Sports

Whiteriver Alchesay coach Brandon Newcombe, who has coached in Texas and California, believes Arizona has caught up to those big high school football states.

"I've watched the (Class) 4A and 5A championships, and I've been extremely impressed," Newcombe said. "I think you can take a top-notch program in Arizona and put it up against a top-notch program in California and it's going to be down to the wire. The California school might beat them, but I wouldn't surprised if the Arizona team won."

Newcombe calls the Class 3A East Region as tough a region he's ever been involved in.

Second-ranked Payson and third-ranked Lakeside Blue Ridge are still unbeaten. Eagar Round Valley has lost once, and Alchesay and Snowflake are both 4-2. Show Low, the defending state champion, is the only East team without a winning record (3-3).

"You can take this little White Mountain area and cut it out and put in the middle of Texas and it wouldn't miss a beat," Newcombe said.

Comings and goings

The Orme School of Arizona, off to a 4-2 start in 1A, will be without six starters the rest of the season because of disciplinary seasons stemming from off field incidents.

"We have some junior varsity players that are going to get a chance to play," coach Ricardo Oliveras said. "Mistakes have been made, and we will move forward and be stronger because of it."

• The Phoenix Day School for the Deaf has forfeited its game this week against Scottsdale Salt River, according the Salt River Athletic Director Shawn Lytle. PDSD, which has forfeited two other games this season, is on fall break and wouldn't have enough players.

Big pay off

Scottsdale Saguaro coach John Sanders, like most coaches, likes nothing better than seeing an athlete get his first scholarship offer.

"You can just the pressure fall away," he said. "The know that everything they are working toward is there for them. Scholarships are worth well over a quarter million dollars. It's all about work, time and work ethic."

The latest from Saguaro to get offers this week were Erik Brown (Colorado State) and Beau Burton (UNLV).

Single Wing O

When Scottsdale Christian (5-0) and Phoenix Northwest Christian (6-0) play tonight (Friday), the opposing offenses couldn't be more opposite.

Northwest Christian runs a spread offense that passes nearly every play.

Scottsdale Christian runs a throw-back Single Wing out of the shotgun that runs nearly every down.

SCA coach Jeff Fox said if some of the students who specialize in basketball would come out for football, he could easily go into the pass-oriented spread.

But personnel has dictated this, and coming into the game, the Eagles, led by quarterback Jacob Storrer (660 rushing yards), are averaging 410 rushing yards a game, despite losing top running back Jeff Matney in the season opener with a shoulder injury.

The ball sometimes is snapped to another back, but usually it is directed to Storrer, who will either take off and run or hand the ball off.

"He's doing a great job of managing the ball and controlling the game," Fox said.

Extra points

• Since losing to San Luis 14-6 in the opener, Phoenix Carl Hayden has been outscored 209-0 in four games, running its losing streak to 59 games.

• Flagstaff Coconino has lost all five of its games this season and 20 straight. "The kids are fighting hard and learning how to play four quarters," coach Tadd Ragan said.