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 5A SOUTHERN SCHEDULES. CATCH UP WITH ALL THE POSTS BY CLICKING HERE.
The realignment of football programs going into this school year included plenty of shifting between teams in the 5A Southern and 5A Sonoran, and also Canyon del Oro elevated from 4A to the 5A Sonoran.
5A Southern in 2024: Buena, Casa Grande, Cienega, Desert View, Marana, and Sunnyside.
5A Southern in 2025: Cienega, Desert View, Flowing Wells, Maricopa, Mountain View, Nogales, and Sunnyside.
Buena, Casa Grande, and Marana moved to the 5A Sonoran, where they join CDO, Ironwood Ridge, Tucson, and Vista Grande.
5A SOUTHERN SCHEDULING NOTES:
— The region has three of the longest tenured coaches in Southern Arizona — Mountain View’s Matt Johnson (22nd year), Desert View’s Robert Bonillas (16th year) and Cienega’s Justin Argraves (16th year).
— Similar to 4A, none of the 5A schools have a week off from games after starting either Aug. 28 or 29. The regular-season schedule runs through Halloween, Oct. 31.
— Cienega starts the fifth year of the Argraves era with the season opener Aug. 29 at home against former region foe Buena. The Bobcats also host Desert Edge (10-4 last year and the 5A state champion) in the second week of the season and play at Desert Mountain in the non-region portion of the schedule. A game at Ironwood Ridge (8-3 last year) is also scheduled. Cienega owns a 14-4 series edge in that rivalry that includes two wins in the postseason against the Nighthawks in 2004 and 2011.
— The talk around town is Desert View may have the most array of talent, especially young talent, that Bonillas has ever coached at the school. The freshman team went unbeaten last year, and the Jaguars’ 7-on-7 team this summer was highly competitive. Desert View will have to mature fast this season, playing three of its first four games on the road, including the first two weeks against Sunrise Mountain and Sahuaro. After opening region play at Mountain View on Sept. 19, the Jaguars will play three straight home games, including one against rival Sunnyside on Oct. 3. The Duel in the District game has traditionally been played at the very beginning or end of a season. Now, it’s in the middle.
— Flowing Wells’ Brian Hook is one of three coaches in the region entering his fourth season as head coach, joining Maricopa’s Tevin Rutherford and Sunnyside’s Thomas Romack. Hook’s team will host Douglas to open the season before traveling to Amphi in the second week of the season for the Prince Road Rivalry. The non-region schedule also includes games against Phoenix schools North (3-7 last year) and Carl Hayden (1-9).
— Maricopa is in a league with Southern Arizona schools for the second consecutive year, despite being closer to Phoenix, north of Casa Grande. The Rams also host 4A Gila school Empire. They play four of their six games in the region on the road against Flowing Wells, Desert View, Sunnyside and Nogales.
— Johnson’s team at Mountain View has a challenging start with three road games, including the season opener against burgeoning power Tucson High. The Mountain Lions then travel to the Phoenix area for consecutive games against Trevor Browne (2-8 last year) and Scottsdale Desert Mountain (8-3). They play their first two region games at home against Desert View and Cienega. The Battle for the Boot rivalry game with Marana will be at home Oct. 24. Johnson’s team pulled off the upset over Marana at home in a late-season game two years ago.
— Warren Smith was hired by Nogales to take over the struggling program after he coached in the Jacksonville, Fla., area. Smith coached mostly youth football in that area of Florida, which is rich with talent. The Apaches are presently on a 20-game losing streak, having gone 0-10 the last two seasons. Nogales opens at home against Amphi, which also has a first-year coach, before playing at rival Rio Rico. The Apaches have lost three straight games to the Hawks after starting 13-0 in the series against them. Nogales ends the regular season with a non-region game at Phoenix Desert Vista, which was winless with a couple of forfeit losses last week.
— Romack’s Sunnyside program looks to rebound from a 3-7 season, including a five-game losing streak to end 2024. The start of the season will be challenging. After opening at Vista Grande (7-4 last year), the Blue Devils play three straight home games against Pueblo, Campo Verde and Mica Mountain. The game against the Warriors is a revival of the Southside rivalry, which has not been played since 2019. Games against Campo Verde (8-4 last year) and Mica Mountain (defending 4A state champion) will be interesting to how Sunnyside shows its competitiveness. The Blue Devils play at rival Desert View this season Oct. 3. They will try to avenge last year’s 29-28 overtime loss at home to the Jaguars.
