Rivalry Week: Top 10 Arizona high school football storylines heading into final regular-season games

It's the final week of the regular season for the big schools and rivalries dot the Arizona high school football landscape. Where to go? What to see? Who's building momentum heading into the playoffs?

Let's look at The Arizona Republic's Top 10 storylines for Week 12, as the 3A and 2A playoffs get underway and the eight-man 1A is down to the semifinals.

1. Liberty at another level

Peoria rivals Liberty and Centennial play Friday night at Liberty for the No. 1 seed in the Open Division, eight-team state playoffs. Liberty lost in the semifinals the last three seasons in heartbreak fashion. The mission has been clear since August, that these Lions are going to leave no doubt in Arizona. And QB Navi Bruzon, RB Jon Wilson, WR Braylon Gardner and a suffocating defense have paved the way to eight wins over Arizona opponents by at least four touchdowns. Will 9-0 Centennial be next?

2. Arizona Avenue claim

They both sit off of Arizona Avenue, but for one week each year, usually the final week of the regular season, it's about who owns that street in the Chandler-Hamilton rivalry. Here you got it again, and this time Chandler feels it is due to show who has the better team. In the last couple of weeks, QB Blake Heffron has been a magician with the ball and Ca'lil Valentine has started to show why Illinois loves him so much. Hamilton will start Rich Lucero Jr., at QB, after he threw for nearly 300 yards and four TDs last week, playing in place of injured Beckham Pellant. Pellant is out for the season.

3. It's time for an Open selection committee

Because 4A Canyon del Oro jumped from No. 10 to No. 4 in the AIA's Open rankings this week, after beating a two-win 4A team last week, alarms began to blare again. CDO had dropped from 3 to 10 last week. It figures Desert Mountain, which was unbeaten in 5A, would drop out of the Open eight after losing to Higley. But a 4A team just doesn't belong in this group, after years of relegating teams, such as Saguaro and Centennial from smaller conferences to the top level, based on their success. CDO is not a dynasty program by any means. The computer system, using an undisclosed formula, just doesn't work when pitting the top eight teams from the three big conferences (6A, 5A and 4A). CDO is a good 4A team, but this isn't SagU 2018, when the Sabercats went 13-1 and outscored their opponents 681-181 on their way to their last 4A title, before the AIA implemented the Open to give other 4A teams a shot and to get Saguaro into the Open eight. There needs to be a committee of experts selecting just for the Open.

4. Salpointe, Brophy could turn into a great rivalry

Tucson Salpointe Catholic travels to play Brophy Prep on Friday at Central's field. This should be the game where the winner gets the last Open Division playoff spot. But, it appears now they're playing for a high 6A playoff seed. Brophy, led by QB Charlie McGinnis, lost by a point to Williams Field on a fluke play in the final minute, and hung tough with defending state champion Basha in a 31-13 loss. Salpointe, led by top recruit defensive end Elijah Rushing, only lost to Liberty, 49-0.

5. Chaparral, Saguaro losing records in same season

This is something you rarely if ever see: Scottsdale rivals Saguaro and Chaparral both have losing records in the same season. Chaparral enters Friday's game against Boulder Creek with a 2-7 record, Saguaro enters Friday's game against Pinnacle at 4-5. Both teams, however, should make the 6A playoffs, because it appears at least seven 6A teams are going to be bumped into the eight-team Open state playoffs. There's great pride and tradition at these schools, so neither of them, with first-year head coaches (Zak Hill at Saguaro, and Doug Nisenson at Chaparral), are planning to go out with a whimper.

6. What's at stake in Ahwatukee rivalry?

They've called it the Ahwatukee Bowl since they began playing each other. But this year's version doesn't crack the top five in the Valley on Friday when Desert Vista (2-7) and Mountain Pointe (5-4) go at it at Desert Vista. It's going to take a while for Scooter Molander to make it competitive at Desert Vista again. He's a great coach, but he's also the fourth coach in four years at the school, which, with a lack of continuity, saw a huge wave of players transfer to Mountain Pointe. If nothing else, Desert Vista will be fired up to make a statement to the players who left.

7. Yuma Catholic's long trek to Northwest Christian

This is one game that neither school minds the long bus ride. Yuma Catholic will be at Northwest Christian on Friday in what is the best long-distance rivalry in Arizona. Last week, Thunderbird spoiled Northwest Christian's homecoming in a 27-20 win. This week, Yuma Catholic can spoil NC's Senior Night. Get there early. Games like this will be packed and likely all the parking spots will be taken two hours before kickoff. Yuma Catholic (9-0) is the No. 1 seed in 4A. NC (8-1) is No. 3 (if CDO remains in the Open after this week). Yuma Catholic has been without Oregon-bound defensvie end Jaxson Jones for the last four games after he suffered a season-ending torn ACL. That could help NC QB Evan Tarasenko get going.

8. Mountain View-Red Mountain rivalry heats up

These Measa Schools that are off of Brown Road are in different regions — Mesa Mountain View in the 6A Fiesta and Red Mountain in the 6A East Valley — but it's still the biggest game of the year for both schools. Mountain View, behind senior QB Jack Germaine, has won five games in a row since the 45-7 loss to Basha. Red Mountain (4-5), which has one of the best linebacking corps in the state, has lost its last four games, including a 49-28 setback to Open team Hamilton last week.

9. Higley ready for another 5A title run

Gilbert Higley, a week after looking sluggish in a loss to Horizon, made a big statement, behind sophomore QB Gunner Fagrell, in a 28-21 win over previously unbeaten Desert Mountain that it's ready to make another 5A title run. It is ranked No. 2 by the AIA in the 5A Conference, which, at this point, won't have a team in the Open. Now the Knights play 6A Williams Field, its greatest rival, hoping to win for the second year in a row, something it has never done. Williams Field (5-4), behind running back Dylan Lee, has lost three straight against quality 6A opponents, including a 55-47 setback to Open team American Leadership Queen Creek last week.

10. Scottsdale Christian to get big challenge in first round

No. 3-seed Scottsdale Christian (8-2), which lost its only two games to No. 1 (2A) Pima and to No. 2 Valley Christian (3A), will have to hope that the easy schedule in the second half of the season doesn't hurt it at home Friday when it opens the 2A playoffs against a No. 14-seeded and 6-4 Willcox team that has gone through the grinder with close losses to No. 2 Arizona Lutheran (32-21) and No. 8 Tonopah Valley (45-42) and close wins over No. 7 Tanque Verde (7-0) and No. 11 Tombstone (23-20).

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Top 10 Arizona high school football storylines heading into final week