By Zach Alvira
Head of Content
It's playoff time.
The end of the Arizona high school football regular season brought some fireworks for the big schools, with upsets causing plenty of movement at the 6A and Open Division level. There was also plenty of movement in the 4A Conference, which voted to remove itself from the Open Division conversation several weeks ago.
That has opened the door for what could be an extremely competitive tournament. Let's take a look at who the favorites are to hoist the 4A championship at the end of the season, as well as which teams may surprise those in their way.
The Bracket (top to bottom)
16 Combs at 1 Yuma Catholic
9 Walden Grove at 8 Northwest Christian
12 Bradshaw Mountain at 5 Thunderbird
13 Coconino at 4 Mica Mountain
14 Canyon Del Oro at 3 Snowflake
11 Vista Grande at 6 Prescott
10 Seton Catholic at 7 Arcadia
15 Estrella Foothills at 2 Arizona College Prep
The Favorites
Mica Mountain
Mica Mountain, led by its defense and defensive end Jimmy Leon, has dominated teams all season long. The Thunderbolts, in only its third varsity season, have quickly established themself as a force in southern Arizona, virtually taking over as one of the top programs in Tucson with wins over Walden Grove, Cienega, Sahuaro and Canyon Del Oro -- all in convincing fashion aside from a 16-6 win over Walden Grove.
The Thunderbolts are primed to make a deep run in the postseason, and could have easily secured the No. 1 seed in the tournament. They've been the top-ranked team all season in the Hypamark Statewide Media Poll.
Arizona College Prep
There were many doubts about Arizona College Prep after its blowout loss to Crown Pointe out of Indiana to start the season. The Knights were helpless on offense and defense, unable to move the ball or stop the run. But that was nearly three months ago. Now, the Knights are a force to be reckoned with.
They've been flat out dominant against in-state opponents, blowing many -- including top-seeded Yuma Catholic -- out of the water. Junior quarterback Evan Heinrich has elevated his game to the tune of nearly 1,800 yards passing. Alec Grant and Max Sasso have both rushed for nearly 500 yards. The offense is averaging just over 46 points per game this season. They've scored more than 60 points three times.
The Knights may be the most complete team in the 4A Conference, making them a near lock for a deep run.
The Contenders
It's hard to not mention Yuma Catholic and Snowflake in the 'favorites' category. Especially given they are the No. 1 and 3 teams in the playoffs, respectively. But that goes to show how loaded the top part half of the 4A Conference is.
Snowflake doesn't hide its game plan. The Lobos are going to try to physically wear down a defense. They use their big offensive line to reset the line of scrimmage, opening holes for backs Karter Raban (725 yards on the season) and Kanton Turley (687 yards on the season). Quarterback Jacob LaDuke has also rushed for more than 500 yards behind his offensive line. He's thrown for more than 700.
Yuma Catholic tends to lean on the pass a bit more. But that's a no brainer with a player like wideout Sir Stokes catching passes. The Shamrocks lone loss this season was in blowout fashion to ACP. Since then, they've rolled through opponents, including No. 5 Thunderbird earlier in the season. Quarterback Nash Ott has thrown for more than 2,200 yards this season. Stokes was one the receiving end of 969 of those.
The Dark Horses
Walden Grove
Walden Grove opened the 2024 season with two straight losses, both to playoff teams in Northwest Christian and Arcadia. The Wolves then went on a tear, winning six straight before falling in a close battle to Mica Mountain.
They played the Thunderbolts the toughest out of all teams this season, a testament to how quickly they were able to turn things around after the losses. Now, they go on the road to avenge the loss to Northwest Christian, and could very well challenge Yuma Catholic in the quarterfinals should both teams make it.
The Wolves are not a team to take lightly. Defensively, they're stout. Offensively, quarterback Kaleb Layton has thrown for nearly 1,800 yards. Running back Robert Cash III is 140 yards away from the 1,000 mark.
Prescott
Any team with Uriah Tennette is a dark horse or contender of some sort. The 5-foot-11 San Diego basketball commit also happens to be a top quarterback in the conference.
He uses his speed to escape pressure and has thrown for over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. He's also rushed for 756 yards and 14 more touchdowns. He's played the role of hero on some occasions for the Badgers and is also a top notch leader. He's flanked by other athletes, including Adam Lloyd and Josiah Peoples.
Defensively, Tennette is also one of the top defenders on the team.
Round-by-round Prediction
Round 1
1 Yuma Catholic def. 16 Combs
9 Walden Grove def. 8 Northwest Christian
4 Mica Mountain def. 13 Coconino
3 Snowflake def. 14 Canyon Del Oro
6 Prescott def. 11 Vista Grande
7 Arcadia def. 10 Seton Catholic
2 Arizona College Prep def. 15 Estrella Foothills
Quarterfinals
1 Yuma Catholic def. 9 Walden Grove
4 Mica Mountain def. 5 Thunderbird
6 Prescott def. 3 Snowflake
2 Arizona College Prep def. 7 Arcadia
Semifinals
4 Mica Mountain def. 1 Yuma Catholic
2 Arizona College Prep def. 6 Prescott
4A Conference Championship
2 Arizona College Prep def. 4 Mica Mountain
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