ALLSPORTSTUCSON.COM CONCLUDES ITS 50 POSTS FOR THE 50-DAY COUNTDOWN TO THE 2025 SEASON THAT STARTS AUG. 22 FOR SOME SOUTHERN ARIZONA SCHOOLS WITH A PODCAST PREVIEWING THE FIRST GAMES INVOLVING 1A-3A SCHOOLS. CATCH UP WITH ALL THE POSTS BY CLICKING HERE.
WEEK ONE
FRIDAY (all games begin at 7 p.m.)
3A: Sabino at Valley Christian
Valley Christian made the semifinals in 2023 when Sabino won it all. Sabino lost more than 25 seniors from that team and struggled last year with inexperience, finishing 3-7. Valley Christian also fell on hard times going 3-6. Sabino has good leadership on both sides of the ball with senior running back Zachari Haley and junior lineman Victor Alcantar. Bodhi Sanford is a sophomore QB who has a year of varsity experience under his belt.
2A: Phoenix Christian at Tanque Verde
Tanque Verde, under third-year coach Jeffrey Bollnow, has a rivalry brewing with Phoenix Christian, beginning the season for the third straight year against the Cougars. The Hawks won at Phoenix Christian in 2023 but lost to the Cougars last season at home. They host Phoenix Christian again this season to kick off their season.
2A: Desert Christian at ALA-Anthem South
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. Jason McKibben resigned a week before practice this fall. Desert Christian has also lost starting QB Cooper Payne to Tanque Verde. Vance was 26-14 at Pusch Ridge from 2008-11. ALA-Anthem South was 2-8 last year, while Desert Christian qualified for the 1A state playoffs in its first year and finished 6-4.
2A: 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.
2A: Santa Cruz at 3A Coolidge
Santa Cruz went 8-3 with a loss in the first round of the 2A tournament last year, while Coolidge went 0-10 in 3A in Carlo Herndandez’s return to Coolidge. He led Coolidge to state titles in 2005 and 2006 and made it to the state title game in 2007. The schools are separated by only 18 miles.
2A: Tombstone at Miami
Tombstone is welcoming back Jerry Rhoades as its head coach. Dominik Bonilla left to Rio Rico after leading the Yellow Jackets for four seasons. Rhoades went 2-15 in two years at Tombstone before he stepped down, but remained at the school when Bonilla took over. His record should have an asterisk because it includes a 0-7 record during the COVID-19-affected season of 2020.
2A: 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., Douglas Smith is in search of his first victory at Santa Rita in his second season at the school. Virgil Henderson begins his career at his alma mater, becoming the third coach in as many years for Catalina.
2A: Willcox at Palo Verde
Willcox finished 7-4 with a berth in the 2A state playoffs in Jeston Lotts’ first year leading the program a season ago. Lotts has a daunting early schedule. 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. Jamal Chatman’s fourth season at Palo Verde also begins with a challenging early schedule with a home game against Willcox followed by three straight road games against ALA-Anthem South, Tanque Verde and 4A school Rincon/University.
1A: Baboquivari at Fort Thomas
Cody Garcia’s third season as head coach. Three of Baboquivari’s four road games are in the region, with the lone home game against St. David on Aug. 29. The Warriors play four of their first six games on the road but finish with two freedom games at home against Desert Heights and San Manuel.
1A: Valley Union at St. David
The Blue Devils circling the calendar for this game at St. David 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. Earning at least a 3-1 record in the 1A South should help Valley Union reach the state playoffs. … St. David, under longtime coach Braden Davis, looks promising again with the Pacheco brothers (Tot and Chase) and Cedar Haynie. Tot Pacheco, a defensive lineman, was the 1A South Defensive Player of the Year and Haynie was the Offensive Player of the Year.
1A: Valley Lutheran at San Manuel
Although San Manuel is no longer in the 1A South, the Miners will still play old region rivals Baboquivari and St. David in freedom games. San Manuel is in its seventh year under alum Ernie Ivy.
SATURDAY
3A: San Tan Foothills at Pusch Ridge
Pusch Ridge starts defense of its 3A state title after losing close to 25 seniors from last year’s team. San Tan Foothills is a region opponent this year after realignment. Pusch Ridge lost a lot of talent, including QB Jacob Newborn, but coach Kent Middleton’s team has two senior standouts on defense — defensive lineman Aaron Kenworthy (an all-conference selection last year) and athlete Josiah Jones.
WEEK TWO
All games start at 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
5A: Ironwood Ridge at 4A Catalina Foothills
4A: Poston Butte at Mica Mountain
4A: Sahuarita at Walden Grove (Kickoff Classic)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
5A: Marana at 6A Salpointe
5A: Buena at Cienega
5A: Mountain View at Tucson
5A: Desert View at Sunrise Mountain
5A: Sunnyside at Vista Grande
5A: Canyon del Oro at Browne
4A: Douglas at 5A Flowing Wells
4A: Amphitheater at 5A Nogales
4A: Rio Rico at Combs
4A: Cibola at Rincon/University
4A: Pueblo at Youngker
4A: Sahuaro at Empire
4A: Cholla at Yuma
3A: Pusch Ridge at ALA -Ironwood
3A: Gilbert Christian at Sabino
2A: Palo Verde at ALA -Anthem South
2A: Willcox at Arizona Lutheran
2A: Bisbee at Cortez
2A: Heritage Academy Laveen at Desert Christian
2A: Santa Rita at Miami
2A: Tanque Verde at Morenci
2A: Benson at Phoenix Christian
2A: Globe at Santa Cruz
2A: Pima at Tombstone
1A: St. David at Baboquivari
1A: Valley Union at Desert Heights
1A: Ray at San Manuel
(BYE) 2A Catalina
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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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