2024 Southern Arizona high school football schedules: 4A Gila

NOTE: With the AIA officially releasing the 2024 football schedules last week, AllSportsTucson.com will take a look at the schedules of each region 1A-6A in Southern Arizona in a series of posts.

4A GILA SCHEDULING NOTES:

— Amphi, under one of the most successful coaches in Southern Arizona — Jorge Mendivil (121 career wins), plays the same schedule as last year when it finished 7-3 and 5-1 in the 4A Gila. A majority of the schools play the same schedule as a year ago with the sites flipped. The Panthers host Flowing Wells in the Prince Road Rivalry on Sept. 13 and travel to Amphitheater School District rival CDO the next week.

— The Paul Tripp Era at Cholla begins with a road game against Glendale Copper Canyon, a team the Chargers beat 7-0 at home to start the season last year. The Chargers play traditional rivals Pueblo on the road and Sahuaro at home in non-regional games in the third and fourth weeks of the season, respectively.

— Douglas, under sixth-year coach Hunter Long (an alum who was part of Arizona’s 2014 Pac-12 South championship team), have a tough non-region schedule hosting ALA-Ironwood (3A playoff team last year) in the opener followed by road games at historic rival Bisbee and Sahuaro before hosting 5A school Ironwood Ridge.

— Empire also has a long-term coach in George Kelly (sixth year) and the Ravens face the challenge of opening at home with Phoenix Sierra Linda (a 5A school that reclassifed to 4A this year). The Ravens lost 13-7 at Sierra Linda to open last year. The Ravens then play at Avondale La Joya and Ironwood Ridge before hosting Pueblo in the non-region schedule.

— Johnny Chan begins his head coaching career at Rincon/University at home with games with Phoenix Washington and Palo Verde at home before playing at Safford (a tough 3A team that won at RIncon/University 49-17. The promising news is the Rangers started 2-0 last year with wins at Washington and Palo Verde. A game at Casa Grande Vista Grande is scheduled in the middle of the 4A Gila schedule.

— Rio Rico will start the Carlos Duran era at Maricopa Desert Sunrise followed by home games against Glendale and rival Nogales before playing at Florence. The Ravens won the last two games against Nogales under legendary coach Jeff Scurran after going without a win in the I-19 Rivalry in the previous 12 meetings.

— Jake Allen takes his introduction into head coaching at Pueblo the last four years into his new position at Sahuarita facing the challenge of playing a similar schedule that resulted in a 2-8 record for the Mustangs last year. Sahuarita’s non-region schedule does not include a game with nearby rival Walden Grove for the second consecutive season after the Red Wolves won 56-7 over the Mustangs in 2022 — the first game between the teams since an on-field fight in 2015.

4A GILA SCHEDULES

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2024 SOUTHERN ARIZONA COACHING CHANGES

3A SOUTH

Defending 3A state champion Sabino as well as their 3A South counterparts face some daunting schedules in 2024. Continuing our look at the 2024 Southern Arizona high school football schedules with the 3A South: https://t.co/FzvfVzKy0q

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 12, 2024

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2024 SOUTHERN ARIZONA COACHING CHANGES

2A SAN PEDRO

A look at 2A San Pedro 2024 football schedules including background of new Catalina coach Andy Fetsis, long a successful football and tennis coach at Pusch Ridge. Coached son Christian and PRCA to 2015 3A state title and 2017 championship game: https://t.co/2YFONEKeWC

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 11, 2024

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1A CONFERENCE

Beginning a series of posts looking at the 2024 Southern Arizona high school football schedules that were recently released by the AIA, starting with 1A that includes newcomer Desert Christian (competing as an independent in its first season): https://t.co/FM2J758fZ3

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) June 10, 2024

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.