5A SOUTHERN SCHEDULES
CIENEGA (0-2)
Head coach: Justin Argraves (23-22, fifth year at Cienega; 79-72, 16th year overall)Bobcats compete in the 5A Southern. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Cie | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | Buena | L | 31 | 38 |
| 9/5 | Desert Edge | L | 0 | 26 |
| 9/12 | at Ironwood Ridge | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Nogales* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | at Mountain View* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | at Desert Ridge | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | Sunnyside* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | at Flowing Wells* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | Desert View* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | at Maricopa* | -- | -- | -- |
DESERT VIEW (11-0)
Head coach: Robert Bonillas (62-73, 14th year at Desert View; 68-87, 16th year overall)Jaguars compete in the 5A Southern. *Region game. +Playoff game
| Date | Opponent | W/L | DV | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at Sunrise Mountain | W | 38 | 15 |
| 9/5 | at Sahuaro | W | 45 | 7 |
| 9/12 | Camelback | W | 38 | 15 |
| 9/19 | at Mountain View* | W | 54 | 26 |
| 9/26 | Maricopa* | W | 37 | 0 |
| 10/3 | Sunnyside* | W | 35 | 14 |
| 10/10 | Nogales* | W | 57 | 0 |
| 10/17 | at CDO | W | 48 | 7 |
| 10/24 | at Cienega* | W | 70 | 35 |
| 10/31 | Flowing Wells* | W | 41 | 23 |
| 11/14 | Mountain Pointe+ | W | 37 | 21 |
| 11/21 | Canyon View+ |
FLOWING WELLS (2-0)
Head coach: Brian Hook (13-19, fourth year at Flowing Wells and overall)Caballeros compete in the 5A Southern. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | FW | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | Douglas | W | 56 | 10 |
| 9/5 | at Amphi | W | 56 | 0 |
| 9/12 | at North | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Maricopa* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | Carl Hayden | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | at Nogales* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | at Mountain View* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | Cienega* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | Sunnyside* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | at Desert View* | -- | -- | -- |
MARICOPA (1-1)
Head coach: Tevin Rutherford (9-23, fourth year at Maricopa and overall)Rams compete in the 5A Southern. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Mar | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at Mountain Pointe | L | 8 | 34 |
| 9/5 | Empire | W | 35 | 7 |
| 9/11 | Casa Grande | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | at Flowing Wells* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | at Desert View* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Mountain View* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | Mingus Union | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | at Sunnyside* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | at Nogales* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | Cienega* | -- | -- | -- |
MOUNTAIN VIEW (4-3, 2-2)
Head coach: Matt Johnson (29-32, seventh year at Mountain View; 142-93, 22nd year overall)Mountain Lions compete in the 5A Southern. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | MV | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at Tucson | W, OT | 21 | 20 |
| 9/5 | at Trevor Browne | W | 36 | 0 |
| 9/11 | at Desert Mountain | L | 0 | 42 |
| 9/19 | Desert View* | L | 26 | 54 |
| 9/26 | Cienega* | W | 27 | 6 |
| 10/3 | at Maricopa* | L | 6 | 17 |
| 10/10 | Flowing Wells* | W | 47 | 14 |
| 10/17 | Nogales* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | Marana | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/30 | at Sunnyside* | -- | -- | -- |
NOGALES (2-0)
Head coach: Warren Smith (2-0, first year at Nogales; 2-5, second year overall)Apaches compete in the 5A Southern. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Nog | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | Amphi | W | 29 | 6 |
| 9/5 | at Rio Rico | W | 38 | 18 |
| 9/12 | Sahuarita | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | at Cienega* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/25 | Sunnyside* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Flowing Wells* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | at Desert View* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | at Mountain View* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | Maricopa* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | at Desert Vista | -- | -- | -- |
SUNNYSIDE (2-0)
Head coach: Thomas Romack (17-15, fourth year at Sunnyside and overall)Blue Devils compete in the 5A Southern. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | SS | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at Vista Grande | W | 27 | 16 |
| 9/5 | Pueblo | W | 40 | 12 |
| 9/12 | Campo Verde | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Mica Mountain | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/25 | at Nogales* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | at Desert View* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | at Cienega* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | Maricopa* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | at Flowing Wells* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/30 | Mountain View* | -- | -- | -- |
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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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