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Holbrook is 0-5 and ranked near the bottom of the standings. On Friday they will travel to take on the 23rd ranked Payson Longhorns, which come in with a 4-1 record. Payson has outscored their last two opponents by a combined total of 107-0. Last year Payson won in Holbrook by a final of 56-0. That combination of facts and figures doesn’t bode well for a Roadrunner victory. Payson missed the state playoffs a season ago and plans to return to the top 16. An expected win over Holbrook will boost their ranking. Holbrook has struggled to score and against the Payson defense the road will be considerably tougher than it has been.
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Winslow hosts Show Low in a battle of two teams ranked inside the top 20. The 13th ranked Bulldogs come into this game with a record of 5-1. Seventeenth ranked Show Low is 3-2 but has played a much more difficult schedule. Four of Winslow’s wins have come against North Region opponents. The Cougars are playing without their top ranked quarterback, but their defense is still physical. Last week Show Low was beaten soundly at Safford. Playing in Winslow will give the Bulldogs an advantage. Last year the Cougars won this game 35-18. This year the score could be closer, but don’t be surprised if Show Low again comes out on top.
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The best game of the night will be in Snowflake where the 4-1 Lobos will host the 5-1 Yellowjackets. Snowflake lands in the seventh position in the overall rankings, while Blue Ridge is ranked fifth. The Lobos had last week off and with two weeks to prepare for Blue Ridge, they will certainly have the advantage. Last year Snowflake won this game in a thriller 28-21. Blue Ridge has played a couple of close games with two of their wins by a combined total of six points. Don’t look for this game to be that close. Snowflake is still the class of the East Region and barring a huge Yellowjacket upset, Snowflake should once again win this match up and improve to 5-1 and move inside the top five in the rankings next week.
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The 1A rankings are also out and Joseph City finds themselves ranked eighth with a 3-2 overall record. On Friday night they host NFL Yet, which is ranked 13th and also has a 3-2 record. These two teams have not had any common opponents thus far this season. Last year the Wildcats won in a shootout 62-44. Both teams have shown the ability to score points and both have struggled to stop other teams. With the Eagles having to travel to Wildcat Country, that may be enough of an edge to send the home team to a 4-2 record. Either way expect the points to pile up in this contest.
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