No. 16 North Canyon at No. 1 Hamilton

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 3700 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler

Key matchup: North Canyon has had trouble stopping any Valley school this season, and now that it has sneaked into the playoffs, it gets Hamilton's large offensive line and the Michael Allen/Zach Bauman backfield duo. Not good news for the Rattlers.

Key stat: The Rattlers have lost five consecutive games entering the playoffs.

The intrigue: Not much. Hard to see undersized, undermanned North Canyon staying with Hamilton for long if the Huskies come out focused the way they have in all but one game (vs. Chandler) this season. It was 49-0 Hamilton in the opening round of the playoffs last season, and it might happen again.

No. 11 Mesa at No. 6 Red Mountain

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 7301 E. Brown Road, Mesa

Key matchup: Mesa's offense is at its best when it's balanced between Jaymen Green and Devontae Kellybrew running and Dallin Parker at QB. Miscues proved costly against Red Mountain in a loss earlier this season, and the Jackrabbits must force Red Mountain to stop them without giving the ball away.Key stat: Mesa committed four turnovers in the teams' first meeting.

The intrigue: Plenty. Let's start with two longtime rival schools, add in a playoff atmosphere, a close first game (28-21 Red Mountain) from late September, and two teams who've largely wound up in opposite directions since. Red Mountain has had a terrible time defensively the past six weeks against Arizona's elite, while Mesa is capable of putting up points when it moves the chains and doesn't commit turnovers. The Mountain Lions fared better offensively last week as Derek Molina ran for 130 yards and they only committed one turnover. Talk about a tossup.

No. 13 Trevor Browne at No. 4 Chandler

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 350 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler

Key matchup: The Wolves put up 220 rushing yards on Browne and scored three times in the final seven minutes of the first quarter in last week's regular-season finale. The Wolves will again need to come out and bury Browne quickly again to get its key players out of the game.

Key stat: Chandler averaged 9 yards per carry in last week's win against the Bruins.

The intrigue: Nobody likes playing a team twice in a season, let alone twice in two weeks, but it won't matter here. Chandler is too good (when it wants to be) for Browne to keep up with, especially offensively, but the first-round break for the Wolves could become a second-round squirm with Mesa Mountain View.

No. 14 Mountain Ridge at No. 3 Brophy

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 1202 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix (Phoenix College)

Key matchup: Mountain Ridge is going to get a lot of Max Leonesio, a 1,400-yard rusher who's come on strong since being shut down by Chandler Hamilton three weeks ago.

Key stat: The Mountain Lions last beat Brophy in the 2004 state semifinals under current Hamilton coach Steve Belles. Since then, Brophy is 4-0.

The intrigue: These two schools used to play each other at least once a year in the previous incarnation of the Desert Valley Region, but Mountain Ridge moved to the Northwest Region and Brophy to the Fiesta this season. This hasn't been quite as strong a Broncos team as the past few seasons Mountain Ridge has seen, but the same could be said about the Mountain Lions.

No. 9 Desert Ridge at No. 8 Mesquite

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 500 S. McQueen Road, Gilbert

Key matchup: Mesquite's physical defense vs. finesse game of Kevin Pantastico and company. Desert Ridge did well in this matchup the first time around.

Key stat: Desert Ridge outgained Mesquite, 406-179, in regular-season meeting and lost in overtime.

The intrigue: Can Mesquite be effective enough with its ground game to aid defense in containing Desert Ridge offense. Mesquite used - and needed - three special-teams plays to its advantage in a 27-21 win the first time around.

No. 10 St. Mary's at No. 7 Basha

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 5990 S. Val Vista Drive, Chandler

Key matchup: Basha defense, which will try to neutralize improving running game of St. Mary's, led by R.J. McGill and Laron Tarkington.

Key stat: St. Mary's' five wins were all against teams that qualified for the playoffs (four in 5A-II and one in 5A-I). It's 5A-I playoff-team triumph was over No. 16 seed Phoenix North Canyon.

The intrigue: This is a popular "upset" pick because St. Mary's has run the ball well the past few weeks and cut down on turnovers, but the Knights haven't had much success throwing the ball, and being one-dimensional is hard to do against other playoff teams. Plus there's the Michael Benjamin factor in favor of Basha. These teams have never met. A perfect time to establish some history with a playoff matchup.

No. 12 Maryvale at No. 5 Mountain View

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 2700 E. Brown Road, Mesa

Key matchup: Mountain View's offense versatile enough to keep Maryvale hopping all night. A real mismatch with Jacom Brimhall, Brad Heap, Jordan Hinton, et al.

