BJ's Final 5A Rankings
- Brandon Jones
- Nov 1
- 11 min read
The AIA will announce the official expanded 24-team 5A playoff bracket in less than 12 hours based on their computer power-point ranking system. Here is how I would seed the 5A conference:
Desert Edge
Ranking: 1
Overall Record: 10-0
Blowout Wins: #2 ALA Gilbert North (+22), #9 Millennium (+39), #10 Mountain Pointe (+28), #17 Verrado (+37), #20 Cienega (+26)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
One of two undefeated teams in 5A with 8 ranked wins and 5 ranked blowout wins. There's not even a debate that the Scorpions should be the #1 seed in this 5A bracket. The only top challengers that haven't gotten a shot at the defending champs are Marana, Desert View, Horizon, ACP, and Desert Mountain.
ALA Gilbert North
Ranking: 2
Overall Record: 9-1
Blowout Wins: #7 ACP (+21), #10 Mountain Pointe (+20), #12 Campo Verde (+29), #18 Gilbert (+43), #19 Buena (+28)
Other Ranked Wins: #11 Cactus Shadows (+2)
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: #1 Desert Edge (-22)
Bad losses: None
Since losing 29-7 to #1 Desert Edge, the Eagles have outscored their opponents (4 ranked ones) 257-36. There is a very good chance we will see a rematch between them and Desert Edge at Sun Devil Stadium.
Marana
Ranking: 3
Overall Record: 9-1
Quality losses: 6A #17 Salpointe (-2)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
The win over Canyon View is carrying a lot of weight, but it's the eye test that has me sold on Marana as my #3 seed in the 5A bracket. Nobody in 5A wants to see the Tigers in November and they very well may end up at Sun Devil Stadium.
Desert View
Ranking: 4
Overall Record: 10-0
Blowout Wins: #20 Cienega (+35), #21 Flowing Wells (+18), #22 Maricopa (+37), #23 Mountain View Marana (+28), 4A #21 Sahuaro (+38)
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: None
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
Desert View has beaten the brakes off of everyone on their schedule. Not a single game has been within 3 possessions. The biggest knock on their resumé is that they haven't played a single team in the top 19.
Horizon
Ranking: 5
Overall Record: 8-2
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
This team is 4 points away from being a perfect 10-0. It hasn't always been pretty, but the Huskies have played one of the toughest schedules in the state and they came out of it with 8 wins. They should comfortably have a bye.
Canyon View
Ranking: 6
Overall Record: 8-2
Blowout Wins: #17 Verrado (+36)
Other Ranked Wins: #9 Millennium (+7)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
The Jags have not played a ton of ranked matchups, but they handled business against non-playoff teams and have looked like a clear-cut top 8 team in 5A in their 4 games against playoff-quality opponents.
They're the only team to give Desert Edge a remote scare and they took Marana to the wire after not having a Week 1 game because of South Mountain forfeiting the day before the game.
New head coach JR Alcantar has these boys rolling.
ACP
Ranking: 7
Overall Record: 8-2
Blowout Wins: #18 Gilbert (+23)
Quality losses: #12 Campo Verde (-5)
Blowout losses: #2 ALA Gilbert North (-21)
Bad losses: None
The Knights jeopardized their bye week by losing to Campo Verde on senior night, but I still think they have done enough to earn that top 8 seed and first round bye. With stars Evan Heinrich and Ashton Sanchez healthy again, I'd hate to see the 2024 4A runners up early in the playoffs if I was a top seed.
Desert Mountain
Ranking: 8
Overall Record: 7-3
Other Ranked Wins: None
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
After dropping the last two games of the regular season, Desert Mountain's first round bye is in jeopardy. Their case for keeping it is the fact that they obliterated two of the other teams in contention for a top 8 seed. But the loss to Notre Dame Prep really didn't help their case. I think they've done enough but we'll see what the computer thinks.
Millennium
Ranking: 9
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: 6A #19 Shadow Ridge (+21)
Other Ranked Wins: #17 Verrado (+7)
Blowout losses: #1 Desert Edge (-39)
Bad losses: None
Had they not absolutely fallen apart late against Cactus back in Week 2, I don't see any reason why Millennium would not have a first round bye. But without that Cactus win, the resumé just isn't going to cut it.
They definitely pass the eye test, but they didn't play a ton of tough teams and their defense let Desert Edge do whatever they wanted in the final regular season game.
We shall see how far the legacy season of '27 RB D'Mari Bryant can take the Tigers in the postseason.
