Four Grand Canyon Region Teams Currently In Playoff Hunt

Photo: Receiver Kenny Miller-Terry has 39 receptions and 10 touchdowns on the season for the Badgers

The first week of Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) rankings came out and four teams from the Grand Canyon Region are in the top 20. Bradshaw Mountain, Mohave, Coconino and Lee Williams all have a playoff spot at the moment with three weeks left in the regular season.

The Bradshaw Mountain Bears are at #3 and started off at (1-2) with losses to the top two teams, Snowflake and Arcadia but have won everything since including a big 13-6 victory at Lee Williams last Friday. Bradshaw Mountain still has two big region games to play, on October 24 at Coconino and at Prescott in the final regular season game on October 30.

The Mohave Thunderbirds returned to the Grand Canyon Region this season and have really turned some heads to say the least. After dropping two close games to Coconino and Bradshaw Mountain, they lit up the scoreboard in a 63-28 win over Prescott. The Thunderbirds sit at #4 and still have a big game on October 24 as they host #16 Lee Williams. In between are what could be considered two trap games as the travel to #49 Mingus and #45 La Joya Community. Even with wins over those two schools, the Thunderbirds are likely to drop in the rankings.

Coconino picked up a big win over the Badgers last week to boost them into #13. It does not get any easier for the Panthers as they travel to Lee Williams this week and next they host Bradshaw Mountain. They close out the regular season against their rival Flagstaff. Coconino may very well need to win two of those games to get into the playoffs.

Lee Williams was poised to be in the top ten but a tough 13-6 home loss to Bradshaw Mountain dropped the Volunteers to #16, which would still be good enough to make the playoffs if they started tomorrow. Lee Williams has to beat either Coconino or Mohave, and Mingus in their regular season finale to make it to the post season.

Meanwhile the Badgers have fallen on tough times, missing some key players that they could really use in these tough region matchups. They sit all the way down at #32, and would need to close out the regular season on a three game winning streak to have a shot of breaking into the top 16. Flagstaff, ranked #41, comes to town on Thursday, then a road game at #14 Youngker, then closing out the regular season at home versus #3 Bradshaw Mountain.

What perhaps is even more surprising is that their big 50-36 win over Northwest Christian seemed at the time like a defining moment in the season. The Crusaders have fallen on their own bad times and sit at #27 with a record of (4-3). Other notable teams are not doing as well as were expected are Thunderbird (4-3) at #21. Prescott fell to the Titans 38-35 in week two.

4A DIVISION FOOTBALL RANKINGS

#  School                                    W-L

1  Snowflake                              7-0

2  Arcadia                                   7-0

3  Bradshaw Mountain            5-2

4  Mohave                                  5-2

5  Marcos de Niza                     6-1

6  Sahuaro                                  5-2

7  St. Mary’s                               5-2

8  Gila Ridge                               6-1

9  Mica Mountain                      5-2

10 Eastmark                               5-2

11  Lake Havasu                        5-2

12 Combs                                   5-2

13 Coconino                              4-3

14 Youngker                              6-1

15 Mesquite                              4-3

16 Lee Williams                        5-2

17 Estrella Foothills                 6-1

18 Peoria                                   4-3

19 ALA-West Foothills             4-3

20 Deer Valley                          4-3