High school football: Friday's matchups, locations and predictions
- Updated
It's a full slate of high school football this week. Here's a game-by-game preview with locations and predictions.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
High school football is in full swing this week, with premier matchups between Amphitheater and Cholla, Sabino and Sahuaro, and Sunnyside taking on Pueblo with coach Roy Lopez's 94th career win within grasp. Here's a game-by-game preview of the season's first full slate of games. All games kick off at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Teams' records this season are in parenthesis, and the Star's picks to win each game are in ALL CAPS.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SABINO SABERCATS (1-0) at Sahuaro Cougars (0-0)
Where: 545 N. Camino Seco
One of the most historic rivalry games in Southern Arizona was a shootout last season, with the Sabercats winning 41-35. This year's game will be won in the trenches: Sahuaro has 11 linemen over 6 feet tall, while Sabino has seven. If the Cougars can get to Sabino quarterback Alex Bell, who scored three touchdowns last week, then Sahuaro has a fighting chance. However, after back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2016, the Sabercats get the three-peat in a nail-biter, 35-31.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Amphitheater Panthers (0-0) at CHOLLA CHARGERS (1-0)
Where: 2001 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
Last season, the Panthers beat the Chargers 28-15 at home, but this year is a different story. Cholla is coming off a 31-point win at Douglas. Senior quarterback Jordan Porter threw for five touchdowns and rushed for three in the win. Porter scored 48 points alone against Douglas and with one game under Chollaβs belt and playing at home, expect the Chargers to win, 42-20.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: CATALINA FOOTHILLS FALCONS (0-1) at Tempe Buffaloes (0-1)
Where: 1730 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
Catalina Foothills fell to Scottsdale Saguaro 41-13 last week. The Falcons are still seeking an offensive leader after losing four-year starting quarterback Rhett Rodriguez. However, the Buffaloes only put up eight points against Goodyear Estrella Foothills last week, so this game will be a tight one. At the end of the night, one team will earn its first win of the season. Expect the Falcons to sneak away with a 17-13 win.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: CIENEGA BOBCATS (0-0) at Marana Tigers (0-1)
Where: 12000 W. Emigh Rd., Marana
The Tigers had Ironwood Ridge on the ropes last week, but coughed up the lead in the second half and lost 42-35. This week wonβt be any easier: Cienega quarterback and UA commit Jamarye Joiner is coming off a 2016 campaign in which he threw for 1,713 yards and scored 30 touchdowns. The Bobcats lost a plethora of weapons from last seasonβs team on both sides of the ball, so theyβll be rusty β but the Tigers will struggle to keep up with Joiner. Cienega wins, 52-34.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Coolidge Bears (1-0) at EMPIRE RAVENS (0-0)
Where: 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way
The Ravens return Alex Verdugo β not the Los Angeles Dodgers prospect from the Old Pueblo; the quarterback. Verdugo struggled in 2016, completing just 32.4 percent of his passes. The Bears are coming off a 7-6 win over River Valley last week, so Friday night will be a low-scoring game. But Empire beat the Bears by 15 points last season, so expect the Ravens to win, 14-8.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: DESERT VIEW JAGUARS (0-0) at Palo Verde Titans (1-0)
Where: 1302 S. Avenida Vega
Desert View started off last season with a 41-14 win over Palo Verde and ended 2016 with an 8-3 record. The Jaguars lost dual-threat quarterback Cesar Olivas, who contributed 13 all-purpose touchdowns last year. So they take a step back, but the Titans didnβt improve that much either. Desert View wins on the road 28-10.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: DOUGLAS BULLDOGS (0-1) at Bisbee Pumas (0-0)
Where: 325 School Terrace Rd., Bisbee
Douglasβ defense struggled against Cholla last week, giving up 59 points, but senior quarterback Chris Galaz racked up three touchdowns. Galaz was a one-man show last week, but expect junior running back Manny Mejia to receive more touches this time. If Douglas can keep the chains moving little by little, they should get the win. Call it 35-7.Β
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Glendale Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions (0-0) at TUCSON HIGH BADGERS (1-0)
Where: 400 N. 2nd Ave.
