Scottsdale-based Sports Fan Marketing CEO Steve Sodell is betting locals are so thrilled to have Super Bowl XLII on their home turf, they’ll be buying lots of logo-emblazoned stuff for themselves and for Christmas gifts.

Super Bowl Sunday is more than three months away, but local retailers are already preparing their stores for what they hope will be a super payday.

GLENDALE - Adrian Peterson didn't want it all to end. With Boise State players streaming onto the field in celebration, Peterson still wanted another chance to win the Fiesta Bowl.

It was 1999, Jeff Blake recalled, when the starting Cincinnati Bengals offense he directed did not find the end zone during the preseason.

Thunderbird’s coaching staff wasn’t happy when Saguaro used a play-action pass on third down for a 52-yard score with 2:18 remaining for the Sabercats’ 10th touchdown of the night in a 70-21 victory on Thursday at Saguaro.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Most NFL tight ends are either great blockers or talented receivers. Todd Heap is among the few that can do both, a quality that has never been more apparent than this year.

Marcos de Niza just didn’t want to quit Friday night. The Padres converted a fourth-down pass play from David Viel to Ben Matuz for 23 yards with 35.8 seconds left and held on to shock Westview 35-33 in 5A Division II action in Avondale.

After a sluggish start to the season Mesa Mountain View returned to form, at least for one week, as the Toros defeated crosstown rival Dobson 50-20 Friday in 5A-I Central Region play.

For the second straight year in its rivalry game against Deer Valley, Ironwood returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

Marcel Shipp has always been quiet. So he said little over the years when he thought he had a chance to be the Cardinals’ starting running back, only to have it undercut by a parade of newcomers, from Emmitt Smith to J.J. Arrington to Edgerrin James.

Gavin Mack threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Brock Hogan with 1 minute, 53 seconds remaining, and the Mesa Red Mountain defense held on for a 26-21 victory over Mesa Westwood Friday night in a 5A East Valley Region game at Westwood.

Josh Felton ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns while teammate Roman Lunsford rushed for 99 yards as Phoenix St. Mary's overcame a late turnover and captured a 23-21 win Friday over Tempe Corona del Sol at Hoy Field on the Phoenix College campus.

Phoenix Brophy junior running back Ray Polk proved last week's standout performance against Mesa Westwood was no fluke as he scored five touchdowns in a 42-7 rout of Paradise Valley in the 5A Desert Valley Region opener for both teams.

At 5-1, Avondale Westview was barely in the top 20 in power points. At 5-2, Phoenix Brophy was still widely seen as a state title contender.

Will Clemens led Maricopa over visiting Santa Cruz 30-22 in a 3A South game. Clemens threw for two touchdowns and ran for one in the victory.

The cast was true but Gilbert Highland wiggled off Yuma Kofa’s hook Thursday at Irv Pallack Field.

TUCSON - Arizona State has run a trick play with quarterback Rudy Carpenter standing back in punt formation a few times this season. On Saturday against Arizona, it worked — sort of.

November 7, 2004