Key stat: Maryvale's three losses were by a combined score of 123-27, two to playoff teams.

The intrigue: A No. 5 seed is supposed to get a favorable matchup in the first round. The Toros have a better than favorable opener.

No. 15 Westwood at No. 2 Mountain Pointe

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 4201 E. Knox Road, Phoenix

Key matchup: Westwood defense didn't do a bad job trying to contain the Pride's rushing game in the regular season (264 yards), but it has to do better to pull off the upset.

Key stat: Westwood limited to 188 yards of offense, just 79 on the ground in first meeting with Pride.

The intrigue: Westwood trying to snap three-game skid and implement some adjustments to increase its offensive output. The Warriors also must stray from digging a two- or three-touchdown hole early as they did two weeks ago.

No. 15 Perry at No. 2 Chaparral

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 6935 E. Gold Dust Ave., Scottsdale

Key matchup: Perry defense has to do a better job at point of attack and putting pressure on passer in passing situations since Chaparral is so potent on offense.

Key stat: Perry gave up 432 yards in 37-3 loss at midseason to the Firebirds.

The intrigue: Perry gave a game effort in its season finale to Desert Ridge's high-powered offense. Can they do better against a more well-rounded Chaparral attack. The Firebirds have had injuries and players with personal situations the past couple of weeks, but they've struggled the past three weeks, and it boiled over into a loss to Scottsdale Desert Mountain last week. An omen? Or a wake-up call?

No. 13 Central at No. 4 Marcos de Niza

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 6000 S. Lakeshore Drive, Tempe

Key matchup: Marcos must focus on keeping Central running back Jaleel Tenner in check. Tenner rushed for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns this season and is the main threat the Bobcats possess.

Key stat: Central's two losses outside of Metro Region foes resulted in scores that totaled 92-21 (Desert Ridge and Horizon).

The intrigue: The difference between the haves and have-nots in 5A-II is wide. This is one of those despite Central's 7-3 record that appears competitive with Marcos de Niza's 9-1 but is not.

No. 14 Ironwood at No. 3 Pinnacle

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 3535 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix

Key matchup: Ironwood's defensive line and linebackers must pressure Pinnacle QB Alex Cappellini into hurried throws without allowing him to get away from pressure and scramble, as he ran for 119 yards against Scottsdale Horizon last week.

Key stat: Ironwood averages 2.7 yards per carry.

The intrigue: These two teams shared two common opponents in Phoenix St. Mary's and Goodyear Millennium, and both times it went poorly for Ironwood (while Pinnacle went 2-0 against those teams). The schedule was demanding at times, and there are some playmakers on the Eagles with Gary Chambers (36 receptions, 420 yards, seven TDs; three interceptions), De La Toree (109 tackles, six sacks), Marshall Peugh (97 tackles, 9 sacks) and a front seven that piled up three sacks per game.

No. 11 Ironwood Ridge at No. 6 Desert Mountain

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 12424 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale

Key matchup: Ironwood Ridge will have its hands full with Desert Mountain up front, as the Wolves try to pound Kevin Radcliffe and Shane Williams on the ground.Key stat: This will be the first home playoff game in school history for Desert Mountain, and first postseason game since 1997.

The intrigue: Ironwood Ridge won four of its last five games, but not against top competition, and its loss in that stretch was a blowout against Tucson Sunnyside. The Nighthawks beat Mesa Skyline early this season and have a couple of playmakers on offense at the skill positions, but can they hold up against a pretty good defense in Desert Mountain and hang with the Wolves' size?

No. 12 Horizon at No. 5 Sunnyside

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 1725 E. Billby Road, Tucson

Key matchup: Horizon can move the chains by grinding it out with Matt Jones running the ball or through the air with Ryan Stanford and Nate DeFreitas, but the Huskies struggled with 13 turnovers in their last three losses to Phoenix St. Mary's, Scottsdale Desert Mountain and Phoenix Pinnacle.

Key stat: The Huskies haven't played a team from Tucson since 2004.

The intrigue: Sunnyside is coming off an emotional loss to rival Tucson Salpointe, in which the Blue Devils had a game-tying field goal blocked with 4 seconds left. The Huskies struggled in region play, which included a couple of close losses, but the Huskies are more evenly matched with Sunnyside than the seeding indicates. If Horizon can defend, they can win.

No. 9 Queen Creek (5-5) at No. 8 Apollo (9-1)

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 8045 N. 47th Ave., Glendale

Key matchup: Apollo quarterback Jon Brown has thrown for 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions this season. Queen Creek's secondary will be helped by the presence of Kendal Augustin, the Bulldogs' leading receiver who is limited to just playing defense due to a fractured finger.