UA quarterback Brandon Dawkins has a high school version of himself in Tucson Highβs Jesus Montano. How do they compare? We all know the running joke about the Wildcats beating ASU 56-35 without attempting a pass in the second half, and Montano doesnβt pass much. He completed two passes on six attempts against Sierra Vista Buena last week, but ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The Badgers beat Mountain Ridge 28-0 in Glendale last year and the same results will show behind Montanoβs legs. Tucson High wins, 35-7.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Globe Tigers (0-0) at CATALINA TROJANS (1-0)
Where: 3645 E. Pima St.
The Trojans started their season on a positive note, knocking off Rio Rico 31-0 and giving Catalina its first win since Oct. 9, 2015. Globe handled Catalina 42-7 in their last contest, but the Trojans will get their revenge, 42-38.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: IRONWOOD RIDGE NIGHTHAWKS (1-0) at Phoenix Sunnyslope Vikings (0-0)
Where: 35 W. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix
The Nighthawks are fortunate to be 1-0 after the Marana Tigers gave them a scare last week. Ironwood Ridge's Nick Brahler rushed for 239 yards on 35 carries and four touchdowns. Traditionally, Tucson teams struggle on the road in the Valley, but the Nighthawks' ground attack in Brahler should put them at 2-0 with a 38-17 win.Β
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: MESA DOBSON MUSTANGS (0-0) at Rincon/University Rangers (0-1)
Where: 421 N. Arcadia Blvd.
Dobson dropped its final three games last year and ended 2016 with a 5-5 record, just missing out on the playoffs. The Mustangs beat the Rangers 42-7 last season, but are rebuilding after losing six of their top options on offense. With that, losing to Pueblo 58-0 at home last week doesnβt help the Rangersβ case. Dobson wins, 56-0.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Matchup: Phoenix Shadow Mountain Matadors (1-0) vs CANYON DEL ORO DORADOS (0-0) at Amphitheater High School (note: game was moved to Friedli Field on Friday morning)
Where:Β 125 W Yavapai Rd.
After going 6-5 in 2016, CDO will rely on senior running back Elijah Carey. And yes, heβs the younger brother of former Arizona Wildcat and current Chicago Bears running back KaβDeem Carey. While Elijah doesnβt have the hype like his older brother did, he was CDOβs leading rusher with 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago. The Dorados running attack will be too much to handle. CDO wins big, 49-10, in a game that's been moved to Amphi following a lightning strike at CDO. a
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Queen Creek American Leadership Patriots (1-0) at PUSCH RIDGE CHRISTIAN LIONS (0-0)
Where: 9500 N. Oracle Rd.
While the Patriots won the contest last season 14-10, they were also the more experienced team. Pusch Ridge returns 11 of its top 13 options on offense, including quarterback Christian Fetsis. The 6-foot-2-inch quarterback threw for 1,304 yards last season. Pusch Ridge wins this one, 24-3.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: QUEEN CREEK BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CHARGERS (0-1) at Santa Rita Eagles (0-1)
Where: 3951 S. Pantano Rd.
Santa Rita cancelled its game against Florence last week because the Eagles didnβt have enough to players to compete. The Chargers on the other hand lost to Queen Creek American Academy 34-6. However, if the Eagles are questionable with the number of players on the roster, the Chargers should win in a low-scoring battle 21-0.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Sahuarita Mustangs (0-0) at SAFFORD BULLDOGS (1-0)
Where: 1400 W. 11th St., Safford
Safford has dual-quarterbacks in Manuel Aparicio and Mason Duros, and they managed to beat Payson 42-0 last week. The saying goes if you have two quarterbacks then you have none, but Safford makes it work. The QBs combined for 201 passing yards and two touchdowns last week. The Bulldogs start 2-0, beating Sahuarita 35-7.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SALPOINTE CATHOLIC LANCERS (1-0) at Mountain View Mountain Lions (0-0)
Where: 3901 W. Linda Vista Blvd.
