Paradise Valley didn’t wait long to announce its presence as a contender for the 2012 Division III crown.

Saguaro Sabercats

This is Saguaro’s time of the year.

It wasn’t hard to choose last year’s Tribune Player of the Year, as Saguaro running back D.J. Foster broke several state records, ran for 508 yards and 10 touchdowns in one game and led the Sabercats to the Division III state title.

A collection of some of the best East Valley high school football performances from the first round of the 2012 playoffs:

Players to Watch

It's easy to understand why Hollywood loves doing business with author Nicholas Sparks. His books are huge best-sellers, and several of the films adapted from his novels - "Message in a Bottle," ''The Notebook," and "Dear John" - have achieved impressive box office grosses. The latest Sparks adaptation, "Safe Haven," will probably continue his winning streak, especially with its Valentine's Day opening pegged to lure female fans. A thriller element that has not been present in earlier Sparks movies is designed to draw reluctant male viewers to see the picture, but they won't respond with the same enthusiasm as his core audience of woozy romantics.

LOS ANGELES - Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" took in a whopping $21.8 million in its first three days, becoming the first documentary ever to debut as Hollywood's top weekend film.

Here are the local athletes expected to sign Letters of Intent with colleges beginning Wednesday. For additions, email varsity@evtrib.com and include the athlete's name, high school, sport and college of choice.

It wasn’t hard to choose last year’s Tribune Player of the Year, as Saguaro running back D.J. Foster broke several state records, ran for 508 yards and 10 touchdowns in one game and led the Sabercats to the Division III state title.

Woe is he who goes foraging for potential Oscar nominees before September. Seasonally speaking, Oscar is a late fall, early winter sort of spud — as far as the main categories go, you won’t find many winners in recent years that originated in any month other than those that end with "ber."

Are you ready for some football? It’s about that time, as Desert Vista kicks off the season in the Sollenberger Classic on Saturday, and almost everyone else begins on Aug. 24. Here are the Tribune’s preseason rankings for every division:

All-Tribune First Team Offense