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 SONORAN 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 Sonoran in 2024: Flowing Wells, Ironwood Ridge, Maricopa, Mountain View, Nogales and Tucson.
5A Sonoran in 2025: Buena, Canyon del Oro, Casa Grande, Ironwood Ridge, Marana, Tucson and Vista Grande
Flowing Wells, Maricopa, Mountain View and Nogales are now a part of the 5A Southern.
5A SONORAN SCHEDULING NOTES:
— 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.
— Both Casa Grande schools — Casa Grande and Vista Grande — are together in a region with Southern Arizona schools for the first time. Usually, it’s one of the other. Ironwood Ridge is the only 5A Sonoran school that will travel to Casa Grande twice this season to play both schools.
— Buena, in its 11th season with Joe Thomas as its head coach, has three Phoenix-area teams on its non-region schedule in addition to playing at Cienega to begin the season. The Colts then play at Mesa Skyline (3-7 last year) and host ALA-Gilbert North (9-4). They will also host 6A power Mesa Mountain View, coached by former Marana coach Andy Litten, on Oct. 3. The Toros were 12-2 last season with a loss in the 6A state championship to Peoria Centennial. That type of non-region schedule, matched with playing 5A Sonoran powers Marana, Tucson, Ironwood Ridge, Canyon del Oro and Casa Grande, should amount to a ton of power points by season’s end.
— Scott McKee’s second season at CDO includes a shift from the 4A Kino to the 5A Sonoran. The Dorados host former 4A Kino rival Mica Mountain (the defending 4A state champion) in the second week of the season, after beginning the season with a game at Phoenix Trevor Browne (2-8 last season). CDO also hosts Phoenix South Mountain (3-7) and Desert View (3-7) in the non-region portion of the schedule. McKee and Desert View coach Robert Bonillas are former Arizona teammates. The Dorados play four of their six region games on the road.
— Casa Grande, under fourth-year coach Mark Luna, plays its rivalry game with Vista Grande on Oct. 24, the second-to-last game of the regular season. The Cougars have a tough opening game on the road against ALA-Gilbert North before hosting Phoenix North (3-7 last year). They then play at 5A Southern school Maricopa (4-6). The other non-region game is at home against Phoenix Central (4-5).
— Dale Stott is looking to continue Ironwood Ridge’s upward trend of consecutive 8-3 seasons after going 1-9 in his first season in 2022. The Nighthawks begin their season with non-region games at Catalina Foothills (2-8 last season) and Gilbert Campo Verde (8-4) before hosting Cienega (5-6). Their other non-region game is at home against Scottsdale Desert Mountain (8-3) on Oct. 10.
— Marana went 10-0 in its regular-season schedule last year, resulting in a No. 1 Open Division ranking heading into the playoffs. The Tigers, under fifth-year coach Phillip Steward, will be challenged to duplicate the unbeaten run, starting with a road game at traditional power Salpointe, which they rallied to beat 27-24 in the opener at home last season. The victory snapped Salpointe’s 27-game winning streak against Southern Arizona schools. The Lancers last lost in consecutive years to a Southern Arizona school in 2016 and 2017, when Cienega (coached by Pat Nugent) beat them with Jamarye Joiner at quarterback. Marana also hosts Buckeye Canyon View (3-7 last year) in the second week of the season before traveling to play 4A power Yuma Catholic (10-2). The annual Battle for the Boot game against rival Mountain View (6-5) is scheduled at Mountain View on Oct. 24. Marana’s last home game of the regular season on Oct. 17 should be a good one against Tucson.
— Tucson is 13-3 in its last 16 games dating to the 2023 season, Zach Neveleff’s first with the Badgers. Tucson hosting Salpointe in the second week of the season should be an annual affair between the traditionally strong Lancers and the Badgers’ historic program. Neveleff is a Salpointe graduate who was a valuable running backs coach there under Dennis Bene, coaching the likes of Bijan Robinson, Mario Padilla, David Cordero, Anthony Wilhite, Elias Bettis Roberts and Dailan Goodman. Tucson opens against Mountain View at home and plays at Walden Grove (8-4) in Week 3. The Badgers end the regular season at Scottsdale Cactus Shadows (6-5). After playing three straight road games, they play three of four games at home (the road game at Marana) before going to Cactus Shadows.
