Conference 4A is headlined by a clash between No. 1 Mica Mountain and No. 11 Walden Grove in 4A Kino play. Both teams have made various moves at the quarterback position, the Thunderbolts by choice, the Red Wolves by necessity.

Also, Pueblo faces Cholla in the latest installment of one of Southern Arizona's oldest and most historic rivalries.

5A competition hinges around the competitive Sonoran Region, which is completely up for grabs after key wins from Tucson, Buena and Marana. No. 21 Tucson plays Canyon del Oro with hopes of moving to 6-1 on the year, while Marana and Buena look to close the gap, each set to face a school from Casa Grande.

THURSDAY

2A

Santa Rita (1-6) at Palo Verde (4-3)

Location: 1302 S. Avenida Vega

Notable: An old-fashioned Tucson city rivalry, Palo Verde and Santa Rita have met 46 times dating back to 1972. The Eagles haven't beaten the Titans since 2015, losing three times, with a fourth game canceled in 2022. Palo Verde head coach Jamal Chatman has led his Titans to a second consecutive 4-3 start. The Titans finished 6-4 last season.

FRIDAY

2A

Catalina (2-5) at Scottsdale Coronado (0-7)

Location: 7501 E. Virginia Ave., Scottsdale

Notable: Catalina and Coronado have only met twice in their history, playing in 2021 and 2025. The Dons paced the Trojans 52-6 in 2021, before Catalina won a 20-0 shutout in response last season, one of three wins on the year. Coronado has been dramatically outscored this season, giving up 331 points to just 22 of its own.

No. 14 Tanque Verde (4-3) at Surprise Highland Prep (1-6)

Location: 15600 W. Hearn Road, Surprise

Notable: Tanque Verde is just one of two schools in the 2A Conference with three running backs on the Top 50 rushing yards leaderboard. Mason Sandoski, Gaines Gooch and Beau Duke have combined for 1,144 yards on the ground and 18 rushing touchdowns. The only other school to match that mark is No. 3 Willcox.

3A

No. 6 Pusch Ridge (6-1) at No. 14 Coolidge (4-3)

Location: 684 W. Northern Ave., #500, Coolidge

Notable: The last time Pusch Ridge faced a Pinal County opponent, the Lions snuck off the field at No. 17 Florence with a 28-24 victory over the Gophers. Pusch head coach Kent Middleton said that near-loss “Projected the team into our last two wins.” Pusch Ridge dispatched No. 7 Thatcher and No. 15 Sabino in back-to-back weeks.

Buckeye Odyssey Institute (1-5) at No. 15 Sabino (2-4)

Location: 5000 N. Bowes Road

Notable: Sabino has come agonizingly close to wins over highly-ranked opponents, falling to 3A No. 5 Valley Christian and No. 4 Gilbert Christian, as well as Sahuaro, which sits just outside a 4A playoff spot. All three losses on Sabino’s schedule were by a touchdown or less. Sabino looks to rebound in its first-ever meeting with Buckeye Odyssey Institute.

4A

Amphitheater (1-5) at Douglas (4-2)

Location: 1500 E. 15th St., Douglas

Notable: Amphi and Douglas first played each other all the way back in 1944, a 35-0 win for the Bulldogs. They met continuously throughout the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, before a 27-year hiatus. Former longtime Panthers head coach Vern Friedli met Douglas for the first time in 2003, the first meeting since 1975, which resulted in a 35-0 Amphi win. Douglas’ only two losses this season are to No. 22 Pueblo and No. 1 Mica Mountain.

Sahuaro (2-4) at Catalina Foothills (2-4)

Location: 4300 E. Sunrise Drive

Notable: Sahuaro senior Anakin Alexander has carried the ball 71 times for 382 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks against Sabino and Walden Grove. Alexander has played in just four games this season and is already 17th in rushing in 4A. Despite a 2-4 record, the Cougars are not to be slept on, with every loss this season thus far suffered against what will be eventual playoff teams. Catalina Foothills doubled down on its miracle win over Pueblo with a 46-6 drubbing of Amphi.

No. 11 Walden Grove (4-2) at No. 1 Mica Mountain (6-0)

Location: 10800 E. Valencia Road

Notable: Friday marks the fourth time the Red Wolves and Thunderbolts will meet on the gridiron. Mica Mountain remains one of two undefeated teams in Southern Arizona, reaching its third 6-0 start in its fifth season playing varsity opponents. Walden Grove has won three straight, most recently a tight 24-19 tilt over Sahuaro. Both teams have battled some jostling at the quarterback position. Mica Mountain has incorporated a three-quarterback system, while Walden Grove has navigated injuries and the transfer window, playing three quarterbacks through the first six weeks.

