For the first time since seedings were used to create playoff brackets in the late 1990s, not a single No. 1. seed from any 11-man conference (2A-Open) won a state title this year.

In fact, no top seeds even reached a championship game. Centennial became the lowest seed to ever to win a state title at No. 14 in 6A.
No. 12 Scottsdale Christian made an even more improbable run to repeat as 3A champions. So what should be made of this? 

Nothing really. Power rankings don't always work out perfectly. But it's also another reminder that football championships are getting more and more difficult to win, and a team’s fortunes can change over the course of a season. And as the Valley and state have grown exponentially over the years, so has the talent. Said one 6A athletic director last year, “people don’t want to acknowledge this but these coaches are under pressure to win, especially those in high-profile regions.”

The combination of a deeper, richer talent pool and higher stakes means transfers play a bigger role than ever. Never was this more evident than over the last season. 

Chandler: Birth of ‘Super Teams’?

Liberty has emerged as the state's top program with two consecutive Open championships, a 6A title in 2019 and a 35-3 record the last three seasons. So are the Lions the next football monopoly in Arizona?  Possibly...but let's look at history:
Hamilton seemed to have changed the game when it rose to prominence immediately in the late 90s and early 2000s. Once the Huskies won their first title in 2003, talent was already gravitating to South Chandler, and Hamilton was a landing spot for top prospects from all over. The Huskies won six of the next nine championships, with two runner-ups. Chandler High finally caught on and got in the game, eventually overtaking Hamilton. Chandler opened in 1914, finally winning its first football title in 2014 and running its own monopoly with six championships in seven years. The talent was overwhelming and only attracted more.

Between open enrollment and transfer options, out of district players and transfers have a huge impact. It’s how the game and programs operate and it won’t change anytime soon. Saguaro made its own 4A dynasty out of it over nearly two decades. It also crushed the program in one off-season.

Liberty has become a destination school, and it was already a top program for some time. But another run like we saw from Hamilton and Chandler over an entire decade still seems far-fetched. There’s just too many great programs right on the cusp, too much talent and too many great coaches. 

2025 QB’s: High Class 

Of the eight teams competing at Mountain America Stadium over the weekend (4A-Open) six of the quarterbacks were underclassmen. Five juniors and one sophomore-Desert Edge’s Blake Roskopf. It was an indication of great things to come. 

The 2025 QB class promises to be another great one for Arizona.

Queen Creek junior Tait Reynolds was named Player of the Year by the Arizona Cardinals. (Photo by MaxPreps/Steve Paynter)

Queen Creek’s Tait Reynolds is by far the highest-profile. The  dual-sport standout was already on the radar as a top baseball prospect as a freshman, receiving a scholarship offer from Arizona State. His size (6-4, 215) and crazy athleticism caught the fancy of major football recruiters, and offers began rolling in for both sports from high-profile schools. Reynolds committed to Clemson earlier this year with the intent of playing both sports. 

Reynolds’ baseball coach Mike Moreno insists “Tait is an incredible baseball player who happens to play football.” 

His football coach Travis Schureman says “He’s just really amazing at both.”

On Tuesday Reynolds was named the Arizona Cardinals Player of the Year. That’s an accolade few juniors have ever won. Reynolds passed for over 2,200 yards and rushed for another 1,400. Not bad for a baseball player who moonlights as a quarterback. 

Centennial’s Kainan Manna and Mountain View’s Brady Goodman had the best overall postseason performances.

A dual threat at 6-4, 210 pounds, Goodman introduced himself as one of the state’s best between week 10 and the 6A title game. As a junior he broke school records for passing yards (3,075) and TD’s (43). He played the last two games on a busted left ankle, but still managed nearly 600 passing yards and five passing touchdowns against Brophy and Centennial. Goodman is probably the purest passer in the class of ‘25. He will have major division-I offers before next season. 

Kainan Manna (7) and Brady Goodman (5) combined for nearly 600 passing yards during the 6A championship game (photos by Jake Jurado and Kristi Raban)

At 5-9, 170 pounds, Kainan Manna does not have big-time colleges beating his door down. But his resume is the best of the ‘25 class: 27 starts, an appearance in the ‘23 Open championship, and a 6A championship that was no fluke despite the Coyotes 3-7 record. Their postseason run included wins over the No. 2, 3, and 4 seeds, whose QB’s included Goodman, Reynolds, and Red Mountain senior Simon Lopez. 

Other top 2025 QB’s:

Colten Meyers-The Marana signal caller threw for nearly 3,800 yards in only 10 games. 5A Marana went 9-0 and ended up No. 1 in the Open before falling in a shootout to Hamilton. 

Britt DeWitt-ALA Queen Creek. The Casteel transfer emerged in week six as the Patriots QB1.  He nearly led ALA-QC to the Open final, throwing for 393 yards and five passing touchdowns against Basha in a 40-35 loss. 

Brodie Vehrs-Led Basha to the Open final with perhaps the most efficient performance of the season, throwing 25 TD’s to only one INT. Basha’s offense might be the best and most balanced in Arizona next season. 

Antinio Casias-Cactus. Even after losing top receiver Nikko Boncore to Centennial last offseason, Casias was able to guide the Cobras to a 5A championship run, which included a 38-35 win over No. 1 ALA Gilbert North. 

Case Vanden Bosch-Took over the Brophy job full time during the regular season. At 6-3, 200 pounds and with speed, he can run people over. He had a breakout performance against Mountain View in a 28-27 semifinal heartbreaker, throwing for 338 yards and three scores. 

Quote of the Postseason

“I’d hate to be any team facing Centennial in the playoffs, even at 3-7.” -Red Mountain Coach Kyle Enders during week 10.



Ben Stapley is a staff writer for AZPreps365. For story ideas including human-interest, contact him at bstapley@azpreps365.com or 480 295-9125