PHOENIX — Week 11 has arrived in the 35th season of Friday Night Fever, Arizona's No. 1 and longest-running high school football show, which means we have officially reached the end of the regular season in every conference!
This week brings us many rivalries, including the Battles for Arizona Avenue and Brown Road, some region championship games and a lot games that will play a role in deciding who makes the playoffs in the Open Division, 6A, 5A and 4A.
This week also features the first round of the playoffs in 3A and 2A and the semifinals in 1A.
And, as a reminder, those playoff brackets, along with the playoff brackets for 4A, 5A and 6A flag football, will be released tomorrow morning, starting at 8 a.m. on the AIA's Saturday morning radio show on 1580 AM The Fanatic. There will also be a live stream on the NFHS Network, which will be available for free and can be found by clicking here.
Now, let's take a look at the highlights, starting with our Game of the Week!
Game of the Week: Verrado (8-2, 4-1) upsets Desert Edge (6-4, 4-1), 17-10
Verrado threw a little chaos into the 5A playoffs on the final night of the regular season after defeating 5A Desert West region rival Desert Edge. Watch the highlights below.
ALA-Gilbert North (7-3, 3-2) upsets Horizon (8-2, 4-1), 17-7
Horizon already clinched the 5A Northeast Valley region title, but this loss could put their chances of playing in the Open Division playoffs in jeopardy. Watch the highlights from ALA-Gilbert North's upset victory below.
Liberty (9-1, 4-0) defeats archrival Centennial (3-7, 2-2), 45-17
Liberty won the 6A Northeast Valley region and clinched a home game in the first round of this year's Open Division playoffs in the rematch of the 2023 Open Division state championship game. Watch the highlights below.
ALA-Queen Creek (9-1, 3-1) defeats crosstown rival Queen Creek (8-2, 3-1), 42-7
ALA-QC won the 6A East Valley region and likely locked up a spot in the Open Division playoffs for the fourth straight season. Watch the highlights below.
Higley (7-3, 3-2) defeats Williams Field (4-6, 0-4), 41-7
Higley, the two-time defending 5A state champion, likely locked up a spot in the Open Division this year after beating Williams Field. Watch the highlights below.
Mountain View (9-1, 5-0) defeats Red Mountain (7-3, 3-1), 43-38
Mountain View won the Battle of Brown Road and now could be in the conversation for a spot in the Open Division playoffs after losses by Horizon, Brophy and Queen Creek this week. Watch the highlights from the Toros' win over Red Mountain below.
Hamilton (9-1, 3-1) defeats archrival Chandler (5-5, 1-3), 56-14
Hamilton won the Battle for Arizona Avenue in 2024 and Hamilton made their case to be included in the Open Division playoffs. 12Sports journalist Jake Garcia has the highlights below.
Tukee Bowl 2024: Mountain Pointe (6-4, 2-2) beats archrival Desert Vista (0-10, 0-4), 38-15
Mountain Pointe got the win in the 28th edition of the Tukee Bowl and now will wait to see if they will get to host a playoff game by earning a top-eight seed in the 6A playoffs. Watch the highlights below.
AZ College Prep (9-1, 5-0) defeats Arcadia (9-1, 4-1), 42-24
AZ College Prep claimed the 4A Desert Sky region crown after ending Arcadia's undefeated run with a dominant victory. Watch the highlights below.
Estrella Foothills (8-2, 5-0) beats Deer Valley (9-1, 4-1), 21-7
Estrella Foothills claimed the 4A Copper Sky region championship by defeating Deer Valley on Friday. The Skyhawks' loss may keep them out of the 4A playoffs as they came into the week ranked No. 16. Estrella Foothills likely clinched a playoff spot. Watch the highlights below.
3A Playoffs: No. 8 ALA-Ironwood advances to quarterfinals with 36-20 win over No. 9 Payson
ALA-Ironwood will keep their impressive season going into the 3A quarterfinals, where No. 1 Benjamin Franklin awaits. Watch the highlights from their win over Payson below.
2A Playoffs: No. 1 San Tan Charter advances to quarterfinals with 50-24 win over No. 16 Holbrook
San Tan Charter kept their undefeated season rolling in the first round of the playoffs and now will face No. 8 Scottsdale Prep in the quarterfinals. Watch the highlights from STC's win over Holbrook below.
2A Playoffs: No. 12 Scottsdale Christian upsets No. 5 Santa Cruz Valley, 28-6, to advance to the quarterfinals
The Eagles continued their hunt for back-to-back 2A state championships with an upset win over Santa Cruz Valley! The Eagles will face No. 13 Veritas Prep next week in the quarterfinals. Watch the highlights from SCA's win over SCV below.
On the Road: Campo Verde (7-3, 5-0) defeats rival Gilbert (4-6, 3-2), 27-14
One week after upsetting then-undefeated McClintock, Campo Verde locked up the 5A San Tan region title by beating Gilbert. 12Sports journalist Lina Washington was On the Road with the Coyotes and has the highlights.
On the Road: Campo Verde Coyotes speak after beating rival Gilbert
12Sports journalist Lina Washington speaks with two of Campo Verde's top players, Bobby Blackburn and Caden Dale, after the Coyotes' region-clinching win over Gilbert. Watch the interview below.
On the Road: Campo Verde Coyotes head coach Ryan Freeman reacts to win over rival Gilbert
After Campo Verde's win over rival Gilbert, 12Sports journalist Lina Washington hears from Coyotes head coach Ryan Freeman.
Sweet Plays of the Week
And finally, we revealed the nominees for the Week 11 Sweet Plays of the Week!
As a reminder, each week three plays will be nominated to become the Sweet Play of the Week and will be voted on by you, the fans.
Each weekly winner will be eligible to become the Sweet Play of the Year, with the player in the winning play at the end of the season taking home a $5,000 scholarship, courtesy of Sweet James Accident Attorneys.
To see which play won the Week 10 poll, click here.
Watch the video below to see this week's Sweet Plays and then click here to vote for your favorite.
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