CIENEGA BOBCATS
Last year: 7-5, lost at Goodyear Desert Edge 46-7 in the 5A quarterfinal round.
Head coach: Justin Argraves (30-25, sixth year at Cienega; 86-74, 17th year overall)
— Cienega travels in the second week to Goodyear Desert Edge, a team that beat the Bobcats twice last year including in the 5A quarterfinals by a 46-7 score. The Scorpions lost the following week to visiting Scottsdale Desert Mountain and finished 11-1. Another freedom game, in the sixth week of the season, has Mesa Desert Ridge visiting. Desert Ridge went 0-10 last season.
— The Bobcats open the season on the road for the first two games, against Buena and Desert Edge but do not have consecutive road games for the rest of the year.
— Four of the last six games are at home with the two road games difficult ones against Sunnyside Unified School District schools Sunnyside and Desert View.
DESERT VIEW JAGUARS
Last year: 11-1, lost in the 5A quarterfinals to Waddell Canyon View 38-28.
Head coach: Robert Bonillas (62-74, 15th season at Desert View; 68-88, 17th year overall)
— Peoria Sunrise Mountain makes a return trip to Desert View to open the season after the Jaguars traveled north to start last year and won 38-15. That started a school-record run of 11 straight victories to open a season for Desert View. Sunrise Mountain finished 5-5 last year. Desert View will attempt another successful run without talented running back/safety Jaylee Abraham, who is transferring to Peoria Centennial.
— The Duel in the District rivalry game shifts to Sunnyside this year on Thursday, Oct. 1. The Jaguars beat Sunnyside 35-14 at home last year. Desert View has won six of the last nine meetings in the Duel in the District after Sunnyside started 13-1 against the Jaguars.
— A week after Bonillas coaches his team at his alma mater Nogales on Oct. 9, he will face his former Arizona teammate Scott McKee, the head coach at Canyon del Oro at Jaguar Stadium.
FLOWING WELLS CABALLEROS
Last year: 7-4, lost in first round of 5A state playoffs at Phoenix Mountain Pointe 47-26.
Head coach: Brian Brindley (First year at Flowing Wells and overall)
— The Prince Road Rivalry game with Amphi is at home this season for Flowing Wells on Sept. 4, a week after starting the Brindley era at Douglas. Flowing Wells trails the series with Amphi 17-15 dating to 1962 but the Caballeros have won three of the last four meetings.
— Flowing Wells has two manageable freedom games against Phoenix schools North (3-7 last year) and Carl Hayden (4A school that was 2-8). North visits Flowing Wells Sept. 11 and the Caballeros travel to Carl Hayden Sept. 25. The Caballeros have three freedom games against 4A schools — Douglas, Amphi and Carl Hayden.
— The Caballeros’ first three road games are lengthy trips to Douglas, Maricopa and Carl Hayden.
MARICOPA RAMS
Last year: 6-5, lost in first round of 5A state playoffs at Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep 49-20.
Head coach: Kacy Day Jr. (First year at Maricopa and overall)
— Day, an assistant last year, serves as head coach for the first time in the season opener at home against Phoenix Mountain Pointe, which was 7-5 last year with a loss at Desert View in the quarterfinals of the 5A tournament.
— Maricopa plays in a region of Southern Arizona schools despite being about 35 miles from Phoenix and 90 miles from Tucson.
— The Rams’ rivalry game is at neighbor Casa Grande the third week of the season. Maricopa won the first four games of the series (2011 to 2014) , Casa Grande won the next four (2021 to 2024) and the Rams won last year 34-20 at home.
MOUNTAIN VIEW MOUNTAIN LIONS
Last year: 7-5, lost in 5A state quarterfinals at ALA-Gilbert North 42-0.
Head coach: Matt Johnson (32-34, eighth year at Mountain View; 145-95, 23rd year overall)
— Johnson, the dean of coaches in Southern Arizona after nearly a quarter-century as a head coach, will lead the Mountain Lions in three straight home games to start the season. They then play five of their next six games on the road (including their first two region games against Desert View and Cienega).
— Mountain View opens with a home game against Tucson High, which the Mountain Lions upset to open their season last year. Johnson’s team then plays Phoenix Trevor G. Browne (2-8 last year) and Desert Mountain at home. Desert Mountain (12-3 last year) is the reigning 5A state champion that beat Mountain View 42-0 at home last year.
— The Battle for the Boot against Marana shifts to Marana this year after the Mountain Lions lost to their rivals 48-20 at home last season. Mountain View leads the series 14-6 but Marana has won four of the last five meetings.
NOGALES APACHES
Last year: 2-8
Head coach: Warren Smith (2-8, second year at Nogales; 2-13, third year overall)
— Nogales (2-28 over the last three seasons) is trying to get its feet on the ground under Smith, scheduling three freedom games against 4A schools from Southern Arizona — Amphi, Rio Rico and Sahuarita. The Apaches end the season at home in a freedom game against Phoenix Desert Vista, a 6A school that 4-6 last season including a 61-0 win over the Apaches at home.
— The Nogales-Rio Rico rivalry series has become more competitive in recent years. Nogales won the first 13 games of the series but Rio Rico has won three of the last four. The Apaches ended Rio Rico’s three-game winning streak in the series with a 38-18 win at Rio Rico last year.
— Nogales travels up I-19 to face a competitive Sahuarita team on Sept. 11. The Apaches lost 40-3 to Sahuarita at home last season.
SUNNYSIDE BLUE DEVILS
Last year: 4-6
Head coach: Thomas Romack (19-21, fifth year at Sunnyside and overall)
— After opening at home against Vista Grande, Sunnyside plays three straight games on the road before returning for three consecutive games at home. The three road games in this stretch are against upstart Pueblo, Gilbert Campo Verde (7-5, advanced to 5A quarterfinals last season) and Mica Mountain (two-time defending 4A state champions).
— Region play then starts with Sunnyside hosting Nogales, Desert View and Cienega in three straight weeks. Sunnyside will try to beat its Duel in the District rival Desert View at home for the first time since 2013. The Blue Devils lost to the Jaguars at home in the last three games played there in 2017, 2019 and 2024.
— Sunnyside concludes its difficult schedule playing two of its last three games on the road, including the season-ender at Mountain View, a playoff team last year that figures to be one of the region favorites.
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