BJ's Final 2A Rankings
- Brandon Jones
- Oct 25
- 10 min read
The AIA will announce the official expanded 24-team 2A playoff bracket in less than 8 hours based on their computer power-point ranking systems and the automatic bids for winners of the 5 Region title crossover games played last night.
The results of the crossover games are unlikely to bump anyone into or out of the playoffs, but it did make for some interesting matchups that will likely shake up seeding, led by Arizona Lutheran shocking previous #1 Scottsdale Christian. Here is how I would seed the 2A conference:
Veritas Prep
Ranking: 1
Overall Record: 10-0
Blowout Wins: #14 Benson (+23), #15 Glendale Prep (+32), #16 Trivium Prep (+41), #24 Mountainside (+43)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
With Scottsdale Christian falling to AZ Lutheran, Veritas Prep is the only undefeated team in 2A football, making them the easy choice to be the #1 seed in 2A if this computer has half a brain.
St. John's
Ranking: 2
Overall Record: 9-1
Quality losses: 3A #5 Round Valley (-17)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
The Redskins can beat any and everybody in 2A with their lone loss being to 3A powerhouse Round Valley. Anything short of a 2 seed would be disrespectful to St. John's after their overtime win over San Tan Charter in the region crossover game last night.
San Tan Charter
Ranking: 3
Overall Record: 8-2
Other Ranked Wins: #12 Chandler Prep (+14)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
The Roadrunners didn't have many challenges in region play besides #12 Chandler Prep. They'll take a lot of lessons that they learned from last night's OT loss to #2 St. John's into the playoffs and should go into playoffs with a first round bye comfortably clinched.
Just because of that win over AZ Lutheran, I find it hard to seed them lower than 3, even if the complete resumé isn't as gaudy as the others at the top.
AZ Lutheran
Ranking: 4
Overall Record: 9-1
Quality losses: #3 San Tan Charter (-17)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
With San Tan Charter as their lone loss and an impressive win over Scottsdale Christian in region crossover week, the Coyotes have firmly inserted themselves into the 2A title conversation and should receive a top 4 seed this morning.
Scottsdale Christian
Ranking: 5
Overall Record: 9-1
Blowout Wins: #9 Pima (+27), #11 Camp Verde (+35), #15 Glendale Prep (+42), #19 Tonopah Valley (+44)
Other Ranked Wins: #6 Phoenix Christian (+7)
Quality losses: #4 AZ Lutheran (-14)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
You hate to slide a team down 4 spots for one loss, but when two teams behind them get marquee wins and the team they lost to has a head-to-head loss to a team that was also previously below them, that is exactly how that happens.
Margin of victory and Phoenix Christian are doing a lot of heavy-lifting with this Scottsdale Christian resumé, but they should still comfortably have a first-round bye and are still a threat to 3-peat as 2A State Champs.
Let's not forget that they were a 5-5 #12 seed at this point last year and we know what happened after that.
Phoenix Christian
Ranking: 6
Overall Record: 8-2
Blowout Wins: #7 Tanque Verde (+40), #14 Benson (+35), #16 Trivum Prep (+43), #17 Santa Cruz Valley (+20), #19 Tonopah Valley (+35), #24 Mountainside (+56)
Other Ranked Wins: None
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
The Cougars came out the gates hot at 7-0 before losing back to back games to previous #1 Scottsdale Christian and current #1 Veritas Prep. Their drop from 3 to 6 in the final rankings was collateral for Scottsdale Christian's loss to AZ Lutheran. Their resumé also mainly sticks out from the way they beat teams like a drum in Weeks 1-7.
Tanque Verde
Ranking: 7
Overall Record: 8-2
Other Ranked Wins: #13 Morenci (+8)
Quality losses: #14 Benson (-9)
Blowout losses: #6 Phoenix Christian (-40)
Bad losses: None
A 6-game winning streak that included routs of Willcox and Trivium Prep rose Tanque Verde from the mid teens to #7 in my final 2A rankings. The beating they took from Phoenix Christian was too much to overlook for them to be ranked higher and their loss to Benson does not help their bye week resumé either.
