Bagdad's Rio Delgado (36) runs after a catch as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night, Oct. 13, in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. Bagdad won the game 76-48. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad’s defending Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) 1A state champion football squad garnered the second seed and a first-round bye, while Mayer picked up the fifth seed and will play host to an opening-round contest in the 12-team state tournament on Saturday, Oct. 21.
As one of the Top 4 seeds, the back-to-back West region titlist Sultans (9-0 overall record) won’t suit up until the quarterfinals against the winner of the No. 10 Valley Union-No. 7 Ray first-round contest. That game is slated for 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at Bagdad High School in Bagdad.
In their season opener Aug. 18, the Sultans pummeled Valley Union, 64-14, on the road. They did not face Ray this fall.
The Wildcats (8-1), whose eight-game winning streak was snapped by Bagdad, 76-48, Friday night at home, dropped from a No. 4 seed to a No. 5 seed. They entered Friday at No. 4, and narrowly missed out on one of those byes.
Instead, Mayer will host No. 12 Salome in the opening round at 6 p.m. Saturday at Mathern Field in Spring Valley. The Wildcats defeated fellow West region member Salome, 36-14, Sept. 15 on the road.
If Mayer beats Salome, the Wildcats would visit fourth-seeded Williams in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Oct. 28. The Vikings are the defending 1A state runners-up. The remaining Top 4 seeds include No. 1 Mogollon and No. 3 Superior Jr./Sr.
Bagdad, which is riding a 20-game winning streak dating back to the start of the 2016 season, needs three consecutive wins in the playoffs to repeat as 1A champions. Mayer would need four victories in a row.
What follows is the schedule for the 1A State Championship tournament (seeds are in parentheses):
2017 Arizona Interscholastic Association 1A Football State Championship
FIRST ROUND
Top Half of Bracket
Oct. 20
(9) Hayden at (8) Fort Thomas, 7 p.m.
Oct. 21
(12) Salome at (5) MAYER, 6 p.m.
Bottom Half of Bracket
Oct. 21
(11) Joseph City at (6) Trivium Prep, 6 p.m.
(10) Valley Union at (7) Ray, 6 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Top Half of Bracket
Oct. 28
Winner of (9) Hayden-(8) Fort Thomas at (1) Mogollon, 6 p.m.
Winner of (12) Salome-(5) MAYER at (4) Williams, 6 p.m.
Bottom Half of Bracket
Oct. 28
Winner of (11) Joseph City-(6) Trivium Prep at (3) Superior Jr./Sr., 6 p.m.
Winner of (10) Valley Union-(7) Ray at (2) BAGDAD, 6 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Bottom Half of Bracket
Nov. 4
At Maricopa H.S. in Maricopa
Quarterfinal winners, 2 p.m.
Top Half of Bracket
Nov. 4
At Maricopa H.S. in Maricopa
Quarterfinal winners, 6:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov. 10
At Maricopa H.S. in Maricopa
Semifinal winners, 6:30 p.m.
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