9 days to kickoff: List of top games involving Southern Arizona programs

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.COM CONTINUES ITS 50 POSTS FOR THE 50-DAY COUNTDOWN TO THE 2025 SEASON THAT STARTS AUG. 22 FOR SOME SOUTHERN ARIZONA SCHOOLS WITH A LOOK AT A LIST OF TOP GAMES INVOLVING SOUTHERN ARIZONA PROGRAMS. CATCH UP WITH ALL THE POSTS BY CLICKING HERE.

AUGUST

• Aug. 22, Catalina at Santa Rita. The two struggling TUSD programs play each other in the season opener with each having the opportunity to start on a high note. The Eagles, who were 0-10 last year, have not won a game since the 2021 season. They are on a 14-game losing streak. They played only the first two games in 2022 before having to cancel the rest of the season because of a lack of able players and all of 2023, playing only a junior varsity schedule instead. A victory over Catalina could help start restoring pride in the program.

• Aug. 22, Benson at Bisbee. The season opener between rivals is no longer a region game with Benson a 2A South II school and Bisbee in the 2A South I, but bragging rights are just as intense in this AZ-80W highway affair. Benson leads the series 24-12-2 that dates to 1982, but Bisbee has won the last three meetings. Before that, the Bobcats won 10 out of 11 games to take command of the rivalry.

• Aug. 28, Ironwood Ridge at Catalina Foothills. The return of head coach Daniel Sainz, after a year at Cienega as the offensive coordinator, will provide a good indication of how much the Falcons will be competitive from the start against a 5A school. Catalina Foothills is 0-4 against Ironwood Ridge with games played in 2003, 2004, 2011 and 2012. In the games in 2011 and 2012, Catalina Foothills lost by scores of 45-0 and 56-0. Ironwood Ridge was rolling at that time under former coach Matt Johnson.

• Aug. 28, Sahuarita at Walden Grove. The rivals based in Sahuarita have met only four times, with Sahuarita holding a 3-1 advantage. The Mustangs won big against Walden Grove in the first three matchups from 2013-15. The rivalry was put on hold afterward because of excessive fan incidents between the schools in the stands. When the rivalry resumed in 2022, the Red Wolves won in a 56-7 blowout, resulting in another hiatus of the game until this season. Sahuarita, coming off a 7-3 season in Jake Allen’s first year at the school, has more confidence heading into this matchup against perennial power Walden Grove under Corey Noble (a Sahuarita alum).

• Aug. 29, Marana at Salpointe. In the season opener, the Tigers have the opportunity to become the first Southern Arizona team since Cienega in 2016 and 2017 to win consecutive games against Salpointe. The Tigers made a dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter last season to upset the Lancers 27-24 at home. The victory snapped Salpointe’s 27-game winning streak against Southern Arizona schools. When Cienega beat Salpointe in 2016 and 2017 it was coached by Pat Nugent with Jamarye Joiner at quarterback. 

• Aug. 29, Pusch Ridge at ALA-Ironwood. The defending 3A champion Lions play their first road game after opening at home against San Tan Foothills on Aug. 23. ALA-Ironwood is a quality opponent at Queen Creek that went 8-3 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 3A state playoffs last year. ALA-Ironwood, in its 11th year of existence, lost 70-8 against Pusch Ridge in 2020 in the midst of a 23-game losing streak.

• Aug. 29, St. David at Baboquivari. The Warriors are 0-7 against St. David with the series starting in 2017. The average margin of defeat is 37.2 points. The closest Baboquivari came to upsetting the Tigers was in 2019, a 50-48 loss despite senior Anton Jose completing 6 of 8 passes for 117 yards with two touchdowns, rushing for 358 yards on 36 carries with five touchdowns, tallying 10 tackles and having an interception, and kicking off six times with two touchbacks. It will likely take another Herculean effort by the Warriors to have a chance to pull off an upset.