Cholla (4-2) at No. 22 Pueblo (4-2)

Location: 3500 S. 12th Ave.

Notable: Separated by 3 miles and the extensive echoes of high school football history, the annual Pueblo-Cholla clash is the blueprint for Southern Arizona football rivalries. The two sides have met every year except for 2001, 2002, 2015 and 2021, dating all the way back to 1972. Pueblo leads the series 34-16 all-time. The Warriors won the 50th clash last year by a score of 48-3.

Rio Rico (1-5) at Empire (0-6)

Location: 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way

Notable: Empire is still looking for its first touchdown of the season. The Ravens’ only points of the year came on Sept. 11, recording a safety against No. 7 St. Mary’s. This is the slowest start to a season in Empire’s history, dating back to the school’s first season in 2006. Rio Rico’s lone win came over Amphi on Sept. 18.

No. 24 Sahuarita (4-2) at Rincon/University (0-6)

Location: 421 N. Arcadia Ave.

Notable: Sahuarita is gearing up for a final charge towards a playoff spot, only having suffered losses to No. 11 Walden Grove and No. 1 Mica Mountain. Junior quarterback Dane Hartnett is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback who accumulated over 250 all-purpose yards against Rio Rico last Friday. Rincon is ranked 57th out of 58 4A teams.

5A

No. 19 Sierra Vista Buena (3-3) at Casa Grande Vista Grande (3-3)

Location: 1556 N. Arizola Road, Casa Grande

Notable: The Colts galloped into last week’s game against 6A Gilbert Highland riding high after a 38-28 upset of Marana, but were quickly brought back down to Earth via a 52-7 loss. Buena’s defense has logged an astonishing 49 tackles for loss along with 11.5 sacks and five interceptions. Three Buena players are Top 10 in Class 5A in tackles. Vista Grande has not scored since Sept. 4, presenting a juicy opportunity for a hungry Buena defense.

No. 21 Tucson (5-1) at Canyon del Oro (3-3)

Location: 25 W. Calle Concordia

Notable: The Badgers and Dorados meet in a key 5A Sonoran clash with significant region implications. Tucson is 3-0 in region play with wins over both Casa Grande schools and Buena, while the Dorados are 1-2 after losses to Marana and Ironwood Ridge. After Tucson’s win over Buena and Marana’s loss to the Colts, the region is fully up for grabs with four weeks remaining in the season.

Ironwood Ridge (4-2) at No. 4 Scottsdale Desert Mountain (5-1)

Location: 12575 E. Vía Linda, #102, Scottsdale

Notable: Ironwood Ridge is the second Tucson team to face Desert Mountain, a game in which the Nighthawks hope to fare better than local adversary Mountain View, whom the Wolves crushed 65-0 on Sept. 10. Ironwood’s elite duo of quarterback Max Harder and Zaren Robbins were held to just two catches for 31 yards last week against Marana.

No. 15 Marana (3-3) at Casa Grande (1-5)

Location: 2730 N. Trekell Road, Casa Grande

Notable: Marana righted the ship after the stunning loss to Buena two weeks ago with a 48-3 drubbing of Ironwood Ridge at home last Friday. The Tigers, seeking to win the 5A Sonoran for the fifth straight year, can ill afford another loss to a region opponent. Casa Grande has dropped both region games to Ironwood Ridge and Tucson High.

Cienega (2-4) at Sunnyside (2-4)

Location: 1725 E. Bilby Road

Notable: Cienega and Sunnyside enter Friday’s game with nearly identical ratings, according to MaxPreps. Both teams are 2-4 on the year, with 32.9496 and 32.9392 ratings, respectively. Cienega averages nearly double Sunnyside’s offensive output with 286 yards per game to Sunnyside’s 156. The two teams have played nearly every year since 2011, with their first meeting all the way back in the 2003 4A Playoffs.

No. 8 Desert View (6-0) at Nogales (2-4)

Location: 1905 Apache Blvd., Nogales

Notable: For two quarters last Thursday, Desert View looked human for the first time all season against Sunnyside, potentially letting the emotions of a big rivalry game throw off its composure. However, a big second half propelled the Jaguars to a 41-12 victory, their third straight over Sunnyside. Nogales has lost four straight dating back to a Sept. 4 win over Rio Rico.

Mountain View (1-5) at Flowing Wells (4-2)

Location: 3725 N. Flowing Wells Road

Notable: Mountain View has played a considerably more difficult schedule than Flowing Wells, losing four of their five games to Top 24 opponents in the 5A Conference. The Mountain Lions lost out in a 12-0 game against Maricopa last week, while Flowing Wells snuck by Sunnyside.