VarsityXtra

Former Mesa Dobson shooting guard Jerry Harville transferred to Chandler Hamilton and will start for the Huskies this season.

Harville played for Dobson sporadically last season. He started the season with the Mustangs before becoming academically ineligible. He was reinstated and played a few games but quit the team before the season ended.

Harville is expected to start at shooting guard for Hamilton. He averaged 11.4 points on 53 percent shooting last season, and added 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

The Gilbert boys basketball team made the 5A-I boys hoops semifinals last year and gave Gilbert Highland a scare before eventually bowing out.

This Tigers lost a good deal of that talent to graduation, including Elliot Clark and Eric Donzella.

But one player coach Jay Caserio was counting on to contribute significantly this year was Matt Alvarado. He played well down the stretch and was named a captain for this season.

At this point, though, Alvarado’s season is in jeopardy.

Alvarado came down with a rare spinal disorder a few months ago called transverse myelitis, which limited the use of his right arm. The 6-foot-2 senior is improving every day, but at this point, Caserio said it is impossible for him to compete.

“This is a player that has been a part of our program for four years and has never missed a basketball function,” Caserio said in an e-mail. ” It is a huge loss for our team.”

Sophomore guard Zeke Chapman burst onto the scene for the Chaparral boys basketball team last season, averaging 15 points, four assists and three steals per game on his way to all-region honors.

The Firebirds have three players this year that could make a similar impact.

Nick Tomsick is a transfer from Broomfield, Colo. who averaged 20.7 points and 3.5 rebounds last season. He will be a nice complement to Chapman in that they can share the scoring load.

Mark Boskailo moved to the United States in the mid-1990’s from Bosnia, and he has one thing you can’t teach: height. Boskailo is 6-foot-8, and while only 195 pounds, has made big strides this offseason, coach Aaron Windler said.

“He has really progressed over the past several months, and we expect him to have a big year,” Windler said in an e-mail.

Boskailo has a teammate who he can see eye to eye with in 6-foot-8 freshman Josh Boyd. Boyd is the first freshman to ever play for a Windler-coached team, but he has the type of talent to be an immediate impact player.

Chaparral lost Gus Gabel to Princeton after last season, but with these reinforcements, should be right in the mix in 5A-II.

Yes, the 4A-II state football tournament was supposed to be wide open. But even this was surprising.

The 4A-II East Sky Region sent four teams into the state tournament on Friday, and all were eliminated in the first round.

Scottsdale Notre Dame was creamed by Tucson Santa Rita. Scottsdale Coronado was soundly beaten by Peoria Liberty. Gilbert Williams Field fell behind early and then lost to No. 13 seed Tucson Amphitheater in overtime.

The biggest shocker, though, was Phoenix Arcadia, which had been playing the best football of anyone in the second half of the year, losing at home to Douglas.

So was this an overrated region from start to finish? One bad week? Honestly, probably a mixture of both. If Arcadia had another shot, it could probably beat Douglas.

And that’s the beauty of football this time of year. One good week and you’re alive to see another day. One bad week, and it’s time to clean out the lockers.

The 4A-II conference is still hard to figure, but one thing is now clear: We’ll have a new state champion, and it won’t be coming from the East Valley.

There will be no appeal and no griping about the ejection and subsequent suspension of Tyree Parker from last Friday’s game against Buckeye.

Paradise Valley’s talented runner was kicked out of the contest after a skirmish with a Buckeye player on an onside kick in the fourth quarter. It was hard to tell who initiated what, but Parker seemed to be ejected for poking the opponent in the eye.

A player ejected from a game is suspended for the next contest, so Paradise Valley will be without Parker this week in a quarterfinal matchup at No. 1 Cottonwood Mingus.

“Done deal,” Paradise Valley coach Donnie Yantis said. “There’s no appeal process. No excuses.”

Mikah Ruffino will fill in for him, while Jake Brown - who missed the first game against the Marauders - will get his number called early and often.

Parker will be the scout team quarterback in practice this week, emulating Mingus’ offensive schemes.

“Tyree’s going to help us win (in other ways),” Yantis said.

For much of the regular season, it was survival mode for the Paradise Valley football team. An injury to running back/linebacker Jake Brown early in the year put the undermanned Trojans in a tough position.

Paradise Valley started the year 2-3, but have won four of five heading into the postseason.

With a matchup on the road against Phoenix Buckeye on Friday, the Trojans will be keeping their best players on the field whenever possible.

Quarterback Kevin Spain will also double as a safety on defense, a position he has been playing on and off throughout the season.

