Earlier in October Cibola football coach Lucky Arvizo claimed a 20-14 win over then-ranked and then-unbeaten Basha by his Raiders was the biggest triumph in school history. This wa not a coach getting excited over the moment. A Yuma school winning several games in a season or a couple more than it loses is news.

Williams Field and Higley meet with the 4A East Sky Region lead on the line. Florence looks to clinch 3A South crown with Empire trying to block its way. Willcox visits Thatcher for supremacy in the 2A East.

It was a no-doubles-needed night Wednesday in the semifinals of the 5A team badminton tournament at Horizon High School. Defending champion and top-seed Xavier bested No. 4 seed Corona del Sol, 5-0, to advance to Thursday night\\\\\\\'s final. No. 2 seed and unbeaten Chaparral vanquished No. 6 seed Chandler, 5-1, to gain the other berth.

Sunnyslope, Hamilton, Desert Vista are top Arizona contenders for annual NIke TOC on Oct. 22-23.

Individual champions will be crowned on Oct. 23 and team champs in 5A and 4A a couple days earlier as the state badminton season comes to an end this week.

Northwest Christian was methodical offensively pretty much all game Friday night against Yuma Catholic in a battle between the top two teams in the current 2A power-point rankings. Through the first 47 minutes of the game, methodical earned Northwest Christian seven points. So with time running out the Crusaders turned to desperation mode. It worked to perfection. Quarterback Orbi Gonzales hit wide out James Mossbrucker in stride for an 82-yard touchdown pass on a third-and 20 play with 45 seconds left to play to give the Crusaders a 14-10 triumph over the Shamrocks before a huge homecoming crowd at Northwest.

The temptation for standout athletes to transfer schools these days is great. The ones that choose not to do so deserve credit and admiration. Kelvin Fisher is one.

Region races are important because everyone wants bragging rights as region champ. But to teams that got off to a slow start or have almost exclusively region games the rest of the way they are the lifeline to extending the football season to at least Veteran\\\'s Day. Gilbert High fits the above description. The Tigers, who dropped their first three games this season, have bounced back to win three of their last four. They had region foe Basha on the ropes in their loss during the past four-game stretch for a little better than a half before the wheels came off after intermission. The Tigers have been forced into playoff mode ever since.

Presenting your team with a measuring stick is a good idea, especially if you have an up-and-coming football program like Steve Campbell and Williams Field. The Black Hawks measuring stick last year and Friday night is Notre Dame, a fledgling program itself not too long ago that has two state titles to its credit in less than a decade.

It is not easy for athletes to follow in the footsteps of a successful sibling. For Cory Breinholt, he has experienced a double helping of that pie. Breinholt, a senior completing his fourth varsity season running cross country at Highland High, watched brothers Craig and Derek achieve at a high level in the sport. Craig, who ran from 2002-2004, was the individual state champ in 5A his senior year (2004). Derek peaked at No. 3 in the state his senior season (2007) and collected three top-10 finishes overall at state.

Battles between 5A-I unbeatens Hamilton and Salpointe, 4A-II unbeatens Williams Field and Notre Dame and 3A South contenders Coolidge and Empire highlight the matchups this week in the east valley and southern Arizona.

Xavier, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Sunnyslope, Deer Valley, Desert Vista, Mountain Ridge and Centennial headline the field.

The signature moment for D.J. Geroux in his prep football career had to be his unique touchdown reception for Mesa Mountain View against Highland High last season. It was a play that received quite a bit of attention, even nationally on You Tube for its creativity and spot on execution. You would certainly not be alone if you thought that. However, it is not the case.

A 10-match week came to a halt for Hamilton and Deer Valley Saturday afternoon in the finals of the Lady Hawk Volleyball Classic. The edge rested for Hamilton with its 15-player roster. Hamilton completed its week at 9-1 by winning easier than expected in the title match with Deer Valley by scores of 25-14, 25-17, at Highland High.

Using two quarterbacks and switching between them is something Mesquite football coach Mike Reardon is used to. He seems to like it. Gives him something to toy with over the weekend after a game. Reardon pulled a switcheroo two weeks ago with his current QBs -- junior Steven Bevan and senior Tommy Trammell. Trammell played well the first three games and then ran into the buzzsaw known as Chaparral. Bevan took over halfway through that game. It was the Wildcats only loss. Reardon liked what he saw of Bevan in that one and the last two weeks Bevan has been the starter. Barring injury, Bevan will be the Wildcats\\\\\\\' guy the rest of the way.

Tucson football might rests with three schools this season -- again. Three 4A-I squads - defending state champ Canyon del Oro, Sabino and Cienega.

Twelve teams entered in Lady Hawk Invite Friday and Saturday at Highland HS