Fountain Hills' running game key to playoff run

Fountain Hills likes to say it goes running back by committee on offense. More like army.

There are six backs with at least 129 rushing yards, 10 who are averaging at least 4 yards a carry.

Beau Hilgemann, a junior, started the football season deep on the depth chart. He had no carries in the opener against Payson, only two the next game against Chino Valley.

Entering Saturday's Class 3A semifinal against perennial power Lakeside Blue Ridge at Paradise Valley High, Hilgemann leads Fountain Hills with 803 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.

"In the off-season, we knew we had a lot of good running backs," coach Jim Fairfield said. "We didn't know who would step up and be the No. 1. It's even changed since we started."

Others contributing carrying the ball are Mike Craig (359 yards), Ethan Hodge (293) and quarterback Conner Brinton (285).

They've been holding their own with senior Rob Rossfeld out since Oct.24 with an injury. Rossfeld, expected back this week, was leading the team with 417 rushing yards and eight touchdowns before the injury.

A big credit goes to the offensive line, but the Falcons, who have won a school-record 11 games and have never been this far in football, face a big task against the smallish Yellow Jackets, whose only loss was by a touchdown to top-seed Payson.

Linebacker Steel Armstrong was the East Region defensive player of the year, so Fountain Hills' backs know they'll be running into him.

"It's an 11-man game," Blue Ridge coach Paul Moro said. "Steel will do his thing. He's one of the best linebackers in the state. If they run between the tackles, he's going to hit you. That's a good thing that they're going to run up the middle. That's where Steel is pretty strong. We have a bunch of little guys in front of him. He's not the determining factor, but he'll do his job. It's the other guys who will determine it."

Brinton has been a dual threat. In each of the past three games, he has thrown for at least 140 yards for Fountain Hills.

Rematch

Chaparral football coach Charlie Ragle hopes Friday's 4A Division I quarterfinal game at home against Vail Cienega isn't as entertaining as their Sept. 5 meeting at Chaparral when Chaparral pulled out a 23-20 victory in the final seconds when Spencer Stone found Brandon Martin in the end zone.

Last year, in the regular season, Chaparral needed overtime to beat Cienega.

Last summer, Chaparral beat Cienega in overtime in the championship of a 7-on-7 tournament in San Diego.

In 2005 and 2006, Chaparral knocked Cienega out in the quarterfinals. This is the third time in four years they're meeting in the quarters, but this time Cienega feels it has the quarterback, athletic Seth Brean-Mejias, to get it over the hump.

Brean-Mejias had more than 400 total yards in last week's victory over Apache Junction.

"I'm sure they're going to go down the law-of-averages road," Ragle said of Cienega, which has never reached the state semifinals.

Rivalry rematch

Coronado beat Arcadia in the regular-season finale, 28-3, when Arcadia was without junior quarterback Colby Kirkegaard.

The teams meet in Friday's 4A-II football quarterfinals.

Kirkegaard was out 2 1/2 games during Arcadia's four-game losing streak to end the regular season.

Kirkegaard's return in the first round of the 4A-II football playoffs was huge. He threw for 220 yards and a touchdown and ran for two scores in Arcadia's 35-33 upset of Gilbert Higley, which had beaten Arcadia 25-14 when Kikegaard first got injured.

Lovely release

You want to know why Arcadia's boys basketball program is back on top in the East Sky Region?

It is because of coach Scott Lovely, who cares so deeply that he put out a five-page, preseason release on his team that would put a lot of major college programs' media coordinators to shame.

Very professionally done with bios on players and past season statistics. That kind of stuff is lost on the high school scene.

If he's going to go to that extent for the media, imagine how much time he puts into building his team.

Still a thrill

Notre Dame's girls volleyball team lost in the Class 4A Division II semifinals to eventual champion Chandler Seton Catholic.

But this was every bit as resilient last year's championship Notre Dame squad.

Laura Harris showed her coaching chops with a team that had lost five seniors from last season.

"I am very proud of the girls for having an outstanding season," said Harris, who complimented Cassie Uribe, who led the team in kills and aces.

Defensively, junior Kelly Lafferty was amazing, Harris said, when balls got past the blocks.

Junior Leah Stevens and Jessica Maxwell played well at the net, and Stephanie Svorinic was an exceptional setter.

"It was tough to watch Seton win it all, but we will be back soon," Harris said.

Now Harris can move on to her second season - keeping the boys basketball scorebook for her husband Matt Harris, the varsity hoops coach.