Running back Tyree Parker played linebacker or defensive end on defense for much of the season, but has been moved to cornerback.

Brown will stay at linebacker, and will probably play most of the game, like Parker and Brown.

Those three players are the best athletes on the team, and coach Donnie Yantis wants them on the field as much as possible in the playoffs.

After 11 weeks of regular season action, the state tournament is revving up on Friday. Here are my knee-jerk predictions on what will happen in the first round of the 4A-II state tournament.

4A-II
No. 16 Catalina at No. 1 Mingus: While I’m still not sold on Mingus, that drive up north for Catalina will not be fun. It should be an easy first round victory for the Marauders before the competition ramps up. Prediction: Mingus 24, Catalina 0.
No. 9 Paradise Valley at No. 8 Buckeye: This is a very interesting matchup. Buckeye’s Kody Karjala has passed for 2,200 yards and 28 touchdowns this season, while Paradise Valley’s secondary has struggled. On the flip side, Buckeye has not seen a running game like the Trojans have. This is one of many intriguing matchups in 4A-II. Prediction: Paradise Valley 34, Buckeye 28.
No. 12 Notre Dame at No. 5 Santa Rita: In all three of their losses this season, the Saints have lost by a touchdown or less. Clearly Notre Dame has the ability to hang with the best 4A-II teams, but drawing Santa Rita and making the trip to Tucson is tough. This is a matchup of last year’s state championship game, which Notre Dame won. Prediction: Santa Rita 20, Notre Dame 17.
No. 13 Amphitheater at No. 4 Williams Field: The Black Hawks are banged up and reeling a bit after the regular season-ending loss to Arcadia. Amphitheater isn’t a cake walk, but Williams Field should be able to take care of business. Playing at home in this game is a big help. Prediction: Williams Field 42, Amphitheater 20.
No. 14 Greenway at No. 3 Palo Verde: This is a very interesting game, as Greenway has much more talent than your average No. 14 seed. Palo Verde, meanwhile, is riding high after a 24-23 win over Santa Rita in the season finale. This is my upset special of the first round. Prediction: Greenway 21, Palo Verde 20.
No. 11 Coronado at No. 6 Liberty: Liberty went 10-0 in its first varsity season, although the competition was weak. Both teams love to pound the ball. Coronado has been playing very well since getting blown out by Arcadia early in region play. This looks like another game ripe for an upset. Prediction: Coronado 21, Liberty 14.
No. 10 Douglas at No. 7 Arcadia: If the Titans play anywhere close to how they did in beating Williams Field on Friday night, they should cruise. Arcadia seems to be coming together quite nicely, although the defense has to prove it can continue playing at a high level in consecutive weeks. Prediction: Arcadia 42, Douglas 21.
No. 15 Mohave at No. 2 Cactus: Cactus enters the postseason as one of the most dangerous teams in the bracket. Allan Woods is a beast at running back and the defense is solid. This first round matchup looks like a cake walk. Prediction: Cactus 38, Mohave 7.

Overall outlook: The four most intriguing matchups are Paradise Valley-Thunderbird, Palo Verde-Greenway, Coronado-Liberty, and Notre Dame-Santa Rita, although with the parity in 4A-II, any upset outside the top-two seeds wouldn’t surprise me. This should be the first round of a wild state tournament.

After 11 weeks of regular season action, the state tournament is revving up on Friday. Here are my knee-jerk predictions on what will happen in the first round of the 4A-I state tournament.

