Mystery Clouding 2011 Schedule Finally Solved

By Justin Janssen '11

After a strenuous and endless offseason wait, Brophy Prep's 2011 football schedule with dates has finally been released.

The releasing of the football schedules have been delayed on numerous occasions and various components of the schedules have been released on different days.

Here's a quick timeline on how we reached the final schedule:

Dec. 6: The AIA announced the new teams in the sectional format, eliminating regions.

Jan. 19: Sectional appeals were granted.

March 2: The first eight computerized games were announced.

March 23: The other two games the school picked were announced.

Just prior to April 27: The public was supposed to hear the dates of the schedules April 27, but then the AIA turned around and said it would only be available to coaches and that it would be made available to the public May 12.

Just prior to May 12: The AIA announced another delay in the public releasing of schedules. Now the schedules will be announced July 1, eight weeks before the season starts.

Luckily for some school's fans, a coach, or someone in the athletic department has released the team's schedule.

Eight of the 10 games on each team's schedule are a product an AIA computerized program designed to lower travel costs.

While travel has been reduced, (the AIA reports it cut 35% travel in all sports) teams are allowed to play a division up or division down, creating inescapable mismatches.

North Pointe Prep canceled their football season because the school thought their players would get injured playing much larger and stronger teams.

"I can't afford for ambulances to be showing up to prove the AIA wrong," North Pointe Prep Principal Richard Gow told The Arizona Republic. "We don't mind getting beat. But we have to protect our kids."

Without further ado, the 2011 schedule....

8/26 H Mountain Ridge
9/2 H Boulder Creek
9/9 @ Red Mountain
9/16 H Sandra Day O'Conner
9/23 @ North Canyon
9/30 @ Mountain Pointe *
10/6 H Westview
10/14 H St. Mary's *
10/21 @ Westwood
10/28 @ Pinnacle

The marquee matchups on the schedule are Mountain Pointe and St. Mary's.

The Mountain Pointe - Brophy matchup is a rematch of a tight quarterfinal playoff fame last season. Brophy looked like they were going to pull off the upset, but missed three kicks down the stretch in a one point loss. Mountain Pointe starting quarterback Kyle Faunce has transferred out of state.

I'm told by Brophy scout team linebacker Jack Stamets '12 that St. Mary's is losing at least seven starters due to transferring. The biggest transfer is runningback Orange Mooney, who left to live with his father after his mother passed away. The rising Brophy seniors have not beat the Knights yet, and what better time to do that than on senior night and homecoming.