No. 1 Mountain Pointe vs. No. 3 Hamilton

Just play the games already.

Week 1 football predictions:

Hamilton Huskies

The offense gets the majority of the headlines, but playmakers on a defense can affect games in a hurry. The ballhawks are plentiful this year, so quarterbacks must be careful when throwing passes. Here are five players set to make big impacts on Friday nights this fall:

Let’s do this again.

Area football players were snubbed on the All-Arizona team voted on by the football coaches association.

Media outlets have prepared obituaries for famous people getting up in age so when the time comes a few simple blanks can be filled in and the obit can be released in a timely fashion.

Hamilton looked like the Huskies of yester-year. Desert Ridge was, well, a bit shell-shocked.

Media outlets have prepared obituaries for famous people getting up in age so when the time comes a few simple blanks can be filled in and the obit can be released in a timely fashion.

Even in the midst of a state semifinal week of preparation, with a trip to the championship game on the line, it was difficult for Desert Ridge not to wonder “what if.”

The offense gets the majority of the headlines, but playmakers on a defense can affect games in a hurry. The ballhawks are plentiful this year, so quarterbacks must be careful when throwing passes. Here are five players set to make big impacts on Friday nights this fall:

The wild, wacky, unpredictable start to the 2012 football season continued on Friday night, as two more of the preseason favorites in Division I went down. Fifth-ranked Red Mountain knocked off No. 1 Brophy behind a late, fourth-down touchdown pass, while No. 3 Mountain Pointe knocked off second-ranked and defending champion Desert Vista by holding the Thunder scoreless in the second half.

Are you ready for some football? It’s about that time, as Desert Vista kicks off the season in the Sollenberger Classic on Saturday, and almost everyone else begins on Aug. 24. Here are the Tribune’s preseason rankings for every division:

Let’s review what’s happened, shall we?

All-Tribune First Team Offense