Video: Byron Murphy mid-season highlights The hardest part of
Byron Murphy's move had nothing to do with transitioning to a new school and football program.
It wasn't trying to find the classroom on the first day at Saguaro, remembering the names of his new teammates or digesting a new playbook.
None of it compared with having to tell his longtime friends and teammates at Marcos de Niza that he was leaving the football team where he starred as a sophomore.
"It was hard, really hard," he said. "I had known some guys for years and I pretty much know the whole team."
When Sagauro (11-2) was bumped up to Division II this year, the thought of playing his former team in the state championship was only inevitable.
"It's fate," Murphy said. "What a great way to end my career. We talked about it happening and that it all worked out."
The fifth-seeded Padres (11-2) and the seventh-seeded Sabercats play Saturday for the D-II title at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.
Murphy already faced the Padres last season, but of course it wasn't for a state title. It's expected to be a respectable banter.
"I won't say anything directly to him," Saguaro coach Jason Mohns said. "He knows he can't let it become something that takes home out of his game, but I am sure he wants to play well against them."
It doesn't seem like his former teammates are ready to make a big deal out of it.
"We talked a lot about it," said Padres running back
Shaun Richards, one of Murphy's best friends. "The hardest thing for him was telling us he was leaving. We'd love to have him on the team, we grew up together, but he had to do what was best for him."
The Murphy-Padres clash is just one of the storylines in the five state title games this weekend.
See the MaxPreps Arizona football playoff brackets.
Desert Ridge celebrated big last week.
Photo by Paul Campbell
Friday, 3 p.m.
University of Phoenix StadiumThe preseason, midseason and postseason top three – Chandler, Hamilton, Mountain Pointe – are nowhere to be found.
It's fourth-seeded
Desert Ridge (Mesa) (11-2) and sixth-seeded
Centennial (Peoria) meeting up with the Jaguars looking for their first state title and the Coyotes, who have won four state titles since 2006, trying to become the first west-side team to win a big-school title since 1982.
Division II
Saturday, 4 p.m.
Arizona StadiumSaguaro (Scottsdale) is in its second state title game – the last coming in 2009 – with
Marcos de Niza (Tempe) attempting to win the program's first championship.
The Sabercats are going for their fourth in five seasons and ninth overall as seventh-seeded Saguaro hit its stride after a midseason lull to get back to championship form.
Division III
Saturday, 11 a.m.
Arizona StadiumTwo high-flying offenses match up, as No. 1
Paradise Valley (Phoenix) (13-0) and No. 3
Desert Edge (Goodyear) (11-2) have a rematch from Sept. 3, when PV got out to a 12-0 lead and never gave it up in a 33-21 win.
Paradise Valley quarterback
Daniel Bridge Gadd is one of the candidates for the Arizona Player of the Year, while Desert Edge has rushed for 4,706 yards with 66 touchdowns.
Division IV
Saturday, 6 p.m.
Chaparral High
Eighth-seeded
Northwest Christian (Phoenix) (11-2) threw the Arizona football world off its axis with a 48-0 win over No. 1 Yuma Catholic in the quarterfinals and the knocked of No. 5 Snowflake in the semifinals.
Third-seeded
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy (Tucson) (12-1) has won 12 in a row, including the last two playoff games by a total of six points, including a 17-14 win over Lake Havasu in the semifinals.
Division V
Saturday, 2 p.m.Chaparral High
No. 1
Benson (13-0) hasn't been challenged very often – the defense has given up 84 points - until the semifinals, when the Bobcats squeaked out a 14-12 win against American Leadership.
No. 12
Joy Christian (Glendale) has been just as dominant, with its two closest games of the year coming against Round Valley – 40-29 on Sept. 4 and 41-20 in the semifinals last week.
Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic sports writer and current Prep Sports Director for 1013 Communications, is a 20-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com.