Key stat: Queen Creek quarterback Adam Brzeczek has 2,020 of the Bulldogs' 3,239 yards this season. His 608 rushing yards are tops on the team.

Intrigue: The Bulldogs will need to find a big-play replacement for the injured Augustin, who has two scoring plays longer than 70 yards this year. Apollo hasn't played the kind of schedule that Queen Creek has, but the Hawks have a lot of confidence thanks to their 9-1 record.

No. 11 Independence (6-4) at No. 6 Apache Junction (7-3)

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 2525 S. Ironwood Drive, Apache Junction

Key matchup: Apache Junction fullback Nate Scola is going to see a lot more of the ball after being limited on offense due to a thigh injury. The Patriots' defensive line is led by Danny Weber, who will need to keep Scola from getting into the secondary if Apollo is to have a chance.

Key stat: After starting the season 1-4, the Patriots have reeled off five straight wins heading into the playoffs.

The intrigue: How well the Prospectors adapt to life without Cy Maughmer will be the big question. Maughmer, one of the top lineman prospects in the state, will miss the playoffs with a knee injury and leaves a big hole in the middle of both lines for the Prospectors. If his replacements can rise to the occasion, Apache Junction should have little trouble with Independence.

No. 15 Sahuaro (4-6) at No. 2 Cactus Shadows (10-0)

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 5802 E. Dove Valley Road, Cave Creek

Key matchup: Sahuaro receiver Fernando Aguilar leads the Cougars with 34 catches for 693 yards and 11 touchdowns. He'll likely get a lot of attention from Cactus Shadows' Tommy Murphy, who has nine interceptions this season. Aguilar is the Cougars' big-play threat and Murphy's job will be to neutralize him.

Key stat: Cactus Shadows has turned the ball over just 13 times this season and has collected 26 turnovers on defense.

The intrigue: The Falcons have played in plenty of tight ballgames, but coach Chad Degrenier would prefer that the first round not be close. Cactus Shadows has been crisp nearly all season and it would be a surprise if it didn't grab early control of this game and run away with it.

No. 16 McClintock (4-6) at No. 1 Canyon del Oro (10-0)

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 25 W. Calle Concordia, Oro Valley

Key matchup: McClintock linebacker Hayden Tippett is one of the best defenders in 4A-I, and he'll need to be at his best against Canyon del Oro junior Ka'Deem Carey, who averages 11.9 yards per carry. If Tippett and Co. have a good tackling night and not let Carey bust off big runs, they'll have a chance.

Key stat: McClintock tight end Ricky Astrain has 10 touchdowns this season and has scored a TD in seven games.

The intrigue: McClintock enters this game as a decided underdog and that's fine with coach Mike Gibbons, who is hoping his team will play loose and relaxed against the favored Dorados. The Chargers are a dangerous team, and if things get tight late in the game, it is Canyon del Oro that will feel the pressure.

No. 14 Agua Fria (5-5) at No. 3 Saguaro (8-2)

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 6250 N 82nd St., Scottsdale

Key matchup: Saguaro's defense will have a tough test against a solid running attack. The Owls have two backs with more than 800 yards on the ground in Bobby Castaneda and Keith Huckaby, meaning the Sabercats can't concentrate on just stopping one of them.

Key stat: Agua Fria has played five playoff teams and lost all five times, including a 49-0 defeat to Peoria, a team Saguaro beat 13-0.

The intrigue: This will mark the third straight year that Agua Fria and Saguaro will play in the first round of the playoffs. The first two games were won by Saguaro and there is little indication this one will end any different.

No. 9 Paradise Valley at No. 8 Buckeye

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 902 E. Eason Ave., Buckeye

Key matchup: Paradise Valley's secondary has been a cause for concern, and Buckeyes quarterback Kody Karjala has passed for 2,200 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. The Trojans will get their points on offense but need to slow down Buckeye.

Key stat: The Trojans are averaging 320 yards per game on the ground this season, led by Tyree Parker, who averages 145.6 per game.

The intrigue: This is one of the best matchups in the first round. Paradise Valley would be very disappointed with a first-round playoff exit after high hopes heading into the season, but it will have to play a solid game to beat Buckeye.

No. 12 Notre Dame at No. 5 Santa Rita

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 400 N. Second Ave., Tucson (Tucson High)

Key matchup: Santa Rita gave up a touchdown or less defensively in seven of the 10 games this season. The Saints can be explosive offensively with QB Will King and a solid receiving corps, but they can't turn the ball over in this game.

