Photo by Matthew Montes ’15 | Brophy lost to Hamilton 24-7 Friday, Nov. 21 in the state semifinals.

Game hosted at lopsided field despite AIA policy on neutrality

By Garrison Murphy ‘15
THE ROUNDUP

Brophy football’s season ending semifinal game against Hamilton High School Nov. 21 should have been played at a neutral location, according to Arizona Interscholastic Association policies, but was more than six times closer to the opposing team.

The game’s location at Chandler High School was 26.1 miles from Brophy but 3.9 miles from Hamilton –Hamilton and Chandler are both located on Arizona Avenue— even though the official AIA policy for picking semifinal playoff locations is neutrality.

Brophy lost the game 24 to 7.

The AIA has not responded to multiple calls and emails from The Roundup since before the game in December inquiring about the field location decision.

Athletic Director Mr. Bill Woods said he asked the AIA the week of the game if they could relocate the game to a more neutral site such as McClintock High School.

Mr. Woods added the AIA tends to unofficially favor higher seeded teams and the AIA will talk only to him about school athletics, but they failed to reply to his request to relocate the game.

Brophy defeated Hamilton in the semifinals at McClintock in 2007.

“I did text the AIA a request or suggestion to have it at McClintock, but I did not receive a reply,” Mr. Woods said. “If they did that on purpose, I don’t know … it’s difficult, there aren’t a lot of venues that will take that size event.”

Brophy’s rank at the time was fourth and Hamilton’s was first going into the semifinal game.

There was a similar distance discrepancy in the other Division 1 semifinal game between Mountain Pointe and Chandler High School.

Their game was at Hamilton, 13.3 miles from sixth ranked Mountain Pointe and 3.9 miles from second ranked Chandler.

Chandler beat Mountain Pointe 43 to 22.

Mountain pointe also did not respond to requests for comments from The Roundup.