Salpointe Catholic and Tucson High clash in the Lancers' second straight 6A/5A battle after beating Marana last Thursday.

Mica Mountain and Canyon del Oro meet again after heated contests over the past four seasons between the 4A and 5A foes.

At the 3A level, Queen Creek Crismon and Pusch Ridge Christian meet in an early-season preview of two teams destined for the 3A playoffs come November.

All games start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

THURSDAY

4A

Cholla (1-0) at 4A No. 24 Phoenix Maryvale (1-0)

Location: 3415 N. 59th Ave., Phoenix

Notable: A team that has undergone massive changes under the Carter brothers, a duo that continued the rise of Desert Edge to the top of the 5A Conference in the early 2020s; the Panthers produced their first winning season in 15 years in 2025. Maryvale dismantled Yuma Kofa 42-0 last week, while Cholla smoked the other party of Yuma's oldest rivalry, Yuma High, 30-0.

FRIDAY

6A/5A

5A No. 16 Tucson (1-0) at 6A No. 15 Salpointe Catholic (1-0)

Location: 1545 E. Copper St.

Notable: On the same day Salpointe Catholic will retire Bijan Robinson's iconic No. 5 jersey, the Lancers will take on the Badgers, who are coached by Zach Neveleff, Robinson's running backs coach during his time at SC.

5A

Cienega (0-1) at No. 1 Goodyear Desert Edge (1-0)

Location: 15778 W. Yuma Road, Goodyear

Notable: The 2024 5A state champion, Desert Edge, is the unquestioned favorites in the 5A conference in 2026. The Scorpions beat the Bobcats in the first round of the playoffs last season, 46-7, and have 16 players on the roster with NCAA Division I offers

Phoenix Trevor G. Browne (0-1) at Mountain View Marana (0-1)

Location: 3901 W. Linda Vista Blvd.

Notable: Mountain View looks to respond to a 30-13 loss to Tucson High on Friday against a reeling Trevor G. Brown squad that fell to Canyon del Oro 41-0.

Sunnyside (0-1) at 4A No. 22 Pueblo (1-0)

Location: 3500 S. 12th Ave.

Notable: Pueblo and Sunnyside have met 44 times in their history, with Sunnyside winning the most recent clash last season 40-12. Pueblo squeaked out a win in the meeting prior in 2019 by a score of 22-21.

No. 17 Sierra Vista Buena (1-0) at Mesa Skyline (0-1)

Location: 845 S. Crismon Road, Mesa

Notable: Buena opened its 2025 campaign with a strong win over Cienega in Sierra Vista, beating the Bobcats 26-13. New head coach Chris Determan stepped into the role after serving as an assistant for multiple seasons.

No. 8 Gilbert Campo Verde (0-1) at No. 22 Ironwood Ridge (1-0)

Location: 2475 W. Naranja Drive

Notable: Ironwood Ridge junior quarterback Maximus Harder completed 10 of his 20 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns against Catalina Foothills. Senior receiver Braxton Murphy-Karnap hauled in two receptions from Harder for 138 yards total, both for touchdowns. Fellow Ironwood senior Zarin Robbins had three catches for 75 yards, all for touchdowns.

No. 6 Marana (0-1) at No. 11 Waddell Canyon View (1-0)

Location: 6024 N. Perryville Road, Waddell

Notable: Canyon View junior Titan Jacobs threw five touchdowns on a 10-13 day for 168 yards in the Jaguars' 64-7 drubbing of Phoenix South Mountain on Friday. Marana lost to Salpointe on Thursday despite massive emotional support following the team's chaotic month of August.

5A/4A

4A No. 20 Sahuaro (1-0) at 5A No. 13 Desert View (1-0)

Location: 4101 E. Valencia Road

Notable: Despite the loss of star running back Jaylee Abraham to Peoria Centennial, Desert View's stellar 2028 class just keeps getting it done, opening the 2025 season with a 42-10 drubbing of Peoria Sunrise Mountain. The Mustangs also returned a lot of talent, making the 32-point victory even more significant.

Amphitheater (0-1) at Flowing Wells (0-1)

Location: 3725 N. Flowing Wells Road

Notable: Both squads are eager for a win in Week 2, as Amphi fell to Nogales 20-7, while Flowing Wells was dispatched by Douglas 21-14.