Thereβs only one question concerning this game: Can Mountain Viewβs defense stop sophomore running back Bijan Robinson? The UA target rushed for 207 yards and five touchdowns last week in the Lancersβ home opener against Phoenix St. Maryβs, so Mountain View will have its hands full Friday night. The Mountain Lions' senior defensive lineman Tavian RobeyΒ and sophomore linebacker Mike Contreras will have an important role to keep Robinson between the hash marks. Lancers win, 49-24.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SAN MANUEL MINERS (0-1) At Tanque Verde Hawks (0-1)
Where: 4201 N. Melpomene Way
The teams both lost by a combined score of 76-12 last week. Although the Miners are on the road, they at least showed more promise than the Hawks offensively, scoring 12 points. San Manuel gets the win, 14-0.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SIERRA VISTA BUENA COLTS (0-1) at Flowing Wells Caballeros (0-0)
Where: 3725 N. Flowing Wells Rd.
Donβt sleep on the Colts. They managed to keep last weekβs matchup with Tucson High relatively competitive, until the Badgers pulled away in the second half. Buena allowed 27 first downs last week, so if Flowing Wells can run the ball and continue to move the chains on third-and-short situations, the defense will get worn down. However, the Colts on the road will have a bounce-back game and win 20-17.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SUNNYSIDE BLUE DEVILS (1-0) at Pueblo Warriors (1-0)
Where: 3500 S. 12th Ave.
This one's tough. The Warriors are coming off a 58-0 road win and on the other hand, Sunnyside is playing with inspiration in the Roy Lopez era, considering he needs only seven more wins to capture 100 in his career. Itβll be high-scoring, but Lopez takes one step closer to the milestone with a 47-42 win.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: WALDEN GROVE RED WOLVES (0-0) at Rio Rico Hawks (0-1)
Where: 590 N. Camino Galindo, Rio Rico
Walden Grove will rely on the senior duo of quarterback Nick Flores and wide receiver Ty Chapman, who was also the Red Wolvesβ leading receiver from last season. The Hawks were dismantled by 31 points against Catalina last week, so Walden Groves should take this game 28-10.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
High school football is in full swing this week, with premier matchups between Amphitheater and Cholla, Sabino and Sahuaro, and Sunnyside taking on Pueblo with coach Roy Lopez's 94th career win within grasp. Here's a game-by-game preview of the season's first full slate of games. All games kick off at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Teams' records this season are in parenthesis, and the Star's picks to win each game are in ALL CAPS.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SABINO SABERCATS (1-0) at Sahuaro Cougars (0-0)
Where: 545 N. Camino Seco
One of the most historic rivalry games in Southern Arizona was a shootout last season, with the Sabercats winning 41-35. This year's game will be won in the trenches: Sahuaro has 11 linemen over 6 feet tall, while Sabino has seven. If the Cougars can get to Sabino quarterback Alex Bell, who scored three touchdowns last week, then Sahuaro has a fighting chance. However, after back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2016, the Sabercats get the three-peat in a nail-biter, 35-31.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Amphitheater Panthers (0-0) at CHOLLA CHARGERS (1-0)
Where: 2001 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
Last season, the Panthers beat the Chargers 28-15 at home, but this year is a different story. Cholla is coming off a 31-point win at Douglas. Senior quarterback Jordan Porter threw for five touchdowns and rushed for three in the win. Porter scored 48 points alone against Douglas and with one game under Chollaβs belt and playing at home, expect the Chargers to win, 42-20.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: CATALINA FOOTHILLS FALCONS (0-1) at Tempe Buffaloes (0-1)
Where: 1730 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
Catalina Foothills fell to Scottsdale Saguaro 41-13 last week. The Falcons are still seeking an offensive leader after losing four-year starting quarterback Rhett Rodriguez. However, the Buffaloes only put up eight points against Goodyear Estrella Foothills last week, so this game will be a tight one. At the end of the night, one team will earn its first win of the season. Expect the Falcons to sneak away with a 17-13 win.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: CIENEGA BOBCATS (0-0) at Marana Tigers (0-1)
