Some played as far back as two months ago. Some played as recently as the end of October. But they are playing again no matter how far apart. Will it make any difference in the six football rematches that take place Friday and Saturday in the 5A, 4A and 3A playoffs?

Mesa Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock engaged in a rematch last week when his Jaguars took on Gilbert Mesquite, a foe that edged his squad, 27-21, on Aug. 28. Mesquite prevailed again last Friday, 37-27. He thought his team had the advantage.

“I believe the team that lost the first time has the advantage,” Hathcock said. “The other team has that mindset we beat them once, so we can beat them again.”

It didn’t work out that way.

Desert Ridge came out fired up and confident, and had an offensively-challenged Mesquite team on the ropes with a 14-0 lead late in the second quarter. But the Wildcats got momentum a minute before halftime and then began to believe they could win.

“The other factor that’s important,” Hathcock said, “is try to do what you do best and do it correctly. You don’t have to scrap something that’s been working all year and do something completely different. Maybe if you got blown out. But the best thing you can do is concentrate on what you do and do it well.”

Chandler Basha will get another chance at Phoenix Mountain Pointe this week. The Pride went undefeated in the regular season, but it was the Bears who almost tripped them up, taking a 10-0 lead into the fourth quarter in mid-September.

The Basha players are looking for revenge, but coach Tim McBurney said there isn’t much that can be taken from that meeting more than two months ago.

“The second time, everybody talks about that, but we’re both two different ballclubs,” he said.

Most teams are shells of their former self, whether it was three, six or eight weeks ago, but as Phoenix Pinnacle and Scottsdale Desert Mountain meet again in what’s expected to be one of several tight nights, there are few secrets left.

Since the film doesn’t lie, do you “go with the girl who brought you to this dance,” in Wolves coach Tony Tabor’s mind? Or change course?

“What it does, I think, is do you change what you do, what worked the first time?” Pinnacle coach Dana Zupke said. “You’ll drive yourself nuts on how to approach that and put in new things at the last minute. If you change things and lose, then you beat yourself up for making changes from what already worked. It’ll drive you crazy.”

These are crazy times, and the consensus was nobody wants to play a team twice in a season, but in these single-elimination playoffs, there is no voting.

Basha at Mountain Pointe

First meeting: Sept. 11 at Mountain Pointe — Mountain Pointe 21, Basha 10

What happened: A defensive struggle much of the night with Basha taking a 10-0 lead to the final period courtesy of a special teams touchdown (blocked punt) and a field goal. Mountain Pointe finally unleashed De’Andre Currie (two TDs) and Davon Jones (1 TD) in the final 10 minutes to come away with the victory.

What’s changed: According to Basha coach Tim McBurney, both teams are better. Basha is running the ball more effectively. Running back Lucas Guevara was playing in his first game of the season that night and the team showed some rust. Basha’s Mike Benjamin is showing some wear with his running, passing, punting and occasional kickoff duties gradually taking a toll. Expect adrenalin to kick in for Benjamin to blunt the weariness as long as the Bears stay alive.

What will happen: Mountain Pointe has thrived on its two-pronged running attack of Jones and Currie, which pecks away at the opposition from start to finish. Mountain Pointe’s M.O. is to get out quickly and finish strong. It’s worked every game so far the undefeated Pride, so it’s a strong trend that’s up to Basha to change.

Mountain View at Chandler

First meeting: Oct. 30 at Mountain View — Chandler 45, Mountain View 42

What happened: Defense need not apply, as the teams ran wild on one another (194 yards rushing for Chandler, 184 for Mountain View) and a shootout was under way. The Toros committed two turnovers (rare for Mountain View), including a fumble on the second-half kickoff, and those two miscues proved the difference. The Wolves got another sparkling performance from QB Brett Hundley, and played without a couple defensive starters, but they lost kicker/wide receiver Logan Spears to injury, possibly for the season.

What’s changed: Not much for either team. Mountain View rebounded quickly to beat Chandler Basha and win the Central Region title the next week to end the regular season, then put a hurting on Phoenix Maryvale in last week’s playoff opener. The Wolves have blown out Phoenix Trevor Browne twice in two weeks, though they did get a couple defenders back in the mix since the first meeting.

What will happen: Chandler has the athletic advantage, while Mountain View has the discipline and fundamentals advantage. Chandler coach Jim Ewan called Mountain View’s offense “as good as any in the state right now,” and he may be right. The Wolves can’t fall asleep on any random play defensively as was the case last time. All things equal, Chandler’s talent should win out, but that rarely happens. The Wolves are notorious for penalties and miscues that Mountain View doesn’t make.