SEPTEMBER

• Sept. 5, Mica Mountain at Canyon del Oro. These programs were developing one of the most competitive rivalries at the 4A level in the state before CDO left the 4A Kino for the 5A Sonoran during last spring’s realignment of programs. The two games they played in the 2023 season were epic when the Dorados went unbeaten en route to a state title. The Dorados prevailed 17-15 in the regular season and then 23-7 in the 4A state semifinals. Mica Mountain avenged those losses with a 50-6 triumph last season on its way to a 14-0 championship season. Great to see the coaches and administrators continue to schedule a non-region game between the two schools.

• Sept. 5, Salpointe at Tucson. Because of the high enrollment and tradition of Tucson High and the winning background of Salpointe, these schools should be marquee programs in Southern Arizona from year to year. They will meet for the first time since 2019, when Bijan Robinson and Lathan Ransom led a 62-0 rout of the Badgers. Tucson High coach Zach Neveleff is a Salpointe graduate who was a valuable running backs coach there under Dennis Bene, coaching the likes of Robinson, Mario Padilla, David Cordero, Anthony Wilhite, Elias Bettis Roberts and Dailan Goodman. 

• Sept. 5, Desert Edge at Cienega. The defending 5A state champion Scorpions visit Vail in what will be a significant power-point boost for Justin Argraves’ Bobcats. The game is in the middle of an arduous start to the season with a game at home against Buena in the opener on Aug. 29, and a game at Ironwood Ridge on Sept. 12. Cienega lost 52-21 in the only previous meeting in 2022 at Desert Edge.

• Sept. 5, Nogales at Rio Rico. The Hawks have turned the tables in the I-19 Rivalry matchup. After Nogales started 13-0 against Rio Rico, the Hawks have won three straight against the Apaches, including 21-7 last season at home. Rio Rico gets to host their rival again this season because of the shift in scheduling due to realignment. Two coaches in their first year at the respective schools will be introduced to the rivalry — Rio Rico’s Dominik Bonilla (formerly at Tombstone) and Nogales’ Warren Smith (background of coaching in Florida).

• Sept. 5, Flowing Wells at Amphi. The closely-battled Prince Road Rivalry series will continue with the series 11-11 since 1999. Amphi will host the Caballeros in consecutive seasons after losing 34-6 last season. This will also be the first game for new head coach Stanley Richardson, who was hired from the Denver area by athletic director Tyrone Cephers to replace legendary retired coach Jorge Mendivil.

• Sept. 5, Bisbee at Douglas. The Bisbee-Douglas series, the second-oldest high school football rivalry in the nation, first began in 1906 with Bisbee winning 7-6. Douglas won the rematch later that year, 18-0. The teams often played two games in a season during their early inception. That’s why the game Sept. 5 is the 155th meeting in the historic rivalry. Bisbee won back The Pick trophy, which goes to the winner of the game, last season with a 26-20 victory at home. Douglas won it the previous three years (24-21 in 2021 in Douglas, 10-8 in 2022 at Bisbee and 39-38 in 2023 at Douglas). Douglas leads the series 84-62-8.

• Sept. 5, Pueblo at Sunnyside. The Southside rivals will meet for the first time since 2019. The last time Pueblo played the Blue Devils (who are a 5A school) was when Brandon Sanders was the Warriors’ head coach. Sanders made a point to tell his players after the win at Sunnyside, the Warriors were the kings of the Southside because they were 4-0 at the time, with wins also against Cholla and Tucson High.

• Sept. 5, Morenci at Willcox. After opening the season at Palo Verde and Arizona Lutheran, Willcox plays its first home game against traditional 3A power Morenci in a non-region game. Morenci went from the 3A South to the 2A East after the realignment of programs in the spring. The schools, close to the Arizona-New Mexico border separated by 90 miles, played annually between 2005 and 2022 with Willcox going 4-14, including a 12-game losing streak to end that run. A win over the Wildcats for the first time since 2010 could propel Jeston Lotts’ program to a successful season.

• Sept. 5, St. David at San Manuel. This is no longer a region rivalry matchup because San Manuel shifted to the 1A East this year following the realignment of programs in the spring. But these programs remain rivals because of their competition when they were traditionally atop the 1A South standings. After two close games in 2023, won by San Manuel 16-14 in the regular season and by St. David 44-38 in the first round of the state tournament, the Tigers routed the Miners 49-0 at home last season. San Manuel can gain revenge at its home field this time around.

