Raul Soto-Romero of Jet Sports Network talked with me about Week 5 matchups in the Southern Arizona high school football season in our weekly video podcast show. This episode took place remotely at Sunnyside High School.
VIDEO PODCAST
AUDIO PODCAST
TACKLE WEEK FIVE SCHEDULE
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
3A EAST
Sabino 67, San Tan Foothills 51 … Sabercats, who are on a three-game winning streak, improved to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the 3A East. San Tan Foothills is 0-5 and 0-2. Entering the game, Sabino sophomore QB Bodhi Sanford had already passed for 1,073 yards (65 of 107 pass attempts) through the first four games with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Coolidge 28, Safford 14 … Coolidge, which went 0-10 last season, is 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the 3A East and Safford is 1-3 and 0-1.
NON-REGION
2A Tanque Verde 38, Goodyear Trivium Prep 0 … Hawks (3-2) handed Trivium Prep (4-1) its first defeat of the season in an impressive win on the road.
1A St. David 64, Salome 0. … The Tigers improved to 5-0 with the win over Salome (2-3) on the road.
FRIDAY
7 p.m. kickoff unless noted.
5A SONORAN
5A Canyon del Oro (2-1) at Marana (2-1)
CDO will play its first region game at the 5A level after moving from the 4A Kino. The teams played last year at CDO and Marana prevailed 47-0. Marana senior QB Colten Meyer has also eclipsed 1,000 passing yards with him doing it through the first three games. He has completed 88 of 125 pass attempts for 1,001 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception.
5A Tucson (1-2) at Buena (2-1)
Buena hosts Tucson for the second consecutive season after the Badgers pulled off a 42-29 win last season. Last year’s game was a non-region game. This game will be the region opener for both teams. Two more quality quarterbacks will play in this game — Tucson’s Derek Mesa and Buena’s Kaleb Layton.
5A Ironwood Ridge (0-3) at Casa Grande (1-2)
These two teams have struggled more than predicted entering the season largely because of their unsettled quarterback position. Casa Grande’s Luke Keeton, a senior who passed for nearly 2,800 yards last season, is potentially out for the season. Ironwood Ridge’s Jaiden Martinez played some at the wide receiver position last week in a 34-14 loss at home to Cienega, sharing the quarterback duties with sophomore Maximus Harder.
5A SOUTHERN
5A Desert View (3-0) at Mountain View (2-1)
The Jaguars open region play looking to start 4-0 for the first time since 2021 and for only the second time since 2016. This game will feature two talented sophomore running backs — Desert View’s Jaylee Abraham (341 yards on 38 carries with eight touchdowns) and Mountain View’s Drake Davis (286 yards on 50 carries and four touchdowns).
5A Maricopa (1-2) at Flowing Wells (3-0)
Flowing Wells is 3-0 for the first time in the four-year tenure of Brian Hook as head coach. The Caballeros will try to start 4-0 for the first time since 2015, when Mark Brunenkant lead the program to a 7-0 start and 9-2 overall record. Talented senior RB Jayden Simmons has rushed for 405 yards on 33 carries with eight touchdowns.
5A Nogales (2-1) at Cienega (1-2)
Cienega defensive end Andrei Davis-Lopez is coming off a five-sack performance in the win over Ironwood Ridge last week. He has nine sacks already this season through only three games. He has 21 sacks over the last two seasons.
3A EAST
3A Florence (1-3, 0-1) at Pusch Ridge (4-0, 1-0), 6 p.m.
The Lions are on a 16-game winning streak dating to last year’s 3A state title. The two-quarterback system of Race Pinneo and MJ Buckner is working. Their stats are very similar. Pinneo has passed for 478 yards (36 of 44 with five touchdowns and no interceptions) and Bucker is at 411 yards (33 of 48, four touchdowns and one interception. Pinneo has rushed for 144 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns while Buckner is at 140 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns.
2A SOUTH I
2A Santa Rita (0-4) at Bisbee (1-3)
1A EAST
1A Hayden (4-0, 1-0) at San Manuel (1-3, 0-1)
1A SOUTH
1A Baboquivari (0-4, 0-2) at Valley Union (2-2, 1-1)
NON-REGION
6A Salpointe (3-0) at Mesa Red Mountain (3-0)
The Lancers will make their first of four trips to the Phoenix area the remainder of the season. Those trips are against Red Mountain (3-0), ALA-Queen Creek (0-3), Chandler Basha (3-0) and Phoenix Pinnacle (3-0). QB Matthew Avelar earned an Ed Doherty Award nomination medallion for his performance a week ago against Scottsdale Saguaro (24 of 34 for 321 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions).
4A Mica Mountain (2-1) at 5A Sunnyside (2-1)
Mica Mountain will look to bounce back after having its 16-game winning streak snapped with a loss at ALA-West Foothills after committing seven turnovers. The Thunderbolts can take solace in losing by a score of only 21-14 despite all of the mistakes. Sunnyside will try to end a two-game losing slide against Mica Mountain with losses of 28-0 last year on the road and 35-7 in 2023 at home.
4A Catalina Foothills (2-1) at Snowflake (3-0)
Catalina Foothills coach Daniel Sainz will travel to Snowflake to meet his team after attending the rosary of his father-in-law Oscar Romero, the Tucson High baseball great who passed away Sept. 6 from liver cancer. The Falcons will attempt to bounce back after last week’s 35-0 loss at Pusch Ridge. Snowflake has a strong running game behind 5-foot-11 and 200-pound back Brenner Green, who is at 306 yards on 50 carries with five touchdowns.
4A Walden Grove (1-2) at 5A Vista Grande (2-1)
4A Douglas (2-1) at Empire (0-3)
4A Sahuaro (2-1) at Sahuarita (1-2)
4A Glendale Copper Canyon (1-2) at Pueblo (0-3)
4A Amphitheater (1-2) at Rio Rico (0-3)
4A Rincon/UHS (1-2) at Somerton (0-3)
4A Yuma Kofa (1-2) at Cholla (2-1)
2A Tombstone (0-3) at Willcox (3-1)
2A Phoenix Veritas Prep (4-0) at Benson (3-1)
2A Phoenix Christian (4-0) at Santa Cruz (3-1)
2A San Carlos (2-1) at Desert Christian (3-1), 6 p.m.
2A Scottsdale Coronado (0-3) at Palo Verde (1-3)
2A Chandler Lincoln Prep (1-3) at Catalina (2-1)
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