Key stat: Notre Dame's three losses this season have been by a touchdown or less.

The intrigue: These teams matched up in last year's state title game, a contest Notre Dame won to repeat as 4A-II champs. Both were looked at as contenders this season, and despite five losses between them, are very dangerous. Notre Dame is better than its seeding indicates, and the winner of this game will be right in the mix for the 4A-II title.

No. 13 Amphitheater at No. 4 Williams Field

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 2076 S. Higley Road, Gilbert

Key matchup: Williams Field abandoned the running game too soon against Arcadia on Friday. It won't happen in this game, so Amphi must shut down that aspect to stay in the game.

Key stat: Amphitheater averaged more than 28 points per game this season, but fewer than 12 in its three losses.

The intrigue: Amphi won seven games this season but was pasted by elite Tucson teams Palo Verde and Santa Rita. Williams Field is sandwiched between those teams in the seedings, and has comparable talent, so the Black Hawks should win if they play up to potential.

No. 11 Coronado at No. 6 Liberty

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 9621 W. Speckled Gecko Drive, Peoria

Key matchup: Both teams love to run the ball. Shawn Martin of Coronado is one of the best rushers in the East Valley, and Dan Mihelich has been putting up solid numbers for Liberty. The team that controls the game on the ground will have a big advantage.

Key stat: Liberty went 10-0 in its first varsity regular-season schedule.

The intrigue: Liberty is the hotshot newcomer, but its schedule during the regular season was easy. Coronado will be one of the best teams Liberty has seen, and this matchup should be competitive. Although Liberty is the higher seed, a Coronado win would not be a big upset.

No. 10 Douglas at No. 7 Arcadia

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 4703 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix

Key matchup: The Arcadia offense has not been stopped by anyone this season since Buckeye held the Titans to 14 points in Week 3. Douglas will need to find an answer for Arcadia quarterback Colby Kirkegaard to have a shot.

Key stat: Arcadia scored 34 points or more in nine of its 10 games this season.

The intrigue: Arcadia has won seven straight games, capped by an impressive victory over Gilbert Williams Field in the regular season finale on Friday. If the Titans play like they can, this game will result in victory. A win would likely set up a quarterfinal showdown with No. 2 Cactus.

No. 9 Snowflake at No. 1 Fountain Hills

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 3870 Quartz St., Gilbert (Campo Verde High School)

Key matchup: Snowflake is balanced offensively and has a solid passing game. Fountain Hills has been good defensively but hasn't seen a lot of teams that have thrown the ball.

Key stat: Fountain Hills scored 27 points in the first quarter of last week's first-round game against Window Rock.

The intrigue: Fountain Hills cruised to the first-round victory over Window Rock 55-0 but the competition ramps up against Snowflake. Both teams lost two games in the regular season and both have solid defenses.

No. 7 Valley Christian at No. 2 Benson

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 360 S. Patagonia St., Benson

Key matchup: Kyle Graf has rushed for 1,300 yards and 18 TDs, and Mark Mabry (11 TDs) and Dain Dastrup have also taken their share of carries. The Bobcats haven't been effective throwing the ball this season, so it's no surprise what Valley Christian's defense is going to see.Key stat: VC has scored 50-plus points in three consecutive games.

The intrigue: Benson has been perfect since a Week 2 loss to 3A Empire, but the Bobcats haven't seen a team like Valley Christian all season. Both teams rolled last week against inferior competition, and both teams beat up the one common opponent between them (Miami) so it's difficult to know how they match up, but VC wasn't happy about having one loss this season and being a No. 7 seed.

No. 6 Scottsdale Christian at No. 3 St. Johns

Time: 7 p.m. today

Address: 360 S. Redskin Drive, St. Johns

Key matchup: As if playing St. Johns weren't difficult enough, Scottsdale Christian is expected to deal with a six-hour bus ride, 45 degrees and wind. This could be Jeff Fox's best Scottsdale Christian team in his nine years at the school, but to prove that the Eagles must find a way to ignore what a difficult bus trip and cold can do to a team mentally.

Key stat: 3A power Eagar Round Valley snapped St. Johns' 26-game winning streak with a 23-20 victory in Week 2.

The intrigue: St. Johns is the two-time defending champion of 2A, and since the narrow loss to Round Valley, the Redskins have predictably run the table. Scottsdale Christian will by far be the best team St. Johns has seen since the beginning of September, but a big leap in competition hasn't stopped St. Johns teams in recent seasons, nor is Scottsdale Christian accustomed to playing in expected 40-degree weather.