The Republic predicts this weekend's 4A semifinals in Arizona high school football.
Just about the only normal thing in the 4A Arizona high school football playoffs has been the continued dominance of the top two seeds, ALA-Gilbert North and Snowflake. In theory, that sets up two potentially lopsided semifinal matchups. But these playoffs have proven that logical outcomes don’t always prevail.
With that in mind, The Republic breaks down the matchups, which are set for 7 p.m. Friday, at the higher seed school:Lake Havasu has been one of the great stories of this postseason across the state. The Knights snuck into the playoffs as an unheralded 7-3 team and have proceeded to knock off the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in consecutive weeks. They’re doing so on the back of outrageous performances from running back Isaac Stopke.
ALA-Gilbert North, though, might prove to be too explosive. Last week, the Eagles went up 41-0 on Bradshaw Mountain in the fourth quarter, ending the game almost as soon as it began. The duo of quarterback Adam Damante and receiver Brandon Phelps is nearly unstoppable for 4A defenses. That doesn’t mean Lake Havasu can’t pull off a third-straight shocker, but it does create an uphill battle.
The expectation, then, is for Friday to be a grinding, low-scoring affair. Often, those types of games come down to which team can manufacture one or two long, clock-eating drives. Both teams have the run-first offenses necessary to make that happen. Snowflake is averaging 185.9 yards per game on the ground, while Canyon del Oro is averaging 219.8. Last week, Snowflake went for 284 rushing yards and Canyon del Oro went for 277.
The difference, in the end, could come down to experience. Snowflake has won back-to-back state championships while Canyon del Oro hasn’t reached the state’s biggest stage since 2010. If this one is tight into the fourth quarter, that could make the difference.Theo Mackie covers Arizona high school sports and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He can be reached by email at
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