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AIA flag football rankings through Oct. 3, 2023

logan stanley, arizona republic
·5 min read
Campo Verde High School flag football head coach Brian Coger (left) attends a game against Canyon View High School at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert on Sept. 5, 2023.
Campo Verde High School flag football head coach Brian Coger (left) attends a game against Canyon View High School at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert on Sept. 5, 2023.

Here are the latest AIA rankings for the top 10 high school flag football teams in the 6A conference and 5A conference. This is through Oct. 3, 2023.

6A

1-Mesa Red Mountain Lions, 8-0: They were No. 2 in The Republic’s Super 10 rankings last week, and are one of the top overall teams in the state.  They defeated Skyline 26-0 last Thursday.

2-Marana Tigers, 8-0: One of three flag teams (Red Mountain and 5A Eastmark the others) still undefeated in this inaugural AIA flag football season. Came in at No. 10 in the latest Super 10 rankings. Defeated Marana Moutain View 22-0 last week.

3-Gilbert Highland Hawks, 7-1: They were the No. 7 team in last week’s Super 10. The Hawks had two big wins last week over Anthem Boulder Creek (33-0) and Gilbert (35-7).

4-Hamliton Huskies, 7-1: Still the only team in the state to play Red Mountain close, losing 7-6. They were ranked No. 3 in the latest Super 10. Coming off a 17-6 win against Perry last week.

5-Mesa Desert Ridge Jaguars, 8-1: They were undefeated up until a week ago when they lost to No. 7 Phoenix Xavier Prep 21-13. Came in at No. 4 in the Super 10 last week.

6-Chandler Wolves, 6-1: The No. 5 team in the latest Super 10, their only loss came on Aug. 29. Since then, Chandler has rattled off six consecutive wins, including a 12-7 victory over No. 3 Highland. The Wolves just beat Casteel 12-6 last week.

7-Phoenix Xavier Prep Gators, 6-2: Notched wins against Gilbert and Desert Ridge last week, fell to Hamilton Tuesday.

8-Mesa Mountain View Toros, 6-2: After losing 13-10 to No. 3 Highland on Sept. 12, they have remained undefeated in that time span. They just shut out Mesa Westwood 19-0 last week.

9-Phoenix Desert Vista Thunder, 5-2: Last week was a mixed bag for them as they split their two contests; a tough 14-12 loss to No. 2 Marana and then a 31-14 victory over Queen Creek.

10-Phoenix Mountain Pointe, 4-4: They started off the month of September on the right foot, winning four games in a row. But last week they hit a skid with two losses to two highly ranked opponents: No. 4 Hamilton and No. 2 Marana.

5A

1-Mesa Eastmark Firebirds, 7-0: Mesa Eastmark Firebirds, 7-0: The top overall team in the latest Super 10, they faced one of their toughest opponents of the season with Gilbert Campo Verde last week. That was a narrow 21-17 win, which was their closest game of the year since their first game of the season. They have a big game coming up against No. 3 Higley next week.

2-Goodyear Millennium Tigers, 7-1: he one team to give Eastmark their biggest scare of the season: a 28-27 loss in the first game of the year. Since then, they’ve been one of the hottest teams in Arizona. Came in at No. 9 on last week’s Super 10. They have a huge game against No. 4 Waddell Canyon View on Wednesday this week.

3-Gilbert Higley Knights, 5-2: They were on The Republic’s bubble for the latest Super 10 rankings. Lost a tough game to Gilbert Mesquite last week 14-7. They have a bye this week before their big test against the top team in the conference and the state, Eastmark on Oct. 10.

4-Waddell Canyon View Jaguars, 8-1: One of the most prolific offenses in the state. Crushed their two opponents last week by a combined score of 104-7. Came in at No. 6 in the most updated Super 10 rankings. Next up is No. 2 Millennium, which could go down as one of the most entertaining games of the year.

5-Avondale Westview Knights, 5-1: Have one of the most impressive wins in the conference with their 9-7 victory over No. 3 Higley on Sept. 12. They didn’t lose a single game during September. Next up is a tough matchup against No. 10 Flagstaff.

6-Chandler Arizona College Prep, 5-3: All three losses have come against ranked opponents: No. 1 Eastmark. No. 2 Millennium and No. 3 Higley. Just beat Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin 13-10 last week. No. 8 Casa Grande is next on the schedule.

7-Mesquite Wildcats, 6-3: Like Arizona College Prep, they have only lost to ranked teams: No. 1 Eastmark and No. 2 Higley and 6A No. 5 Desert Ridge. Coming up next is No. 9 Verrado tomorrow.

8-Casa Grande Cougars, 5-3: One of the few southern Arizona teams on this list. Had a perfect week last week, beating Avondale St. John Paul II 21-0 and Marana Mountain View 20-0. They face No. 6 ACP next.

9-Buckeye Verrado Vipers, 6-1: Since their tough 34-0 season-opening loss to Campo Verde, they have been undefeated. The closest game during that stretch was a 7-2 win over No. 5 Westview. Tomorrow’s matchup with Mesquite is huge.

10-Flagstaff Eagles, 6-2: The only Northern Arizona school on this entire list. They hit a snag near the end of September with two losses to Gilbert Williams Field and No. 4 Canyon View. Rebounded with a spectacular 41-6 win over Glendale Copper Canyon last week. They take on No. 5 Westview tomorrow.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AIA flag football rankings through Oct. 3, 2023