The Joy Christian Eagles, in their first year playing 11-man football, earned this week's Tire Pros High
School Team of the Week after posting a 35-26 victory over Thatcher, which entered the game as the state's top-ranked team in Division V.<br><br>Success is nothing new to Joy Christian, which won the eight-man state championship last year, but this was the team's most significant win since moving up in class and improved its record to 8-1. Tonka Watson led the way with 217 yards, and the Eagles' defense recorded nine sacks against Thatcher, which took an 8-0 record into the game.<br><br>Other teams under consideration were Mesquite, Pinnacle, Peoria, Marana Mountain View, Salome, Corona del Sol, Show Low and Skylne.<br><br>The Tire Pros High School Team
of the Week is selected by a panel consisting of<a href="javascript:void(window.open('http://www.twitter.com/JSkodaAFN'));"><b>
Jason Skoda</b></a> of MaxPreps
and the Ahwatukee Foothills News, Mark Heller and Kyle Odegard of the
<a href="javascript:void(window.open('http://www.twitter.com/varsityxtra'));"><b>East
Valley
Tribune</b></a>, <a href="javascript:void(window.open('http://www.aia365.com/authors/dketchum/'));"><b>Don
Ketchum</b></a> and <a href="javascript:void(window.open('http://www.aia365.com/authors/lwillsey/'));"><b>Les
Willsey</b></a> of aia365.com, and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/cmorganfoxaz"><b>Craig
Morgan</b></a>, Matt Swartz and Dave Lumia of
FOXSportsArizona.com.<br>
