The final region title up for grabs in Southern Arizona is the 5A Sonoran, which comes down to games in Marana and Sierra Vista. No. 16 Marana hosts Casa Grande Vista Grande, and the Tigers can do their part by taking care of the Spartans with a win. All eyes will be on Sierra Vista for No. 20 Buena hosting No. 23 Ironwood Ridge, as a Nighthawks' win would put Ironwood Ridge in the playoffs and give Marana the title, while a Buena win would see the Colts secure the title.

Seven teams between spots 16 and 26 in 5A are from Southern Arizona; only the Top 24 teams make the playoffs.

At the 2A level, No. 14 Tanque Verde begins its playoff quest against No. 19 Cortez at home on Friday night.

THURSDAY

3A

Sabino (3-6) at Safford (4-5)

Location: 1400 W. Bulldog Blvd, Safford

Notable: With only the Top 16 teams in 3A set to make the playoffs, No. 19 Sabino and No. 21 Safford are on the outside looking in and relying on chaos to create disparity and change in the conference. The two teams have played 10 times since 2015, with the Sabercats winning 40-0 in the 2025 regular season finale. Sabino has been outscored 88-20 across the last two games against No. 4 Thatcher and No. 9 Florence.

4A

No. 17 Sahuaro (5-4) at No. 2 Mica Mountain (8-1)

Location: 10800 E. Valencia Road

Notable: Mica Mountain and Sahuaro are two of three 4A Kino teams set to make the 4A playoff picture and give both teams a final opportunity for a tune-up before elimination games kick off next week. Mica has been playing angry the past two weeks after suffering an Oct. 9 upset against No. 9 Walden Grove, beating Amphi and Catalina Foothills by a combined score of 91-0. The two schools have played just three times, all going the way of the Thunderbolts. Sahuaro has not scored against Mica since 2023.

FRIDAY

2A Playoffs - First Round

No. 19 Phoenix Cortez (6-4) at No. 14 Tanque Verde (6-4)

Location: 4201 N. Melpomene Way

Notable: The journey back to the 2A semifinals and beyond begins on Friday for the Tanque Verde Hawks against the Colts of Cortez from Phoenix. The Hawks lost out on a higher seed after falling to No. 3 Willcox in the 2A South title game, and will have to face the Cowboys for a second time this season if they advance to the next round, where the familiar No. 3 seed awaits. Tanque Verde beat Cortez in their first-ever meeting in the 2024 regular season by a score of 38-6.

3A

No. 5 Pusch Ridge (8-1) at No. 1 Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin (9-0)

Location: 18864 E. Germann Road, Queen Creek

Notable: Ben Franklin is an absolute wagon in 3A this year, winning every game by at least 20 points or more this season. The Chargers have also dispatched four Top-10 3A teams en route to a 9-0 record and the precipice of a perfect regular season. The Lions are certainly no slouch, but face a “herculean task,” according to head coach Kent Middleton.

4A

No. 8 Walden Grove (7-2) at Amphitheater (1-8)

Location: 125 W. Yavapai Road

Notable: The Red Wolves are clicking at the right time, having won six straight dating back to a 35-31 loss to 5A No. 22 Tucson on Sept. 10. That run includes wins over No. 17 Sahuaro and one of the biggest upsets of the season over then-No. 1 Mica Mountain. The Red Wolves are 4-0 in region play and have secured the 4A Kino title with the head-to-head win over Mica Mountain. Head coach Corey Noble also has two quarterbacks to pick from, with sophomore Jace McGee returning to help out freshman Miguel Alvarez, who has held down the fort all season.

No. 19 Sahuarita (7-2) at Cholla (5-4)

Location: 2001 W. Starr Pass Blvd

Notable: With some help from Rio Rico, who upset Cholla by 30 points last Friday, Sahuarita took care of business, beating then-No. 22 Pueblo 48-28 to secure the 4A Gila Region title for the second time in three years. As long as the Mustangs take care of business in orderly fashion, they’re a lock for the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Roland Youngling’s Chargers are eliminated from the postseason, but have an opportunity to play spoiler and acquire their first six-win season since 2015.

Catalina Foothills (2-7) at Douglas (5-4)

Location: 1500 E. 15th St., Douglas

Notable: Evenly ranked at No. 35 and 36, respectively, Catalina Foothills and Douglas have manufactured drastically different seasons. Douglas has perhaps the most diverse schedule across conferences in all of Arizona, with wins over 5A Flowing Wells, 2A Bisbee and three 4A teams. Catalina Foothills upset Pueblo, who convincingly beat Douglas in Week 3, 56-7.

Rio Rico (3-6) at Rincon/University (1-8)

Location: 421 N. Arcadia Ave

Notable: Rio Rico pulled off one of the biggest Southern Arizona upsets of the season, knocking off fellow 4A Gila opponent Cholla to win its third game of the season. The Hawks played spoiler in convincing fashion, beating the Chargers by 29 points at home behind another solid performance from senior quarterback Sebastian Castro, who completed 16 of 20 passes for 265 yards and four touchdowns. Senior wideout David Puig was the star of the show, recording four catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns, taking two kickoffs back for touchdowns, as well as a punt return for a touchdown.

