ALLSPORTSTUCSON.COM CONTINUES ITS 50 POSTS FOR THE 50-DAY COUNTDOWN TO THE 2025 SEASON THAT STARTS AUG. 22 FOR SOME SCHOOLS WITH A LOOK AT THE 2A SOUTH II AND INDEPENDENT SCHEDULES. CATCH UP WITH ALL THE POSTS BY CLICKING HERE.
The realignment of football programs going into this school year separated Southern Arizona schools into three different 2A regions — South I, South II and Independent. The 2A San Pedro is no longer.
Eloy Santa Cruz Valley returns to play Southern Arizona schools (in the 2A South II) for the first time since 2021 when it was part of the 2A Rillito region.
Bisbee, Palo Verde, Santa Rita, Tanque Verde and Tombstone are in the 2A South I. Benson, Desert Christian (a 1A Independent last season in its first varsity season), Santa Cruz Valley and Willcox are in the 2A South II. Catalina, a struggling program with its third different head coach in the last three years, is a 2A Independent program.
2A South II & Independent scheduling notes:
— Each of the 2A schools play only a nine-game schedule instead of the traditional 10 games in a season.
— Because there are only four teams in the 2A South II, only three region games are scheduled and they are at the very end in October.
— Benson will play former 2A San Pedro opponents Bisbee, Tombstone and Tanque Verde in freedom games. Morenci, a former 3A South team now in the 2A East, will also play the Bobcats in a freedom game. After Benson opens at Bisbee and Phoenix Christian, it plays four straight home games.
— Desert Christian’s transition from 1A to 2A is aided by playing only one team with a winning record from last year, scheduled in the non-region portion. That is Heritage Academy Laveen, which went 6-4 last season. The Eagles, who also went 6-4 last season in their first year under new coach Jason McKibben, play at Heritage Academy Laveen in the second week of the season.
— Santa Cruz figures to be strong coming off an 8-3 season last year. The Dust Devils play three of their first four games on the road but then play four straight home games before traveling to Tucson to end their regular season at Desert Christian, which figures to experience challenges elevated to 2A in only its second year of existence.
— Willcox, which finished 7-4 with a berth in the 2A state playoffs in Jeston Lotts’ first year leading the program a season ago, has a daunting early schedule as well. After starting at Palo Verde, the Cowboys travel to Arizona Lutheran (8-4 last year), host traditional 3A power Morenci, and then travel to Pima (12-2 and 2A runner-up to Scottsdale Christian). They then host Tombstone (6-4 last year) and Scottsdale Prep (10-2 with a win over Willcox in the first round of the playoffs) before starting region play at home against Desert Christian.
— Virgil Henderson’s return to his alma mater Catalina to be head coach includes a schedule as an independent that should help the struggling Trojans be more competitive. The Trojans play seven 2A schools who were a combined 16-54 last season. The two other games are against former 1A programs Desert Christian and Chandler Lincoln Prep.
2A SOUTH II SCHEDULES
BENSON
Head coach: Chris Rasmussen (5-5, second year at Benson and overall)Bobcats compete in the 2A South II. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/22 | at Bisbee | -- | -- | -- |
| 8/29 | at Phoenix Christian | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/5 | Tombstone | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/12 | Tanque Verde | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Veritas Prep | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | Morenci | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | at Santa Cruz Valley* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | Desert Christian* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | at Willcox* | -- | -- | -- |
DESERT CHRISTIAN
Head coach: Jason McKibben (6-4, second year at Desert Christian and overall)Eagles compete in the 2A South II. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/22 | at ALA-Anthem South | -- | -- | -- |
| 8/29 | Heritage Academy Laveen | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/5 | at Santa Rita | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/12 | Catalina | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | San Carlos | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | Madison Highland | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | at Willcox* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | at Benson* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | Santa Cruz Valley* |
SANTA CRUZ VALLEY
Head coach: Thomas Cortez (22-10, fourth year at Santa Cruz Valley and overall)Dust Devils compete in the 2A South II. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/22 | at Coolidge | -- | -- | -- |
| 8/29 | Globe | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/5 | at St. Johns | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/12 | at Tombstone | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Phoenix Christian | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | Arizona Lutheran | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Benson* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | Willcox* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | at Desert Christian* | -- | -- | -- |
WILLCOX
Head coach: Jeston Lotts (7-4, second year at Willcox; 68-44, 12th year overall).Cowboys compete in the 2A South II. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/22 | at Palo Verde | -- | -- | -- |
| 8/29 | at Arizona Lutheran | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/5 | Morenci | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/12 | at Pima | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Tombstone | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | Scottsdale Prep | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Desert Christian* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | at Santa Cruz Valley | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | Benson* | -- | -- | -- |
2A INDEPENDENT SCHEDULE
CATALINA
Head coach: Virgil Henderson (first year at Catalina; 17-44, eighth year overall)Trojans compete in the 2A Independent. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Ovr | Reg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/22 | at Santa Rita | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/5 | NFL Yet | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/12 | at Desert Christian | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Lincoln Prep | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | at St. John Paul II* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Palo Verde | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | Coronado* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | Globe | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | at San Carlos* | -- | -- | -- |
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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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