Local teams host key matchups against out-of-town opponents

No. 11 Waddell ALA - West Foothills (1-1) at No. 2 Mica Mountain (2-0) 

Location: 10800 E. Valencia Road

Notable: One of two games Mica Mountain lost last season, the Thunderbolts are hungry for revenge against the Guardians, another top team in the 4A Conference.

ALA - West Foothills beat Mica 21-14 in Waddell last season on Sept. 4, 2025. Following a second consecutive loss to Sunnyside the following week, Mica went on a championship-winning run back to the top of 4A. The Thunderbolts have not lost since. ALA - WF is coming off a 33-14 loss to the new No. 1 overall seed in 4A, Snowflake. The two sides clash at Mica Mountain on Friday at 7 p.m.

No. 11 Yuma Catholic (1-1) at No. 8 Marana (0-2)

Location: 12000 W. Emigh Road

Notable: The emotions and storylines between these two teams date back to their first-ever meeting at Yuma Catholic on Sept. 12, 2025, a 47-14 drubbing of the Shamrocks by the Tigers. The two sides met again in the second round of the 5A playoffs last season, in which both teams scored to trade the lead in the final minute. Marana had the last laugh with a game-winner by current Tigers’ senior receiver Jaxsun Sharp, advancing by a score of 34-27. In the postgame handshake line, tempers flared, with the ensuing extracurriculars resulting in the resignation of YC head coach Vernon Smith. The Tigers are off to a 0-2 start against two incredibly challenging teams in Salpointe Catholic and No. 6 Waddell Canyon View. Yuma Catholic got in the win column last week against the strongest team out of Eastern California’s Imperial Valley, Holtville. The third meeting between the two schools is set for Friday at 7 p.m.