5A No. 16 Marana and 3A No. 5 Pusch Ridge are the only Southern Arizona teams to host playoff games this Friday, while eight teams hit the road to kick off their playoff pursuits. 

Five Southern AZ teams head to the Phoenix metro area, two to Yuma County, one to Flagstaff and one to Willcox on Friday.

6A

Salpointe Catholic (3-6) at Mesa Westwood (4-5)

Location: 945 W. Rio Salado Pkwy, Mesa

Notable: Friday marks the regular-season finale for 6A teams, as all other classifications are engaged in the playoffs. The Lancers are three spots out of the 16-team postseason cutoff at No. 19 and face No. 21 Mesa Westwood. The Lancers have won just one game against a 6A opponent in Scottsdale Saguaro, which has forfeited two games this season due to dwindling program numbers

5A

First Round

No. 17 Phoenix Sunnyslope (7-3) at No. 16 Marana (7-3)

Location: 12000 W. Emigh Road

Notable: Just one of two local games in Tucson in the first-round affairs this week, No. 16 Marana squeaked into the final host spot in the 5A bracket. Despite losing the 5A Sonoran Region to Buena, breaking a four-year region title streak for the Tigers, Marana is the highest-ranked 5A Southern Arizona team not named Desert View. Marana has faced six playoff teams in the regular season to Sunnyslope’s four, but the Vikings most notably gave 5A No. 3 seed Notre Dame Prep a run for their money, falling 30-29 on Sept. 4, the highest-seeded opponent across both teams’ schedules.

No. 24 Ironwood Ridge (6-4) at No. 9 Waddell Canyon View (8-2)

Location: 6024 N. Perryville Road, Waddell

Notable: Ironwood Ridge snuck into the postseason with the final 5A playoff spot despite a 45-10 loss to Buena to wrap up the regular season. Canyon View has played one Tucson team this fall, beating Marana 34-18 on Sept. 4. The Tigers crushed the Nighthawks 48-3 on Oct. 2. 

No. 22 Tucson High (5-5) at No. 11 Glendale Cactus (8-2)

Location: 6330 W. Greenway Road, Glendale

Notable: The Badgers landed in the playoff picture despite four straight losses, three of them to several other 5A Sonoran teams that made the playoffs. The key win that kept Tucson High in contention was the Sept. 18 overtime victory over Buena at home. Tucson High also beat 4A No. 6 Walden Grove 35-31 the week prior.

No. 23 Canyon del Oro (5-5) at No. 10 Cave Creek Cactus Shadows (4-6)

Location: 5802 E. Dove Valley Road, Scottsdale

Notable: CDO's signature win came on Oct. 9 against Tucson High at home. The Dorados lost to every 5A Sonoran team outside of the Gasa Grande Schools and Tucson and scheduled the best two teams in Tucson, Mica Mountain and Desert View, in their freedom schedule to increase their standing. 

No. 18 Sierra Vista Buena (7-3) at No. 15 Yuma Catholic (7-3)

Location: 2100 W. 28th St., Yuma

Notable: One of the most intriguing games for any Southern Arizona team this week, No. 18 Buena’s lengthy trip to No. 15 Yuma Catholic pits the run-heavy, misdirection-based Colts against a smart, balanced Shamrocks team. Buena won the region title on Friday night for the first time since 1978 after a 5-1 region record and a head-to-head win over Marana on Sept. 25. They rolled No. 24 Ironwood Ridge 45-10 on a cold, wet night in Sierra Vista, leaving little doubt about their playoff case. The Colts start their playoff journey with a 5.5-hour drive to a hostile environment in Yuma against a 7-3 Shamrocks team whose only losses are to three 5A playoff teams ranked No. 16 or above.

4A

First Round

No. 17 Sahuarita (8-2) at No. 16 Flagstaff Coconino (4-6)

Location: 2801 N. Izabel St., Flagstaff

Notable: For reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2014, the Sahuarita Mustangs received the gift of a four-hour drive up Interstates 10 and 17 to play Flagstaff Coconino. The Panthers are one of the strangest inclusions in the 4A playoff picture at 4-6. The combined record of Coconino's opponents is 5-34. All of the Panthers' losses were to 4A/5A playoff teams. The Mustangs' losses this season are to No. 2 Mica Mountain and No. 6 Walden Grove, the two Southern Arizona teams to receive first-round byes in 4A. 

No. 24 Pueblo (7-3) at No. 9 Phoenix Arcadia (7-3)

Location: 4703 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix

Notable: Pueblo's insertion into the 4A playoffs at the final spot is one of the hottest topics in Arizona high school football right now. Not because the Warriors didn't deserve it, but more so because of the team they got in ahead of. Tempe High went 8-2, but was excluded from the playoff picture by 7-3 Pueblo. The Warriors boast the state's leading receiver in Jesus Enriquez, and even against a formidable Arcadia squad with extensive playoff experience, he is likely to make an impact.

No. 19 Sahuaro (5-5) at No. 14 Yuma Gila Ridge (8-2)

Location: 7150 E. 24th St., Yuma

Notable: Sahuaro is one of two Southern Arizona teams set to drive to Yuma County on Friday, joining Buena on the pilgrimage down Interstate 8. The Cougars ended the season with a 30-0 loss to Mica Mountain, but still managed to show flashes of success against the back-to-back 4A champs. Gila Ridge awaits in Yuma, a 4A semifinalist from last season. The Hawks lost in consecutive weeks in September to No. 7 St. Mary's and No. 5 Northwest Christian before winning out.

3A

First Round

No. 12 El Mirage Dysart (7-3) at No. 5 Pusch Ridge Christian (8-2)

Location: 9500 N. Oracle Road

Notable: No. 5 Pusch Ridge took on No. 1 Ben Franklin in Queen Creek on Friday in Lions’ regular-season finale. Expecting a “herculean task,” head coach Kent Middleton’s team gave the Chargers, the runaway 3A favorite for the entire season, a serious run for their money in a shortened three-quarter affair due to weather.  On Friday, the Lions were tied with Ben Franklin at half and fell 27-21, by far the closest a team has come to beating the Chargers. 

Pusch Ridge's playoff mission begins on Friday at home against El Mirage Dysart.

2A

Second Round

No. 14 Tanque Verde (7-4) at No. 3 Willcox (10-0)

Location: 240 N. Bisbee Ave, Willcox

Notable: Tanque Verde and Willcox will meet for the second time in three weeks in the 2A Second Round on Friday in Willcox. The Cowboys won 34-7 on Oct. 23, holding the Hawks' run-heavy offense to just 42 yards and no touchdowns on the ground. Willcox rushed for 327 yards and three touchdowns in response.