Page 9 - 2020 Sollenberger

And the Fiesta Region boasts Casteel (9-4), Desert Ridge (7-5), Queen Creek (9-4), Red Mountain (12-2) and Williams Field (12- 2). Before the season was shortened, the non-region schedules for those schools were mostly against opponents with better than .500 records.
Conversely, there is potential for better opportunity for schools who have struggled to reach .500 or better of late.
For example, 6A’s East Valley Region houses Corona del Sol (4-7 in 2019), Dobson (3-7), Mesa (6-4), Skyline (2-8), Tucson (4- 6) and Westwood (2-8).
Westwood has struggled to post winning or .500 records most of the past decade. The Warriors will likely play some of their sister schools in freedom games.
The two they don’t have to compete against for region supremacy - Red Mountain and Mountain View - are now in regions commensurate to their previous region rivals. Westwood coach Kyle Ide likes how the new regions were set up.
“We haven’t had much success against them for a long time,” Ide said. “But I think it’s good for tradition to continue playing them. At the same time our new region gives us a goal we can shoot for, like winning the region.”
In the Chandler Unified School District, Casteel was moved up, joining sister district schools Hamilton, Chandler, Perry and Basha in 6A for the first time.
In recent years Chandler, Hamilton, Perry and Basha have competed in the same region so they faced each other each year. That goes away this year with Basha heading to the Central Region. The Bears now compete with Cesar Chavez, Desert Vista, Mountain Pointe and Mesa Mountain View.
Casteel’s first 6A region foray also will be against non-Chan- dler District schools. Basha will play Perry this season, the only Chandler school it has defeated in varsity football since it be- came a 6A school.
Reclassification brought Brophy Prep an entire new set of region opponents. Rather than facing Chandler, Hamilton, Perry and Basha, the Broncos are more geographically placed.
They’ve lost little in regard to the competitive level of region play now facing Centennial, Chaparral, Liberty and Pinnacle.
“We’re still going to play in a very tough region,” Brophy coach Jason Jewell said. “I think it makes more sense since the teams we are playing are closer to us. It will be fun for our kids, and exciting. It’s the region I wanted.”
Jewell also likes the makeup of other regions in 6A as well.
“The regions seem to have balance to them,” Jewell said. “If kids know they have a reasonable chance of competing pretty much every week, it’s likely going to lead to keeping kids coming out to play. It’s hard to motivate kids to play when they feel they have zero chance to win and are getting beat 63-0 with a running clock.”
2020-22 FOOTBALL ALIGNMENTS
Schools in bold moved up a conference. Schools in italic moved down a conference.
6A CONFERENCE
REGION 1- Brophy, Centennial, Chaparral, Liberty, Pinnacle ... REGION 2 - Chan- dler, Hamilton, Highland, Higley, Perry. ... REGION 3 - Casteel, Desert Ridge, Queen Creek, Red Mountain, Williams Field. ... REGION 4 - Corona del Sol, Dobson, Mesa, Skyline, Tucson, Westwood. ... REGION 5 - Basha, Cesar Chavez, Desert Vista, Mountain Pointe, Mesa Mountain View. ... REGION 6 - Cibola, Copper Canyon, North, Tolleson, Trevor Browne, Westview. ... REGION 7 - Boul- der Creek, La Joya Community, Mountain Ridge, Sandra Day O’Connor, Shadow Ridge, Valley Vista.
5A CONFERENCE
EAST REGION - Campo Verde, Gilbert, Horizon, Maricopa, Notre Dame Prep, Saguaro. ... WEST I REGION - Betty Fairfax, Desert Edge, Ironwood, Millenni- um, Sunrise Mountain, Verrado. ... WEST II REGION - Agua Fria, Canyon View, Independence, Kofa, Raymond Kellis, West Point, Willow Canyon. ... NORTH REGION - Goldwater, Cactus Shadows, Desert Mountain, McClintock, Paradise Valley, South Mountain, Sunnyslope. ... CENTRAL REGION - Alhambra, Apollo, Camelback, Central, Maryvale, North Canyon. ... SONORAN I REGION - Buena, Cholla, Desert View, Flowing Wells, Marana Mountain View, Salpointe Catholic. ... SONORAN II REGION - Cienega, Ironwood Ridge, Marana, Nogales, Rincon/ University, Sunnyside.
