Realignment puts Maricopa football in tough company

Realignment has not lessened the challenge for Maricopa High School football.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association announced new regions Tuesday after determining conference assignments at the end of last year. Unlike many of MHS’s other sports, the football program stays in the 5A conference and is now in the 5A East Region after being in San Tan the last two season.

The 5A conference is divided in East, North, Central, West I, West II, Sonoran I and Sonoran II.

“San Tan or 5A East, it’s the same thing we’ve had the past two seasons,” MHS head coach Brandon Harris said. “It’s still, top-to-bottom, the toughest division in football no matter the classification, 6A or 5A. So, the name of the region changes, some teams leave and are added, but the region’s pedigree is the same.”

The East Region is packed with playoff teams.

The region competition for Maricopa will now be Campo Verde, Gilbert, Horizon, Notre Dame Prep and Saguaro. Campo Verde and Gilbert were in 5A San Tan with Maricopa. Campo Verde lost the 5A championship game to Williams Field. Gilbert was 4-6 while Maricopa was 3-7.

Horizon, playing in the Northeast Valley Region last season, was 9-1 before losing in the first round of the open bracket. Saguaro is new to 5A, moving up from 4A, where the Sabercats were 9-1 and finished second in the open bracket. Notre Dame, on the other hand, had been re-assigned to 6A but moved back to 5A on appeal. The Saints, too, were 9-1 and reached the semi-finals in the 5A bracket.

“No matter what, we have to worry about ourselves,” Harris said. “We’re going to prepare this winter, spring and summer to compete with anyone that is on the schedule no matter the name or teams they put in it.”