Initial results are mixed from the first two weeks of Verde Valley high school football in new Arizona Interscholastic Association alignments.
Mingus Union and Sedona Red Rock high schools won their season openers Aug. 21, while Camp Verde High School continued to struggle after losses to SRRHS and Holbrook High School.
But as a favorite Game Day prognosticator is fond of saying, not so fast, my friends: Confidence is high all three schools will be playing new rivals next year.
In fact, they may not even be in divisions or sections anymore. Every coach and athletic director with whom I’ve conversed on this topic at Camp Verde, Mingus and Sedona Red Rock high schools believe this alignment is going to be strictly a one-year arrangement, with the AIA rumored to be returning to as many as seven conferences — or even classes, as teams were organized for most of the 20th century.
This was originally supposed to be a three-year arrangement between the AIA and its member schools — who, in the Verde Valley, are so spread out competitively, there is a sport in every division but Division I this season.
It’s why, starting this fall, we’re including sectional standings with our high school coverage, because you need to know what the most important games are to your team.
And you need to know how they did in each game as soon as possible. That’s why the call is going out in this column to all coaches of Verde Valley sports: Email me your scores and team rosters.
For the full column, please see the Wednesday, Sept. 2, issues of the Camp Verde Journal and Cottonwood Journal Extra.
