Salpointe-Saguaro fast becoming one of state's biggest, best rivalries

Some archrivals are drawn to each other.

In Christopher Nolan’s film, “The Dark Knight,” Batman walks into the interrogation room at the Gotham City Police Station where Joker, wearing a smug expression, is slouched in his metal chair.

After back-and-forth chatter, Joker releases a laugh at his nemesis.

“What would I do without you?,” he says. “You complete me.”

Friday night’s Class 4A state championship game between top-seeded Salpointe Catholic and host No. 2 Scottsdale Saguaro will mark the third matchup between the in-state powerhouses in as many years. Say this about the teams: they complete each other.

Even if the Sabercats keep leaving Salpointe feeling empty.

Consider this: Salpointe has lost just four games since 2016, and two of them came to Saguaro in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed “SagU” is making a run for its sixth consecutive state championship. Salpointe star Mario Padilla first made the varsity team as a sophomore in 2016; the Sabecats have ended every one of Salpointe’s seasons since.

“It’s a rivalry built on mutual respect,” Saguaro head coach Jason Mohns said. “Coach (Dennis) Bene and I are master trainers for USA football, so we’ve worked close together, we’ve been to Indianapolis for training and have gotten to know each other prior to this on-the-field rivalry. We’ve built this relationship as colleagues and friends.”

Bene isn’t labeling Saguaro a hated rival just yet. The Lancers have had their share of Phoenix-area foes, notably Phoenix Brophy Prep. The two Catholic schools were regular competitors at the 5A level until 2011.

“They’re the closest team I can draw similarities to,” Bene said. “They’re a team with great talent, a great coach, great tradition, state-championship pedigree, that type of thing,” Bene said.

Rarely does a Tucson power play a bigwig so consistently, especially in the playoffs. There’s a reason for the continued Salpointe and Saguaro matchups: Both teams keep winning.

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Saguaro began its state title run in 2013, when the Sabercats played in Division III and Salpointe competed at Division II. Both teams moved to 4A — and into each other’s way — when the Arizona Interscholastic Association overhauled classifications a few years ago.

“Once we got to 4A, we knew that Salpointe was the team we had to beat,” Mohns said. “We have a culture and a program that I think everyone has bought into.”

Friday’s game is about more than just a rivalry. The teams boast dozens of Division I prospects.

Nearly two dozen Saguaro players have offers from elite college programs such as Alabama, USC, Florida, Michigan, Clemson, LSU and Penn State. Salpointe is led by running back Bijan Robinson and safety Lathan Ransom. Combined, the two stars have offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State USC, UCLA, Arizona and Oklahoma. Offensive tackle Jonah Miller picked up a scholarship offer from Arizona State in October.

Saguaro has thrived off the transfer market in Phoenix, landing offensive flex weapon Marqui Johnson (Chaparral), Israel Benjamin (Brophy), Damian Sellers (Hamilton) and five-star 2020 cornerback Kelee Ringo from Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Washington. All except for Johnson transferred to Saguaro prior to the 2017 season. Johnson transferred to Saguaro last summer and was denied eligibility by the AIA before being granted a permanent restraining order by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge in October.

Sellers and Ringo won’t play Saturday. They were suspended for the remainder of the season for what they said was an AIA “conduct violation.”

Saguaro’s methodology — and success — has drawn critics from throughout the state. Even Salpointe, which draws from all over Tucson as the largest Catholic high school in the area, has noticed.

“I think one (Saguaro) player comes to mind that isn’t a transfer, and that’s Connor Soelee. The rest of them are either new players or transfers and not even whole-season players,” Padilla saild. “They just go to school to get the ring, and that’s not what we do at Salpointe.”

Don’t expect the rivalry to end anytime soon. The Lancers and Sabercats will return 23 combined starters for 2019, making yet another state championship game possible — maybe even likely.

And why not? Salpointe and Saguaro complete each other when they compete against each other.

“There is always going to be a rivalry there, especially with a top-tier school like that,” Padilla said. “With that being said, the chip on our shoulder is fairly large and we’re looking to have a different outcome this season.”