Raul Soto-Romero of Jet Sports Network talked with legendary coach Pat Nugent and me about this week’s matchups in the Southern Arizona high school football season in our weekly video podcast show.
VIDEO PODCAST
Interview with Pueblo coach Sly Lewis included:
AUDIO PODCAST
TACKLE WEEK EIGHT SCHEDULE
Games at 7 p.m.
5A SONORAN
Casa Grande (3-3, 1-1) at Marana (5-1, 3-0)
Marana QB Colten Meyer has eclipsed 7,000 passing yards in his career with 7,149, becoming only the sixth to achieve that feat in Southern Arizona. He ranks No. 5 in the career charts, approaching former Sunnyside/Salpointe QB Andrew Cota (7,554 yards from 2010 to 2013) for fourth. Casa Grande sophomore Ben Matecki has taken over for injured Luke Keeton at quarterback and has thrown for 1,383 yards while completing 85 or 142 pass attempts with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Casa Grande will play its first game under interim head coach George Bell after fourth-year coach Mark Luna surprisingly stepped down Wednesday after a 20-16 record since starting in 2022.
Vista Grande (2-4, 0-2) at Buena (3-3, 1-1)
Buena is 0-3 against ALA-Gilbert North, Marana and Mesa Mountain View, teams that are a combined 14-4. The Colts, who should benefit from those three games when the power rankings are released next week, will try to finish the regular season strong heading into the postseason.
Canyon del Oro (3-3, 1-2) at Tucson (3-3, 2-1)
The Badgers, behind this week’s Ed Doherty Award nomination medallion winner Noah Chanez, will try to win their third straight game ahead of next week’s showdown at Marana.
5A SOUTHERN
Sunnyside (4-2, 1-1) at Cienega (3-3, 1-1)
The winner of this game will boost its postseason chances immensely. Sunnyside has the opportunity to win its fifth game seven games into the season for the first time since the 2015 season under Glenn Posey.
Nogales (2-4, 0-3) at Desert View (6-0, 3-0)
Desert View will go for a school-record 7-0 start to the season. The program has matched the 6-0 start by the 2016 team. The Jaguars’ six wins match the total victories the program achieved in the previous two years combined (they went 6-14 in 2023 and 2024, including a seven-game losing streak between the two seasons).
Flowing Wells (6-0, 2-0) at Mountain View (3-3, 1-2)
Flowing Wells will attempt to start 7-0, matching the start in 2015 under Mark Brunenkant. The Caballeros finished 9-2 that season with a first-round loss in the playoffs against Northwest Christian. Flowing Wells’ best start is 11-0 in 1982 before losing in the state title game 10-7 against Flagstaff that year. … Mountain View, coming off a disappointing 16-7 loss at Maricopa last week, pulled away to a 37-13 win at Flowing Wells last season. This game against a quality regional opponent will be a good barometer for fourth-year coach Brian Hook to gauge how much his program has advanced.
4A KINO
Mica Mountain (4-2, 1-0) at Walden Grove (4-2, 1-0)
No doubt Walden Grove coach Corey Noble and the returning Red Wolves will reflect on last season’s meeting in the second-to-last game of the regular season heading into this one. Noble said as much in an interview with Steve Rivera on the “Eye on the Ball” radio show on 1450-AM this week. Walden Grove let the game slip away and lost 16-6 to the eventual 4A state champions. The Red Wolves held the Thunderbolts to a season-low 16 points, and the 10-point deficit was as close a team got to the 14-0 Mica Mountain team other than the Thunderbolts’ 17-8 win over Poston Butte in the season opener. The budding rivalry is only at its third game because Mica Mountain opened in 2020. The Thunderbolts also won 21-7 at home in 2023. Walden Grove had a six-game winning snapped in both of the losses to Mica Mountain. The Red Wolves enter Friday’s game winning their last three games after a 1-2 start.
Douglas (3-2, 0-1) at Amphitheater (2-4, 0-1)
Douglas is going after its second winning season in the last three years after going 9-20 in the previous four years.
Catalina Foothills (3-3, 1-0) at Sahuaro (4-2, 0-1)
Much like the Sunnyside-Cienega game in 5A, this 4A matchup will mean a great deal to the postseason hopes of both schools. The Falcons can be one of two unbeaten region teams with a win and the Cougars can avoid an 0-2 start in region play.
4A GILA
Pueblo (3-3, 1-0) at Cholla (2-4, 0-1)
The Southwest Tucson rivalry between Pueblo and Cholla has been one-sided toward the Warriors the last couple of decades. Pueblo leads the series 33-16. This will be the 50th meeting between the schools since the started playing each other in 1972. The series was continuous except in 2001, 2002, 2015 and 2021. Pueblo has won 15 of last 17 dating to 2006. Cholla led the series 9-4 after 1984. Pueblo coach Sly Lewis has the opportunity to run the table and finish 7-3 in his second year at his alma mater. The biggest road block for Pueblo ahead is against Sahuarita and former coach Jake Allen on Oct. 24 at home.