Mesa at Brophy

First meeting: Oct. 16 at Phoenix College — Brophy 26, Mesa 18

What happened: It had the makings of a runaway when Brophy took a 19-6 halftime lead, but the Jackrabbits are known as a team that keeps swinging, and Devontae Kellybrew caught a couple touchdown passes from Dallin Parker in the fourth quarter to rally the Jackrabbits. A late Broncos touchdown and an interception sealed the win for Brophy while Max Leonesio rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

What’s changed: Brophy tried a comeback of its own the following week against Chandler Hamilton but fell short in a thriller. Since then, however, Brophy has run the table with three consecutive wins against lesser competition. Mesa was handled by Hamilton two weeks ago, but rebounded to win its first playoff game since 2000 last week against Mesa Red Mountain.

What will happen: There’s no telling. Two teams with similar philosophies, styles of play, strengths and weakness, and two of the best coaches in the state. Mesa punctured Red Mountain’s interior defense with the same four running plays and solid defense, but Brophy presents a tougher challenge. The key will be how well Chase Knox and the Brophy passing game can deal with a good, unheralded Mesa defense.

Desert Mountain at Pinnacle

First meeting: Oct. 23 at Pinnacle — Pinnacle 27, Desert Mountain 17

What happened: Pinnacle jumped out to a 14-0 lead before Desert Mountain made its move early in the second quarter with an interception return for a touchdown, a blocked punt that was returned that for a score, and a field goal for a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. But Pinnacle’s Alex Cappellini hit Dillon Luther for a 1-yard touchdown with 2:36 left to play and then Tanner Thurston recovered a fumble in the end zone in the final seconds.

What’s changed: A lot. Desert Mountain was so unhappy with its offensive direction, the Wolves changed their offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. The Wolves are 3-0 since, including an overtime victory against Scottsdale Chaparral. Desert Mountain isn’t a juggernaut by any stretch offensively, but the Wolves are happy with the change. A closer-than-expected win against Tucson Ironwood Ridge last week was the Wolves’ first playoff game since 1997 and first postseason victory in school history. Pinnacle has also won three straight, including a playoff victory against Glendale Ironwood, but lost its top defensive player in linebacker Andrew Hurley with a broken fibula.

What will happen: Desert Mountain almost assuredly will fare better offensively than last time (4 turnovers, 3 offensive points scored), but Pinnacle has a pretty good defense. The key for the Wolves will be the turnovers and whether Drew Seaman can continue to make good decisions at QB. The Wolves want to run the ball and have a sizeable offensive line to do it, so Seaman need only “manage” the game. Hurley’s injury is a big blow to Pinnacle, which loses its captain, emotional leader and athletic linebacker/pass rusher, but the Pioneers have decent depth. Dillon Luther and Alex Zemezonak came up big for Pinnacle in the last matchup, but two turnovers didn’t help, and Pinnacle wants to make Desert Mountain throw the ball and not give them short fields like last time.

Paradise Valley at Mingus

First meeting: Oct. 2 at Paradise Valley — Mingus 47, Paradise Valley 7

What happened: Mingus had a kickoff return for a touchdown and two interception returns for scores in the first half, cruising to the blowout victory. Paradise Valley quarterback Kevin Spain was 5-of-20 in the game with three interceptions. Paradise Valley coach Donnie Yantis called it the ‘Twilight Zone’ for all the crazy things that happened in the game.

What’s changed: Paradise Valley did not have running back Jake Brown in that game because of an ankle injury, and he’s back. But the Trojans will be without the other half of their power running game, as Tyree Parker can’t play after getting ejected last week against Buckeye, which merited an automatic one-game suspension. This loss was in the midst of a brutal scheduling stretch for Paradise Valley, and the Trojans have rebounded since that time.

What will happen: A score as lopsided as last time would be a surprise, but so would a win for Paradise Valley. The Trojans’ defense has had trouble stopping good offenses, and without Parker, Mingus will be able to key on Jake Brown and force others to beat it. The Marauders always play well at home and will be the favorites to win this contest.

Show Low vs. Fountain Hills

First meeting: Oct. 2 at Fountain Hills — Fountain Hills 32, Show Low 27

What happened: Fountain Hills had a 32-13 third-quarter lead and seemed to be in control, but Show Low quarterback Rathen Ricedorff led a furious second-half rally to cut the lead to five. Show Low had the ball with a chance to win late in the fourth quarter, but turned the ball over on downs.

What’s changed: Fountain Hills was using backup quarterback Rainer Greenstreet for that contest as Connor Brinton couldn’t play quarterback because of a fracture on his left hand. Brinton is back now, and threw for 112 yards and a touchdown and ran for 83 yards in a 23-20 win over Snowflake last week. The loss to Fountain Hills began a stretch where Show Low went 1-3, but it has since rebounded for three straight victories.

What will happen: With Ricedorff under center, Show Low has the type of high-octane offense to stay in any game. But the Falcons have a well-balanced squad highlighted by a solid defense. If Fountain Hills limits the big plays of Show Low, it will have a good chance to win this contest.