Football season kicks off in full force

Matchup: Sunrise Mountain (0-0) at Deer Valley (0-1)

Address: 18424 N. 51st Ave. in Glendale.

Last week: Controlling the line of scrimmage was a real struggle for the Skyhawks in a 37-7 loss to Mesa Mountain View. The assumption was that the problem was a credit to the talent of the Toros rather than a slight on the Skyhawks, but the matchup with Sunrise Mountain should provide a better gauge.

Players to watch: Deer Valley defensive back/running back Bryce Cooper (30): The Skyhawks senior was a standout in the opener coming up with an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown.

Sunrise Mountain offensive lineman: Darden Zenullahi (75): Follow the Mustangs tackle and you’ll probably find the ball soon to follow. It would seem like a good strategy for the Mustangs offense to design a fair amount of their running plays to go in the direction of their three-year varsity starter.

Breakdown: Sunrise Mountain begins the new season looking to wash away the memory of a 2-8 2006 season while Deer Valley tries to rebound from a blowout in their 2007 opener. Many coaches claim that the most significant improvement teams make during the season is from the first game to the second. Getting a chance to see their players in game action often provides a great teaching tool to show players.

Pick: Deer Valley

Matchup: Cactus Cobras (0-0) at Washington Rams (1-0)

Address: 2217 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix

Last week: Washington, coming off a 9-4 season that included a trip to the 4A Div-II semifinals, opened 2007 with a 37-6 win over Coconino.

Players to watch: Washington wide receiver Victor Gamiz (10): Gamiz picked up where he left off a season ago when he hauled in 86 passes for 1,728 yards by catching four passes for 85 yards and a touchdown in the Rams opening win. A year ago, Gamiz had more than 100 yards receiving in 11 of 14 games for Washington.

Cactus running back Mike Brown (25): Cactus coach Larry Fetkenhier is typically reserved when talking about the talents of his team so his appraisal that the Cobras ground game has the chance to be ‘dynamic’ probably should raise a red flag to opposing defenses. Brown’s 1,260-yard 13-touchdown sophomore season and his performance in track where he was third in the state in both the 100 and 200 meters as a sophomore should provide evidence of the back’s game-breaking capabilities.

Breakdown: Much of the success of 2006 for Washington came because of the play of quarterback Jon Bowman, who threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns. He graduated leaving Jon Camacho in his place at quarterback. It would seem a tall order for the Washington offense to hang with the Cobras an 8-4 4A Div-I quarterfinalist a season ago.

Pick: Cactus

Matchup: Centennial (0-0) at Desert Ridge (0-0)

Address: 10045 E. Madero Ave., Mesa

Last year: The Jaguars snuck into the playoffs as the No. 15 seed following a 4-6 regular season only to be eliminated in the opening round. Centennial never trailed in a game all season during a perfect 14-0 season. During the playoffs, Dick Taylor’s team outscored its four opponents 168-14.

Players to watch: Desert Ridge strong safety Ben Amerson (7): The last line of defense in the Jaguars secondary has the unenviable challenge of keeping a team loaded with speed from breaking a long one.

Centennial’s offensive line: The Coyotes know what they have in Zach Schlink (75) their 6-foot-4 315 pound guard/tackle, who has verbally committed to Arizona State University, but it’s how he and his less experienced linemates come together that could ultimately determine how far the 2007 Coyotes can go in their bid to repeat as 5A Div-II state champions.

Breakdown: Desert Ridge put up some nice offensive numbers a season ago, but they didn’t beat a single team with a winning record. As a member of the Dream Team in 1992, Charles Barkley was asked about the USA’s first opponent, Angola, to which he replied, “I don’t know anything about Angola, but Angola is in trouble.”

The same sentiment is true when it comes to the fate of the group from Mesa.

The only intrigue in this game is how long Taylor’s starters stay in the game. Last year, they rarely had to play much more than a half during the regular season. With Hamilton looming on Thursday in the Cox 7 Game of the Week, the question is, does Taylor need to get his team some work in the season opener to prepare for the big matchup or does the short week with a Thursday game next week make the veteran coach air on the side of caution and get his players out quickly?

Pick: Centennial

Matchup: Ironwood (0-0) at Chandler (0-0)

Address: 350 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler

Last season: Chandler went 11-2, yielding 15 points a game during a season which ended one game short of the 5A Div-I state championship. Ironwood went 7-4 before getting upset in the opening round of the 5A Div-II playoffs.

Players to watch: Chandler tight end Dion Jordan (8): At 6-foot-6, Jordan is an inviting target in the Wolves passing game. The senior is coming off a 54-catch season in which he collected 804 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Ironwood quarterback Randy Klucznik (11): A part-time starter in 2006, Klucznik takes over under center after throwing for more than 600 yards and six touchdowns.

Breakdown: The question will be what the Eagles offense can produce against Chandler’s defense. Last year, Jim Ewan’s club was 9-0 in games in which they allowed 21 points or less. In four games in which they allowed more than 21 points the Wolves were 2-2.

Pick: Chandler

Matchup: Thunderbird (0-0) at Peoria (0-0)

Address: 11200 N. 83rd Ave, Peoria

Last season: This looks like a classic mismatch as Thunderbird, a 3-7 squad in 2006 takes on Peoria a 9-4 team which went to the 5A Div-II state semifinals.

Players to watch: Thunderbird quarterback Chris Womack (10) threw for 949 yards with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last year. Peoria’s offense won’t need any help scoring, so it would behoove the Chiefs quarterback to take care of the ball. Thunderbird averaged 15 points a game a season ago, a far cry from Peoria’s 27 a contest.

Peoria quarterback Vinnie Spano (16) had some great targets to throw to last year in T.J. Simpson and Chris Miranda. Both graduated, with Simpson moving on to play at Arizona State University. Senior tight end Jeff Dwyer figures to be a reliable target, but the question is; which wide outs develops chemistry with Miranda.

Breakdown: It would be a surprise if this one is in doubt much after the halftime break.

Pick: Peoria