CDO Dorados upset No. 21 Tucson High Badgers to spark 5A Sonoran chaos

Southern Arizona has undergone a significant shift in 2026, with the 5A Sonoran taking center stage. Chaotic results have occurred on a weekly basis and have left the playoff picture in complete limbo.

The latest chapter of this chaos occurred on Friday night, as unranked Canyon del Oro (4-3, 2-2) knocked off the region’s top team, No. 21 Tucson (5-2, 3-1), who entered Oro Valley with a perfect 3-0 region record and departed with a 10-3 loss at the hands of the Dorados.

CDO suffered losses earlier this season to 4A No. 2 Mica Mountain, as well as region foes No. 15 Marana and Ironwood Ridge, taking on some of the group’s toughest teams on the front end of the schedule. With the win, CDO head coach Scott McKee believes his group is putting it together at the right time with three games to play.

“Our kids are trending forward,” McKee said. “We felt like we didn’t finish another goal line situation a few weeks ago (against Ironwood Ridge, but we didn’t get the call. That’s the way it goes sometimes. We’ve got to learn to win close. We’ve lost close, we’ve lost big, now we are winning close.”

“It’s a big step for us because it gives the kids a belief that all of the work they’re doing is for something important. They’re special kids.”

CDO’s upset of Tucson was certainly not the prettiest. Both teams combined for well over 20 penalties and 200 yards. Both groups struggled with false starts and offsides in key situations, gifting free first downs or making conversions longer and more difficult. Both teams had significant plays for big gains or touchdowns brought back by penalties.

“When you’re getting big penalties on 10-yard runs, first downs and now you’re staring at a first down and even farther to go, and the next play you get three or four yards, you’re still behind the sticks,” Tucson head coach Zach Neveleff said. “We don’t have too many situations where we get out of those self-inflicted wounds.”

Canyon del Oro opened the game with its lone touchdown on its first drive, as Dorados senior quarterback Peyton Strang connected with two of his receivers for significant gains over the top. Senior running back Tai Holmes ran the ball three times on CDO’s first drive, punching it in from a yard out for six.

Friday’s penalty issue reared its head at the end of the first quarter and the start of the second, as a pink flag, the referees were participating in breast cancer awareness, was thrown once every three plays.

“It was a lot of procedural stuff; we have to get set for a little longer,” McKee reflected. “If we’re having that issue, that’s on me as a head coach. I have to look at that a little closer, or maybe we bring an official to practice with us to get that tightened up.”

“We got our penalties in the crucial situations because we were trying so hard. Sometimes you have to learn how to take a deep breath and do what you’re supposed to. So that’s on me to get that ready.”

CDO senior kicker Zachary Neasham hit a 36-yard field goal to put CDO up 10-0 at halftime. The two sides traded stops on defense, with the most prolific unit being the Dorados’ secondary.

Canyon del Oro neutralized Tucson’s biggest threat, junior receiver Ezra Spivey, Southern Arizona’s breakaway ironman of the season due to his contributions on both sides of the ball. An All-State defensive back who is adding to Tucson’s talent as a receiver, Spivey has surpassed 100 receiving yards four times in seven games.

However, whether because his quarterback, sophomore Brenton Coleman, struggled to find him or the CDO secondary put in a lights-out effort, Spivey did not find the ball often on Friday.

“He’s outstanding, just a great player,” McKee said of Spivey. We have great defensive coaches on our side who have done it for a long time, and we hold a high standard for our defense at CDO. They had a good plan. We also have some special kids in the secondary... We have a really good, young nucleus.”

The Dorados rode the combination of Holmes and Strang to success. Holmes carried the ball 17 times for 64 yards and a touchdown, while Strang was 9 for 14 for 138 yards.

CDO’s win is the latest example of a crazy region that has seen major shakeup, as the Dorados hauled in a signature win over the Badgers. Now No. 22 Tucson’s biggest win came over No. 20 Sierra Vista Buena in overtime on Sept. 18. Buena went on to rebound with a win over Marana a week later, who visits Tucson on Friday for the outright lead in the 5A Sonoran. Ironwood Ridge, who beat now-No. 23 CDO and lost to Marana, sits just outside the 24-team playoff bubble at No. 26.

CDO also has a tall task on Friday, visiting the 5A Southern’s runaway favorite, undefeated No. 7 Desert View (7-0).

“We have to find solutions to our penalty problem,” McKee said. “We didn’t really play clean in that aspect, so we have to get that fixed and then get a great game plan (going) because we got that undefeated team coming up.”