It took a series of tie-breakers in 5A Division I and and a coin flip in 4-I Saturday to determine final playoff spots and playoff seeding the first round of this week’s 5A and 4A football state tournaments.

Region and conference officials and coaches gathered Saturday morning at the Arizona Interscholastic Association office in Phoenix to hash out the pairings. Gilbert Mesquite and Phoenix Mountain Pointe tied for the 16th and final 5A-I spot. Conference officials had to resort to the sixth tie-breaker to determine that Mesquite edged out Mountain Pointe. Mesquite’s edge came from being the team whose region qualifiers had the highest total power points (198-182.5). For Mesquite that meant comparing the power point total of Chandler Hamilton, Chandler and Gilbert with the Mountain Pointe’s region qualifiers (Tempe Corona del Sol, Chandler Basha and Phoenix Desert Vista).

Mesquite’s reward is a rematch from two weeks ago with top-seed, unbeaten and defending state champ Hamilton.

“I don’t know whether to shoot myself or be happy,” Mesquite coach Mike Reardon said. “Kidding aside, it’s great for us and our kids to get in.”

4A-I had its own tie-breaking to do. Tempe McClintock, by virtue of its season-ending win over Apache Junction and Avondale Agua Fria’s season-ending loss to Goodyear Millennium, tied for the 15th and 16th playoff berths. Their tie was broken by the fifth tie-breaker – a coin flip. McClintock won to get 15 and Agua Fria is 16. McClintock visits Glendale Cactus in the first round Friday. Agua Fria travels to unbeaten and defending state champ Scottsdale Saguaro.

Here are the official pairings for 5A-I, 5A-II, 4A-I and 4A-II as released by the AIA:

5A Division I

(16) Mesquite at (1) Hamilton

(9) Westwood at (8) Mountain Ridge

(12) Mesa at (5) Corona del Sol

(13) Salpointe at (4) Brophy

(14) Gilbert at (3) Mountain View

(11) Desert Vista at (6) Chandler

(10) Basha at (7) Dobson

(15) North Canyon at (2) Red Mtn.

5A Division II

(16) La Joya at (1) Centennial

(9) Deer Valley at (8) Desert Ridge

(12) Goldwater at (5) Sunnyside

(13) Willow Canyon at (4) Ironwood Ridge

(14) Ironwood at (3) Marcos de Niza

(11) Skyline at (6) Westview

(10) South Mtn. at (7) Marana Mt. View

(15) Cibola at (2) Pinnacle

4A Division I

(16) Agua Fria vs. (1) Saguaro

(9) Nogales at (8) Paradise Valley

(12) Lake Havasu at (5) Chaparral

(13) Apache Junction at (4) Millennium

(14) Prescott at (3) Sabino

(11) Cienega at (6) Canyon del Oro

(10) Marana at (7) Peoria

(15) McClintockat (2) Cactus

4A Division II

(16) Flagstaff at (1) Mingus

(9) Greenway at (8) Washington

(12) Raymond Kellis at (5) Bradshaw Mtn.

(13) Coronado at (4) Santa Rita

(14) Moon Valley at (3) Notre Dame

(11) Palo Verde at (6) Queen Creek

(10) Mohave at (7) Higley

(15) Arcadia at (2) Buckeye