5A No. 23 Canyon del Oro (1-0) at 4A No. 4 Mica Mountain (1-0)

Location: 10800 E. Valencia Road

Notable: The 2023 and 2024-25 4A state champions, respectively, Canyon del Oro and Mica Mountain have established a rivalry dating back to 2022, Mica’s second season of varsity football. The Thunderbolts won the first game in the rivalry’s history that season, as well as the most recent two installments by 30 points or more. The Dorados beat Mica twice in the 2023 state championship season, bouncing their rival in the semifinals. The Thunderbolts beat Poston Butte 29-0 in Week 1, while the Dorados crushed Trevor G. Browne 41-0.

Rio Rico (0-1) at Nogales (1-0)

Location: 1905 Apache Blvd., Nogales

Notable: The Apaches are 14-3 all-time against the Hawks, but Rio Rico has won three of the last four meetings.

Sahuarita (0-1) at Maricopa Desert Sunrise (0-1)

Location: 16200 N. Murphy Road, Maricopa

Notable: Sahuarita fell in its annual rivalry game, the Copper Cup, against Walden Grove to open the season. The Mustangs fell to the Golden Hawks 40-38 last season, but DS graduated its three biggest playmakers in May.

4A

Catalina Foothills (0-1) at Phoenix North Canyon (0-1)

Location: 1700 E. Union Hills Drive, Phoenix

Notable: Catalina Foothills dominated this matchup in 2025, winning 45-6.

No. 19 Mesa Eastmark (0-1) at No. 10 Walden Grove (1-0)

Location: 15510 S. Sahuarita Park Road

Notable: Walden Grove sophomore quarterback Jace McGee had an incredible varsity debut on Friday at Sahuarita, completing 21 of 30 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-6 win. Eastmark fell to a rising 3A Crismon team 41-28. 

Maricopa (0-1) at Empire (0-1)

Location: 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way

Notable: Maricopa handily won this battle in 2025 by a score of 35-7.

Rincon/Univ. (0-1) at No. 13 San Tan Valley Combs (1-0)

Location: 2505 E. Germann Road, San Tan Valley

Notable: Combs made the 4A playoffs for the first time in 2024, and returned to the bracket in 2025. Rincon/University has failed to make the playoffs since 2006.

3A

No. 6 Queen Creek Crismon (2-0) at No. 8 Pusch Ridge (2-0)

Location: 9500 N. Oracle Road

Notable: A game that has future 3A playoff implications written all over. Crismon and Pusch Ridge have both scored 82 points on offense through two games. Pusch won 28-27 last year, a dogfight in the school's first-ever meeting.

No. 11 Sabino (0-2) at No. 16 El Mirage Dysart (1-1)

Location: 11425 N. Dysart Road, El Mirage

Notable: Two programs that are elder statesmen of Arizona high school football. Dysart played its first season in 1964, while Sabino began varsity play nine years later in 1973. Sabino quarterback Bodhi Sanford threw for nearly 300 yards and five touchdowns in the 2025 clash.

2A

Catalina (1-1) at No. 8 Heritage Academy Mesa (1-1)

Location: 32 S. Center St., Mesa

Notable: Catalina's small roster and lack of depth finally showed against ALA - Sierra Vista, as the Trojans lost 38-6 last week.

Santa Rita (0-2) at Desert Christian (0-2)

Location: 7525 E. Speedway

Notable: Both teams are winless and ranked in the bottom 10 of the 2A conference. Both head coaches, Cam Gaddis (Santa Rita) and Zach Davila (Cienega), played high school football in Southern AZ and beyond.

Tanque Verde (0-2) at Palo Verde (1-1)

Location: 1302 S. Avenida Vega

Notable: Tanque Verde has come agonizingly close in both of its games, losing by six points to Phoenix Christian and seven points to Morenci.

No. 1 Willcox (2-0) at No. 23 Morenci (1-1)

Location: 473 Stadium Drive, Morenci

Notable: The Cowboys are the 2A Conference's top team after rolling past Palo Verde and Arizona Lutheran, the latter of which is a traditional 2A power. Willcox has rushed for 540 yards and nine touchdowns through two games.