The playoffs are officially in full swing for all conferences across Arizona.

We’re breaking down each matchup and identifying the previous round’s win, offensive points per game, points per game allowed by the defense and head-to-head this season (if applicable). The team at Arizona Varsity will also provide their pick for who move on to the next round.

5A Conference

No. 9 Desert Mountain at No. 1 Desert Edge

Last Round

• Desert Mtn: def. Cactus, 24-14
• Desert Edge: def. Cienega, 46-7

PPG

• Desert Mtn: 37.8
• Desert Edge: 40.6

PPG Allowed

• Desert Mtn: 16.3
• Desert Edge: 11.8

H2H: N/A

Analysis: Desert Mountain is riding a wave of momentum after knocking off Cactus in the second round of the 5A playoffs. The Wolves are well coached under Conrad Hamilton, who has now led his team to the postseason enough times to know how to compete against elite competition. Last year, they did it against ALA Queen Creek in the Open Division, and only fell by a touchdown to the Patriots.

Odds may be a bit better for the Wolves than previously expected, with Desert Edge battling injuries to key players — including quarterback Blake Roskopf. It’s unclear whether Roskopf will be good to go by Friday night, or any of the other injured players the Scorpions have, for that matter. But there is still enough talent across the board to make the Scorpions a favorite, just maybe not by as much as previously thought.

Picks

• Zach Alvira: Desert Edge
• Chris Eaton: Desert Edge
• Ralph Amsden: Desert Edge
• Adam Beadle: Desert Mountain
• JJ Digos: Desert Edge
• Gregg Rosenberg: Desert Edge
• Anonymous 1: Desert Edge
• Anonymous 2: Desert Edge

No. 5 Horizon at No. 4 Marana

Last Round

• Horizon: def. Notre Dame Prep, 40-29
• Marana: def. Yuma Catholic, 34-27

PPG

• Horizon: 37
• Marana: 39

PPG Allowed

• Horizon: 18.5
• Marana: 15.8

H2H: N/A

Analysis: It’s a tale of two teams entering the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Marana was pushed to the limit by Yuma Catholic, as the Tigers were forced to score with under a minute remaining in order to regain the lead over the Shamrocks and save their season. It’s a nod to the coaching staff and level-headedness of the players to keep calm during stressful moments, which are sure to come at a fever pitch in the postseason.

Horizon, meanwhile, handled Notre Dame Prep and won comfortably. The Huskies also managed to rush for over 400 total yards as a team. Horizon has long been one of the top programs in the state, and especially at the 5A level. Both of these programs were pulled into the Open Division last season, when they both very likely could have faced off in the 5A title game. Despite different personnel, the state finally gets to see which team will come out on top in this battle of juggernauts.

Picks

• Zach Alvira: Horizon
• Chris Eaton: Horizon
• Ralph Amsden: Marana
• Adam Beadle: Horizon
• JJ Digos: Marana
• Gregg Rosenberg: Horizon
• Anonymous 1: Horizon
• Anonymous 2: Horizon

No. 6 Canyon View at No. 3 Desert View

Last Round

• Canyon View: def. Campo Verde, 51-19
• Desert View: def. Mountain Pointe, 37-21

PPG

• Canyon View: 36.1
• Desert View: 44.8

PPG Allowed

• Canyon View: 15.8
• Desert View: 14.8

H2H: N/A

Analysis: The battle of the Views and Jaguars, Canyon View will make the long trip down to south Tucson to take on Desert View, a team that continues to surge and passed perhaps its toughest test of the season so far last week against Mountain Pointe. Now, they once again face the toughest test so far with a stout defensive line from Waddell.

Canyon View dominated Campo Verde, scoring 51 points on offense and limiting Campo Verde to just 19 points. The defense also held Millennium rusher D’Mari Bryant, one of the top backs this season, to his lowest rushing total all year when they faced off. Canyon View’s defense faces another tough task in slowing down sophomore running back Jaylee Abraham, who has exploded onto the scene and may very well be the next great back out of Tucson. Something has to give in this matchup.

Picks

• Zach Alvira: Desert View
• Chris Eaton: Canyon View
• Ralph Amsden: Canyon View
• Adam Beadle: Canyon View
• JJ Digos: Desert View
• Gregg Rosenberg: Canyon View
• Anonymous 1: Canyon View
• Anonymous 2: Desert View

No. 7 Arizona College Prep at No. 2 ALA Gilbert North

Last Round

• ACP: def. Cactus Shadows, 35-34
• ALA: def. Marana Mountain View, 42-0

PPG

• ACP: 34.5
• ALA: 39.9

PPG Allowed

• ACP: 26.7
• ALA: 14.1

H2H: ALA Gilbert North def. Arizona College Prep, 35-14, Oct. 17

Analysis: Arizona College Prep was riding high the last time the Knights headed just a few miles to the southwest to face ALA Gilbert North. But they were quickly brought back down to earth after a dominant performance by the Eagles, solidifying them as a 5A contender.

Now the two meet up yet again. ACP is coming off a close win over Cactus Shadows, where the defense had a little trouble slowing down Donivan Dixon. ALA Gilbert was dominant in its win over Marana Mountain View. Both teams are more than capable of competing for a championship — they’ve both been in that position in recent years. This will come down to whether or not the ACP offense can break through the Eagles’ defense.