• Sept. 11, Casa Grande at Maricopa. The nearby rivals also played last season at Maricopa, and Casa Grande prevailed 45-7. Maricopa won the first four games in the series from 2011-14 and has lost the last four games from 2021-24. The scores in Maricopa’s current four-game losing streak to the Cougars: 55-0 in 2021, 42-7 in 2022, 72-7 in 2023 and 45-7 last year.

• Sept. 12, Marana at Yuma Catholic. Yuma Catholic went from 3A to 4A in 2022 and now the Shamrocks are making the switch to 5A this season. Yuma Catholic went 11-2 last year with a loss to eventual 4A champion Mica Mountain in the semifinals. The previous year, the Shamrocks lost to CDO in the 4A state title game. Marana is the third Southern Arizona powerhouse in as many years to play Yuma Catholic. The long trip to Yuma early in the season should help bond the Tigers.

• Sept. 12, Mica Mountain at ALA-West Foothills. The defending 4A state champion Thunderbolts travel to play a 3A school, but it’s a high-quality one. The Guardians lost their first game of last season in the 3A state championship game against Pusch Ridge. This game also falls in the middle of an early-season three-game road swing for new coach Jay Campos, a legendary coach who replaced another legend, Pat Nugent. After opening at home against Poston Butte, Mica Mountain plays at former 4A Kino rival Canyon del Oro, ALA-West Foothills, and then Sunnyside. CDO and Sunnyside are 5A schools.

• Sept. 12, Thatcher at Florence. Florence’s first game in the 3A East (after the realignment of the regions in the spring) will be against the traditionally strong Eagles, who have knocked the Gophers out of the 3A state playoffs the last two seasons. Florence, 9-2 last season, will host a Thatcher team that went 10-3 and lost in the semifinals to ALA-West Foothills. This is one of the best games in the state to be played in the first month of the season. Florence has lost five straight games to Thatcher dating to 2004. The teams did not play each other from 2005 to 2019.

• Sept. 12, Santa Cruz Valley at Tombstone. Tombstone, which underwent a coaching change from Dominik Bonilla to Jerry Rhoades, is hoping change can extend to this year’s outcome against Santa Cruz Valley in the early-season non-region game. The Yellow Jackets lost 49-14 at Santa Cruz Valley in the first round of the 2A state playoffs in 2023 and are winless in three games against the Dust Devils dating to 2016. Tombstone lost 64-7 in 2016 and a whopping 89-0 in 2017. The game against Santa Cruz Valley is in the middle of a tough four-game stretch for the Yellow Jackets (home against Pima, at Benson, home against the Dust Devils, and then at Willcox).

• Sept. 12, Catalina at Desert Christian. The Eagles are in only their second year of varsity existence after playing at the 1A level last season, so this is an opportunity for the fledgling program with a new coach (former Pusch Ridge coach Bob Vance) to create an eastside rivalry (similar to Sabino and Sahuaro). The schools are only about a 10-minute drive apart on Speedway (between Alvernon and Pantano). It will be Desert Christian’s first home game against a team within the Tucson city limits.

• Sept. 19, Mica Mountain at Sunnyside. The Blue Devils will host Mica Mountain to end a three-game homestand, while the game is the last of three straight road games for the defending 4A state champion Thunderbolts. This can be a statement game for Sunnyside under fourth-year coach Thomas Romack. The Blue Devils lost 35-7 against Mica Mountain at home two years ago and 28-0 last season on the road.

• Sept. 19, Rincon/University at Somerton. The Rangers play their first three games at home against Cibola (2-8 last year), Combs (6-4) and Palo Verde (4-6) before taking their first road trip to the new program at Somerton, which is located south of Yuma near the U.S.-Mexico border. If Rincon/University can start 2-1 or 3-0, a long road trip like that can bond the Rangers even closer together. They follow that trip a week later with a game at Douglas, at the far southeastern corner of the state. A lot of bonding time on the road in those two weeks.