4A-I
No. 16 Tempe McClintock at No. 1 Tucson Canyon del Oro: McClintock snuck into the playoffs two years ago and then knocked off No. 2 seed Glendale Cactus. The Chargers are limping in this season. Will history repeat itself? Doubtful. It’’s not the easiest first round matchup for Canyon del Oro, but the Dorados look like the most complete team in 4A-I this year. Prediction: Canyon del Oro 35, McClintock 13.
No. 9 Queen Creek at No. 8 Apollo: Apollo finished 9-1, but had one of the easiest schedules in the state. Queen Creek was battle-tested, but finished just 5-5. This is a good draw for the Bulldogs. I think the experience and physicality they have seen all season will be a factor. Prediction: Queen Creek 28, Apollo 14.
No. 12 Bradshaw Mountain at No. 5 Peoria: These two teams played earlier this season, and Peoria won 35-22. I don’t see any reason why this would change. Prediction: Peoria 38, Bradshaw Mountain 21.
No. 13 Nogales at No. 4 Cienega: Two teams that also played earlier this season, and Cienega led 34-0 at the half. Not hard to predict this one. One thing I’m disappointed in is CDO and Cienega being on the same side of the bracket. I think these are the two best teams in 4A-I right now and would have liked to see them have a chance at meeting in the title game. Prediction: Cienega 35, Nogales 7.
No. 14 Agua Fria at No. 3 Saguaro: The Owls were blown out by all legitimate competition this year. The Sabercats fall under that heading, so expect the same. if I’m John Sanders, I like the draw. Playing Apache Junction in the quarterfinals and Cactus Shadows or Sabino in the semis is preferable to getting Cienega or CDO. Prediction: Saguaro 42, Agua Fria 14.
No. 11 Independence at No. 6 Apache Junction: Seton and Liberty both beat up on Independence early in the season, but Independence did beat Apollo late in the year and have won five in a row. Still, Apache Junction has too much talent and will run the ball at will. Prediction: Apache Junction 42, Independence 17.
No. 10 Raymond Kellis at No. 7 Sabino: Another game that likely won’t be very close. We’re developing a theme here. Prediction: Sabino 35, Kellis 14.
No. 15 Sahuaro at No. 2 Cactus Shadows:  Sahuaro did play Queen Creek tough earlier this year, but dealing with Cactus Shadows’ spread attack won’t be fun. The Falcons should win, which would set up a quarterfinal doozy with Sabino. Prediction: Cactus Shadows 35, Sahuaro 14.

Overall outlook: This first round has a distinct line between the haves and have-nots. If any of the top seven seeds lose, I’d be very surprised. And even No. 9 Queen Creek should be able to beat No. 8 Apollo pretty easily if it plays to its potential. But stay tuned for the quarterfinal round. There are plenty of good matchups once we get there.

It was a pretty surprising turn of events at Arcadia on Friday night, where the Titans defense played great and the team rolled to a 35-14 win over the previously undefeated Black Hawks.

A few observations:

- If the Arcadia defense can contain the run, it has the type of offense to play with anyone in 4A-II. It must be a nightmare to defend the Titans. First of all, quarterback Colby Kirkegaard spreads the ball all over the field so zeroing in on one wide receiver won’t work. Also, the passing game has to be respected, so a bruising back like Pat Schrimsher will get four of five yards a pop whenever he wants. Finally, Kirkegaard also has that ability to scramble, so even if the secondary has a play covered, he can pull the football down and take off. The biggest key, in my eyes, to stopping Arcadia is pressure on the quarterback. The defensive tackles have to stay in their gaps, and if the ends can get pressure, it can disrupt Arcadia.

- Arcadia did all this without Jake Hirschi, one of their most potent and versatile playmakers. Hirschi has a strained tendon in his foot suffered last week against Tempe. Coach Jim Ellison said that Hirschi might be back for the first round, although a more realistic timetable might be the quarterfinals.

- I’m not sure if Williams Field got rattled or panicked, but after the first two drives, the offense didn’t look good. It seemed like everyone was trying too hard and getting frustrated instead of just letting the game come to them. The Williams Field defense did a decent job and forced two turnovers to keep the game close, but the offense could never recover. Arcadia dared Williams Field to pass, so coach Steve Campbell did. Between inaccurate passes, dropped balls and good coverage, Williams Field could never get anything going in the passing game, which limited what it could do throughout the contest.

- To that end, I thought Brandon Warren should have ran the ball more. Despite Arcadia stacking the box, Warren was ripping off good gains in the first quarter. After the first couple drives, though, he was almost non-existent. Campbell began splitting out Warren to wide receiver, presumably to take advantage of one-on-one matchups, but Williams Field couldn’t get it to work. Josh Montoya and Alex Howard are two solid backs, but Warren is the one with the game-changing ability, and I thought he should have touched the ball more.

- I wouldn’t count out Williams Field, though. On the first possession, Tom Ross threw a strike to Aaron Hill for a big gain, but Hill fumbled. On the next possession, Ross missed a wide open Howard in the end zone and the Black Hawks were eventually stopped at the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal. If the Black Hawks score there and tie the game, the offense builds some confidence and it’s a whole new ballgame. Instead, the mistakes seemed to snowball. I expect Ross to have a better game next week, and the offense has too many playmakers to be limited that much.

The Arizona Daily Star has a story up saying Santa Rita, the No. 1 ranked team in the Tribune’s 4A-II rankings, is forfeiting seven wins from earlier this season.

The story says the Eagles self-reported the use of an ineligible player, but there will be an appeal.

Santa Rita was considered one of the favorites among a crowded field trying for a title. It lost in the championship last season to Scottsdale Notre Dame.

If the forfeits stand, Santa Rita will miss the postseason.