Where: 12000 W. Emigh Rd., Marana
The Tigers had Ironwood Ridge on the ropes last week, but coughed up the lead in the second half and lost 42-35. This week wonβt be any easier: Cienega quarterback and UA commit Jamarye Joiner is coming off a 2016 campaign in which he threw for 1,713 yards and scored 30 touchdowns. The Bobcats lost a plethora of weapons from last seasonβs team on both sides of the ball, so theyβll be rusty β but the Tigers will struggle to keep up with Joiner. Cienega wins, 52-34.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Coolidge Bears (1-0) at EMPIRE RAVENS (0-0)
Where: 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way
The Ravens return Alex Verdugo β not the Los Angeles Dodgers prospect from the Old Pueblo; the quarterback. Verdugo struggled in 2016, completing just 32.4 percent of his passes. The Bears are coming off a 7-6 win over River Valley last week, so Friday night will be a low-scoring game. But Empire beat the Bears by 15 points last season, so expect the Ravens to win, 14-8.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: DESERT VIEW JAGUARS (0-0) at Palo Verde Titans (1-0)
Where: 1302 S. Avenida Vega
Desert View started off last season with a 41-14 win over Palo Verde and ended 2016 with an 8-3 record. The Jaguars lost dual-threat quarterback Cesar Olivas, who contributed 13 all-purpose touchdowns last year. So they take a step back, but the Titans didnβt improve that much either. Desert View wins on the road 28-10.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: DOUGLAS BULLDOGS (0-1) at Bisbee Pumas (0-0)
Where: 325 School Terrace Rd., Bisbee
Douglasβ defense struggled against Cholla last week, giving up 59 points, but senior quarterback Chris Galaz racked up three touchdowns. Galaz was a one-man show last week, but expect junior running back Manny Mejia to receive more touches this time. If Douglas can keep the chains moving little by little, they should get the win. Call it 35-7.Β
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Glendale Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions (0-0) at TUCSON HIGH BADGERS (1-0)
Where: 400 N. 2nd Ave.
UA quarterback Brandon Dawkins has a high school version of himself in Tucson Highβs Jesus Montano. How do they compare? We all know the running joke about the Wildcats beating ASU 56-35 without attempting a pass in the second half, and Montano doesnβt pass much. He completed two passes on six attempts against Sierra Vista Buena last week, but ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The Badgers beat Mountain Ridge 28-0 in Glendale last year and the same results will show behind Montanoβs legs. Tucson High wins, 35-7.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Globe Tigers (0-0) at CATALINA TROJANS (1-0)
Where: 3645 E. Pima St.
The Trojans started their season on a positive note, knocking off Rio Rico 31-0 and giving Catalina its first win since Oct. 9, 2015. Globe handled Catalina 42-7 in their last contest, but the Trojans will get their revenge, 42-38.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: IRONWOOD RIDGE NIGHTHAWKS (1-0) at Phoenix Sunnyslope Vikings (0-0)
Where: 35 W. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix
The Nighthawks are fortunate to be 1-0 after the Marana Tigers gave them a scare last week. Ironwood Ridge's Nick Brahler rushed for 239 yards on 35 carries and four touchdowns. Traditionally, Tucson teams struggle on the road in the Valley, but the Nighthawks' ground attack in Brahler should put them at 2-0 with a 38-17 win.Β
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: MESA DOBSON MUSTANGS (0-0) at Rincon/University Rangers (0-1)
Where: 421 N. Arcadia Blvd.
Dobson dropped its final three games last year and ended 2016 with a 5-5 record, just missing out on the playoffs. The Mustangs beat the Rangers 42-7 last season, but are rebuilding after losing six of their top options on offense. With that, losing to Pueblo 58-0 at home last week doesnβt help the Rangersβ case. Dobson wins, 56-0.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Phoenix Shadow Mountain Matadors (1-0) vs CANYON DEL ORO DORADOS (0-0) at Amphitheater High School (note: game was moved to Friedli Field on Friday morning)
Where:Β 125 W Yavapai Rd.
