Prep Football: Defending 1A champ Bagdad earns 1st-round bye; Mayer to host opener
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.
Photo Gallery
Mayer vs Bagdad Football 101317
Mayer's Dylan Wilhide (1) hands the ball back to the backjudge after running for a opening touchdown as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Kaylab Owings (2) runs back a kick as Dacodah Jensen (55) chases as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad quarterback Israel Loveall (1) breaks into the open field as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dylan Wilhide (1) looks for running room as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dylan Wilhide (1) launches a deep pass as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad quarterback Israel Loveall (1) breaks into the open field as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Rio Delgado (36) runs for yards after a catch as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad quarterback Israel Loveall (1) launches a perfect spiral downfield as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad quarterback Israel Loveall (1) runs into Clinton Swink (9) as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad quarterback Israel Loveall (1) hands off to Carson Jeans (5) as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dylan Wilhide runs for another touchdown as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad quarterback Israel Loveall (1) throws a pass downfield as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's RIo Delgado runs for touchdown as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dade Herbert (24) runs for big yards as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Garrett Urquides (20) just misses a pass as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dylan Wilhide (1) gets tackled on the sidelines by Scotty Finnerty (3) as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Morgan Mains (44) appears to get the ball from Israel Loveall as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dacodah Jensen (55) has Israel Loveall in the backfield as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Israel Loveall throws downfield as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dade Herbert (24) makes a tackle as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Israel Loveall (1) throws downfield as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Rio Delgado (36) runs as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dade Herbert (24) runs in the open field as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dacodah Jensen runs downfield as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Scotty Finnerty (3) has a convoy of blockers enroute to a touchdown as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Kaylab Owings (2) runs free after a catch as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Israel Loveall throws downfield as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dacodah Jensen runs hard as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dade Herbert catches a long touchdown pass as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Joseph Bauersachs (8) intercepts a pass as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Garrett Urquides (20) puts pressure on Israel Loveall as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Tony Ventura (9) runs past Dylan Wilhide for a touchdown (1) as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's coaching staff including Head Coach Mike Gutierrez, at left, as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Bagdad's Head Coach Dalton Mills signals in a play as the Sultans faced the Mayer Wildcats Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Jared LaRue puts Cody Colquitt's jersey on the training table as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dacodah Jensen and his family celebrate senior night as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Jared LaRue and his family enjoy senior night as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
Mayer's Dylan WIlhide and his family enjoy senior night as the Wildcats faced the Bagdad Sultans Friday night in a matchup of top 4 teams in the AIA 1A rankings in Mayer. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)
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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