— Vista Grande, which like CDO is going from 4A to 5A, is coached by Casa Grande alum Loren Dawson, who the late John Kashner hired before Kashner passed away unexpectedly in early May. Kashner, who coached Dawson at Casa Grande, was serving as the interim athletic director at Vista Grande. Dawson has coached at the high school level previously at Bourgade Catholic and ALA-Ironwood. The Spartans are the only team in the 5A Sonoran that plays their first four games against non-region opponents. They host Sunnyside (3-7 last year) to open the season before traveling to Central and Maricopa Desert Sunrise (2-8). Vista Grande then hosts Walden Grove before starting the region schedule with a home game against Tucson on Sept. 26.
5A SONORAN SCHEDULES
BUENA (2-0)
Head coach: Joe Thomas (49-50, 11th year at Buena; 60-69, 14th year overall)Colts compete in the 5A Sonoran. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Bue | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at Cienega | W | 38 | 31 |
| 9/5 | at Skyline | W | 52 | 20 |
| 9/12 | ALA-Gilbert North | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Tucson* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | at Marana* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Mesa Mtn View | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | Vista Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | at Casa Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | CDO* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | at Ironwood Ridge* | -- | -- | -- |
CANYON DEL ORO (1-1)
Head coach: Scott McKee (7-6, second year at CDO; 90-108, 20th year overall)Dorados compete in the 5A Sonoran. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | CDO | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at Trevor Browne | W | 49 | 0 |
| 9/5 | Mica Mountain | L | 7 | 37 |
| 9/11 | South Mountain | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | at Marana* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | at Ironwood Ridge* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Vista Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | at Tucson* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | Desert View | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | at Buena* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | Casa Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
CASA GRANDE (1-1)
Head coach: Mark Luna (18-16, fourth year at Casa Grande and overall)Cougars compete in the 5A Sonoran. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | CG | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at ALA-Gilbert North | L | 28 | 30 |
| 9/5 | North | W | 56 | 13 |
| 9/11 | at Maricopa | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Ironwood Ridge* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | Central | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | at Tucson* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | at Marana* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | Buena* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | Vista Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | at CDO* | -- | -- | -- |
IRONWOOD RIDGE (0-2)
Head coach: Dale Stott (17-17, fourth year at Ironwood Ridge and overall in high school)Nighthawks compete in the 5A Sonoran. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | IR | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/28 | at Catalina Foothills | L | 17 | 21 |
| 9/5 | at Campo Verde | L | 6 | 36 |
| 9/12 | Cienega | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | at Casa Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | CDO* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Marana* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | Desert Mountain | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | at Vista Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | at Tucson* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | Buena* | -- | -- | -- |
MARANA (10-1)
Head coach: Phillip Steward (42-12, fifth year at Marana and overall)Tigers compete in the 5A Sonoran. *Region game. +Playoff games.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Mar | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | at Salpointe | L | 18 | 20 |
| 9/5 | Canyon View | W | 42 | 29 |
| 9/12 | at Yuma Catholic | W | 47 | 14 |
| 9/19 | CDO* | W | 24 | 3 |
| 9/26 | Buena* | W | 52 | 25 |
| 10/3 | at Ironwood Ridge* | W | 49 | 0 |
| 10/10 | Casa Grande* | W | 51 | 27 |
| 10/17 | Tucson* | W | 17 | 9 |
| 10/24 | at Mountain View | W | 48 | 20 |
| 10/31 | at Vista Grande* | W | 47 | 0 |
| 11/14 | Yuma Catholic+ | W | 34 | 27 |
| 11/21 | Horizon+ |
TUCSON (0-2)
Head coach: Zachary Neveleff (14-10, third year at Tucson and overall)Badgers compete in the 5A Sonoran. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | THS | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | Mountain View | L, OT | 20 | 21 |
| 9/5 | Salpointe | L | 17 | 30 |
| 9/12 | at Walden Grove | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | at Buena* | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | at Vista Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | Casa Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | CDO* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | at Marana* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | Ironwood Ridge* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/30 | at Cactus Shadows | -- | -- | -- |
VISTA GRANDE (1-1)
Head coach: Loren Dawson (1-1, first year at Vista Grande; 21-23, fifth year overall in high school)Spartans compete in the 5A Sonoran. *Region game. Games at 7 p.m.
| Date | Opponent | W/L | VG | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | Sunnyside | L | 16 | 27 |
| 9/4 | at Central | W | 42 | 12 |
| 9/12 | at Desert Sunrise | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/19 | Walden Grove | -- | -- | -- |
| 9/26 | Tucson* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/3 | at CDO* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/10 | at Buena* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/17 | Ironwood Ridge* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/24 | at Casa Grande* | -- | -- | -- |
| 10/31 | Marana* | -- | -- | -- |
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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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