BJ's Final 2A Rankings
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The AIA will announce the official 24-team 2A playoff bracket in less than 24 hours live on their YouTube channel, which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@azpreps365live
Unlike last season, there was not a ton of crazy upsets during region crossover week as the clear-cut 4 best teams in the conference continued their absolute dominance. Here is how I would seed the 2A conference playoffs:
Scottsdale Christian
Ranking: 1
Overall Record: 9-0
Blowout Wins: #5 Arizona Lutheran (+32), #11 Pima (+25), #12 Phoenix Christian (+48), 3A #16 Coolidge (+35), #16 Cortez (+43), #23 Fountain Hills (+49), #24 Bourgade Catholic (+78)
Other Ranked Wins: #10 Camp Verde (+14)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
San Tan Charter
Ranking: 2
Overall Record: 9-0
Other Ranked Wins: 3A #15 Seton Catholic (+9)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
Willcox
Ranking: 3
Overall Record: 10-0
Blowout Wins: #5 Arizona Lutheran (+20), #6 Santa Cruz Valley (+47), #8 Benson (+20), #14 Tanque Verde (+27), #17 Morenci (+31), #18 Scottsdale Prep (+43)
Other Ranked Wins: #11 Pima (+13)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
Chandler Prep
Ranking: 4
Overall Record: 8-1
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: #2 San Tan Charter (-25)
Bad losses: None
Arizona Lutheran
Ranking: 5
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: #18 Scottsdale Prep (+35)
Quality losses: None
Bad losses: None
Santa Cruz Valley
Ranking: 6
Overall Record: 8-2
Quality losses: #5 Arizona Lutheran (-7)
Blowout losses: #3 Willcox (-47)
Bad losses: None
Parker
Ranking: 7
Overall Record: 9-1
Quality losses: #5 Arizona Lutheran (-14)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
Benson
Ranking: 8
Overall Record: 8-2
Quality losses: #6 Santa Cruz Valley (-10)
Blowout losses: #3 Willcox (-20)
Bad losses: None
St. John's
Ranking: 9
Overall Record: 7-3
Other Ranked Wins: #11 Pima (+5)
Quality losses: None
Bad losses: None
Camp Verde
Ranking: 10
Overall Record: 7-2
Blowout Wins: #18 Scottsdale Prep (+21), #19 Desert Star (+26), #23 Fountain Hills (+62), #24 Bourgade Catholic (+29)
Other Ranked Wins: #13 Veritas Prep (+6)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
Pima
Ranking: 11
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: #17 Morenci (+27)
Other Ranked Wins: None
Bad losses: None
Phoenix Christian
Ranking: 12
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: #19 Desert Star (+42)
Quality losses: #8 Benson (-5)
Bad losses: None
Veritas Prep
Ranking: 13
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: #18 Scottsdale Prep (+22)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
Tanque Verde
Ranking: 14
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: #15 Trivium Prep (+27)
Other Ranked Wins: None
Bad losses: None
Trivium Prep
Ranking: 15
Overall Record: 6-4
Other Ranked Wins: None
Bad losses: None
Cortez
Ranking: 16
Overall Record: 6-4
Other Ranked Wins: #10 Camp Verde (+5)
Quality losses: #7 Parker (-10)
Bad losses: Chino Valley (-2)
Morenci
Ranking: 17
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #14 Tanque Verde (+7)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: 3A Safford (-44), #3 Willcox (-31), #8 Benson (-42), #9 St. John's (-19), #11 Pima (-27)
Bad losses: None
Scottsdale Prep
Ranking: 18
Overall Record: 4-6
Blowout Wins: #22 Heritage Academy Mesa (+32)
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: #3 Willcox (-43), #4 Chandler Prep (-40), #5 Arizona Lutheran (-35), #7 Parker (-19), #10 Camp Verde (-21), #13 Veritas Prep (-22)
Bad losses: None
The Bubble
Desert Star
Ranking: 19
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: #13 Veritas Prep (-8)
Blowout losses: #7 Parker (-30), #10 Camp Verde (-26), #12 Phoenix Christian (-42), #15 Trivium Prep (-18)
Bad losses: None
Record vs Bubble: 1-0
Why they should be in: Although it's a small sample size, Desert Star's one game against fellow bubble competition was a 38-7 thumping of Chino Valley, who later beat #16 Cortez. Pair that with no bad losses and a one-score contest against Veritas Prep, and I think this is a team that should be firmly in the postseason regardless of what Maxpreps actually spits out tomorrow.