Rincon/UHS (2-3, 0-1) at Sahuarita (2-4, 1-0)
Allen is 9-7 in his second year at Sahuarita. That’s more wins than the five years combined before he arrived. The Mustangs were 8-34 from 2019 to 2023.
Empire (1-5, 1-0) at Rio Rico (1-5, 0-1)
Empire, which has been beset by injury problems, will try to go 2-0 in region play after an 0-5 start.
3A EAST
No. 17 Coolidge (4-3, 1-2) at No. 5 Pusch Ridge (6-1, 3-1)
Pusch Ridge still has a shot at the 3A East region title and automatic qualifying bid for the state playoffs. The Lions must beat Coolidge on Friday and win at Safford next week and hope that Thatcher loses in two of its last three region games.
No. 4 Thatcher (4-1, 2-0) at No. 29 San Tan Foothills (0-6, 0-3)
The Eagles are in the driver’s seat of the region standings and automatic-qualifying berth for the 3A state playoffs. That should continue after Friday’s matchup against winless San Tan Foothills.
2A SOUTH I
No. 45 Tombstone (1-5, 1-1) at No. 36 Bisbee (2-5, 1-1)
The winner of this game has the hope of finishing with a winning record in region play.
No. 27 Palo Verde (4-3, 1-1) at No. 50 Santa Rita (0-7, 0-3)
Palo Verde is off to its best start after seven games since beginning 5-2 in 2013 under Todd Mayfield. The Titans are striving for their first winning season since they finished 11-2 in 2009 under Mayfield, with a loss in the state semifinals. … Santa Rita is on a 20-game losing streak in varsity games dating to the 2021 season. The Eagles also finished 0-7 playing a junior varsity schedule in 2023. … When Jeff Scurran coached his last season at Santa Rita in 2009, the Eagles’ game against Palo Verde had a standing-room-only crowd with Santa Rita finishing 11-3 that year and Palo Verde 11-2.
2A SOUTH II
No. 34 Desert Christian (3-3, 0-1) at No. 13 Benson (4-3, 1-0)
Benson, behind prolific-passing quarterback Dawson Judd, is going after its first winning season since 2021. Desert Christian has an opportunity for a statement win in only its second year of existence, first at the 2A level.
No. 7 Willcox (6-1, 1-0) at No. 17 Eloy Santa Cruz Valley (3-4, 0-1)
With Eloy Santa Cruz Valley returning for the first time since 2021 to play in a region that includes teams from the Tucson area, the Dust Devils will be a highlight for local programs on the schedule. This is the second-to-last of the regular season for each team (before the Week 10 matchup against corresponding South I teams), making it an important pivot game toward a region title. The teams last met in the 2016 and 2017 seasons and Santa Cruz Valley won those games 72-0 and 50-0 under former coach Rishard Davis, a one-time Arizona walk-on who led Dust Devils to the state title in 2020. Santa Cruz Valley leads the series 17-4.
2A INDEPENDENT (teams are not ranked)
Scottsdale Coronado (0-5) at Catalina (2-4)
Catalina, on a four-game losing streak, still has the opportunity to finish with a winning season under alum Virgil Henderson for the first time since 2007. The Trojans must defeat Coronado in their last home game of the season and then win at Globe and San Carlos to close the season.
1A SOUTH
No. 3 St. David (6-1, 3-0) at No. 17 Fort Thomas (1-6, 1-2)
St. David has already won the 1A South title and automatic berth to the state playoffs.
NON-REGION
5A: Scottsdale Desert Mountain (5-1) at Ironwood Ridge (1-5)
Ironwood Ridge scheduled this game as a way to gain power points toward the postseason. Now, it’s more of a potential upset game with the Nighthawks at 1-5. Desert Mountain had a 42-0 win over Mountain View at home Sept. 11, a game that started its current four-tame winning streak.
5A: Cottonwood Mingus (0-6) at Maricopa (3-3)
Maricopa has the opportunity to start 2-0, including an upset win over visiting Mountain View last week, under interim head coach Eric Reed.
3A: Florence (2-4) at Phoenix Shadow Mountain (3-4)
2A: No. 33 Surprise Highland Prep (2-5) at No. 10 Tanque Verde (5-2)
Tanque Verde is under the radar after a slow start, now 5-2 and 3-0 in the 2A South I. The Hawks have a chance to get even better with Cooper Payne now eligible after transferring from Desert Christian. He has 170 rushing yards and eight tackles in his first two starts.
1A: Duncan (3-4) at San Manuel (2-5)
1A: Spring Valley Mayer (1-4) at Valley Union (4-2)
BYES: 6A Salpointe (4-2), 3A Sabino (3-4), 3A Safford (2-5) and 1A Baboquivari (0-7)
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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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