• Sept. 26, Sabino at Sahuaro. The eastside rivalry has grown more intense with Sabino winning three straight games before Sahuaro pulled off a 15-14 win to open last season at Sabino. The Cougars have struggled this century against the Sabercats with a 5-20 record after the series was tied 13-13 from 1974-99. Playing Sabino at home could help Sahuaro win consecutive games in the series for the first time since 2018 and 2019. The previous time that happened was way back in 1988 and 1991.

• Sept. 26, Cholla at Amphi. Cholla’s first-year coach Roland Youngling is a Class of 2011 Amphi alum who played under the legendary Vern Friedli. After playing at Pima College under Pat Nugent, Youngling returned to his alma mater and became a defensive and offensive line coach under Jorge Mendivil. After Mendivil retired following last season, Amphi hired Stanley Richardson from Denver and Youngling applied for the opening at Cholla. Youngling brought some of Mendivil’s former staff members with him to Cholla, including former Arizona offensive lineman David Watson Sr. and defensive coordinator Moe Espinoza.

• Sept. 26, Coolidge at Florence. The Bears, who lead the rivalry series with Florence 43-34-3, are coming off three straight losses against the Gophers, including a 68-0 loss at home last year. The schools from the small towns north of Tucson are less than 10 miles apart, which means fans from both schools pack the stadiums. The series dates to 1935. Coolidge is trying to rebound from a 0-10 season following the return of legendary coach Carlo Hernandez.

• Sept. 26, Tombstone at Palo Verde. The Titans’ region home opener takes place after they begin region play at Tanque Verde on Sept. 5. By the time Palo Verde faces the Yellow Jackets, it will have played more than half the schedule (five games). Defeating Tombstone at home could make for a momentum build with games against Catalina and Santa Rita afterward. The Titans then wrap up the regular season with a home game against Bisbee on Oct. 17. Tombstone has defeated the Titans the previous two seasons by scores of 40-7 in 2023 and 49-14 to close last season in the game at Palo Verde.

• Sept. 26, Salpointe at ALA-Queen Creek. The Lancers will meet another powerhouse for the first time. ALA-Queen Creek is in only its 15th year of existence, but the Patriots have won three state titles in 2013, 2016 and 2019. ALA-Queen Creek lost 40-35 to Basha in the semifinals of the Open Division tournament last year. The Lancers also play at Basha on Oct. 17 in another marquee matchup. The game between Salpointe and ALA-Queen Creek should be an offensive showcase with the Lancers’ talented two QBs — senior Rayce Alvarez and junior Matthew Avelar — along with junior receiver RJ Gory leading the Lancers. Salpointe’s returning All-6A first-team defensive tackle Noah Bahnie and his teammates on defense will try to defend senior QB Britton DeWitt, senior receiver Khalil Bender, junior receiver Braylon Kasper and junior tight end Talan Scott.

OCTOBER

• Oct. 3, Mesa Mountain View at Buena. The Colts, playing arguably the toughest schedule in the history of the program, have many games to circle on the calendar, but the game against the Toros is extra special. The 6A power, coached by former Marana coach Andy Litten, was 12-2 last season with a loss in the 6A state championship to Peoria Centennial. The game is in the midst of a murderer’s row of games for the Colts — hosting ALA-Gilbert North on Sept. 12 and Tucson on Sept. 19, at Marana on Sept. 26, and then the game against Mountain View.

• Oct. 3, Marana at Ironwood Ridge. The Nighthawks and Tigers are not too far from each other on the northwest side, which adds to a potential rivalry with both now in the 5A Sonoran. Ironwood Ridge leads the series 10-2 but the programs have not played each other since 2021. Ironwood Ridge also has a returning talented quarterback — Jaiden Martinez — who will duel against Meyer of Marana.

• Oct. 3, Sunnyside at Desert View. After pulling off a thrilling 29-28 win in overtime at Sunnyside last year in the Duel in the District, Desert View will host the Blue Devils this season. It was the first time the rivals played into overtime in their 22-game series. Last year’s game was played in the regular-season finale, when most rivalry games are played. This game falls in the middle of the season. After Sunnyside built a 13-1 advantage in the series, Desert View has won five of the last eight meetings.

