College Football

Parity's result: Elite eight in prep football

Updated Oct. 20, 2022 1:43 p.m. ET

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By Kyle Odegard
East Valley Tribune

The wild, wacky, unpredictable start to the 2012 football season continued last Friday night, as two more of the preseason favorites in Division I went down. Fifth-ranked Red Mountain knocked off top-ranked Brophy behind a late fourth-down touchdown pass, while No. 3 Mountain Pointe knocked off second-ranked (and defending state champion) Desert Vista by holding the Thunder scoreless in the second half.

We’re only 30 percent of the way through the regular season, but already Brophy and Hamilton have lost twice and Desert Vista has gone down as well. Meanwhile, a rash of contenders have started 3-0 — albeit some against weak competition — making their case to move up in the rankings.

Upsets have become the norm, and this is parity like we haven’t seen in years. As it stands, eight teams have a legitimate shot at winning the Division I state championship. Here’s why they will (or won’t) do so:

BASHA (3-0)

Why the Bears will win it all: Basha is averaging 45.3 points per game during its 3-0 start, and behind the trio of quarterback Zach Werlinger, running back Rajhan Meriwether and wide receiver Nate Phillips, its offense is one of the state’s best. Basha made the semifinals a season ago and has one of the better coaches in the business in Bernie Busken.

Why they won’t: The Bears haven’t yet been tested, so it’s tough to know how good they can be, but it took them awhile to put away Corona del Sol and Mountain Ridge. Championship teams generally dominate from start to finish against inferior teams, so it’s a concern moving forward.

BROPHY (2-2)

Why the Broncos will win it all: Brophy went toe-to-toe against nationally ranked Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) in its second game and has the best balance of talent in the state. The defense is solid and running back Marche Dennard makes it so defenses can’t only focus on the passing duo of quarterback Tyler Bruggman and wide receiver Devon Allen. Brophy doesn’t have many holes and will compete with anyone.

Why they won’t: Red Mountain showed on Friday night that Brophy is beatable, converting a pair of fourth-downs to win, 33-31, in the final seconds. Even though Bruggman and Allen are both big-time recruits, defenses have done a good job containing them thus far in 2012. If those two aren’t stars, the Broncos are just one of the many teams in the race for the championship. Balance is good, but Brophy needs to excel throwing the ball to return to state title favorite status.

CHANDLER (3-0)

Why the Wolves will win it all: Chandler has as much individual talent on offense as anyone in the state and can beat you in a variety of ways with home-run hitters. The defense has given up only seven points total through its first three contests — all wins — and if it stays rigid, the Wolves will be right in the mix.

Why they won’t: Chandler has been down this road before, flex ing its muscle against easy opponents but falling short in big games. Friday night’s win over Mesquite was less-than-impressive, and there are worries that Chandler is once again more sizzle than substance. The schedule ramps up greatly in the next three weeks, and by the end of it we’ll know much more about the Wolves.

DESERT RIDGE (3-0)

Why the Jaguars will win it all: It’s a new crew at the controls, but the offense keeps rolling. Sophomore quarterback Tarek Morrison has thrown for 302 yards and rushed for 502 more, while J.J. Husar, Taren Morrison and Jake Mapes are the new running backs surrounding him. These players are conjuring images of the Jordan Becerra, Joey Counts, Parker Rasmussen teams of the past two years, and a tough defense makes this a well-rounded group.

Why they won’t: Desert Ridge hasn’t missed a beat, but it hasn’t faced any real competition yet, either. Hamilton, Red Mountain and Basha are still ahead on the schedule, and we’ll know much more about the Jaguars after those games. Desert Ridge has proven its an elite program, but the lack of experience could be trouble.

DESERT VISTA (2-1)

Why the Thunder will win it all: The defending champions have the type of talent and playmakers on both sides of the ball that draws envy from around the state. The Thunder can compete with anyone because of players like Matt Young, Jarek Hilgers, Kaleb Germinaro and Nick Farina. This is as complete a team as you will find.

Why they won’t: Fumbles and mistakes led to a scoreless second half against Mountain Pointe on Friday, and a bad snap ended up in a safety which gave the Pride an eventual two-point win. The Thunder dominated Hamilton in last year’s title game, but if they get into a close playoff game this year, execution will be key. Desert Vista needs to win these close games when its talent doesn’t overwhelm the opponent.

HAMILTON (1-2)

Why the Huskies will win it all: Hamilton is either 1 or 1A alongside Mountain Pointe for the title of the state’s best defense. If the offense can score points and not turn the ball over, Cole Luke, Qualen Cunningham, Santana Sterling and Co. will make sure Hamilton has a chance to win every game the rest of the way.

Why they won’t: Hamilton’s offense hasn’t shown the consistent ability to score and avoid turnovers. The addition of Cole Luke on offense Friday night was a boost, but the Huskies still need to prove they have enough weapons on offense to compete with the other top programs.

MOUNTAIN POINTE (3-0)

Why the Pride will win it all: The team has the best resumé thus far this season, defeating both Hamilton and Desert Vista on the young season. The team’s defense is top-notch and the offense has one of the best players in the state in Jalen Brown.

Why they won’t: Both victories were by the narrowest of margins, and the offense can have trouble at times. The lack of explosiveness offensively is a concern moving forward, as Mountain Pointe can’t really afford to get too far behind high-quality opponents.

RED MOUNTAIN (3-0)

Why the Mountain Lions will win it all: Red Mountain just knocked off No. 1 Brophy, so it’s certainly proven itself. Quarterback Mason Thorman and wide receivers Drake Pierre and Aeron Carr are a dangerous trio and have proven they can throw the ball on anyone, no matter the strength of the defense or the coverage. The secondary was fantastic against Brophy quarterback Tyler Bruggman and coach Ron Wisniewski will put his players in position to succeed.

Why they won’t: The Mountain Lions still haven’t shown they can run the ball consistently and needed an advantageous turnover and two fourth-down conversions to beat Brophy. Whether it was by design or unintentional, Red Mountain allowed Brophy to run the ball easily. The passing game is elite, but can that cover up other areas of concern?