The last time Palo Verde experienced a winning season its current freshmen and many of its sophomores were not yet born.
The year was 2009, so long ago that Mike Stoops was the head coach at Arizona.
Palo Verde finished 11-2 that year under Todd Mayfield after advancing to the state playoff semifinals.
Jamal Chatman was in his first season as an assistant coach at Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine.
Thank goodness for Palo Verde that Chatman’s wife wanted to live in a warmer climate and the couple decided to move to Tucson in 2018.
Chatman, in his fourth season as Palo Verde’s head coach, has led the Titans to a 6-3 record, assuring the program its first winning season since 2009.
“We want everybody to understand this is not the old Palo Verde that the kids’ parents know about,” Chatman said after Friday’s 21-16 win over visiting Bisbee. “This is a new group. We are on top of these kids and tell them they can do something.”
Chatman along with the staff members that have been there from when he started in 2022 — including the father-son combination of Keith Smith and Kyon Smith — have engineered gradual improvement each year they have coached the Titans.
Palo Verde went 1-8 in 2022, 2-8 in 2023, 4-6 last season and has made the push to 6-3 this season.
Palo Verde will host Benson (5-4) for third place in the 2A South in a crossover game Friday at 7 p.m. A victory over the Bobcats could elevate the Titans to their first state playoff appearance since the 2009 season.
Tanque Verde (7-2) will play Willcox (8-1) at Tanque Verde for the 2A South championship and automatic bid to the state playoffs.
PALO VERDE TALENT MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Along with a worthy head coach and staff continuity, the turnaround for Palo Verde coincides with talented players.
Chatman and his staff have quality players in senior running back/linebacker Kameron Pippen, junior quarterback Jackson Tyson (especially with his running ability), senior running back and defensive end Isaac Nditamana, senior running back/linebacker Charlie Allison, junior defensive lineman Kamaiu Ortiz and sophomore cornerback Gus Brungardt.
Palo Verde standout Kameron Pippen had close to 100 yards rushing and picked off a pass to lead the Titans to a 21-16 win over Bisbee, clinching their first winning season in 16 years. Not a bad way for the senior to celebrate Senior Night. His freshman season in 2022 was the… pic.twitter.com/FAeS1o9pLu
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) October 18, 2025
Pippen is a four-year starter who has been with Chatman since the beginning in 2022. He started the first varsity game at quarterback that year.
“Palo Verde had the history of winning so we wanted to keep that legacy going,” Chatman said, referring to the Mayfield years. “The brothers we fight with, we practice every, fight hard. You try to win every game. Thankful to the coaches.
“You see Palo Verde on the schedule and you think it is a win. We’re trying to change the whole program around.”
Pippen finished with 86 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown and also had an interception against Bisbee.
His 6-yard score put Palo Verde ahead 7-0 with 3:55 left in the first quarter.
Bisbee’s Hunter Wright responded with an 87-yard kickoff return to tie the game at 7.
Palo Verde was forced to punt on its following possession. In years past, that spelled doom for the Titans, who often had trouble stemming the tide from trouble.
The Titans’ defense forced a turnover on downs at the Bisbee 45.
Palo Verde took the lead for good, 14-7, after a 13-yard run by Pippen resulted in a 6-yard score by Tyson with 3:48 left in the second quarter.
Brungardt then had the first of his two interceptions, quelling Bisbee’s next drive after the Pumas drove to the Titan 10.
A 40-yard run by Pippen in the first possession of the second half led to a 4-yard scoring run by Allison that put the Titans ahead 21-7 with 8:09 left in the third quarter.
PALO VERDE HOLDS BACK BISBEE
Bisbee (3-6) showed some fight of its own forcing a safety with the quarterback throwing to a lineman out of the end zone to escape a sack and Wright’s 53-yard run off a reverse that led to a 2-yard score by Tripp Turner.
Turner’s touchdown cut the lead to 21-16 with 2:48 left.
Bisbee tried an onside kick that was recovered by Ortiz.
The Titans proceeded to run out the clock behind runs of 8, 5 and 13 yards by Nditamana that led to two first downs.
CHATMAN TO COACHES: STOP RECRUITING AND TEACH YOUR TALENT
Palo Verde has steadily improved in Jamal Chatman’s four years as head coach after he took over the program in 2022, a year after the Titans did not field a varsity team in 2021 following COVID-19. Palo Verde went 1-8 in 2022, 2-8 in 2023, 4-6 last year, and the Titans are now… pic.twitter.com/qYzJo9ZZzt
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) October 18, 2025
Chatman made it a point to address coaches at other schools about recruiting athletes who may attend Palo Verde.
“Too many people keep telling people and these kids it’s a terrible thing that TUSD does this open enrollment,” he said. “These kids go somewhere else because their parents feel that this isn’t a safe place.
“This one of the best schools around. We’ve gotten our grade up to a B. Our kids are great. Our facility and faculty are good. We’re trying to get everything going. They need to get us our turf field, so we can keep growing. I’m not trying to be biased or anything but we’re trying to make kids grow and be better.
“You get the kids that come to your school and you coach them. You need to stop going out and recruit, coaches. Be a good coach. If you’re going to be a high school coach, get the kids that you get and teach them. Teach them how to be respectful (and) how to be a team. Teach the kids to have a goal and go get it. … Once you get the opportunity, you keep teaching them and pushing them, and let them go have fun.”
2A SOUTH CROSSOVER GAMES TAKING PLACE FOR FIRST TIME
For the first time, 2A football will include a final week of the regular season that will include crossover games between teams in the South I and South II regions.
