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Best in the West 2023: Nov. 3 Spotlight

Best on best in the West Valley. On the outside looking in. And the postseason begins.

Huge games across the west side this Friday night, so let’s dig into the action taking place!

 

Game of the Week: Centennial @ Liberty

When was the last time the top two ranked teams in the entire state by both the AIA and MaxPreps met in the regular season finale? Heck, when was the last time two West Valley teams were ranked as the top two teams in the state at all? And while it isn’t surprising that these two teams are a combined 17-0 against Arizona teams, the only opposing squad to finish a game within 13 points of Centennial or Liberty was Chandler’s one-point loss against Centennial.

In fact, the closest game Liberty has played in-state this year was a 31-3 victory against Saguaro. And that’s from a schedule that includes three games against teams ranked in the top sixteen in the state by the AIA, which doesn’t even include Saguaro. And this is in large part because of the Lions’ tenacious defense. LHS hasn’t allowed more than 20 points to any in-state opponent all year. Not only has senior, Keaton Stam, relentlessly continued his malicious defense with a team-leading 68 tackles, but leaders such as Zane Tallman and Hudson Dunn made a massive impact on games this year. Tallman is a speedy outside linebacker who is capping off his senior season with numbers across the stat board, including four sacks, two interceptions, a fumble caused and recovered, as well as a blocked field goal. Dunn is a fellow OLB and stunned offenses to open this season as a sophomore and has ceased to slow down. The s’more has an astonishing ten sacks in 2023 while also causing a pair of fumbles.

And the impact of Nevada transfer, Jon Wilson, can’t be understated. But quite frankly, the senior running back really hasn’t been necessary for this team to win games. While Wilson has four games of over 100 rushing yards, he could easily have nine games of over 100 yards from his intensity and tenacity but seldom does Wilson need to play four quarters or even a full offensive drive for the Lion offense to dominate. But with 909 rush yards, 12 rush TDs, and the ability to be used in the passing game, if he is in need, Jon Wilson has the ability to change an entire game. And we intentionally buried the lede, senior quarterback, Navi Bruzon.

The veteran star is no stranger to the spotlight, downing the Coyotes his freshman year by throwing a game-winning two-point conversion in the first round of the Open Division in 2020. Head Coach, Collin Thomas, says Bruzon is better when the lights turn on, on Friday Nights. 2,267 pass yards, 24 pass touchdowns, 561 rush yards, 14 rush TDs. An incredible stat line that certainly puts him in the conversation to earn back-to-back Player of the Year awards from Gatorade and the Arizona Cardinals. But the senior has had glimpses of struggles over the past few weeks with four total interceptions against Salpointe Catholic and Saguaro in the past three weeks. Liberty is poised once again to be a favorite for an elusive Open Division Championship but they need four straight games of perfection from Bruzon to lead them to the ultimate trophy in Arizona High School Football. And he is capable of it.

Tasked with squashing a multifaceted Liberty offense is Centennial’s disciplined squad that hasn’t allowed any team this year to reach 30 points. Only Chandler and Corona del Sol have found a way to score more than two touchdowns in a single game against a ruthless Coyote defense. Washington commit, Noah Carter, has helped lead CeHS in marque victories against Desert Edge, Saguaro, Pinnacle, and a barnburner at Chandler. The senior athlete has been magnificent with nine sacks, an interception, and a fumble caused and recovered. But it takes more than one DI athlete to make an elite defense. Fellow seniors, Iverson Small, Marcus Logan, and Kenneth Worthy have combined for an absurd 11 interceptions, four fumble recoveries, and 34 passes defended. This might just be the toughest defense Liberty has faced all year and the toughest offense Centennial has squared off against.

But regardless of how talented a defense is, an offense like Liberty will inevitably find the endzone. The Coyotes have to find a way to go for blow for blow on offense. Sophomore quarterback, Kainan Manna, steps into the spotlight on Friday night. While his 1,328 passing yards and 12 pass TDs aren’t comparable to the wildness of Bruzon’s, Manna is slick, smooth, smart, and more than capable of making big plays. The senior has a quarterback rating of 141.4, has only thrown one interception in 91 pass attempts, and averages 23.3 yards per completion.

