In the last five years, 2020-25, Salpointe Catholic set an unprecedented pace for athletic success in Tucson, winning 20 state championships in eight sports. No other Tucson high school has won 20 state titles in a 10-year period, let alone five seasons, or eight sports.
Alliana Silva, left, tries to chase down Jhianae DesRosier during a punt return session as Salpointe Catholic gears up for its first season of girls flag football on Sept. 10, 2025.
The Lancers requested a move from Class 4A to Class 5A beginning in the 2026-27 school year, and last week the AIA approved Salpointe's request. Instead of playing in the 4A Kino division with Ironwood Ridge, Mica Mountain, Sahuaro and Walden Grove, the Lancers will now compete opposite 5A Sonoran opponents CDO, Catalina Foothills, Mountain View, Rincon/University, Cholla and Casa Grande.
Salpointe, which will remain in Class 6A football, has an enrollment of 1,366. It will be leaving schools such as Sahuaro with an enrollment of just 1,174 and Walden Grove, 1,092, to compete regularly against larger schools such as Rincon/University, 2,098, and Catalina Foothills, 1,883.
High school sports in Tucson have changed so dramatically the last 10 to 15 years that once-powerful Amphitheater now has an enrollment of 870 and will drop to Class 3A next year to compete with Sabino, whose enrollment is just 785, and Palo Verde, with an enrollment of 733. No, it's not 1995 any longer.
Salpointe athletic director Phil Gruensfelder said the request to move up to 5A was to get better competition and to make sure junior varsity and freshman teams had schedule security.
"Oftentimes, teams in 4A drop their JV and freshman teams because of lack of involvement/enrollment," says Gruensfelder. "The 5A schools are larger, enrollment wise, and can often offer JV and freshman teams consistently."
The one change to the AIA realignment for the next two years that baffles me is that the three Tucson 6A schools — Sunnyside, 2,104 enrollment; Marana, 2,409; and Tucson High, 2,666 — are in different 6A divisions. How does that make sense, especially when it comes to travel? Tucson will be in the 6A East Valley against schools like Mesa and Red Mountain, Sunnyside will be in the 6A Fiesta against Queen Creek and Gilbert, and Marana will be in 6A Metro against Desert Ridge and Maryvale.
The once-competitive TUSD schools such as Catalina and Santa Rita will play in Class 2A. Catalina's enrollment has plunged to 562. Santa Rita's enrollment is 384. Just 15 years ago, Santa Rita played in the state 4A state football championship game in back-to-back years and Catalina won the Class 4A 2011 state baseball championship. How times change.