Mountain Pointe
Ranking: 10
Overall Record: 6-4
Other Ranked Wins: #12 Campo Verde (+5)
Quality losses: #7 ACP (-11)
Bad losses: None
A lot of folks saw this team as a 5A title contender in preseason, but if the Pride want a remote chance of lifting that gold ball, the offense must wake up. They are averaging a pitiful 10.5 PPG against top 10 opponents while scoring 41.3 PPG against everyone else.
Their defense has been elite and has kept them in games and came up with big stop after big stop against Campo Verde as well as scoring a bunch of points themselves in blowout wins over Gilbert and Desert Vista.
Their offense has looked better since '27 Kristian Escobedo has taken over at quarterback, but it still hasn't been good enough against the best teams in the state.
They are going to have to figure it out if they want to win more than one playoff game.
Cactus Shadows
Ranking: 11
Overall Record: 6-4
Other Ranked Wins: #24 Tucson (+8)
Blowout losses: #8 Desert Mountain (-29)
Bad losses: None
The Cactus Shadows resumé is largely based on being within one score and having opportunities late in the game to beat #1, #2, and #5. They're right there, but they gotta find a way to get it done and do it multiple times against the best of the best if they want to make the run people thought they could make at the 5A title this year.
Campo Verde
Ranking: 12
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: None
Blowout losses: #2 ALA Gilbert North (-29)
Bad losses: None
The Coyotes would probably be in my top 10 if not for a head-scratching loss to Gilbert in which their defense got absolutely shredded. But Campo has bounced back nicely, dominating Skyline and then holding off ACP to close out the regular season and likely clinch themselves a home play-in game next week.
Cactus
Ranking: 13
Overall Record: 8-2
Blowout Wins: 4A #10 Peoria (+34)
Quality losses: #5 Horizon (-13)
Blowout losses: #16 Yuma Catholic (-23)
Bad losses: None
Outside of laying an egg at home in a 30-7 loss to Yuma Catholic, Cactus has look solid this season.
They dominated a now red-hot 4A team in Peoria and they had a convincing win over a pesky Sunnyslope team and they had a crazy comeback win over #9 Millennium to convince me to look past that Yuma Catholic game to a degree.
Sunnyslope
Ranking: 14
Overall Record: 8-2
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #15 NDP (+1)
Quality losses: #13 Cactus (-17)
Blowout losses: #5 Horizon (-20)
Bad losses: None
There wasn't very man playoff opponents on their schedule, but Sunnyslope's win over NDP looks better every week and they won 8 games. They should have a home play-in game and watch out if you're a top seed. The Vikings will not be an easy out.
NDP
Ranking: 15
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: #18 Gilbert (+28)
Blowout losses: #11 Cactus Shadows (-29)
Bad losses: None
You never know what you'll get out of Notre Dame Prep week to week. They came out of an absolute gauntlet of a schedule with 5 wins. 9 of their 10 opponents are in my top 24 and Chaparral is just outside. There were no weeks off and their wins over Horizon and Desert Mountain showed that. However, on top of those two top-10 wins, they lost to 3 teams that I have in the 11-14 range.
Yuma Catholic
Ranking: 16
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: #13 Cactus (+23)
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: #15 NDP (-14), Holtville (CA) {-8}
Bad losses: None
Without that 30-7 thumping of Cactus, Yuma Catholic would likely be on my playoff bubble and possibly on the outside looking in. The Shamrocks had a brutal 0-4 start to the season but regrouped after South Mountain forfeited and have railed off 5 consecutive wins in dominating fashion.
It is noteworthy that star QB Nash Ott did not play in the 35-0 loss to Verrado after getting injured against Marana the previous week, but the Cactus win is holding a ton of weight on their resumé.
Verrado
Ranking: 17
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: #16 Yuma Catholic (+35)
Other Ranked Wins: None
Quality losses: #9 Millennium (-7)
Bad losses: None
Yuma Catholic beating Cactus was a huge help to bolster Verrado's resumé and make that 35-0 win look more impressive. The Vipers also helped themselves when they took Millennium to the wire. Should be interesting to see where they get seeded in the official playoff bracket but I think they should comfortably be in.
Gilbert
Ranking: 18
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #12 Campo Verde (+3)
Quality losses: 6A #5 Red Mountain (-16)
Bad losses: None
I cannot overstate how massive the win over Campo Verde was for Gilbert. Had they not won that game, they likely finish 4-6 after a 3-0 start thanks to the gauntlet of the 5A San Tan Region paired with NDP and 6A Red Mountain (for God knows what reason) as freedom games. It's definitely also noteworthy that the Tigers put up 33 on Red Mountain, which is more than any 6A team has all season.
