AIA Power Ratings Update: Marana remains No. 1 in Open Division; Thatcher new No. 1 in 3A

AIA power ratings as of Tues., Oct. 22, for Class 2A to 6A schools, including Open Division. Top 8 for Open Division and top 10 for all classes listed with Southern Arizona teams shown up to No. 25 in 2A-6A. Southern Arizona teams in bold.

OPEN DIVISION

Update: Marana (8-0 overall, 3-0 in the 5A Southern) remains the No. 1 team in the Open Division in the third release of the power ratings by the AIA on Tuesday. The Tigers are the top overall program in the state, still atop 6A Phoenix-area powerhouse programs Mesa Red Mountain (7-0), Chandler Basha (6-1) and Peoria Liberty (6-1). … Marana’s lofty rating is based on victories over Salpointe, Gilbert Higley and Tucson High. The Badgers (5-2) moved up from No. 11 to No. 8 in the 5A rankings this week. … Marana hosts 5A No. 10 Buena (6-1) on Friday. … The top eight teams advance to the Open Division playoffs. Ironwood Ridge went from No. 12 to No. 13 in the Open Division ratings after an idle week last week.

OPEN DIVISION

13 5A Ironwood Ridge (5-1) … No. 12

6A

NOTE: With five 6A teams slated for the Open Division with three weeks left in the regular season, No. 14 Salpointe would be the No. 9 overall seed if the season ended today. The Lancers need to be in the top 8 to host in the first round. … The Lancers dropped from No. 13 to No. 14 despite playing No. 3 Liberty last week.

OD – Open Division team

1 Red Mountain (7-0) … Last week: No. 5 … OD No. 2

2 Basha (6-1) … No. 1 … OD No. 3

3 Liberty (6-1) … No. 3 … OD No. 4

4 ALA-Queen Creek (6-1) … No. 2 … OD No. 7

5 Brophy Prep (6-1) … No. 4 … OD No. 8

6 Highland (6-1) … No. 6

7 Mesa Mountain View (6-1) … No. 8

8 Queen Creek (6-1) … No. 7

9 Hamilton (6-1) … No. 12

10 Chandler (5-2) … No. 14

14 Salpointe (4-2) … No. 13

5A

NOTE: If the season ended today, No. 5 Ironwood Ridge would be the No. 2 seed in the 5A tournament because three teams are presently in the Open Division — No. 1 Marana, No. 5 Horizon and No. 6 Higley. Desert Mountain was No. 2 in the Open Division last week but fell out after losing 21-10 at Horizon. … No. 8 Tucson would be at No. 5, No. 10 Buena at No. 7, No. 16 Casa Grande at No. 13 and No. 18 Mountain View at No. 15. … No. 20 Cienega moved up one spot from No. 21 last week after playing Marana.

OD – Open Division team

1 Marana (8-0) … Last week: No. 1 … OD No. 1

2 Horizon (6-1) … No. 3 … OD No. 5

3 Higley (5-2) … No. 4 … OD No. 6

4 Desert Mountain (6-1) … No. 2 … OD No. 10

5 Ironwood Ridge (5-1) … No. 5 … OD No. 13

6 McClintock (7-0) … No. 6 … OD No. 15

7 ALA-Gilbert North (6-1) … No. 7

8 Tucson (5-2) … No. 11

9 Cactus (5-2) … No. 8

10 Buena (6-1) … No. 9

16 Casa Grande (5-3) … No. 17

18 Marana Mountain View (4-3) … No. 16

20 Cienega (3-4) … No. 21

23 Maricopa (4-3) … No. 22

24 Sunnyside (2-4)* … No. 23

* – Sunnyside’s season-opening loss against Glendale Apollo is listed now as a forfeit by Apollo because of the use of an ineligible player. Sunnyside is 3-4 overall after the forfeit but the power ratings reflect the Blue Devils at 2-4 because points are not awarded for a forfeit. The loss is erased, however.

