TOP RETURNERS AND COACHES WITH HONORS
AMPHI
REGION COACH OF THE YEAR
Jorge Mendivil
2023 ALL-REGION SELECTIONS
FB/LB Jacob Espinoza, Sr., 6-2, 215
QB Imanol Silva, Jr., 6-0, 155
RB/SS Malique Maro, Sr., 5-9
CHOLLA
2023 ALL-REGION SELECTION
LB/G Jeremiah Alvarez, Jr., 5-10, 202
DOUGLAS
REGION OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
QB Ivan Higuera, Jr., 5-8, 150
2023 ALL-REGION SELECTIONS
RB/LB Andres Hoyos, Jr., 5-9, 170
RB/LB Jason Hurtado, Jr., 5-7, 170
C/DT Christopher Alvarado, 5-8, 195
EMPIRE
2023 ALL-REGION SELECTIONS
OT/DT Jovhany Capuchino, Sr., 6-3, 285
RB/DE Ngonkra Fuangunyi, Sr., 5-11, 190
RINCON/UNIVERSITY
2023 ALL-REGION SELECTIONS
OL/DL Ryan Lawrence, Jr., 6-2, 250
QB/WR/DB Thomas Montgomery, Sr., 5-10, 140
RIO RICO
2023 ALL-REGION SELECTIONS
WR Byant Limon, Jr., 5-10, 165
FB Yahel Clark, Jr., 5-10, 190
SAHUARITA
2023 ALL-REGION SELECTIONS
OL/DL Joe Thomas, Sr.
K/P Raphael Villa Arzate, Jr., 5-10, 155
S/WR Alden Fox, Sr., 5-9, 175
LB William Thwaits, Jr., 6-2, 187
A look at …
4A Gila
3A South
2A San Pedro
1A South
Players to watch:
Amphi running back/linebacker Jacob Espinoza
Espinoza, a senior who will be a four-year starter, has tallied 1,553 rushing yards on 281 carries with 22 touchdowns in his three previous years. He has run for at least 456 yards each year with his personal best 598 yards last season. When he was a sophomore, he showed that he can also be a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield with 18 receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. Espinoza, who played only eight games last year because of an injury, finished with 40 tackles after recording 74 as a sophomore. He has mentioned that he favors playing linebacker over running back.
Douglas quarterback Ivan Higuera
Douglas junior quarterback Ivan Higuera established himself as one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in Southern Arizona, rushing and passing for more than 1,000 yards last season. He completed 76 of 150 passes for 1,031 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 1,052 yards on 133 carries with 11 touchdowns.
4A GILA 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
AMPHI
Head coach: Jorge Mendivil (40-54, 11th season at Amphi and 121-101 overall in 23rd season overall).Panthers compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | Maryvale | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/6 | at Independence | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/13 | Flowing Wells | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/20 | at Canyon del Oro | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/27 | Cholla* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/4 | at Douglas* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/11 | Empire* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/18 | at Rincon/University* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/25 | Rio Rico* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/1 | at Sahuarita* | -- | -- | -- |
CHOLLA
Head coach: Paul Tripp (first year at Cholla and overall)Chargers compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at Copper Canyon | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/6 | Maryvale | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/13 | at Pueblo | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/20 | Sahuaro | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/27 | at Amphi* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/4 | Rincon/University* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/11 | Douglas * | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/18 | at Sahuarita* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/25 | at Empire* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/1 | Rio Rico* | -- | -- | -- |
DOUGLAS
Head coach: Hunter Long (15-24, sixth year at Douglas and overall)Bulldogs compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | ALA - Ironwood | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/6 | at Bisbee | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/13 | at Sahuaro | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/20 | Ironwood Ridge | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/27 | Empire* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/4 | Amphi* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/11 | at Cholla* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/18 | at Rio Rico* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/1 | Rincon/University* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/8 | at Sahuarita* | -- | -- | -- |
EMPIRE
Head coach: George Kelly (15-27, sixth season at Empire and overall)Ravens compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games are at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | Sierra Linda | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/6 | at La Joya | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/13 | at Ironwood Ridge | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/20 | Pueblo | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/27 | at Douglas* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/4 | Sahuarita* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/11 | at Amphi* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/25 | Cholla* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/1 | at Rio Rico* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/8 | Rincon/University* | -- | -- | -- |
RINCON/UNIVERSITY
Head coach: Johnny Chan (first year at Rincon/University and overall)Rangers compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | Washington | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/6 | Palo Verde | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/13 | at Safford | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/27 | Rio Rico* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/4 | at Cholla* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/11 | at Vista Grande | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/18 | Amphi* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/25 | Sahuarita* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/1 | at Douglas* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/8 | at Empire* | -- | -- | -- |
RIO RICO
Head coach: Carlos Duran (first year at Rio Rico and overall)Hawks compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | at Desert Sunrise | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/5 | Glendale | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/13 | Nogales | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | at Florence | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/27 | at Rincon/University* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/11 | Sahuarita* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/18 | Douglas* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/25 | at Amphi* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/1 | Empire* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/8 | at Cholla* | -- | -- | -- |
SAHUARITA
Head coach: Jake Allen (first year at Sahuarita, 15-15, fifth year overall).Mustangs compete in the 4A Gila. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | Alhambra | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/6 | at Deer Valley | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/13 | at Maricopa | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/20 | Flowing Wells | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/4 | at Empire* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/11 | at Rio Rico* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/18 | Cholla* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/25 | at Rincon/University* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/1 | Amphi* | -- | -- | -- |
| 11/8 | Douglas* | -- | -- | -- |
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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.
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