To quote NFL Films: “... and hopes that were high in the heat of September, can wilt and die in the chill of November.”
Friday marks the last day of high school football for 2023 for most Southern Arizona teams, with the big school regular season wrapping up the same day the 3A and 2A playoffs get underway.
So in addition to postseason positioning, Salpointe Catholic goes for the 6A Central crown while Ironwood Ridge, Tucson High and Mountain View vie for the 5A Sonoran championship. Elsewhere, Marana, Buena, Sunnyside and Cienega go for the 5A Southern title with Amphitheater, Douglas and Empire up for the 4A Gila championship.
Then there’s Canyon del Oro, Mica Mountain and Walden Grove contesting the 4A Kino crown alongside CDO’s efforts to finish the regular season as the Tucson area’s only unbeaten program.
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All games start at 7 p.m.
Sabino’s Mason Cade (8), left, and Isaiah Robertson (2) come together to sack Mohave’s Joe Yoney Jr. (12) in their game at Sabino High School on Oct. 27. The Sabercats upset the No. 1 and previously undefeated Thunderbirds 34-29 in their regular season finale.
3A State Tournament — 1st Round
No. 13 Mohave Valley River Valley (7-3) at No. 4 Sabino (7-3)
Location: 5000 N. Bowes Road
Notable: Sabino won state championships in 1990 (4A), 1992 (4A) and 1998 (4A) and finished runner-up in 1997 (4A), 1999 (5A), 2005 (4A DIv. I), 2006 (4A DIv. I), 2009 (4A DIv. I) and 2016 (3A).
No. 9 Lakeside Blue Ridge (8-2) at No. 8 Pusch Ridge Christian (7-3)
Location: 9500 N. Oracle Road
Notable: Pusch Ridge is the most recent Tucson area team to win a state championship, doing so in 2015 (Div. II). The Lions finished second in 2017 (3A).
Pusch Ridge’s Tyler Drescher (1) holds on to Catalina Foothills’s Henry Nentl (14) long enough for help to arrive and stop him after his catch in the second quarter of their game at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy on Sept. 14.
2A State Tournament — 1st Round
No. 10 Parker (7-3) at No. 7 Tanque Verde (8-2)
Location: 4201 N. Melpomene Way
Notable: Parker has won two state championships: 1970 (A) and 1971 (A). Meanwhile Tanque Verde started its program in 2007 and hosts a playoff game for the first time.
Class 6A (reg. season finale)
No. 10 Salpointe Catholic (8-1) at No. 9 Phoenix Brophy Prep (7-2)
Location: 4525 N. Central Ave, Phoenix
Notable: According to AzFootballArchives.com, Salpointe is 13-12-1 against their Phoenix Catholic rival. Their first meeting was in 1954, a 39-19 Salpointe win.
Class 5A (regular-season finales)
No. 13 Casa Grande (6-3) at No. 11 Buena (7-2)
Location: 5225 E. Buena School Blvd.
Notable: The last time the Colts made the playoffs was 2019, where they lost to Peoria Sunrise Mountain, 49-36.
No. 21 Sunnyside (4-5) at No. 29 Desert View (3-6)
Location: 4101 E. Valencia Road
Notable: The Blue Devils lead the Sunnyside School District rivalry 6-4 in the MaxPreps era (since 2004) but Desert View has won two of the last three.
No. 35 Maricopa (4-5) at No. 40 Flowing Wells (2-7)
Location: 3725 N. Flowing Wells Road
Notable: The Caballeros snapped a four-game losing streak with a 42-0 win at Nogales last week.
No. 26 Mountain View (4-5) at No. 15 Ironwood Ridge (7-2)
Location: 2475 W. Naranja Drive
Notable: After a shock of a loss at Maricopa last week, IR looks to extend their dream season with a win over northwest rival MV. Last season Ironwood Ridge went 1-9.
No. 20 Cienega (5-4) at No. 14 Marana (4-5)
Location: 12000 W. Emigh Road
Notable: Cienega last made it to the postseason in 2021, reaching the quarterfinals where the Bobcats lost 45-21 to Scottsdale Horizon. Marana last reached the playoffs last season, making it to the quarterfinals where the Tigers fell 65-36 to Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep.
No. 47 Nogales (0-9) at No. 28 Tucson High (4-5)
Location: 400 N. Second Ave.
Notable: Tucson High looks to finish the season winning four straight and securing their first .500 or better record in a non-shortened season since 2018, when the Badgers went 6-4 in the 6A.
Walden Grove’s Buddy Davis (6) makes a seat-of-the-pants interception after defecting the pass in the second quarter of the Red Wolves home win over Cienega on Sept. 15.
Class 4A (regular-season finales)
No. 11 Walden Grove (6-3) at No. 2 Canyon del Oro (9-0)
Location: 25 W. Calle Concordia
Notable: Once again rankings madness has spread as CDO’s yo-yo relationship with the Open continued; the Dorados were No. 3 in the Open two weeks ago, then 10th last week, and back up to No. 4 this week. The Dorados beat No. 33 Sahuaro last week and No. 34 Pueblo the week before causing the big changes. Maybe Walden Grove will end up settling things with a win of its own?
No. 3 Mica Mountain (8-1) at No. 21 Catalina Foothills (4-5)
Location: 4300 E. Sunrise Drive
Notable: With No. 1 Yuma Catholic playing at No. 5 Phoenix Northwest Christian and CDO, for the moment, destined for the Open, maybe MM can nab the top seed in the 4A? They are likely safe (No. 15) from getting drafted into the eight-team Open.
Canyon de Oro’s Izaiah Lucero (2) flies in to make the shoestring tackle and stop Mica Mountain’s Conner Hangarner (7) on his catch and run in second quarter of their game at Canyon del Oro High School on Oct. 13.
No. 51 Sahuarita (2-7) at No. 32 Douglas (5-4)
Location: 1550 15th St., Douglas
Notable: Sahuarita looks to play spoiler as Douglas looks to secure at least a share of the Gila Region title.
No. 35 Empire (5-4) at No. 48 Rincon/University (2-7)
Location: 421 N. Arcadia Ave.
Notable: Rincon/University looks to play spoiler as Empire looks to secure at least a share of the Gila Region title.
No. 44 Cholla (4-5) at No. 41 Rio Rico (3-6)
Location: 590 Camino Lito Galindo, Rio Rico
Notable: According to AzFootballArchives.com, Rio Rico looks to equal its best 10-game record (4-6) for the fifth time since 2015. The Hawks also finished 4-6 in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2022.
No. 34 Pueblo (3-6) at No. 33 Sahuaro (2-7)
Location: 545 N. Camino Seco
Notable: In the MaxPreps era (since 2004) these two Tucson institutions (Pueblo opened in 1956 and Sahuaro 1968) have met once, a 20-19 Cougar win in 2021.
VIDEO: Pusch Ridge Christian Academy quarterback Bubba Mustain scores on a 10-yard touchdown run during the Lions' 40-27 loss to Sabino High School on Sept. 29, 2023. (James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star)
VIDEO: Sabino High School quarterback Cameron Hackworth keeps it himself and runs for a 67-yard touchdown during the Sabercats' 40-27 win over Pusch Ridge Christian Academy on Sept. 29, 2023. (James Kelley/Special to the Arizona Daily Star)