And he loves to spread the love. Remember Worthy and Carter? Not only are they lethal on defense, but they can make opposing teams pay on the other side of the ball too since both players have more than 400 reception yards and three touchdowns as well. But don’t take your eyes off of senior running back, Tony Greer, who averages seven yards per carry and is looking to add to his 642 rush yards and seven TDs on the season.

Even though Centennial owns the series record at 7-5, it’s always impossible to know what is going to happen on the field between these to Peoria schools. Plus, the all-time margin of victory is just nine points. While ranking doesn’t make a huge difference in the Open Division because of the talent of any team you’ll face, the victor of this game will likely earn the number one seed for the postseason. For those unable to make it to the game, Liberty’s Peoria Student Broadcasting Network will be broadcasting the game live at psbnonline.com for free and the game will be available anytime on-demand as well. Is this a possible preview of the Open Division Championship? Everyone in the West Valley sure hopes so.

 

Sunrise Mountain @ Canyon View

From the top two teams in the state, to two teams on the outside looking in. Sunrise Mountain and Canyon View are just below the cutline entering the final game of the season. While a win on Friday night doesn’t guarantee a spot in the postseason, it will certainly put them on watch for the 5A bracket on Selection Saturday.

Canyon View is ranked 17th, the first team on the outside looking in. The Jaguars slid by Verrado last week in a 35-30 victory to add to a hectic past six games. In those matches, they’ve gone 2-4 with an average margin of victory of just ten points. Senior quarterback, Beau Devens has been a gunslinger this year with 2,516 pass yards to go alongside 27 touchdowns and six interceptions. Jermaine Patterson has been a madman on offense. The senior receiver has collected over 1,000 reception yards from Devens while totaling 12 TDs. The defense has racked up five caused fumbles and seven interceptions, led by junior DB, Bryson Weitzel, who has three INTs.

Sophomore, Logan Guilford, has been a bright light for the Sunrise Mountain defense this year. The DE and MLB has a team-leading 82 tackles and a whopping 12 TFL. Meanwhile, senior defensive lineman, Kaden Spencer, has been a menace for opposing offenses with seven sacks, two fumble recoveries, and an interception. On offense, senior running back Parker Owens, has been a reliable offensive weapon with 724 rush yards and five touchdowns. Junior quarterback, Vanden Dugger, has thrown for 1,563 yards and loves to spread the love with five different receivers between 166 and 474 reception yards. Sunrise Mountain will need a win and maybe some help from teams above them as they sit 19th in the 5A Conference rankings.

It would be the third consecutive postseason appearance for Canyon View while Sunrise Mountain is hoping to jump back into the postseason after missing the state tournament for the first time since 2014 last year. This is the first all-time meeting between these two schools.

 

#9 Phoenix Christian @ #8 Tonopah Valley

And let’s not forget about the 2A Conference State Tournament. Tonopah Valley enters the tournament as the 8th seed and will host #9 Phoenix Christian. The Phoenix ended the season at 8-2 and on a high note with a 49-6 win over Madison Highland.

TVHS is headlined by their superstar quarterback, Malachi Wilt. As a sophomore, Wilt has thrown for 3,729 yards, which is good enough for the fourth-most pass yards in the nation. Yes. A sophomore is top five in the entire nation on a list led by Paradise Honor’s Gage Baker. Two west side QBs in the top four in the nation. His favorite receivers have been junior Sir-Izzik Sánchez Caldwell and senior Dyllon Croff, who both have tallied double-digit touchdown catches with Ethan McManaman, not far behind.

But the defense has gotten the job done as well. Sophomore linebacker, Sir-Jessie Caldwell, leads the team with 55 total tackles and six sacks. Meanwhile, fellow sophomore, Thomas Foilefutu, leads the team with nine tackles for loss. As a defense, Tonopah Valley has only allowed two teams to score more than 28 points in a game. The Phoenix look to improve on their quarterfinal appearance one year ago as they enter their fifth AIA postseason appearance.

 

Be sure to head out and support your local teams this Friday night! Also, keep watch at Sports360AZ for all of our high school football content including Bleacher Talk, Zone Read, AZ Audibles, Recruiting Roundup, and more.

Join the conversation on Twitter using #FridayNight360AZ and follow @Sports360AZ to keep up with the action from across the state on Friday nights!

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