• Oct. 3, Pusch Ridge at Sabino. The Sabercats suffered tough losses last year in their 3-7 season after losing almost 30 seniors from the 2023 state championship team. One of the defeats was against rival Pusch Ridge, who beat Sabino 42-14 at its Oro Valley home. Sabino holds a 5-3 lead in the series that dates to 2016. The Sabercats are 4-0 at home against Pusch Ridge.

• Oct. 3, Bisbee at Tanque Verde. After starting 0-5 in the series that dates to 2011, Tanque Verde won games in convincing fashion against Bisbee in 2022 (57-0 score at home) and 2023 (26-8) before losing at Bisbee 35-21 last season. The loss to the Pumas last season essentially knocked Tanque Verde out of playoff contention (the Hawks’ third consecutive loss). Tanque Verde will want to avenge that loss before hosting Highland Prep and traveling to Tombstone to close the regular season.

• Oct. 3, Palo Verde at Catalina. The realignment forced Catalina into independent status, aligned with other struggling 2A programs in the state. That means the Trojans, under Virgil Henderson, in his first year leading his alma mater, will play only three Tucson-area teams (Santa Rita, Desert Christian and Palo Verde). The game against the Titans is their lone home game scheduled against any of them. It is also the first of three straight home games coming down the stretch, a good opportunity to begin a promising conclusion to Henderson’s welcome-back season.

• Oct. 3, Hayden at St. David. After starting 4-1 in the series that started in 2011 against Hayden, the Tigers are on a 0-4 stretch against the Lobos, including two blowout losses in the playoffs the last two seasons. The Lobos have won 24 straight games entering the season, and that includes championship victories the last two years. St. David lost 53-6 against Hayden in the semifinals last year and 68-0 in the quarterfinals in 2023.

• Oct. 3, Fort Thomas at Valley Union. The Blue Devils circling the calendar at St. David on Aug. 22 is a given, with it being the season opener, and the Tigers are the standard-bearer of the 1A South. Valley Union has the opportunity to run the table against the other region teams Duncan, Baboquivari and Fort Thomas because those games are all at home. The last region meeting is against Fort Thomas, which has lost the last four meetings against Valley Union. Earning at least a 3-1 record in the 1A South should help Valley Union reach the state playoffs.

• Oct. 10, Casa Grande at Marana. This game will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the state — Marana’s Colten Meyer and Casa Grande’s Luke Keeton. It will be toward the end of the regular season, so the stakes will likely be high. Casa Grande, which won the 4A state title only four years ago, is trying to get back into being an upper-echelon program after going 17-15 the last three seasons. Playing well and upsetting Marana can go a long way toward that. Casa Grande lost 45-0 at Marana last season.

• Oct. 10, Flowing Wells at Mountain View. After hosting Maricopa and playing at Nogales in region play, the Caballeros play in this substantial road game against the Mountain Lions. Mountain View pulled away to a 37-13 win at Flowing Wells last season. This game against a quality regional opponent will be a good barometer for fourth-year coach Brian Hook to gauge how much his program has advanced.

• Oct. 10, Mica Mountain at Walden Grove. No doubt Walden Grove coach Corey Noble and the returning Red Wolves will reflect on last season’s meeting in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Walden Grove let the game slip away and lost 16-6 to the eventual 4A state champions. The Red Wolves held the Thunderbolts to a season-low 16 points, and the 10-point deficit was as close a team got to the 14-0 Mica Mountain team other than the Thunderbolts’ 17-8 win over Poston Butte in the season opener. The budding rivalry is only at its third game because Mica Mountain opened in 2020. The Thunderbolts also won 21-7 at home in 2023.

