VarsityXtra

His senior season may be done, but he’s hoping his career is just beginning.

Desert Vista’s Devon Kennard is on the cover of this month’s ESPN RISE Magazine (I didn’t know ESPN purchased its publication rights).

I couldn’t find any links or photos on the website, but the magazine is on newsstands and bookstores.

Scottsdale Chaparral forward Gus Gabel will be playing collegiately next season at Princeton.

Gabel averaged 18 points and six rebounds last year for the Firebirds, and his stock rose during the summer while playing in club ball tournaments.

He had offers from Northern Colorado, the University of Denver and Albany in addition to the one from Princeton, according to Rivals.com.

It will be interesting to see where Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep’s Andy Wilder winds up next season and what position(s) he plays at the next level.
While most scouting services don’t have Wilder ranked among the top 30 prospects in Arizona, he is certainly one of the most versatile players in the state if not the most.
The 6-foot-3, 190 pound senior, who splits time between safety, receiver, kicker and punter has the ability to play any and all of those positions in college, according to his coach, Scot Bemis, and “If he just focused on one thing, he’d be phenomenal.”
Any colleges that don’t have Wilder on their radar yet only need to view a tape of last week’s game against Phoenix Washington to get an idea of his value.
Wilder accounted for 21 points in the Saints’ 45-0 victory with a receiving touchdown, an interception return for a touchdown, six extra points and a 32-yard field goal.
Additionally Wilder is averaging 37.6 yards per punt, second in the state according to MaxPreps.com, and of his 28 kickoffs, 19 have resulted in touchbacks.
Army, Colorado, Idaho State, Montana State, Northern Arizona, UNLV and Weber State are among colleges which have shown interest so far, but that list is sure to grow between now and signing day in February.

Thank goodness it’s early October and 5A region play has arrived. After all the massacres of recent weeks there’s a good chance fans will see more than one or two competitive games on local gridirons on Friday.
The Fiesta Region opens play with No. 3 Chandler Hamilton at No. 5 Gilbert. Both are 5-1. Chandler visits Gilbert Highland. Both are 4-1. In the East Valley Region second-ranked Mesa Mountain View (5-0) travels to Jackrabbit Stadium to face Mesa (2-3). The Toros have had to scratch and claw for wins the last two or three seasons. And although Mesa Dobson (3-3) and Mesa Westwood (1-5) are .500 or below those teams meet at Westwood Friday with Westwood having won the last six times they’ve met.
Ditto in the 5A Pima with Tempe Marcos de Niza (5-0) at Phoenix Pinnacle (3-2) and Mesa Skyline (4-1) at Mesa Desert Ridge (3-2). After watching games live the last six weeks with the closest final score being 31-19, I’d love to witness a nailbiter.

5A-II Pima teams finally begin region play on Friday, and a region that was hard to predict in the preseason hasn’t cleared up much after five weeks of action.

Two teams with gaudy records - Marcos de Niza at 5-0 and Skyline at 4-1 - but little competition get a true test in the region opener. The Padres travel to Pinnacle in what is expected to be a low-scoring affair. The Coyotes head to Desert Ridge in a game that will almost certainly be a shootout. Let’s see if there is any early separation between four schools that all believe in their chance to win region.

************************************

In the latest power point rankings, the 4A-I Desert Sky has Scottsdale Chaparral, Scottsdale Saguaro and Paradise Valley ranked 1-2-3 in the state. If the tournament started today, all seven teams in the region would make it. Phoenix Shadow Mountain is on the most treacherous ground, ranked 15th.

************************************

I have a feeling that a game between one of those three Desert Sky region powers will eventually come down to a game-winning field goal attempt. If so, Chaparral and Paradise Valley have to be feeling good. Trojans kicker Danny Compton made four field goals against Saguaro (though P.V. lost) and has range up to 45 yards. Chaparral kicker Ben Damari can also consistently boot field goals from 40-plus.

So much is analyzed in football, but having a solid kicker can play  crucial role in the outcome of games.

A big kickoff between the cream of 5A Division II, Peoria Centennial, and one of the best in 5A-I, Desert Vista is a couple hours away (Cox Ch. 7 if you want to tune in).

Centennial should be favored the way they’ve played this season. They could be the best team in all of 5A.

But at least a Thunder team stung by injuries gets a two-way starter back in Conner Wilson. The strongest kid on the team, according to coach Dan Hinds, Wilson sat out last week to aid his recovery after he suffered a separated shoulder against Gilbert in early September.

He played through the pain the past few weeks, but chose to shut it down last week rather than try to manage and massage varying degrees of discomfort every week. The Thunder are hoping a week of rest is enough to avoid daily medical hassles.

He’s the team’s best offensive lineman and a key cog at defensive tackle.

In my mind, there are nine teams that have the ability to advance deep into the 4A-I postseason.

Saguaro is still the team to beat, followed by Peoria, Chaparral, Paradise Valley, Cactus, Sabino, Canyon del Oro, Cienega and Apache Junction.

This week could put a real wrench into those rankings, because six of the top eight teams play each other.

Below is a brief synopsis and my predictions:

No. 1 Saguaro at No. 4 Paradise Valley: The Trojans had a great plan in last year’s 4A-I quarterfinals, milking the play clock and severely shortening the game against a team that was more talented. It almost worked, as Paradise Valley took a 14-7 lead into the fourth before Saguaro scored 20 unanswered to pull out the victory. The talent has balanced out more this season, as Paradise Valley brings back almost everyone of substance. Still, Saguaro has been a machine for the past two seasons, and I don’t think it’s the Trojans’ time quite yet (next year is a different story).

* SAGUARO 31, PARADISE VALLEY 17

No. 2 Peoria at No. 5 Cactus: This was a good game last year, with Cactus pulling out a 28-22 win. The Cobras only lost once in the regular season, but got bounced in the first round of the playoffs by Tempe McClintock. Peoria, meanwhile, entered the tournament as a No. 7 seed but made the semifinals. If either team wins in blowout fashion, it would be a statement to the rest of the conference.

* PEORIA 20, CACTUS 16

No. 8 Cienega at No. 7 Canyon del Oro: Cienega made some waves early by coming just seconds away from upsetting Chaparral on the road. Canyon del Oro lost by one point to Cactus, so both teams figure to want this one badly.

* CANYON DEL ORO 35, CIENEGA 24

For anyone attending the Gilbert Perry-Gilbert Williams Field football game Friday, be sure to arrive early so when the captains start to make their way to midfield for the coin flip you can give them a standing ovation.
The players representing Williams Field deserve your support.
In April, students Randy Deal, Parker Skidmore and brothers Luke and Dylan Beaver were involved in a one-vehicle rollover accident which claimed Dylan’s life. The other three suffered varying degrees of brain trauma but are on the road to recovery.
Football is playing a big part. While most days after school Deal, Skidmore and Parker are in therapy, they do attend practice whenever they can.
Skidmore, who was the team’s top running back last season, is still an active member of the team, kicking extra points. Beaver and Deal are unable to play because of their injuries, but have become extensions of the coaching staff. Beaver, a receiver and kicker last year, works with the kickers, and Deal, who was the team’s top lineman, is an extra set of eyes for line coaches during drills.
To honor the memory of Dylan Beaver and the recovery efforts of Luke Beaver, Deal and Skidmore, the coaches have named those four captains for the Black Hawks’ homecoming game.
“We want to remind them that they’re still part of the team,” coach Steve Campbell said.