, 2 TDs; Dobson RB Jashawn Kinney, 104 yards, 1 TD;  Valley Christian RB Kaden Majercak, 100 yards; 1 TD.

Top passers: (150 yards or more): San Tan Charter QB Zayden Neill, 401 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INT; ALA Gilbert North QB Jack Ricedorff, 376 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Mesquite QB Ty Thompson, 327 yards, 4 TDs; Az College Prep QB MArk Chavez, 318 yards, 1 TD; 3 INT; Chaparral QB Brayten Silbor, 306 yards, 1 TD; Casteel QB Dane Christensen, 287 yards; Queen Creek QB Devin Brown, 270 yards, 3 TDs; ALA Queen Creek QB Logan Hubler, 224 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; Chandler QB Mikey Keene, 209 yards, 2 TDs; Dobson QB Jordan Legg, 206 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Coolidge QB Jacob Gunter, 205 yards, 3 TDs; Mountain View QB Will Roberts, 191 yards; Basha QB Demond Williams, 177 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Corona del Sol QB Quade Swearingen, 164 yards, 2 TDs; Perry QB Colter Brown, 153 yards, 1 TD. 

Top receivers: (100 yards or more): ALA Gilbert North WR Johnny Bellino, 157 yards, 2 TDs; Chaparral WR Max Minor, 150 yards, 1 TD; Az College Prep WR Bryan Dyson, 145 yards; 1 TD; ALA Ironwood WR Michael Downs, 139 yards; Mesquite WR Andrew Morris, 133 yards, 2 TDs; Chandler Prep RB Aidan Daly, 133 yards, 1 TD; Mountain View WR Tanner Johnson, 125 yards, 1 TD; San Tan Charter WR Jared NeVille, 120 yards, 1 TD; Basha WR Andrell Barney, 110 yards, 1 TD; Skyline WR Greyson Cook, 100 yards, 1 TD; Casteel WR Zach Miller, 100 yards.

WEEK 5 SCHEDULE - ALL GAMES FRIDAY OCT. 30 UNLESS NOTED

6A

Basha (2-2) at Canyon View (2-2)

Perry (0-4) at Casteel (3-1)

Chandler (4-0) at Centennial (3-1)

Mountain Pointe (0-4) at Corona del Sol (4-0)

Hamilton (3-0) at Desert Vista (0-4)

Shadow Ridge (3-1) at Dobson (2-2)

Queen Creek (2-2) at Highland (4-0)

Williams Field (2-2) at Higley (2-2)

Chaparral (1-0) at Liberty (2-2)

Desert Edge (4-0) at Mesa (2-2)

Westwood (0-4) at Mountain View (4-0)

Brophy (0-4) at Pinnacle (1-2)

Skyline (1-3) at Red Mountain (1-2)

5A

Saguaro (2-1) at Horizon (3-1) - cancelled

Salpointe (2-0) at Campo Verde (3-1)

Gilbert (1-3) at Mesquite (3-1)

Maricopa (1-3) at Notre Dame Prep (2-2)

McClintock (1-3) at Sunnyslope (2-0)

4A

Benjamin Franklin (1-3) at ALA Queen Creek (3-1) - Oct.29

Apache Junction (2-2) at Arcadia (0-4)

Greenway (2-2) at Marcos de NIza (2-2)

Poston Butte (4-0) at Tempe (0-4)

Seton Catholic (0-4) at Youngker (0-3)

3A

Eastmark (0-4) at ALA-Ironwood (0-4)

Valley Christian (4-0) at Arizona College Prep (3-1)

Safford (2-1) at Coolidge (3-1)

Payson (1-3) at Coronado (0-1)

Show Low (1-3) at Fountain Hills (2-2) cancelled

Pusch Ridge (3-1) at San Tan Foothills (0-2)

Florence (1-3) at Thatcher (1-3)

Gilbert Christian (2-1) at ALA Gilbert North (3-1)

2A

Arizona Lutheran (3-0) at Chandler Prep (3-1) - cancelled

Arete Prep (1-2) at San Tan Charter (2-2)

Camp Verde (1-2) at Scottsdale Prep (3-0)

Santa Cruz Valley (3-0) at Sequoia Pathway (3-1)

Scottsdale Christian (4-0) at Valley Lutheran (0-1)

1A

Lincoln Prep (0-4) at Duncan (0-4)

Cicero Prep (1-3) at Tempe Prep (3-1)  - Oct. 31