4A

NOTE: Mica Mountain moved up one spot from No. 6 to No. 5 in the power ratings after last week’s win over CDO. … Walden Grove remains at No. 10 while CDO went from No. 14 to No. 15. The top 16 are eligible for the state playoffs. The next highest rated 4A team locally is No. 23 Douglas (4-4) of the 4A Gila. The Bulldogs have won four straight games and are buoyed by having played Ironwood Ridge and Bisbee, the No. 6 team in 2A.

1 Snowflake (7-0) … Last week: No. 1

2 AZ College Prep (6-1) … No. 2

3 Yuma Catholic (7-1) … No. 3

4 Arcadia (7-0) … No. 4

5 Mica Mountain (7-0) … No. 6

6 Thunderbird (6-1) … No. 5

7 Northwest Christian (6-1) … No. 7

8 Prescott (6-1) … No. 8

9 Seton Catholic (6-2) … No. 9

10 Walden Grove (5-2) … No. 10

15 Canyon del Oro (4-3) … No. 14

23 Douglas (4-4) … No. 28

3A

NOTE: Pusch Ridge remains at No. 7 after beating a winless Coolidge team at home last week. The Lions would have a home game in the opening round of the playoffs if the season ended today. They face Thatcher, the No. 1 team in 3A, at Eastern Arizona College on Friday.

1 Thatcher (7-1) … Last week: No. 2

2 ALA-West Foothills (7-0) … No. 1

3 Franklin (7-1) … No. 4

4 River Valley (8-0) … No. 6

5 Payson (7-1) … No. 8

6 ALA-Ironwood (6-1) … No. 10

7 Pusch Ridge (7-1) … No. 7

8 Florence (6-1) … No. 3

9 Mohave (6-1) … No. 9

10 Blue Ridge (7-1) … No. 5

17 Safford (4-5) … No. 16

20 Morenci (3-5) … No. 22

25 Sabino (2-6) … No. 27

2A

NOTE: Bisbee, a win away from clinching the 2A San Pedro title, is now at No. 6 after being at No. 7 last week. No. 11 Willcox and No. 16 Benson would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Tanque Verde, on a three-game losing streak, is presently three spots out of the playoffs at No. 19.

1 San Tan Charter (8-0) … Last week: No. 1

2 Tonopah Valley (9-0) … No. 3

3 Santa Cruz Valley (8-1) … No. 2

4 Phoenix Christian (7-1) … No. 4

5 Pima (7-1) … No. 5

6 Bisbee (7-1) … No. 7

7 Arizona Lutheran (6-3) … No. 6

8 Scottsdale Prep (7-1) … No. 8

9 Veritas Prep (5-3) … No. 10

10 Camp Verde (5-3) … No. 15

11 Willcox (5-3) … No. 11

16 Benson (5-3) … No. 18

19 Tanque Verde (4-4) … No. 17

23 Tombstone (5-3) … No. 19

1A

State Championship Bracket

First Round (7 p.m. kickoffs unless noted)/Friday

No. 9 Williams (4-5) at No. 8 Desert Christian (5-2), 6 p.m.

No. 12 Salome (4-4) at No. 5 Mohave Accelerated (7-2)

No. 11 Superior (4-4) at No. 6 El Capitan (6-3)

No. 10 Desert Heights Prep (5-3) at No. 7 Lincoln Prep (6-2)

Quarterfinals (7 p.m. kickoffs)/Nov. 1

Williams-Desert Christian winner at No. 1 Hayden (9-0)

Salome-Mohave Accelerated winner at No. 4 St. David (8-1)

Superior-El Capitan winner at No. 3 Mogollon (7-1)

Desert Heights Prep-Lincoln Prep winner at No. 2 Bagdad (7-1)

Semifinals/Nov. 8 & 9 at Scottsdale Coronado High School

Championship/Nov. 16, 6 p.m. at Scottsdale Coronado High School