Willcox
Ranking: 8
Overall Record: 8-2
Quality losses: None
Bad losses: None
Willcox was on cruise control for a first-round bye until they laid quite an egg against Tanque Verde in region crossover night. With 5 ranked wins and 2 of them being blowouts, I think the Cowboys have done just enough to get that final first-round bye.
Pima
Ranking: 9
Overall Record: 6-4
Other Ranked Wins: #13 Morenci (+7)
Bad losses: None
The Roughriders are far and away the best 6-4 team in 2A. They have played an absolute gauntlet of a schedule and dealt with injuries, but they have hit the ground running in the second half of the season, capping it off with a blowout crossover win over #12 Chandler Prep.
Parker
Ranking: 10
Overall Record: 7-2
Blowout Wins: #18 Scottsdale Prep (+29)
Other Ranked Wins: #11 Camp Verde (+8)
Quality losses: #4 AZ Lutheran (-7)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
The Broncs were arguably the biggest question mark in 2A going into the final couple weeks of the season, going 6-1 with a rather soft schedule and only 1 win over a playoff-quality team.
With easily their two biggest tests of the season, they came within one score of #4 AZ Lutheran and then defeated #11 Camp Verde in their region crossover game to assert themselves into potential bye week conversations.
I personally don't think they did enough, but we'll see what the computer thinks. Regardless, this team is dangerous.
Camp Verde
Ranking: 11
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: #23 Holbrook (+35)
Other Ranked Wins: #19 Tonopah Valley (+14)
Blowout losses: #5 Scottsdale Christian (-35)
Bad losses: None
Like Parker, quality losses and overall record are really pulling a lot of weight for the Camp Verde resumé as they lack a lot of quality opponent and beat up on a lot of struggling or mediocre teams.
Chandler Prep
Ranking: 12
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: #18 Scottsdale Prep (+31)
Other Ranked Wins: #15 Glendale Prep (+13)
Blowout losses: #9 Pima (-28)
Bad losses: None
The Titans are absolutely kicking themselves over a 1-point loss to Trivium Prep as well as the egg they laid in the region crossover game against Pima. Those two games are what will cost them a first-round bye after handling business in their other games.
Morenci
Ranking: 13
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: #20 Globe (+28)
Other Ranked Wins: #14 Benson (+6)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
Morenci might be the quality losses final bosses. Unlike a few teams above them, the Wildcats don't have any blowout losses and lost by single digits to 4 top-10 teams. What hurts their resumé is the lack of ranked wins because of that.
Benson
Ranking: 14
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: None
Bad losses: None
The Bobcats' upset win over #7 Tanque Verde is holding a lot of weight on their resumé and will likely be a big reason why they get a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
Glendale Prep
Ranking: 15
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #19 Tonopah Valley (+2)
Quality losses: #12 Chandler Prep (-13)
Blowout losses: #1 Veritas Prep (-32), Scottsdale Christian (-42)
Bad losses: None
One of the more bizzarre resumé. Only 4 ranked games on the schedule, which they went 1-3 with 2 blowout losses and a trilling win over Tonopah Valley. But they handled business in their remaining 6 games and that's why I have them comfortably in the postseason and hosting a home playoff game.
Trivium Prep
Ranking: 16
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: None
Quality losses: None
Bad losses: None
A three-game losing streak in which the Knights were outscored 129-7 against 3 top-7 opponents is the difference in them competing for a first-round bye and possibly having to go on the road in the first round of playoffs. We'll see how much the computer values that Chandler Prep win.
Santa Cruz Valley
Ranking: 17
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: #20 Globe (+20)
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: #14 Benson (-2)
Blowout losses: #2 St. John's (-49), #4 AZ Lutheran (-40), #6 Phoenix Christian (-20), #8 Willcox (-19)
Bad losses: None
The Dust Devils will likely have to go on the road as they just don't have the quality wins needed for a top 16 seed and a home first-round playoff game. It really doesn't help when 4 of their 5 ranked losses were absolute beatings.
