Now the real fun begins in the Division V football playoffs. At least for the fans.

As for the D-V football teams, they are each preparing for the knock-down, drag-out phase of the postseason to begin in their division. This season, no other division in Arizona high school football is as loaded as D-V.

It’s so loaded that even one of the perennial playoff teams, St. Johns, didn’t receive a 2014 postseason invitation. As expected, all of the favorites reached the quarterfinals.

But of the remaining eight teams, there is a ringleader, defending champ Yuma Catholic. But the talent is spread equally across the rest of the field.

The state’s best offense belongs to Yuma Catholic, which starts tight end Matt Pistone and wide receiver Donovan Rooks, the first two Division I recruits in the program’s history. But it also starts quarterback Jagan Cleary (8,530 career passing yards) and running back Carter Rodiguez (55 career touchdowns).

Yuma Catholic has been held under 43 points in a game only once this season. But it did play in two very close contests, first against Thatcher in a 28-20 win in Week 2 and in Week 10 versus Northwest Christian.

Northwest Christian gave up a lot yards and points in that 63-46 loss, but three of its cornerbacks didn’t play against Yuma Catholic. Besides the offensive production, what’s also been impressive about Yuma Catholic is that it is undefeated despite starting this season with new offensive and defensive lines.

Yuma Catholic will face 9-1 Tucson Pusch Ridge in the quarterfinals. Another intriguing quarterfinal matchup features No. 5 seed Round Valley, the D-V state runner-up last year, facing No. 4 Northwest Christian.

Round Valley has given up only 26 points this season, but it hasn’t played any of the remaining playoff teams yet. Ethan Workman, Round Valley’s workhorse, needs 12 yards to reach the 3,000 mark for career rushing yards and has totaled 252 the past two seasons.

And quarterback Nate Guiterrez surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark again this season for Round Valley. But we’ll see if Round Valley’s schedule helped or hindered the team when it faces a well-tested Northwest Christian team.

Like all of the quarterfinal teams, Thatcher also has a star player, Heath Motes, a running back disguised as a quarterback. Despite playing behind an offensive line that started four new starters, Motes has already improved his offensive production (17 touchdown passes, 1,886 rushing yards) this year compared to last year (16 passing TDs, 1,069 rushing yards), when he played with an injury.

Thatcher will face Arizona Lutheran and its three-headed monster, quarterback Cameron Haag, running back Jesse Zwick and tight end Brady Cook, in the quarterfinals. The final good matchup in the quarterfinals will feature No. 7 seed Joy Christian and Tempe Prep.

Tempe Prep battled through some adversity this season en route to the No. 2 seed. Injuries to key players and not having its coach, Tommy Brittain, for two games (suspended for praying with his team) didn’t keep Tempe Prep from from posting a 10-1 record.

Tempe Prep personifies the type of grind it out football that will be displayed during the rest of the Division V playoffs. The hard-nosed team has only given up 14 points in the last six weeks.

But Tempe Prep will face a Joy Christian squad that starts athletes who can elude defenders. Junior Matt Mitchell took over as quarterback this year and has completed 66 percent of his passes so far and is spreading the ball out, as three different Joy Christian receivers each have at least 23 or more pass receptions.

But Joy Christian and Tonka Watson (1,125 rushing yards) can also go to the ground and pound game just like Tempe Prep if it wants to.  

The quarterfinal edition of the football programs will be available to view for free Friday. You can view them here: http://www.aia365.com/programs.