The calendar change to October means the high school tackle football season heats up.
The big schools move to the second half of the season, the smaller schools jockey for playoff spots and this week there’s a spooky number of Southern Arizona vs. Mesa games.
The 1A conference’s first rankings debuted on Tuesday, just in time for No. 2 St. David’s game with No. 1 Winkelman Hayden. St. David has three games left in the regular season with the 1A state tournament starting Oct. 24.
Next week, 3A and 2A rankings come out. The initial phase of the regular season for 2A is almost done as its region crossover games are Oct. 24.
Then, on Oct. 14, the first big school rankings come out, but October ushers in transfer students who had to sit out the first five games.
All games are at 7 p.m.
FRIDAY
6A
Mesa (2-3) at Salpointe Catholic (4-1)
Salpointe’s head coach Pat Ryden gets watered down as the Lancers celebrate holding on for 20-18 win to open their season against Marana, Aug. 29, 2025, in Tucson.
Location: 1545 E. Copper St.
Notable: The Arizona Republic picked this matchup as its Game of the Week. Bolstered by four transfers from California making their Mesa debut, the Jackrabbits look for their 700th win, the most in state history. The AIA has since changed the rule so that out-of-state transfers will have to sit out a full year unless they display a “legitimate hardship.” The four from Torrance Bishop Montgomery sat out five games after being ruled ineligible by California.
6A/5A
Mesa Mountain View (3-2) at Sierra Vista Buena (3-2)
Location: 5225 E. Buena School Blvd., Sierra Vista
Notable: Buena plays Mesa Mountain View a week after losing 52-25 to Marana, but it won't play fellow Southern Arizona 5A school Tucson Mountain View this year.
Cienega (2-3) at Mesa Desert Ridge (0-5)
Location: 10045 E. Madero Ave., Mesa
Notable: The Bobcats and Jaguars play for the second time. In 2023, Desert Ridge beat Cienega 49-8.
5A
Casa Grande Vista Grande (2-3) at Canyon del Oro (2-3)
Location: 25 W. Calle Concordia
Notable: The last two weeks, Vista Grande played Southern Arizona teams (Walden Grove Sept. 19 and Tucson High last week) coming off of losses and fell to them. Will CDO get back to its winning ways after dropping two straight?
Marana (4-1) at Ironwood Ridge (1-4)
Location: 2475 W. Naranja Drive
Notable: Marana has won the last two, but Ironwood Ridge is 8-3 against the Tigers all-time.
Mountain View (3-2) at Maricopa (2-3)
Location: 45012 W. Honeycutt Ave., Maricopa
Notable: Maricopa, which is in the 5A Southern Region, plays seven Southern Arizona teams, two Central Arizona schools and one from the North. The Rams dropped their last two against undefeated Tucson teams, Desert View and Flowing Wells.
Flowing Wells (5-0) at Nogales (2-3)
Location: 1905 Apache Blvd., Nogales
Notable: The Apaches return home after last week’s Thursday home game against Sunnyside turned into a Saturday away game due to the rain.
Casa Grande (3-2) at Tucson High (2-3)
Location: 400 N. Second Ave.
Notable: The Badgers face their second straight team from Casa Grande after they beat Vista Grande 42-8 last week.
4A
Amphitheater (2-3) at Catalina Foothills (2-3)
Location: 4300 E. Sunrise Drive
Notable: Catalina Foothills has lost three in a row after starting 2-0, and Amphi has one standard win (last week, Cholla forfeited).
Cholla (2-3) at Empire (0-5)
Location: 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way
Notable: After winning three straight to finish 2024, Empire has dropped five in a row. Cholla has lost three in a row (one by forfeit) since starting 2-0.
Douglas (3-1) at Mica Mountain (3-2)
Location: 10800 E. Valencia Road
Notable: Originally, the Bulldogs were supposed to play 10 weeks in a row, but after last week’s game against Rincon/University was delayed to Monday due to weather and then unable to be made up, it was canceled.
Pueblo (2-3) at Rincon/University (2-2)
Pueblo’s Roman Otero (1) lofts a throw at Pueblo’s Jeremiah Sandoval (10) during the first quarter against Catalina Foothills at Pueblo High School, Sept. 26, 2025, in Tucson.
Location: 421 N. Arcadia Ave.
Notable: The Warriors started the season 0-3 and the Rangers were 0-2, but both have won their last two games.
Rio Rico (1-4) at Sahuarita (1-4)
Location: 350 Sahuarita Road
Notable: Although Rio Rico has won two of the last three against its I-19 rivals, Sahuarita leads the all-time series 20-3, according to azfootballarchives.com. Last year, Sahuarita beat Rio Rico 24-12.
Sahuaro (4-1) at Walden Grove (3-2)
Location: 15510 S. Sahuarita Park Road
Notable: After losing five in a row late last season, Sahuaro has won five of its last six and its last five against 4A foes, only falling to 5A and 5-0 Desert View since Nov. 1.
3A
Pusch Ridge Christian (5-1) at Sabino (3-3)
Location: 5000 N. Bowes Road
Notable: Like Pueblo, Sabino is 2-0 on its new field. The Sabercats are 2-1 in home games this year, having fallen 28-20 to Gilbert Christian at Santa Rita in their home opener.
2A
Palo Verde (3-2) at Catalina (2-3)
Location: 3645 E. Pima St.
Notable: While Palo Verde has won two in a row, Catalina has dropped three straight.
Bisbee (2-4) at Tanque Verde (4-2)
Location: 4201 N. Melpomene Way
Notable: Bisbee leads the all-time series with Tanque Verde 6-2 and won last year 35-21.
Santa Rita (0-6) at Tombstone (0-5)
Location: 1211 N. Yellow Jacket Way, Tombstone
Notable: Either Santa Rita snaps its 23-game losing streak or Tombstone breaks its five-game skid.
Desert Christian (3-2) at Willcox (5-1)
Location: 240 N. Bisbee Ave., Willcox
Notable: Last week, Desert Christian’s game against Phoenix Madison Highland (0-4) was canceled.
1A
No. 5 Glendale Desert Heights Prep (4-2) at No. 19 Topawa Baboquivari (0-6)
Location: Highway 86 and Route 19, Topawa
Notable: In 1A, 19th is the second lowest of teams with enough games to be ranked. Colorado City El Capitan (0-2) and Cibecue Dishchii'bikoh (0-1) aren’t ranked.
No. 1 Winkelman Hayden (6-0) at No. 2 St. David (6-0)
Location: 70 E. Patton St., St. David
Notable: The top ranking in 1A is already on the line as someone’s perfect record gets soiled.
No. 17 Fort Thomas (1-5) at No. 8 Elfrida Valley Union (3-2)
Location: 4088 W. Jefferson Road, Elfrida
Notable: The Apaches have lost five in a row since opening the season with a 38-0 win over Baboquivari. Valley Union has won three of its last four.