Why they shouldn't be in: Zero ranked wins vs my top 24. That's the only thing I see keeping them out.
Alchesay
Ranking: 20
Overall Record: 8-1
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #21 Tuba City (+2)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: #9 St. John's (-60)
Bad losses: None
Record vs the Bubble: 1-0
Alchesay won an automatic playoff berth with their region crossover win over Holbrook, which ends all debates about whether they should be in despite a pretty lousy SOS. Even without the autobid, the wins over Tuba City and Globe are enough to convince me this is a playoff team.
Tuba City
Ranking: 21
Overall Record: 6-3
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: 3A #20 Chinle (+14)
Quality losses: #20 Alchesay (-2), 3A Ganado (-1)
Blowout losses: 3A #21 Page (-35)
Bad losses: None
Record vs the Bubble: 0-1
Why they should be in: Although they have zero ranked 2A wins and an 0-1 record vs the bubble, I think a 2-point loss to Alchesay is good enough to get the Warriors into the postseason. A win over 3A Chinle was also a great resumé builder, especially after Chinle took Blue Ridge to the wire.
Why they should not be in: A 6-3 record with an iffy SOS and 0 ranked 2A wins could keep them out.
Heritage Academy Mesa
Ranking: 22
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #23 Fountain Hills (+11)
Blowout losses: #18 Scottsdale Prep (-32)
Bad losses: None
Record vs the Bubble: 1-0
Why they should be in: With an 11-point win over #23 Fountain Hills giving them a 1-0 record vs the bubble and two close losses to top 7 teams in Arizona Lutheran and Parker, the Heroes should feel relatively safe.
Why they should not be in: Getting blown out by a team that is just barely off the bubble by 32 points late in the season is not a particularly great look. Although they followed it up with a win over Fountain Hills, that's a loss that's difficult to gloss over. The Parker game was also not as close as the final score shows.
Fountain Hills
Ranking: 23
Overall Record: 3-7
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #24 Bourgade Catholic (+10)
Blowout losses: 3A #12 Payson (-49), 3A #16 Coolidge (-56), #1 Scottsdale Christian (-49), #10 Camp Verde (-62), #16 Cortez (-36)
Bad losses: None
Record vs the Bubble: 3-1
Why they should be in: A 3-1 record vs fellow bubble teams usually bodes well for any ranking system that values head-to-head. The Maxpreps formula does not. My rankings do, and that is why I have the Falcons as my #23 team in 2A. With wins over Bourgade Catholic, ALA Anthem South, and a thumping of Chino Valley paired with all 7 losses being to top 16 2A and 3A teams, this is a playoff resumé despite record.
Why they should not be in: There is too many teams with .500 or better records for a 3-7 team to get in. No other team is projected to even be close to the playoff field with less than 5 wins.
Bourgade Catholic
Ranking: 24
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: #23 Fountain Hills (-10)
Bad losses: None
Record vs the Bubble: 1-1
Why they should be in: No bad losses.
Why they should not be in: Zero ranked wins. Their win over a bubble team is at the bottom of the bubble.
ALA Anthem South
Ranking: NR
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: None
Bad losses: Palo Verde Magnet (-6)
Record vs the Bubble: 1-1
Why they should be in: Quality win over 7-3 Lincoln Prep and down to the wire contests vs Fountain Hills and Morenci.
Why they should not be in: No ranked wins, bad loss to Palo Verde Magnet, too many close games with teams not sniffing the postseason.
Lincoln Prep
Ranking: NR
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: None
Bad losses: None
Record vs the Bubble: 0-1
Why they should be in: Closed out the season with a blowout win over 4-6 Globe for their 7th win of the year. What's the point of expanding the playoffs if a 7-win team gets left out?
Why they should not be in: Losing to 5-5 ALA Anthem South, 0 ranked wins, and getting thumped by STC and CPA just isn't a playoff resumé. The Globe win is too little, too late.
Chino Valley
Ranking: NR
Overall Record: 3-6
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #16 Cortez (+2)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: #1 Scottsdale Christian (-63), #5 Arizona Lutheran (-48), #10 Camp Verde (-51), #19 Desert Star (-31), #23 Fountain Hills (-38), #24 Bourgade Catholic (-29)
Bad losses: None
Record vs the Bubble: 0-2
Why they should be in: You can't leave a team that beat a team hosting a playoff game out of the postseason, especially with no bad losses.
Why they should not be in: 1-6 vs the playoff field with all of those losses being absolute beatdowns. Also 0-2 vs the bubble with a combined -67 margin.
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