4A CONFERENCE
DESERT SKY REGION - ALA-Queen Creek, Benjamin Franklin, Marcos de Niza, Mesquite, Seton Catholic. ... WEST VALLEY REGION - Cactus, Gila Ridge, Gre- enway, Northwest Christian, Peoria. ... KINO REGION - Canyon del Oro, Casa Grande, Micah Mountain, Pueblo, Sahuaro, Walden Grove. ... BLACK CANYON REGION - Apache Junction, Arcadia, Combs, Poston Butte, Tempe. ... SKYLINE REGION - Glendale, Moon Valley, Shadow Mountain, St. Mary’s, Thunderbird. ... GILA REGION - Amphitheater, Catalina Foothills, Douglas, Empire, Palo Verde, Rio Rico. ... GRAND CANYON REGION - Bradshaw Mountain, Coconino, Flagstaff, Lee Williams, Mingus, Mohave, Prescott. ... SOUTHWEST REGION - Buckeye, Deer Valley, Estrella Foothills, Lake Havasu, Youngker. ... COPPER SKY REGION - Carl Hayden, Sierra Linda, Vista Grande, Washington, Yuma.
3A CONFERENCE
NORTH REGION - Chinle, Ganado, Monument Valley, Page, Tuba City, Window Rock. ... SOUTH REGION - Pusch Ridge, Sabino, Safford, Sahuarita, Thatcher.
... CENTRAL REGION - American Leadership- Ironwood, Coolidge, Eastmark, Florence, San Tan Foothills. ... METRO EAST - Az College Prep, American Leader- ship-Gilbert North, Coronado, Fountain Hills, Gilbert Christian, Valley Christian. ... METRO WEST - Bourgade Catholic, Odyssesy Institute, Paradise Honors, Phoe- nix Christian, Yuma Catholic. EAST REGION - Blue Ridge, Payson, Round Valley, Show Low, Snowflake, Winslow. ... WEST REGION - Chino Valley, Cortez, Dysart, Kingman, River Valley, Wickenburg.
2A CONFERENCE
SAN JUAN REGION - Greyhills Academy, Hopi, Pinon, Red Mesa, Rock Point. ... LITTLE COLORADO REGION - Alchesay, Holbrook, Many Farms, St. Johns, Valley (Sanders). SALT REGION - Arete Prep, Globe, Miami, San Carlos, San Tan Charter, Sequoia Charter. ... SAN PEDRO REGION - Benson, Bisbee, Morenci, Pima, Tombstone, Willcox. ... VERDE REGION - Camp Verde, North Pointe Prep, Scott- sdale Christian, Scottsdale Prep, Valley Lutheran. ... RILLITO REGION - Antelope, Catalina, Santa Cruz Valley, Santa Rita, Sequoia Parkway, Tanque Verde. ... GILA REGION - Arizona Lutheran, Chandler Prep, Heritage Academy Laveen, NFL Yet, Veritas Prep. ... AGUA FRIA REGION - Glendale Prep, Kingman Academy, Parker, St. John Paul II, Tonopah Valley, Trivium Prep.
AZPreps365 Writers Pick the Open Division
picks listed alphabetically
Les Willsey Centennial Chandler Desert Edge Desert Ridge Hamilton Red Mountain Saguaro Williams Field
Andy Morales Canyon del Oro Centennial Chandler Hamilton Higley Mesquite Pinnacle Saguaro
Jose Garcia Centennial Chandler Desert Ridge Desert Vista Hamilton Queen Creek Red Mountain Saguaro
1A CONFERENCE
SOUTH REGION - Baboquivari, Cibecue, Duncan, Fort Thomas, St. David, Valley Union. ... EAST REGION – Cicero Prep, Hayden, Lincoln Prep, Ray, San Manuel, Superior, Tempe Prep. ... NORTH REGION - El Capitan, Fredonia, Joseph City, Mayer, Mogollon, Williams. WEST REGION - Anthem Prep, Bagdad, Desert Heights Prep, Mohave Accelerated, Phoenix Day School for the Deaf, Salome, San Pasqual.
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