Sports360AZ
The Mogollon Mustangs hosted the Bagdad Sultans in Division VI 8-man football Friday night hoping the friendly confines in Heber would work to their advantage. Their hopes were dashed as the Sultans nipped the Mustangs 25-24. Mogollon’s inability to score even one extra point proved to be what cost them the game as Bagdad’s kicker kicked his only extra point to put the Sultans on top for good. That PAT was all the Sultans needed to move to the next round.
Mogollon wasn’t the only high seeded team to get knocked off in Division VI contests. Top ranked Scottsdale Prep fell to #8 Phoenix Valley Lutheran by the tally of 49-32. Joseph City was crushed by Glendale Joy Christian 74-24. The Division VI semi-finals feature #3 Pima hosting #4 Glendale Joy Christian and #7 Bagdad hosting #8 Phoenix Valley Lutheran. For the first time in several years neither Mogollon nor Joseph City will be a participant in the 8 man state title game.
Other AIA state football matchups are in place as playoffs get underway this week. Undefeated Blue Ridge, who blanked Winslow 43-0, will host 16th ranked Globe in Division IV action. Globe lost the Gila County war to Payson 24-14 on Friday night.
Second ranked Show Low will host #15 Fountain Hills in Show Low this Friday. The Cougars, who have only lost to Blue Ridge, drudged Alchesay 58-0. Fountain Hills lost to Paradise Valley 49-20. The Falcons have played teams from several different divisions this year. Their 4-6 record may be misleading.
The Snowflake Lobos, come in to the playoffs ranked #4 will host “Old 3A East” opponent #13 Payson. Snowflake blanked Safford 36-0 as Payson won the bragging rights in Gila County by dropping Globe.
The #7 Winslow Bulldogs will square off against the #10 Buckeye in Winslow. Other Division IV matchups feature #3 Seton Catholic hosting #14 Chinle, #5 Goodyear Estrella Foothills hosting #12 Tucson Empire, #6 Cottonwood Mingus hosting #11 Coolidge, and #8 Kayenta Monument Valley hosting #9 Mohave Valley River Valley.
Northeastern Arizona’s Division V teams will all be on the road for first round action. Ninth seeded St. Johns will travel to Phoenix to meet Phoenix Christian and #14 Round Valley will visit #3 Tempe Prep. The St. Johns Redskins trounced Sanders Valley 65-14 as a playoff tune-up Friday night. The Round Valley Elks topped Holbrook 20-6.
Here are the remaining Division V playoff matchups; #1 Phoenix Northwest Christian hosts #16 Sedona Red Rock, #2 Morenci host #15 Phoenix Bourgade Catholic, #4 Scottsdale Christian hosts #13 Pinon, #5 Yuma Catholic hosts #12 Willcox, #6 Thatcher hosts #11 Benson and #7 Phoenix Arizona Lutheran hosts #10 Williams.
