Salpointe Catholic tightens grip on local rivalry with Marana

Trash talk on social media, gutsy plays on the field, emotions running rampant — the annual battle between the Lancers and Tigers has it all.

The two schools met again on Thursday night for an emotional battle in Marana. With tensions high after a lengthy weather and power outage delay, the Lancers weathered the storm to tighten their grip on the rivalry, beating the Tigers 28-7 in hostile territory.

"I think this has really developed into a good rivalry game and something we want to continue," Salpointe head coach Pat Ryden said postgame. "We expect to win every year and we got it done tonight."

Salpointe has won three of the last four installments of the series, with the exception being Marana's 27-24 win in 2024, the year the Tigers were the No. 1 overall seed in the Open Division Playoffs. The Lancers won 35-14 in 2023 and 20-18 in 2025.

Salpointe's victory was particularly notable for the Lancers due to the extra circumstances laid upon Marana after an incredibly turbulent month of August. Across the span of the first two weeks of the month, the Tigers' head coach Phillip Steward resigned, then subsequently rescinded his resignation 24 hours later. Just days later, star Marana senior receiver Sean Roebuck Jr. was involved in a serious car accident that sidelined the three-star recruit for the season. 

With Steward back on the headset, Roebuck's initials and jersey number on the back of the Tigers' helmets, along with the senior himself walking as part of the captain's meeting at midfield ahead of the game, it felt like all the emotion and momentum were set to swing Marana's way on Thursday night.

"I have never seen those boys like that; it was very emotional," Steward said of his team pregame. "Seeing him able to come up and walk around with us and stuff like that, it felt pretty good for the boys. It's given them a sense of purpose to play this season."

With the delays and the heavy emotions prolonging the anticipation of the contest, both teams struggled out of the gate on offense. Salpointe finally broke through late in the second quarter after wearing down the Tiger defense, as senior running back Adrian Jett broke down the home sideline for a 40-plus-yard touchdown score.

Salpointe doubled down on Marana's first play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive, as junior corner Jeremiah Wells picked off junior Marana quarterback Trenton Hicks for a 30-yard pick-six to take a commanding 14-0 lead.

"Our linebacker hit the quarterback and applied pressure," Wells said, recalling the play. "That allowed me to go up and get it and take it back from there."

While the Wells pick-six was a high point for the Salpointe defense on the night, the Lancers certainly had much to be proud of, limiting the two Marana quarterbacks to 160 yards passing, zero touchdowns and two interceptions.

"I can't say enough about our defense tonight," Ryden added. "They were on the field an awful lot tonight and did a great job all the way through... Our kids have worked their butts off since January and (have put in a lot) of time and effort when a lot of people have doubted them."

Marana finally managed to break through in the third quarter, but with their defense finding the end zone. Junior defensive back Carter Meyer recorded a 65-yard pick-six for the Tigers' only touchdown of the night.

And it was short-lived.

Salpointe senior Jake Bondi took the following kickoff back 85 yards from the visitors' side of the field to the home corner of the end zone in an immediate response.

"I caught the ball at the 15-20 (yard line) and I was going and once I saw the hole open up, I just knew I was gone," Bondi said. "Once I got past the 50, I knew no one was catching me."

All three Salpointe figures who gave interviews on Thursday night did not hold back when asked about their silence towards pre-game trash talk, and how the Lancers let their play do the talking.

"We kept our mentality focused on what we can do to improve ourselves instead of talking online," Bondi said. "I think it really showed today."

The remainder of the 2026 schedule presents challenges for both parties in Thursday night's game. 

Marana's immediate fix is at quarterback, as filling the shoes of the state's leading passer in Colten Meyer has proved to be a challenging prospect. It doesn't get easier with Waddell Canyon View and Yuma Catholic staring down the barrel in Weeks 2 and 3.

"We've had one quarterback the last three years, so we are still working through that," Steward said. "As far as the schedule goes, we do it that way to let us know who we are as a team and what we need to fix right now before we get into (region) play."

For the Lancers, Salpointe plays one of the most challenging schedules in Arizona as the lone 6A school in Tucson. Nationally-ranked programs like Chandler and Basha ominously loom on the horizon.

"It's important for us to get off to a good start," Ryden said. "The schedule doesn't get any easier and it is going to be a huge challenge... I think you have to try and take it personally. We have good kids in our program and we are still Salpointe."