Picks

• Zach Alvira: ALA
• Chris Eaton: ALA
• Ralph Amsden: ACP
• Adam Beadle: ALA
• JJ Digos: ALA
• Gregg Rosenberg: ALA
• Anonymous 1: ALA
• Anonymous 2: ALA

4A Conference

No. 8 Marcos de Niza at No. 1 Arcadia

Last Round

• MDN: def. Paradise Honors, 27-14
• Arcadia: def. St. Mary’s, 50-25

PPG

• MDN: 41.4
• Arcadia: 38.2

PPG Allowed

• MDN: 18.5
• Arcadia: 12

H2H: N/A

Analysis: Having one of the best seasons in program history, the Marcos de Niza Padres now face their toughest test of the season: knocking off top-ranked Arcadia, something no other team has been able to come close to doing all season.

The Titans have been flat out dominant, but the same can be said for Marcos outside of its 49-18 loss to Snowflake. Senior quarterback Jaeden Lott’s 2,557 passing yards has given the Padres offense a boost from the last couple of seasons. Defensively, they’ve been stout. But Arcadia presents a whole new challenge with an offense scoring at will against opponents. Arcadia has also faced tougher tasks this season, winning games against playoff teams like Bradshaw Mountain, ALA West Foothills, Combs, Eastmark, Mesquite and Snowflake. Arcadia is the favorite for a reason, but Marcos can pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season Friday night.

Picks

• Zach Alvira: Arcadia
• Chris Eaton: Arcadia
• Ralph Amsden: Arcadia
• Adam Beadle: Arcadia
• JJ Digos: Arcadia
• Gregg Rosenberg: Arcadia
• Anonymous 1: Arcadia
• Anonymous 2: Arcadia

No. 12 ALA West Foothills at No. 4 Mohave

Last Round

• ALAWF: def. Combs, 34-14
• Mohave: def. NW Christian, 42-34

PPG

• ALAWF: 28.5
• Mohave: 41.1

PPG Allowed

• ALAWF: 16.27
• Mohave: 15.75

H2H: N/A

Analysis: There was a point in time this season where ALA West Foothills was nearly written off completely from the 4A title contention. Then the Guardians won two in a row to end the season over the likes of Thunderbird and St. Mary’s, and have now extended that streak to four with wins over Youngker and Combs. They seem to be hitting their stride at the right time, and playing to the same level they did a year ago when they were among the top teams in 3A. The question of the game will be Mohave’s ability to slow down junior running back Kenyon Rosenthal, who is fourth in the state for total rushing yards with 1,714, and could very well climb into the top three.

Mohave, meanwhile, brings a more balanced attack on offense, though it all runs through one player. Senior quarterback Joey Yoney has passed for 2,488 yards this season and leads the team on the ground with 1,002 yards. Defenses making stops will be key to slow down potent rushing attacks from both teams.

Picks

• Zach Alvira: Mohave
• Chris Eaton: Mohave
• Ralph Amsden: Mohave
• Adam Beadle: Mohave
• JJ Digos: ALA WF
• Gregg Rosenberg: Mohave
• Anonymous 1: Mohave
• Anonymous 2: ALA WF

No. 14 Coconino at No. 6 Gila Ridge

Last Round

• Coco: def. Bradshaw Mountain, 31-14
• Gila Ridge: def. Estrella Foothills, 42-14

PPG

• Coco: 31.6
• Gila Ridge: 40.9

PPG Allowed

• Coco: 19
• Gila Ridge: 12

H2H: N/A

Analysis: Gila Ridge has been one of the best surprises of the season, as the Hawks are 10-1 and in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and just the second time in program history. Jessica Slaughter has earned the opportunity to be in the Coach of the Year conversation, especially with how dominant her team has been at times.

The Hawks’ schedule has been on the lighter side at times, but wins over Northwest Christian, St. Mary’s and Estrella Foothills last round is starting to make those around the state believe they could be for real. Now, they face a Coconino team that barely got by Mesquite to open the postseason and avenged a regular-season loss to Bradshaw Mountain in convincing fashion last week. Both teams are playing at a high level, but a long road trip could prove to be a factor in this one.

Picks

• Zach Alvira: Coconino
• Chris Eaton: Gila Ridge
• Ralph Amsden: Gila Ridge
• Adam Beadle: Gila Ridge
• JJ Digos: Coconino
• Gregg Rosenberg: Gila Ridge
• Anonymous 1: Coconino
• Anonymous 2: Coconino

No. 7 Mica Mountain at No. 2 Snowflake

Last Round

• Mica Mtn: def. Lake Havasu, 35-0
• Snowflake: def. Eastmark, 35-0

PPG

• Mica Mtn: 31.5
• Snowflake: 33.1

PPG Allowed

• Mica Mtn: 6.4
• Snowflake: 12.9

H2H: N/A

Analysis: Without a doubt the best game of the 4A quarterfinals, Mica Mountain appears to be back to form and ready for a heavyweight bout with Snowflake. The Thunderbolts are one year removed from their first-ever state title, while Snowflake is hoping to return to Mountain America Stadium for the first time since 2022.

Both programs are coming off 35-point wins over Lake Havasu and Eastmark, two opponents that appeared poised to compete for a title at some point this season. Both programs also gave up zero points to potent offenses. A potentiall cold Friday night in the mountains could favor Snowflake, but when these two programs are at their best, it’s a treat for football fans all across the state.

Picks

• Zach Alvira: Snowflake
• Chris Eaton: Snowflake
• Ralph Amsden: Snowflake
• Adam Beadle: Snowflake
• JJ Digos: Snowflake
• Gregg Rosenberg: Snowflake
• Anonymous 1: Mica Mountain
• Anonymous 2: Snowflake