Football schedules for 6A-4A schools for 2020-2022 won't be released for perhaps a day or two maybe late this week now that the court proceeding between the AIA and three member schools has ended in favor of the AIA. I've had the chance to peek at a draft of  the slates. As drafted they are as good - powerhouse or otherwise - as they've ever been.

With new regions tailored to the level of competition in each of the three big-school conferences and attention paid to tiered scheduling, the menus for teams are quite competitive week to week. It's no secret who your favorite school will play in at least half to 40 percent of their games  based on region alignments, which can be seen at the end of this article. Those alignments have been posted by the AIA since January. It appears several adjustments will be needed as nearly two dozen schools have a game or two with out-of-state foes and some to many may get canceled as a result of travel restrictions by states due to COVID-19.

Here's non-specific insight into the slates of a fistful of powerhouses in the Valley - Chandler, Saguaro, Hamilton, Centennial and Williams Field. 

Looking at Chandler's schedule the last two years and comparing it with 2020's lineup, the Wolves gimmes are reduced to perhaps one from three. Mesa, Tucson, Capital Christian (CA) were lopsided results last year as most would predict. Chandler beat Mesa by scores of 62-0 and 63-0; Tucson 62-0 and 49-0 and Capital Christian, a school a couple divisions lower than Mater Dei or say top-tier California programs like St. John Bosco, 56-0 last year. Every team Chandler is set to play in 2020 was a playoff team in 6A or 5A. 

Saguaro has a better schedule simply moving up from 4A to 5A. The Sabercats five region opponents the last two years - Arcadia, Marcos de Niza, Mesquite, Poston Butte and Seton Catholic - combined to score 31 points in 10 games. Two out-of-state games for Saguaro are solid -- if they remain - and its new region foes should be improved competition. Every opponent save one made the playoffs.

Hamilton's strides from 2018 to 2019 were huge in re-entering best-team-in-the-state-talk. Games vs.Tolleson and Dobson those years are gone. Four schools on the Huskies past two years  schedules remain. A pair of out-of-state games are good ones -  if they remain -  and Arizona freedom game subs for Dobson and Tolleson are an upgrade. Every team Hamilton meets in 2020 were playoff bound in 2019.

Centennial, like Saguaro, gets a schedule boost moving from 5A to 6A. Centennial competed in a weak region the last two years. The Coyotes allowed zero points in beating Apollo, Ironwood, Raymond Kellis, Sunnyslope and Sunrise Mountain twice each in that span. Its new region means games against Brophy Prep, Chaparral, Liberty and Pinnacle the next two years. Centennial also has games against a couple state champs.

Williams Field has competed in the toughest region among 5A schools in recent years with most if not all the schools in the San Tan Region making the playoffs. That won't change as it moves to 6A with a region lineup that features Queen Creek, Red Mountain, Desert Ridge and Casteel. The Black Hawks freedom games in Arizona are robust and noticeably enhanced for the next two-year block.  

Last year's Open Division participants - Chandler, Saguaro, Hamilton, Salpointe, Centennial, Horizon, Pinnacle and Chaparral - stayed away from one another for the most part. There are two Open Division playoff rematches/ 

One school district in 6A - Mesa - remained committed to playing all its sister schools regardless of whether or not they reside in the same region after realignment. Those schools competitive balance is better than the recent past when two or three powerhouses were on their schedules making a .500 record the best most of them could attain. 

One last tidbit in this sneak-peek is Basha. Basha's new region lines it up with Desert Vista, Mountain Pointe, Mesa Mountain View and Cesar Chavez. The Bears shed all games vs. Chandler-district brethern save one. Over the last four years competing in the Premier Region with Chandler, Hamilton and Perry, Basha owned just one win. Basha in 2020 -- provided we get there - is in a better place.

2020-2022 FOOTBALL ALIGNMENTS

6A: Region 1- Brophy, Centennial, Chaparral, Liberty, Pinnacle Region 2 - Chandler, Hamilton, Highland, Higley, Perry. Region 3 - Casteel, Desert Ridge, Queen Creek, Red Mountain, Williams Field. Region 4 - Corona del Sol, Dobson, Mesa, Skyline, Tucson, Westwood. Region 5 - Basha, Cesar Chavez, Desert Vista, Mountain Pointe, Mesa Mountain View. Region 6 - Cibola, Copper Canyon, North, Tolleson, Trevor Browne, Westview. Region 7 - Boulder Creek, La Joya Community, Mountain Ridge, Sandra Day O'Connor, Shadow Ridge, Valley Vista.

5A: East Region - Campo Verde, Gilbert, Horizon, Maricopa, Notre Dame Prep, Saguaro. West I Region - Betty Fairfax, Desert Edge, Ironwood, Millennium, Sunrise Mountain, Verrado. West II Region - Agua Fria, Canyon View, Independence, Kofa, Raymond Kellis, West Point, Willow Canyon. North Region - Goldwater, Cactus Shadows, Desert Mountain, McClintock, Paradise Valley, South Mountain, Sunnyslope. Central Region - Alhambra, Apollo, Camelback, Central, Maryvale, North Canyon. Sonoran I Region - Buena, Cholla, Desert View, Flowing Wells, Marana Mountain View, Salpointe Catholic. Sonoran II Region - Cienega, Ironwood Ridge, Marana, Nogales, Rincon/University, Sunnyside.

4A: Desert Sky Region - ALA-Queen Creek, Benjamin Franklin, Marcos de Niza, Mesquite, Seton Catholic. West Valley Region - Cactus, Gila Ridge, Greenway,  Northwest Christian, Peoria. Kino Region - Canyon del Oro, Casa Grande, Micah Mountain, Pueblo, Sahuaro, Walden Grove. Black Canyon Region - Apache Junction, Arcadia, Combs, Poston Butte, Tempe. Skyline Region - Glendale, Moon Valley, Shadow Mountain, St. Mary's, Thunderbird. Gila Region - Amphitheater, Catalina Foothills, Douglas, Empire, Palo Verde, Rio Rico. Grand Canyon Region - Bradshaw Mountain, Coconno, Flagstaff, Lee Williams, Mingus, Mohave Prescott. Southwest Region - Buckeye, Deer Valley, Estrella Foothills, Lake Havasu, Youngker. Copper Sky Region - Carl Hayden, Sierra Linda, Vista Grande, Washington, Yuma.