After going 6-5 in 2016, CDO will rely on senior running back Elijah Carey. And yes, heβs the younger brother of former Arizona Wildcat and current Chicago Bears running back KaβDeem Carey. While Elijah doesnβt have the hype like his older brother did, he was CDOβs leading rusher with 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago. The Dorados running attack will be too much to handle. CDO wins big, 49-10, in a game that's been moved to Amphi following a lightning strike at CDO. a
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Queen Creek American Leadership Patriots (1-0) at PUSCH RIDGE CHRISTIAN LIONS (0-0)
Where: 9500 N. Oracle Rd.
While the Patriots won the contest last season 14-10, they were also the more experienced team. Pusch Ridge returns 11 of its top 13 options on offense, including quarterback Christian Fetsis. The 6-foot-2-inch quarterback threw for 1,304 yards last season. Pusch Ridge wins this one, 24-3.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: QUEEN CREEK BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CHARGERS (0-1) at Santa Rita Eagles (0-1)
Where: 3951 S. Pantano Rd.
Santa Rita cancelled its game against Florence last week because the Eagles didnβt have enough to players to compete. The Chargers on the other hand lost to Queen Creek American Academy 34-6. However, if the Eagles are questionable with the number of players on the roster, the Chargers should win in a low-scoring battle 21-0.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: Sahuarita Mustangs (0-0) at SAFFORD BULLDOGS (1-0)
Where: 1400 W. 11th St., Safford
Safford has dual-quarterbacks in Manuel Aparicio and Mason Duros, and they managed to beat Payson 42-0 last week. The saying goes if you have two quarterbacks then you have none, but Safford makes it work. The QBs combined for 201 passing yards and two touchdowns last week. The Bulldogs start 2-0, beating Sahuarita 35-7.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SALPOINTE CATHOLIC LANCERS (1-0) at Mountain View Mountain Lions (0-0)
Where: 3901 W. Linda Vista Blvd.
Thereβs only one question concerning this game: Can Mountain Viewβs defense stop sophomore running back Bijan Robinson? The UA target rushed for 207 yards and five touchdowns last week in the Lancersβ home opener against Phoenix St. Maryβs, so Mountain View will have its hands full Friday night. The Mountain Lions' senior defensive lineman Tavian RobeyΒ and sophomore linebacker Mike Contreras will have an important role to keep Robinson between the hash marks. Lancers win, 49-24.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SAN MANUEL MINERS (0-1) At Tanque Verde Hawks (0-1)
Where: 4201 N. Melpomene Way
The teams both lost by a combined score of 76-12 last week. Although the Miners are on the road, they at least showed more promise than the Hawks offensively, scoring 12 points. San Manuel gets the win, 14-0.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SIERRA VISTA BUENA COLTS (0-1) at Flowing Wells Caballeros (0-0)
Where: 3725 N. Flowing Wells Rd.
Donβt sleep on the Colts. They managed to keep last weekβs matchup with Tucson High relatively competitive, until the Badgers pulled away in the second half. Buena allowed 27 first downs last week, so if Flowing Wells can run the ball and continue to move the chains on third-and-short situations, the defense will get worn down. However, the Colts on the road will have a bounce-back game and win 20-17.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: SUNNYSIDE BLUE DEVILS (1-0) at Pueblo Warriors (1-0)
Where: 3500 S. 12th Ave.
This one's tough. The Warriors are coming off a 58-0 road win and on the other hand, Sunnyside is playing with inspiration in the Roy Lopez era, considering he needs only seven more wins to capture 100 in his career. Itβll be high-scoring, but Lopez takes one step closer to the milestone with a 47-42 win.
- Justin Spears Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Matchup: WALDEN GROVE RED WOLVES (0-0) at Rio Rico Hawks (0-1)
Where: 590 N. Camino Galindo, Rio Rico
Walden Grove will rely on the senior duo of quarterback Nick Flores and wide receiver Ty Chapman, who was also the Red Wolvesβ leading receiver from last season. The Hawks were dismantled by 31 points against Catalina last week, so Walden Groves should take this game 28-10.
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