Tanque Verde of the South I and Willcox of the South II will meet in the championship game at Tanque Verde on Friday at 7 p.m. for the opportunity for the automatic berth to the state tournament.
Bisbee will host Benson for third place. The fifth-place game is Eloy Santa Cruz Valley (4-5) at Bisbee. The seventh-place game will be Desert Christian (3-5) at Tombstone (1-7).
HOT TEAMS COMING DOWN THE STRETCH
Teams with the longest winning streaks with the season reaching Week 10 next Thursday and Friday:
8 games — Desert View (nine-game streak dating to last year)
7 games — Marana and Willcox
5 games — Tanque Verde, Palo Verde, Pueblo (5-3, 3-0 4A Gila) and Thatcher (7-1, 4-0 3A East).
4 games — Mica Mountain (6-2, 3-0 4A Kino) and 1A South’s Valley Union (6-2).
3 games — Cienega (5-3, 3-1 5A Southern), Maricopa (5-3, 2-2 5A Southern), Sahuarita (4-4, 3-0 4A Gila) and Pusch Ridge (8-1, 5-1 3A East).
Cienega, which has also won five of its last six games, hosts Desert View on Friday.
Pueblo and Sahuarita meet at Pueblo on Friday for the 4A Gila title.
1A STATE PLAYOFFS START
The 1A state bracket was released this morning and three Southern Arizona teams are involved.
No. 3 St. David (7-2) has a bye to the quarterfinal round.
No. 11 San Manuel (4-5) will play at No. 6 Williams (5-4) in a first-round game Friday. The winner of that game plays at St. David on Oct. 31.
No. 10 Valley Union (6-2) travels to No. 7 Ray (6-3) for another first-round game Friday.
WEEK 9 FINAL SCORES
6A SOUTHERN
Chandler Basha 58, Salpointe 7
5A SONORAN
Marana 17, Tucson 9
Buena 49, Casa Grande 33
Vista Grande 16, Ironwood Ridge 14
5A SOUTHERN
Cienega 28, Flowing Wells 20
Maricopa 21, Sunnyside 14
Mountain View 35, Nogales 13
4A KINO
Mica Mountain 43, Amphitheater 0
Walden Grove 35, Catalina Foothills 10
Sahuaro 42, Douglas 7
4A GILA
Pueblo 36, Rio Rico 0
Sahuarita 34, Empire 21
Cholla 36, Rincon/University 0
3A EAST
Pusch Ridge 48, Safford 0
Florence 44, Sabino 24
2A SOUTH I
Tanque Verde 64, Tombstone 0
Palo Verde 21, Bisbee 16
2A SOUTH II
Willcox 26, Benson 17
Eloy Santa Cruz Valley 57, Desert Christian 15
NON-REGION
5A: Desert View 48, Canyon del Oro 7
3A: Thatcher 20, Payson 10
3A: Round Valley 56, San Tan Foothills 19
2A: San Carlos 58, Santa Rita 0
2A: Globe 48, Catalina 0
1A: Bagdad 32, St. David 14
1A: San Manuel 55, Baboquivari 0
1A: Valley Union 58, Valley Lutheran 6
BYE: 3A Coolidge (4-4)
WEEK 10 SCHEDULE
Games at 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
NON-REGION
2A: St. John Paul II (3-5) at Santa Rita (0-9)
3A EAST
Sabino (3-5, 2-2) at Thatcher (7-1, 4-0)
FRIDAY
NON-REGION
5A: Marana (7-1) at Mountain View (5-3)
6A SOUTHERN
Mesa Westwood (3-4, 0-2) at Salpointe (4-3, 0-2)
5A SONORAN
Ironwood Ridge (1-7, 1-3) at Tucson (4-4, 3-2)
Vista Grande (3-5, 1-3) at Casa Grande (3-5, 1-3)
Canyon del Oro (3-5, 1-3) at Buena (5-3, 3-1)
5A SOUTHERN
Desert View (8-0, 4-0) at Cienega (5-3, 3-1)
Sunnyside (4-4, 1-3) at Flowing Wells (6-2, 2-2)
Maricopa (5-3, 2-2) at Nogales (2-6, 0-5)
4A KINO
Catalina Foothills (3-5, 1-2) at Mica Mountain (6-2, 3-0)
Sahuaro (6-2, 2-1) at Amphitheater (2-6, 0-3)
Walden Grove (5-3, 2-1) at Douglas (4-3, 1-2)
4A GILA
Sahuarita (4-4, 3-0) at Pueblo (5-3, 3-0)
Empire (2-6, 2-1) at Rincon/University (2-5, 0-3)
Rio Rico (1-7, 0-3) at Cholla (3-5, 1-2)
3A EAST
Florence (4-4, 2-2) at Safford (2-6, 1-3)
San Tan Foothills (0-8, 0-4) at Coolidge (4-4, 1-3)
2A SOUTH CROSSOVER GAMES
Championship: Willcox (8-1) at Tanque Verde (7-2)
Third place: Benson (5-4) at Palo Verde (6-3)
Fifth place: Santa Cruz Valley (4-5) at Bisbee (3-6)
Seventh place: Desert Christian (3-5) at Tombstone (1-7)
1A STATE PLAYOFFS
No. 11 San Manuel (4-5) at No. 6 Williams (5-4)
No. 10 Valley Union (6-2) at No. 7 Ray (6-3)
BYE: No. 3 St. David (7-2)/Hosts San Manuel-Williams winner in quarterfinals Oct. 31
BYE: 3A Pusch Ridge (8-1)
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