Championship teams can often point to a moment, game or situation from the previous months that was a turning point that led to holding the state title trophy on the last game of the year.

Highland flag football just might have had its moment it will pinpoint as the moment that ultimately pushed the Hawks on a championship trajectory.

Actually, it was two games not a singular moment.

Highland lost back-to-back games in the Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational last week – first to Salpointe and then to Campo Verde – and it just might have been the proverbial “wake up call” the Hawks needed heading into region play and the postseason.

The Hawks, who lost in the 6A state semifinals last year, opened the year with an impressive 41-16 win over 5A power Campo Verde, and hadn’t been challenged in the regular season.

Then 4A power Salpointe (26-13) and Campo (28-14) sent Highland home from the tournament earlier than expected.

“We were off in that tournament,” Highland junior quarterback Lacie Nemchick said. “We did have the energy like we normally do, but I think it will end up helping us. We like to say we are hungry and humble. We’ll come back stronger from those losses.”

Filming the future

When a coach has been around as long as Richard Taylor, he is going to have great snippets and insights about football and some of his favorite memories.

Taylor, who got his start in Ohio, started the program as Centennial in 1990, won 300 games and retired after winning an eighth state title in 2024.

As he milled around the 50-yard line on Friday as an assistant coach before the Coyotes’ game at Chandler, he recalled a story about his son, Andrew, who was named the Coyotes head coach after being his dad’s defensive coordinator for more than two decades.

When Richard would watch tape – specifically mentioning it was back on the two-reel projector – Andrew would sit nearby and ask questions when he was as young as 6.

“He’d point at the screen and say, ‘Why did that guy do that?’ ” Richard said with that smile parents do when remembering something enjoyable their kid did. “I’d say that’s a counter and the guard pulls this way after the running back fakes going the opposite way and then comes back behind the guard.

“He was always curious and asking questions.”

Macha, Carson head HoF inductee class

The Mesa City Sports Hall of Fame committee announced the 2026 class of inductees this week.

Let’s break down by school:

Players

Dobson – TC Wright (1987 graduate/football), Kameron Knutson (2010/basketball).

Mesa – Jahii Carson (2011/basketball), Grady Benton (1991, football, basketball, baseball).

Mountain View – Val Kaff (2013/softball).

Red Mountain – Brea Macha (2013/softball).

Skyline – Braedon Bowman (2013/football).

Westwood – Dan Finn (1994, football), Hever Bueno (2012, football).

State championship teams

2006-07 Mountain View boys basketball

2006-07 Mesa wrestling

2006-07 Red Mountain girls basketball

Coaches

Red Mountain – Rich Hamilton (softball, football, golf)

Community organization

Gene Lewis Boxing Gym

State badminton starting

The brackets for state badminton tournaments were released this week and there is a heavy East Valley feel to it.

In the Division I team tournament, the top seed is Hamilton with Red Mountain is No. 2.

Other seeded teams from the area are No. 4 AZ College Prep, No. 5 Westwood, No. 6 Highland, No. 10 Perry, No. 11 Corona del Sol, No. 12 Gilbert, No. 13 Desert Vista, No. 14 Chandler, No. 15 Queen Creek and No. 16 Basha.

The Division II event has a handful of squads in the tournament with No. 6 Skyline, No. 10 Marcos de Niza and No. 11 Mesquite.

The first round is on Tuesday with succeeding rounds leading to the championship match on Saturday, Oct. 31 with the host school being Desert Vista.

The DI title match is at 10 a.m., followed by DII at 11:30 a.m.

The individual tournaments get underway Friday with the championship matches on Saturday.

For the schedule, click on the link here: 2026 AIA Badminton Division II Singles Championship | AZPreps365

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