By Brittany Bowyer
Mail

PHOENIX — The final stretch of the fall sports season is officially upon us. Badminton and golf are in the midst of their state championships, with cross country right around the corner, while volleyball, football and flag football all finish up what’s left of their seasons.

Here’s a look at what the North Valley teams have done so far this week, along with a preview of what’s still to come through Friday.

Wrap-up
Starting with volleyball, Monday was a busy day with a ton of teams in action. Arcadia fell to Cactus 3-0, Cactus Shadows lost to St. Mary’s 3-0, Desert Mountain lost a tough one 3-2 to Campo Verde, and Chaparral got swept by Sunrise Mountain 3-0. Saguaro picked up a 3-1 victory over Deer Valley, Notre Dame Prep outlasted Horizon 3-2, and Pinnacle got even with Liberty with a 3-2 win. On Tuesday, Chaparral bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Campo Verde for senior night. Phoenix Country Day School also swept Heritage Academy Laveen 3-0, while Xavier fell to Corona del Sol 3-0.

Badminton played the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday, where all three North Valley teams advanced. In Division II, no. 3 Chaparral defeated no. 14 Willow Canyon 5-0. Meanwhile in Division I, no. 8 Xavier defeated no. 9 Mountain Ridge 5-1, while no. 7 Pinnacle defeated no. 10 Perry 5-0.

In girls golf, Notre Dame Prep took first place at the Division II State Championships on Tuesday. The Saints shot a 37-over-par 613, defeating second place Chaparral by 21 strokes. Junior Olivia Richardson led things for NDP, shooting six-under-par 138 to finish in first place overall.

Moving over to the sand, Brophy Boys Beach Volleyball picked up a 5-0 victory over Deer Valley on Monday.

On the field, Xavier fell to Marana in flag football on Monday 36-0, while Scottsdale Christian Academy also shut out Horizon 42-0. Notre Dame Prep fell to ACP 27-20, and Chaparral defeated Centennial 34-7. On Tuesday, Desert Mountain defeated McClintock 34-0, while Pinnacle defeated Shadow Ridge 41-0. Cactus Shadows fell to Sunrise Mountain 33-13, while Saguaro got shut out by Mesquite 45-0.

Looking ahead
The regular season ends Friday with teams making their final push in these last few days. Wednesday, Horizon will travel to Willow Canyon, while Desert Mountain travels to Notre Dame Prep. Arcadia will also host Deer Valley, Pinnacle will travel to Mountain Ridge, and Cactus Shadows will host Cactus. There will be a heavyweight battle on Wednesday, too, as Xavier travels to Millennium. On Thursday, Phoenix Country Day School hosts Horizon Honors, Desert Mountain hosts Kellis, Saguaro travels to Cactus and Chaparral hosts Horizon. No North Valley teams play on Friday.

For Badminton, the quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday with #3 Chaparral facing off against #6 Skyline,#8 Xavier taking on top-ranked Hamilton and #7 Pinnacle squaring off against #2 Red Mountain.

In golf, the boys will compete for the Division II State Championship Wednesday and Thursday at Aguila Golf Course.

In boys beach volleyball, Brophy will finish up the season on Wednesday with a match against Millennium.

For flag football, Notre Dame Prep is the only North Valley team in action Wednesday as the Saints host Maricopa. On Thursday, Chaparral will travel to Mountain Pointe, Xavier will make the trip down to Tucson to take on Sunnyside while Desert Mountain will host Saguaro. Horizon also hosts North Canyon, while Arcadia hosts Coronado. Closing things out on Friday, Notre Dame Prep will host North Canyon.

Rounding things out with tackle football, Pinnacle will take on Chandler Thursday night as the only North Valley team in action. On Friday, Horizon will take on Chaparral, Desert Mountain will host Notre Dame Prep, and Cactus Shadows will travel to face Tucson High. Brophy also hosts Saguaro while Arcadia hosts Snowflake.

Brittany Bowyer is a Report for America corps member, covering sports for Independent Newsmedia in Arizona. Report for America places talented journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and regions.