I have a bad feeling that the computer rankings will leave them out, but if I was doing the seedings they would comfortably be in.
Buena
Ranking: 19
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: None
Quality losses: None
Bad losses: None
Buena is comfortably a playoff team and has won a lot of games, but the amount of disappointing teams in the 5A Sonoran region has really hurt their strength of schedule.
My biggest concern for the Colts is that they're not dominating a lot of these teams that I'm expecting them to dominate. They finished the regular season with a scare from 1-9 Ironwood Ridge.
The Colts have the talent to make a deep playoff run, but they're going to need to be playing their best football this November.
Cienega
Ranking: 20
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: #22 Maricopa (+22)
Other Ranked Wins: #21 Flowing Wells (+8)
Quality losses: #19 Buena (-7)
Bad losses: None
Idaho State commit Jaden Rodgers has been having quite a senior campaign and he is a big reason that Cienega will be in the playoffs. A 41-19 win over Maricopa is their signature win (which would sound ridiculous to say before the season) and they also knocked off 7-3 Flowing Wells. The main blemish on their resumé is laying an egg against Mountain View Marana.
Flowing Wells
Ranking: 21
Overall Record: 7-3
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #22 Maricopa (OT)
Quality losses: #20 Cienega (-8)
Bad losses: None
Flowing Wells came from out of absolutely nowhere and snagged 7 wins this season. I'm not sure if it will translate to a win in November, but I think Brian Hook's team has done enough to go dancing.
Maricopa
Ranking: 22
Overall Record: 6-4
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: #23 Mountain View Marana (+11)
Quality losses: #21 Flowing Wells (OT)
Bad losses: None
Beating Mountain View Marana might be what gets Maricopa to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. If it were up to me, they'd be in.
Mountain View Marana
Ranking: 23
Overall Record: 6-4
Other Ranked Wins: #24 Tucson (OT)
Quality losses: #22 Maricopa (-11)
Bad losses: None
The Mountain Lions are tough to get a read on. They blow out Cienega and Flowing Wells and then they lose to Maricopa, who Cienega dominated and Flowing Wells beat in OT.
If it were not for the Maricopa loss, I would probably have Mountain View inside the top 20. On the flip side, if they had not beaten Tucson, they would be my last team in.
Tucson
Ranking: 24
Overall Record: 5-5
Blowout Wins: None
Other Ranked Wins: 4A #20 Walden Grove (+11)
Quality losses: 6A #17 Salpointe (-13), #3 Marana (-8), #11 Cactus Shadows (-8), #19 Buena (-14) #23 Mountain View Marana (OT)
Blowout losses: None
Bad losses: None
You really can debate either way about whether Tucson belongs in the postseason. My argument is they've been within one or two scores of every playoff team they've played and they have no bad losses along with a win over a quality 4A team in Walden Grove.
But the argument against them is they have no wins against 5A playoff opponents unlike all of the 23 teams above them and they've also been in a couple dogfights with struggling teams.
First Teams Out
Tolleson
Why they shouldn't be in: They don't have any quality wins. Their best win is 4-6 Paradise Valley, who has allowed a 70-burger in one of their games. They had 4 opportunities to prove they were a playoff-worthy team after a soft first 6 games and they weren't competitive in any of them. The computer having them ranked above a Verrado team that beat them 62-38 is absolutely ludicrous.
Why they should be in: They have no bad losses. All 4 losses are to playoff teams. Winning games should be rewarded.
Sunrise Mountain
Why they shouldn't be in: Last three weeks have been very ugly. Tight wins over 2-8 West Point and 3-7 Apollo before getting absolutely manhandled by Cactus in the finale. They have that quality win over Coconino, but they're not passing the eye test and their resumé is dependent on that win.
Why they should be in: Their win over 4A #5 Coconino is better than any win that the other bubble teams have. Their 3-point loss to Yuma Catholic looks a lot better now that the Shamrocks are rolling.
Sunnyside
Why they shouldn't be in: 5 losses in a row, 4 of them to other bubble teams. They have put up a combined 20 points in those 4 games.
Why they should be in: Very impressive win over 4A #12 Mica Mountain and a dominant win over Pueblo. No bad losses.
Chaparral
Why they shouldn't be in: No quality wins over 5A opponents. Sure, some close calls, but they have also gotten blown out multiple times. Loss to 6A Saguaro also looks very bad right now.
Why they should be in: Quality win over 4A #17 Deer Valley. Has played an absolute gauntlet and took Cactus Shadows and Desert Mountain to the wire in back to back games.
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