• Oct. 10, Willcox at Eloy Santa Cruz Valley. With Eloy Santa Cruz Valley returning for the first time since 2021 to play in a region that includes teams from the Tucson area, the Dust Devils will be a highlight for all local programs on the schedule. Judging from the recent success of both programs, Santa Cruz Valley and Willcox will likely challenge for the 2A South II title. This game will be the second-to-last of the regular season for each team, making it an important pivot game toward a region title. The teams last met in the 2016 and 2017 seasons and Santa Cruz Valley won those games 72-0 and 50-0 under former coach Rishard Davis, a one-time Arizona walk-on who led Dust Devils to the state title in 2020. Santa Cruz Valley leads the series 17-4.

• Oct. 17, Salpointe at Basha. The last time the Bears faced Salpointe in 2022, they traveled to Tucson to play at Ed Doherty Stadium. They won 46-14 behind the production of quarterback Demond Williams Jr. Basha went 11-2 last year when the Bears lost to Liberty 35-17 in the Open Division state championship. In the semifinals, Basha beat ALA-Queen Creek, which will be visited by Salpointe on Sept. 26. An interesting subplot to Salpointe playing Basha is former Lancer head coach Eric Rogers is on the Bears’ staff and his son Jake, who was part of Salpointe’s team as a freshman, is a budding Class of 2027 prospect at quarterback at Basha. The Bears have four of the top Class of 2026 college prospects in the state — QB Broderick Vehrs (North Texas commit), CB Mason Lewis (Cal), LB Eli Cramer-Cronin (New Mexico) and WR Kash Brock (Colorado State).

• Oct. 17, Tucson at Marana. This will be Senior Night for Marana. The game, two weeks before the regular season ends, will help set the tone for both programs heading toward the postseason. Although Tucson High is the most historic program in Southern Arizona (starting in 1919) and Marana began its football operations in 1951, this will be only the seventh meeting between the schools, and four of those games have come in the last five years. The only other meetings were in 2011 and 2012. Marana has won the last four games, including 56-7 at Gridley Stadium.

• Oct. 17, Sahuarita at Empire. Because of the realignment of programs in the spring, causing shifts in the scheduling, the Ravens will host the Mustangs for the second consecutive year. Sahuarita persevered last season with a 20-12 win. The Ravens will look to avenge that loss. A victory in Empire’s last home game of the season could help send the Ravens toward a region title and a potential spot in the playoffs with road games against Rincon/University and Pueblo to close the regular season.

• Oct. 17, Payson at Thatcher. Payson was 8-3 last season with a loss in the first round of the 3A state tournament, while Thatcher was 10-3 with a trip to the semifinals. This late-season non-region game in the third-to-last week of the regular season should be a significant power-point booster for both teams. Payson and Thatcher, separated by almost 155 miles, have only played once before — in the first round of the 1976 state playoffs with Payson winning 28-0.

• Oct. 24, Vista Grande at Casa Grande. The Casa Grande schools will meet as regional opponents for the first time after Vista Grande was elevated to 5A during the realignment. It is also the first meeting of the schools since the COVID-19-affected season of 2020. Vista Grande’s last win in the series was in the 2015 season opener. This year’s game falls in the second-to-last game of the regular season, which adds to the importance of the game as a playoff push for each program.

• Oct. 24, Marana at Mountain View. The last time the schools played in the Battle for the Boot at Mountain View in 2023, the Mountain Lions pulled off a 42-35 upset. Marana regained the Boot last year with a 46-13 triumph. Mountain View has all of its key contributors back on defense, so this year’s game will be a battle of strengths with Marana featuring one of the top offensive threats in the state.

• Oct. 31, Benjamin Franklin at Pusch Ridge. The old coaching cliché is that every game is equal and there’s no looking ahead. But it’s difficult to avoid seeing this game at the end of Pusch Ridge’s regular-season schedule. The teams met in the 3A state semifinals last season, with the Lions prevailing en route to a state title. Benjamin Franklin hosted Pusch Ridge in the regular season last year and pulled away to a 31-7 victory, the worst regular-season loss in coach Kent Middleton’s five years at the school.

• Oct. 31, Florence at San Tan Foothills. The regular-season finale can turn into a rivalry game between the schools about 12 miles apart. San Tan Foothills is in only its 17th year of existence. The Sabercats are 1-6 against the Gophers in their last seven meetings. They are 4-9 overall against Florence.
  

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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.