2026 High School Football

Jet Sports Training Week 5 Pigskin Report: Sahuaro-Sabino rivalry renewed, Desert View & Mica Mountain try to extend winning streaks

By Javier Morales

Posted on September 25, 2026

FEATURED GAMES

INTERCONFERENCE

4A SAHUARO (1-3) AT 3A SABINO (2-2)

— Sabino leads the series 33-19 through the 2025 season.

— The rivalry has had periods of dominance by both schools. The series was tied 13-13 from 1974 through 1999. Sabino dominated for much of the 2000s and early 2010s. The Sabercats won 11 consecutive meetings before Sahuaro ended the streak in 2014.

— Sahuaro will try to win three straight games in the series for the first time since 1987 to 1991, according to Arizona Football Archives.

Players to watch

SAHUARO

RB/LB Anakin Alexander, averaging 62.5 rushing yards per game and 8.3 tackles per game.
QB Kallen Davis, averaging 135 passing yards per game and 140.3 total yards per game.
HB/SS/LB Jayvion Gilbert-Rojas, averaging 8.3 tackles per game.

SABINO

QB Bodhi Sanford, averaging 185.3 passing yards per game and 207.3 total yards per game.
WR/ATH Marcus Reeves, averaging 83.3 receiving yards per game.
LB Gabe Robledo, averaging 9.3 tackles per game.

5A SONORAN

MARANA (2-2, 1-0) AT BUENA (2-2, 0-1)

— Marana has won four consecutive games against Buena, outscoring the Colts 193-63, which means the Tigers have averaged 48.3 points in the games.

Players to watch

MARANA

RB/LB Jeffrey Smith, leads 5A Sonoran with 18 points on three touchdowns; aaveraging 41.0 rushing yards per game
WR Jaxsun Sharp, leads the Tigers with 38 receiving yards per game.

BUENA

RB/LB James Lesueur, leads Buena in rushing at 64.3 yards per game; also leads the Colts with 48 tackles, or 12.0 per game.
WR Giovanni Henderson, leads the Colts in receiving at 68.0 yards per game.

VISTA GRANDE (3-1, 0-0) AT TUCSON (3-1, 1-0)

— Tucson High can get off to a 2-0 start in region play and 4-1 overall. That would be the Badgers’ best overall start through the first five games for the second time under fourth-year coach Zach Neveleff after the program had worse starts in the previous five years.

Players to watch

TUCSON

QB Brenton Coleman, 661 passing yards, 63 completions, 724 total yards
RB Josh Cota, 350 rushing yards
EB Dillion Flannigan-Jones, 415 total yards, including 170 rushing
ATH Ezra Spivey, 415 total yards, 30 tackles

VISTA GRANDE

RB D’Marco De Castro, 113.0 yards/game
LB JJ Wesselman, TE/LB, 20 tackles
DL Ke Andre Rasler, 3.0 sacks

5A SOUTHERN

DESERT VIEW (4-0, 1-0) AT MARICOPA (3-1, 1-0)

— Desert View is on a 15-game winning streak in regular season games dating to the 2024 season. This will be the Jaguars’ toughest test to date, playing a winning team on the road.

Players to watch

DESERT VIEW

QB Andrew Godoy, 815 passing yards, 8 TDs and 1 INT through four games. He is averaging 203.8 passing yards per game.
RB/DB Desmond Dowayee, 322 rushing yards, averaging 80.5 yards per game, with 4 rushing TDs. He had 155 yards and 3 TDs on just eight carries against Mountain View last week.
RB/LB Greg Mckinstry, 243 rushing yards and 6 TDs.
WR/DB Anthony Rodarte, averaging 93 receiving yards per game. He had six catches for 80 yards and a TD against Mountain View.

MARICOPA

RB/DB Nate Hearn — 161 rushing yards in two games, averaging 80.5 yards per game.
RB/WR Mario Johnson — 164 rushing yards, 5 TDs.
LB/SS Xander Rios — 8.7 tackles per game and 4 sacks.

4A NON-REGION

MICA MOUNTAIN (4-0) AT SAHUARITA (3-1)

— Mica Mountain has increased its winning streak to 14 games dating to last year heading into a rematch from last season with Sahuarita, which lost 31-0 on the road against the Thunderbolts. That victory started Mica Mountain’s current winning streak that includes a win in the 4A state title game.

Players to watch

MICA MOUNTAIN

RB Jeremiah Anderson, 106.0 rushing yards/game
QB Brenton Baker, 86.3 passing yards/game
WR/DB Eli Palma, 76.3 receiving yards/game
DE Jack Andrews, 6.0 tackles/game and 1.8 sacks/game

SAHUARITA

QB Dane Hartnett, 124.7 passing yards/game, 179.0 total yards/game
RB/SS Trent Hubble, 79.3 rushing yards/game
WR Roman Tellez II, 40.7 receiving yards/game
LB Nathaniel Gallardo, 8.7 tackles/game

AMPHITHEATER (1-2) AT CHOLLA (2-2)

— The Chargers are coached by former Amphi captain Roland Youngling, who played for the legendary Vern Friedli with the Panthers. Youngling, in his second year at Cholla, was an assistant at Amphi under Jorge Mendivil before Mendivil retired following the 2024 season. Youngling’s staff at Cholla includes former Amphi assistants Moe Espinoza and David Watson (a former lineman at Arizona). The game between the Panthers and Chargers last year at Amphi was stopped in the first half with a forfeit for Cholla after ejections from a brawl on the field left the Chargers without enough players to continue.

Players to watch

AMPHI

QB Jorden Demary, 109.5 passing yards/game
RB/LB Na’jon Brown, 83.5 rushing yards/game, plus 8.0 tackles/game.
LB William Heath, 7.0 tackles/game

CHOLLA

QB Damian Estrella, QB, 117.8 passing yards/game and 143.8 total yards/game. Coming off a productive performance against Yuma Kofa: 226 passing yards, 2 TDs and a rushing TD in Cholla’s 24-20 win.
RB Dom Vurro, 51.8 rushing yards/game
WR Emilio Desantis, 46.5 receiving yards/game

3A EAST

THATCHER (3-1, 1-0) AT PUSCH RIDGE (4-1, 2-0)

— This is a battle for 3A East supremacy. With a victory, Pusch Ridge would have the upper hand with a 3-0 region record. The Eagles have dominated the overall series with Pusch Ridge with a 7-3 advantage. Thatcher has won five of the last six meetings, including playoff victories in 2021 and 2022.

Players to watch

THATCHER

RB/LB Tufden Taylor, 322 yards, average of 80.5 rushing yards/game with 4 TDs; 3.8 tackles/game
RB Josh Jones, 51.8 yards/game
LB Ethan Hayes, 4.8 tackles/game

PUSCH RIDGE