GVR football still an enigma

Here's one prediction about 5A Gila Valley Region football I feel comfortable making:

Yuma High will win its region opener.

When it comes to everything else, the picture is much more muddled.

The Criminals started region play a week earlier than everybody else, topping one of the two new teams to the region, Lake Havasu, in a 48-31 shootout that could be considered a defensive grudge match compared to the teams' 50-45 barnburner in the zero week.

This week, there's a full slate of games (three), including one of the most important region games of the season - Kofa at Cibola.

So aside from the previous prediction, getting anything right in the region will be incredibly difficult. But, hey, I'm the third best prognosticator on the staff, so why not get into some predictions.

As I always feel obligated to mention in a column like this, these are only my guesses on what will happen based on what I've seen from teams this year. They are not endorsements of any team, player, coach, mascot, administrator, whatever. Some restrictions apply, void where prohibited.

Let's start with who's going to win the region, conquered last year by the Kings. Of course that was a four-team scramble, and this year's region rumble features newbies Havasu and Gila Ridge. Even with the new add-ons, I get the feeling that, like last year, it will come down to Kofa, Yuma High and Cibola.

Yuma High and Cibola are polar opposites. The Raiders have an ironclad defense but problems scoring. The Criminal defense isn't so much ironclad as it is, let's just say, worrisome. But they can score points in bunches.

Kofa is the champ, but is riding a four-game losing streak after an emotional win over Yuma Catholic to start the year. Three of those four teams have winning records, not to mention the Kings have been without reigning region player of the year Timmy Lee.

Yuma's the flashy team, and you never should sleep on a tough defense like Cibola. But something tells me Kofa, with Lee back, is still the team to beat.

I think Havasu and San Luis will combine to win one game. But Gila Ridge is intriguing to me. They are piling up points - not quite at a Criminal rate, but still impressive. I think they will factor into the region title - not so much that they are going to win, but they will beat one of the top three teams. I'm not sure which, but it will happen.

As interesting as that race is, the race for region player of the year is absolutely ridiculous. JC Baker is the clear favorite right now, seemingly setting a new school record every week. Or maybe two for the whole season - but that's still impressive.

But as I said, Lee has been injured. A Kings' repeat at the top of the region means a heck of a season for Lee.

Then there are the dark horses. If the Raiders are region champs, that means their offense started clicking. That would speak well for running back Roy Thompson, or possibly even quarterback Dylan Arviso. But the Raiders are a run-first team.

There's also two other potential dark horses - one at Havasu, quarterback Doug Greene. But out at Gila Ridge, Javier Bon has taken over at running back - a natural transition for the guy who was kicking last year, and continues to be the Hawk kicker this year. Although not a scientific measurement by any means, he has twice been this paper's player of the week. But I believe Baker has too.

I guess what I'm trying to say, 600 words after I said it the first time, is that this should be one crazy, hard-to-predict and exciting region.