What we learned in Week 12 of Arizona high school football season: High stakes, thrillers
There were high stakes and thrillers, statements and comebacks in Week 12 of the Arizona high school football season, as the big schools have their playoff brackets figured out, and the small schools move on in the playoffs.
Let's break it down in a rewind:
What we learned
Peoria Liberty sent a resounding message that it's ready for its longest haul in the Open, after holding back Peoria Centennial 36-17 in a game that was competitive and in doubt for most of three quarters. Once Navi Bruzon and Braylon Gardner started doing their thing, connecting twice on back-to-back drives on scoring passes of 67 and 74 yards, it was over. By then, the defensive pass rush on quarterback Kainan Mann was too much for the Coyotes to stage any comebacks. Liberty's defense gets overshadowed by the tremendous firepower of the Liberty offense, led by his great receiving corps -- highlighted by Gardner, tight end Ryan Wolfer and wide receiver Ryan Jezioro. But the Lions pack a wallop on defense with linebackers Keaton Stam and Zane Tallman leading the way. Stam's 36-yard interception return for a touchdown with 28 seconds left in the half was the backbreaker, giving Liberty a 17-3 lead at halftime.
Biggest takeaway
There is parity in the state in every conference. Of course there are the big five of Liberty, Centennial, Chandler, Basha and Hamilton in 6A with a drop after that. But in 5A, 4A and 3A there are more than a handful of teams that can win it all.
Brophy Prep showed its resiliency in a 14-12 win over Salpointe Catholic, erasing a 12-0 deficit, and then letting the defense take over in the final quarter to grab the No. 1 spot in the 6A playoffs. Salpointe is No. 2.
Biggest thriller
No. 9 Lakeside Blue Ridge had to take the nearly four-hour bus ride to Tucson to take on No. 8 Pusch Ridge in the first round of 3A, and came home ecstatic, after freshman backup kicker Adrian Diaz booted a 30-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to pull out a 20-17 win.
The winning points were set up by magnificent catches by senior David Simmons, who had a career night with 13 catches for 225 yards and a touchdown to go with 65 yards rushing and an interception he snagged.
When the freshman got ready to kick the field goal, Pusch Ridge tried icing him by calling timeout.
More Week 12 high school football news: Arizona high school football roundup: Horizon, Brophy, Arcadia pick up key wins
"We snapped the ball," coach Jeremy Hathcock said. "The holder said, 'Adrian, just kick it.' He kicks it and missed by 10 yards. I go out there and said, 'I'll go for it if you don't feel good.' He said, 'I'm good, Coach.' I said, 'Do you." He made it by 30 yards."
Pusch Ridge didn't kick the ball to Simmons, the best kick returner in 3A. But Hathcock figured other ways to turn him loose, dialing up hitches and wheel routes to get Simmons going. He ended up with a game for the ages, leading the Yellow Jackets to only their second playoff win in 10 years.
Biggest shocker
There were upsets all over the state, but just the way Chandler dominated rival Hamilton, 49-13, shows how hungry these Wolves are to get back to the Open and make it right. Making it right is winning it all. But they've got some game changers to get back there, after they had won the first two Open titles in 2019 and 2020. Quarterback Blake Heffron has really turned it since halftime of the 29-28 loss to Centennial. He was sensational in the second half, nearly pulling off an epic comeback after his team trailed 26-7 at the break. Against Basha, he went head-to-head with heralded QB Demond Williams Jr., throwing six TD passes in a 47-42 loss. On Friday, he riddled Hamilton's secondary for 267 yards and four TDs, completing 12 of 13. At the same time, senior tailback Ca'lil Valentine has shifted into another gear. He ran for 147 yards and three TDs and had a 49-yard catch. It was a running clock by early in the third quarter. The only other team to put Hamilton in a running clock was Liberty to open the season, as Chandler's defense, as coach Rick Garretson put it, played "lights out."
Best comeback
The cardiac Higley Knights showed they're ready for another long 5A playoff push, after rallying with an 11-play drive in the final 1:38, trailing rival Williams Field by seven points. After Daxen Hall scored on a 3-yard run with 24 seconds left, coach Eddy Zubey pushed all of his chips to the middle of the table and went for two. They got it on sophomore QB Gunner Fagrell's run for a 36-35 victory over the 6A Black Hawks. It was the second year in a row 5A Higley beat its rival, after having never beaten Williams Field before then.
Around the state
Running back Diego Morales, facing his former Queen Creek team, clinched an Open playoff spot for American Leadership Queen Creek in a 42-15 win with 147 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. This is the third straight year ALA Queen Creek qualified for the Open, coming in 4A, 5A and now 6A.
Horizon's defense was relentless in a 51-27 5A rout of ALA Gilbert North, recording seven sacks, giving the offense a short field all night. Carson Kolb had a receiving TD and scoop-and-score on defense. He had eight tackles and a sack.
Anthem Boulder Creek comes into the 6A playoffs as the No. 10 seed, after keeping Scottsdale Chaparral from the postseason in a 41-24 win. Just three years ago Chaparral, won the 6A COVID championship.
Scottsdale Christian rolled in a 49-7 2A first-round rout of Willcox, as Jack Atkinson threw four TD passes with Andrew Trapp on the receiving end of two of those. Trapp also had a rushing score.
Eagar Round Valley, the No. 12 seed in 3A, traveled to Waddell and shocked No. 5 ALA West Foothills to advance to the quarterfinals. Kyle Clark ran for 140 yards and two TDs on 26 carries and Jeffrey Cochran had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What we learned in Week 12 of Arizona high school football season