All things considered, getting back to the playoffs and having a chance to get back to the Round of 16 should be celebrated after how many seniors graduated from last year's team.
Scottsdale Prep
Ranking: 18
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #23 Holbrook (+4)
Quality losses: #1 Veritas Prep (-15)
Bad losses: None
Coming within two scores of #1 Veritas Prep is not helping them out in the powerpoints as much as it should. But the lack of quality wins also doesn't help. After Glendale Prep and Trivium Prep at 15 and 16, a lot of these teams only have 1-2 ranked wins on their resumé and that includes Scottsdale Prep.
Tonopah Valley
Ranking: 19
Overall Record: 4-6
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: None
Bad losses: 3A Odyssey Institute (-25)
Almost beating Glendale Prep is what the Phoenix's resumé is very reliant on. The 4 teams they've beaten aren't very good and their 25-0 loss to Odyssey Institute in Week 1 looks worse every week. But when I look at the resumés of the other teams below them, I can't find more than 18 teams I can definitively say are better than Tonopah Valley.
Globe
Ranking: 20
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #22 Alchesay (+4)
Quality losses: None
Bad losses: None
No bad losses for this Globe team, a Week 1 win over Alchesay, and an above .500 record are the arguments for the Tigers to get into playoffs and put on for their town that has endured a lot this fall with a pair of floods that did so much damage that valley and nearby schools drove in to assist with relief. A playoff appearance would mean a lot for that community.
Tuba City
Ranking: 21
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: None
Quality losses: 3A Ganado
Bad losses: None
The reservation teams are always difficult to evaluate because they mainly just play against each other. The Warriors have ranked wins over fellow rez teams Holbrook and Alchesay. 2 of their 3 losses are to quality 3A teams. Their third loss is to #9 Pima. I don't think they will make it out of the first round, but I think they've done enough to make playoffs even if their crossover game win over Holbrook didn't clinch them an automatic bid.
Alchesay
Ranking: 22
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: None
Blowout losses: #2 St. John's (-42)
Bad losses: None
None of my final 3 playoff teams have any ranked wins. The most impressive games on Alchesay's resumé are one-score losses to Globe and Tuba City as well as a dominant win over 6-4 Pinon in their region crossover game.
Holbrook
Ranking: 23
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: None
Bad losses: None
The Roadrunners, like Alchesay, have a close loss to Tuba City to hang their hat on. They also took Scottsdale Prep down to the wire to show they belong in the postseason after losing their chance at an autobid last night.
Mountainside
Ranking: 24
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: #16 Trivium Prep (-6)
Bad losses: Antelope Union (-5)
The race for my last team I'd put in the playoffs is very interesting. Antelope Union fans would argue they have the head-to-head over Mountainside, but Antelope Union is 4-6 and that includes getting obliterated by 3-7 Cortez.
Chino Valley was in the driver's seat for a while, and then they lost to Bourgade Catholic and Fountain Hills.
I hopped on the Bourgade Catholic bandwagon and then they lost to 3-7 Cortez. Bisbee, Fountain Hills, and Cortez have some decent wins but 3-7 isn't cutting it.
6-4 Palo Verde Magnet has gotten absolutely blistered by every playoff opponent. 6-4 Pinon was in the convo until Holbrook and Alchesay blew the doors off them.
That left me with one final playoff team: the Mountainside Wolves of Wittmann. They came within one possession of #16 Trivium Prep and their only unranked loss was to Antelope Union.
Final thoughts: We shall see how the final AIA seedings turn out. Last week, the computer had the same 24 teams as me, just in a different order. We'll see if that remains the same or if someone leapfrogs into the playoffs. All 5 region crossover autobid winners were already ranked inside the top 24.
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