Pueblo (6-3) at Empire (0-9)

Location: 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way

Notable: After last Friday’s loss to Sahuarita, the Warriors find themselves on the outside of the playoff bubble by a single spot at No. 25. Working against Pueblo is it faces Empire in the final game of the season, the last winless team in Southern Arizona after a loss to another winless team last week, Rincon. No matter how much the Warriors win by, it will take an upset loss from another team to reach the playoffs. What stings more for Pueblo is if the Warriors hadn’t lost to Catalina Foothills in shocking fashion on Sept. 25, they would certainly be much more likely to reach the postseason.

5A

No. 23 Ironwood Ridge (6-3) at No. 20 Sierra Vista Buena (6-3)

Location: 5225 E. Buena School Blvd, Sierra Vista

Notable: The 5A Sonoran title comes down to the final day of the 5A regular season, as No. 23 Ironwood Ridge visits No. 20 Buena, with both teams tied with No. 16 Marana for the top spot in the region, all sharing a 4-1 record. The Nighthawks can only play spoiler after a 48-3 loss to Marana on Oct. 2. However, the Colts can clinch their first region title in at least 30 years with a victory. A key win over Marana on Sept. 28 gives Buena the edge in the head-to-head and leaves the Colts in charge of their own destiny.

Canyon del Oro (4-5) at Casa Grande (1-8)

Location: 2730 N. Trekell Road, Casa Grande

Notable: Canyon del Oro is in a similar spot to Pueblo at the 5A level, occupying the first elimination spot at No. 25. The Dorados are one of seven Southern Arizona teams in 5A occupying spots 16-26 in and outside the playoff bubble. Casa Grande has struggled mightily this season with just one win over Phoenix North, the 48th-ranked 5A team out of 49. With a dominant win, CDO will certainly make a case for the final playoff spot.

Maricopa (6-3) at No. 24 Cienega (4-5)

Location: 12775 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way

Notable: A win on Friday at home is crucial for the Bobcats’ playoff hopes as they occupy the final 5A playoff spot entering Week 10. Luckily for the Cats, despite Maricopa’s superior record, Cienega has trounced common opponents that the Rams have lost to. Cienega raced past Sunnyside, another bubble team, 35-11 on Oct. 9. Maricopa lost to the Blue Devils 21-0 on Oct. 16. A Cienega loss would create a significant shakeup on the bubble.

No. 7 Desert View (9-0) at Flowing Wells (4-5)

Location: 3725 N. Flowing Wells Road

Notable: Desert View comfortably secured its second straight region title on Friday over Cienega, winning 42-14. The win gave the Jaguars 20 straight regular-season wins dating back to a season finale victory over Sunnyside in 2023. Flowing Wells awaits, but like last season, Desert View has its eyes set on so much more than an undefeated regular season. The only thing left to wonder for DV is where it will land in the seedings as a rare 10-0 team.

Casa Grande Vista Grande (4-5) at No. 16 Marana (6-3)

Location: 12000 W. Emigh Road

Notable: The Tigers have turned their season around after a slow 2-3 start to the season. With a 4-1 record, the Tigers are in a three-way tie for the lead of the 5A Sonoran Region with Buena and Ironwood Ridge. Despite already comfortably securing a playoff spot, the Tigers are seeking five straight region titles, which will turn the town of Marana into Ironwood Ridge fans. A win against Casa Grande Vista Grande is the Tigers’ focus, but many will certainly be following along with the game in Sierra Vista.

Sunnyside (4-5) at Mountain View (3-6)

Location: 3901 W. Linda Vista Blvd.

Notable: Sunnyside is currently No. 26 in the 5A rankings, a spot behind CDO and two behind the bracket cutoff. Mountain View is a bit further down the rankings at No. 29, so a win doesn’t help with Sunnyside’s standing much. The Blue Devils will repeat their 2025 record of 4-6 with a loss, or equalize 2023’s 5-5 record with a win.

No. 9 Scottsdale Cactus Shadows (3-6) at No. 22 Tucson High (5-4)

Location: 400 N. 2nd Ave.

Notable: Despite a three-game losing streak to region opponents, Tucson’s Sept. 18 upset of Buena has kept the Badgers in the hunt. Tucson welcomes No. 9 Cactus Shadows out of Scottsdale, another team that is clinging to its ranking thanks to a massive win over then-No. 1 Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep on Oct. 16. The Falcons have played each of the 5A Top 5 teams, accumulating a 1-4 record. Due to Cactus Shadows’ high ranking, a close loss from Tucson shouldn’t hurt too much, but a win would undoubtedly lock them into the postseason.

5A/6A

Ahwatukee Desert Vista (4-4) at Nogales (2-7)

Location: 1905 Apache Blvd., Nogales

Notable: The second leg of a strange home-and-home scheduling block sees the 6A Ahwatukee Desert Vista Thunder travel down south two and a half hours to Nogales. Desert Vista won this game 61-0 last season. Nogales’ only two wins of the season are against 4A Amphi and Rio Rico in the first two weeks of the season.

6A

No. 4 Chandler Basha (6-2) at Salpointe Catholic (3-5)

Location: 1545 E. Copper St.

Notable: The Lancers gear up for the second game against a Top 5 team in the state in No. 4 Chandler Basha, one of the preseason favorites to win the Open Division title, while being included in national preseason rankings. Basha has won five games straight over 6A foes since Sept. 18. Salpointe has just one win over a 6A team this year, a 24-6 victory over Scottsdale Saguaro, which is 0-7 with two forfeits due to dwindling program numbers and controversy at the school.