With the Arizona high school football season heading into the second half this week for the 6A-through-4A schools, there are some pivotal matchups. There are also some big small-school games on Oct. 1-2.
The Arizona Republic breaks down the 10 most intriguing high school football games of the week. All games are at 7 p.m.
Vote in our poll below for the matchup you think is the most intriguing. Print readers can find the poll online at azcentral.com/sports/high-schools. The poll will close at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Top 10 HS football games
1. Sandra Day O'Connor (3-2) at Centennial (5-0), Friday, Oct. 2
O'Connor's two losses were both by three points. That's what separates the Eagles from being unbeaten midway through the season. Now they have to face a well-coached
team under Andrew Taylor, who gets more ammunition with running back Jaylee Abraham becoming eligible after sitting out the first five games due to the AIA transfer rule. He's a home run hitter, coming from Tucson Desert View, where he scored more than 30 touchdowns last year.
2. Canyon View (5-0) at Desert Edge (4-2), Friday, Oct. 2
Desert Edge needs to win this game to show that it still is going to be a tough out in the 5A state bracket. The Scorpions have lost their last two games by close margins to ALA Gilbert North and Mountain Pointe. This vaunted defense wants to make a statement that it's back. But Canyon View has shown signs that it might be better than last year's 5A runner-up team with its best start in school history.
3. Gilbert Perry (4-1) at Gilbert Higley (4-1), Thursday, Oct. 1
Perry's only loss came on Sept. 11 against top-ranked Hamilton, 30-22. Higley's only loss was to Queen Creek, 35-31, in the season opener. Both teams feature explosive offenses. Perry is led by quarterback Kael Snyder, who is completing 72% of his passes for 918 yards and 12 touchdowns. The big stat is that he has thrown only one interception.
4. Benjamin Franklin (6-0) at Gilbert Christian (6-0), Thursday, Oct. 1
Big 3A showdown between rivals, with Benjamin Franklin wanting to solidify its No. 1 ranking after coming off a 35-0 rout of Valley Christian. Quarterback Gavin Wyler threw four more touchdown passes, giving him 24 on the season with no interceptions. Gilbert Christian has not given up more than two touchdowns in a game.
5. North Canyon (4-1) at Maryvale (4-1), Friday, Oct. 2
There's been a transformation at both schools. North Canyon has its best start since 1995. Maryvale is 4-1 for the first time since 2005. This is a big 4A battle. North Canyon is ranked No. 31 in 4A by MaxPreps/AIA, so a win would help its playoff push. Maryvale is sitting at No. 14 in the MaxPreps/AIA rankings, and this week entered The Republic's top 10in 4A for the first time.
6. Chandler Prep (4-1) at Lincoln Prep (6-0), Friday, Oct. 2
Both 2A teams possess high-octane offenses. Chandler Prep has one of the best passing games in the state, behind quarterback Kody Dodson (1,316 yards, 17 TDs passing) and wide receiver Aaron Crawford (18 catches for 565 yards and eight TDs). Lincoln Prep hasn't allowed a point since its season opener, a 42-19 rout of Highland Prep West. But this will be its first big challenge of the year.
7. Queen Creek (2-3) at Mesa Mountain View (3-2), Friday, Oct. 2
Both teams had tough first-half schedules. Queen Creek's three losses were to Williams Field (35-17), Brophy Prep (49-7) and Pinnacle (28-7). It is coming off its biggest win of the season, cooling off red-hot Sandra Day O'Connor with a 24-21 win. Mountain View lost to Centennial (27-3) and Brophy Prep (31-28) in back-to-back weeks before stopping rival Mesa 21-19 last week in the final seconds.
8. Horizon (5-0) at Notre Dame Prep (4-1), Friday, Oct. 2
Horizon lost star receiver/athlete James Klopfenstein to a season-ending broken leg, but the Huskies have leaned heavily on sophomore running back Dylan Brush, who is having a Player of the Year season with 1,166 yards and 20 touchdowns rushing in five games. He's averaging 11.2 yards a carry. Notre Dame has gotten back on track the last two weeks since getting blown out by Desert Edge, 46-7.
9. St. Mary's (5-0) at Peoria (3-2), Friday, Oct. 2
One of Peoria's losses was by forfeit; the other was against 5A Cactus. The Panthers, led by receiver Dontay Tyson, are tough in 4A, and St. Mary's, behind QB Luke Horn, wants to prove that the Knights aren't the same team as last year when they fizzled out in the second half of the season.
10. Cortez (4-2) at Scottsdale Christian (5-0), Friday, Oct. 2
Cortez isn't expected to win, but it has a dynamo capable of hanging with the three-time defending 2A champion Eagles. Quarterback/defensive back Jamerrius Anthony keeps putting up ridiculous numbers to win games in Brian Cole's first year as head coach at Cortez.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. 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: Vote. Arizona Republic's Top 10 high school football games, Oct. 1-2
