Just more than half of the East Valley's football teams (20 of 36) are readying themselves for the second season. Ten of 16 in 6A (Mountain Pointe, Chandler, Perry, Skyline, Hamilton, Mesa Mtn. View, Desert Ridge, Desert Vista, Red Mountain and Basha);  three of six in 5A (Williams Field, Queen Creek and Mesquite); two of six in in 4A (Higley and Marcos de Niza);  two of four in 3A (American Leadership and Casteel) and three of four in 2A (Tempe Prep, Gilbert Christian and Chandler Prep).

THIS AND THAT PLAYOFF MATCHUPS: 6A -- #16 Cesar Chavez (6-4) at #1 Mountain Pointe (10-0): Chavez got in the playoffs by virtue of winning its region. The Champions reward is playing the Pride. Chavez lost its first four games  and won its final six. It faces the caliber of team it faced in that 0-4 stretch -- only better in Mountain Pointe....#9 Westview (8-2) at #8 Desert Ridge (7-3): Two outstanding backs highlight this one -- Westview's Tyler Vasko (1,963 yards, 22 TDs) and Desert Ridge's Tyrese Allen (1,300 yards, 9 TDs). Allen tweaked an ankle and carried just four times last week in the Jags win over Highland. Lucas Wright and Donjae Logan picked up the slack combining for 163 yards on the ground. Allen should be available. Smash-mouth game.... #13 Red Mountain (6-4) at #4 Skyline (9-1): Teams met two weeks ago with Skyline eeking out 17-14 win. The Coyotes played that one without top back Kaleb Hardin and top receiver John Jackson. They returned last week Red Mountain suffered two costly red-zone turnovers in the loss. May be best  first-round game in the conference....#14 Valley Vista (7-3) at #3 Perry (9-1): Valley Vista will have its hands full, as has everyone else trying to slow Perry's passing game. First big-school (6A/D-I), home-playoff game for Pumas should be a success if that offense continues to hum.....#11 Tucson (6-4) at #6 Hamilton (6-4): Hamilton's defense has to step up and someone needs to turn off the turnover faucet or this could be the first one-and-done playoff  foray in school history for the Huskies. Hamilton has given up 201 points over the last four games and allowed 30 points per game. It's a year it can take noone for granted....#10 Desert Vista (6-4)  at #7 Mesa Mountain View (7-3): Both teams ended season on a high note with four-game win streaks.The teams have four common opponents and were identical 2-2 beating Dobson and Corona and losing to Mountain Pointe and Skyline. Desert Vista may have given Mountain Pointe its toughest game of the season prior to current winning streak. Desert Vista has the edge with a better defense...... #15 Basha (3-7) at #2 Chandler (8-2): Basha advanced to the playoffs thanks to its strength of schedule. But the Bears are heading straight into the teeth of that strength of schedule. Don't see much difference from its prior meeting, won by Chandler, 59-37....5A -- #9 Mesquite (7-3) at #8 Marana Mountain View (7-3): Should be as close as seeding indicates. Marana Mountain View toyed with the notion of upsetting unbeaten Cienega, but couldn't put together enough stops in a 43-28 loss. The Mountain Lions, led by quarterback Caleb Ryden, passed for 461 yards in that defeat. Mesquite has played well over the final three weeks taking Williams Field to the wire and pulling away in the second half vs. Campo Verde to nail down its playoff spot. Mesquite's three losses are the to the No. 2, 4 and 6 seeds -- Williams Field, Desert Edge and Queen Creek..... #11 Desert View (8-2) at #6 Queen Creek (8-2): The Bulldogs were perhaps a late fourth-and-10 stop from a higher seed and the San Tan Region crown, but Williams Field made a play to prevent that. The Bulldogs should be back in business to open the playoffs. This will be a mismatch.....#15 Chaparral (5-5) at #2 Williams Field (10-0): Chaparral, for the grace of Notre Dame Prep, snuck into the playoffs as a quasi-region champ. Williams Field's staunch defense should make the outcome similar to their earlier meeting, a 40-15 Williams Field triumph back in September.....4A -- #12 Buckeye (8-2) at #5 Marcos de Niza (7-3): Buckeye has the better record, but its losses are to two playoff teams, one (Peoria) that MDN knocked off 35-0. Two of Marcos de Niza's losses are to #1 Saguaro and #2 Higley. #15 St. Mary's (4-6) at #2 Higley (9-1): Higley has one of those offenses noone can get a handle on. St. Mary's has enjoyed a good year under Tommy Brittain, but will be hard pressed to do better than it did in September's 50-28  loss to Higley:... 3A -- #9 Casteel (9-1) at #8 Yuma Catholic (8-2) -- The teams met a month ago in Yuma where Casteel suffered its only loss -- albeit a decisive one 33-7. Casteel will need all the breaks it can get to prevail.....#14 Wickenburg (8-2) at #3 American Leadership (9-1); Wickenburg opened the year 6-0 and then got a reality check from last year's runner-up Northwest Christian. The Wranglers lost a tough regular-seson finale to River Valley.  American Leadership is on par with NWC and the Whit, the White Mountain schools and Yuma Catholic.. ALA has the advantage overall and played a much tougher schedule....... 2A -- #13 Gilbert Christian (6-4) at #4 Pima (8-2): Both are in the playoffs after playing 8-man football last year. They met last year in 8-man and Pima won a tight one. Not so much this year when the teams opened the season with Pima winning, 48-24. A chance to see improvement or not nine games later for GC.....#3 Thatcher (8-2) at #14 Chandler Prep (8-2): The good news for Chandler Prep is it gets to play at home due to 2A playoff rules that give region champs a berth and first-round home game. The bad news is Thatcher is very good and the program knows its way around postseason. Chandler Prep is playing in its first playoff game ever, this after moving up from 8-man last year. #10 Scottsdale Christian (9-2) at #7 Tempe Prep (8-2): One of three 2A regular-season rematches in the first round, this one's outcome has a chance to be reversed. Tempe Prep won in mid-September, 42-21. Since that time Scottsdale Prep is performing better and gave Phoenix Christian its toughest game since Joy Christian transfers arrived. SCA quarterback Jack Miller amassed a bit more than 400 yards in the first meeting. That type of performance is likely again unless Tempe Prep's defense comes up big. Great matchup.