High school football picks: Pusch Ridge Christian hosts Chandler Valley Christian in 3A playoff preview

Another week, another batch of high school football games in the Tucson area to attend this week.

The Star’s Game of the Week is a preview of the Class 3A playoffs, when Pusch Ridge Christian hosts Chandler Valley Christian.

The Star’s Justin Spears previews (and predicts) how each contest will go down on Friday night. Predicted winners are in ALL CAPS and kickoff times are slated for 7 p.m.:

MOUNTAIN VIEW (1-4) at Tucson High (2-3)

Location: 400 N. Second Ave.

What to expect: Mountain View’s fourth-quarter comeback bid fell short in a 49-42 setback against Walden Grove, but the Mountain Lions have five more games to show what they’re capable of. Junior quarterback William Howell completed 11 of 15 passes for 150 yards, while senior Josh Roman Jr. led the Mountain Lions with two rushing touchdowns and a receiving score. The Howell-Roman tandem will be in full force on Friday. Call it 42-28.

Amphitheater (1-4) at CATALINA FOOTHILLS (2-3)Location: 4300 E. Sunrise Drive

What to expect: Winners of two of its last three games, Catalina Foothills was humbled by Canyon del Oro 49-6 last week. Meanwhile, Amphi ended its victory drought with a gritty 35-27 win over an improved Rincon/University team. We’ll side with the home team this time. Tough call, but Falcons win 30-21.

CANYON DEL ORO (4-1) at Douglas (3-2)

Location: 1500 15th St., Douglas

What to expect: After starting 3-0, Douglas dropped its next two games — including a 28-20 heartbreaker to Glendale Independence. CDO is rolling thanks in part to junior Kayden Luke, who had rushing 124 yards and four touchdowns against Catalina Foothills last week. More good news for the Dorados: Ironwood Ridge two-way transfer Jordan Thomas will be eligible this week after sitting out the first five games of the season due to transfer rules. We like Thomas to have a nice welcome-back performance on Friday. Call it 42-20 in favor of the visitors.

CHOLLA (1-4) at Flowing Wells (1-4)

Location: 3725 N. Flowing Wells Road

What to expect: Cholla senior Malachi Eafon leads the Chargers in rushing and receiving this season. This week, his performance will translate to a win, 28-21.

Sierra Vista Buena (4-1) at CIENEGA (1-4)

Location: 12775 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way, Vail

What to expect: Cienega has lost games to Goodyear Millennium, Salpointe Catholic, Goodyear Desert Edge and Marana, which has arguably the most potent offense in Southern Arizona. All four are are likely to play in the postseason this year. Injuries aren’t helping matters, either: With starting quarterback Brayden Cherry out, Evan Weber scored four touchdowns in Cienega’s 41-31 loss to Marana. Buena has a better record, but we like the Bobcats to pull off the upset — regardless of who is playing quarterback, 30-23.

DESERT VIEW (2-2) at Ironwood Ridge (1-4)

Location: 2475 W. Naranja Drive

What to expect: While the Nighthawks won their first game of the season, the Jaguars are playing some good ball. Call it 21-14 Desert View.

Empire (3-2) at MICA MOUNTAIN (1-4)

Location: 10800 E. Valencia Road

What to expect: Friday marks the first time two Vail Unified School District teams will play against each other in football. And both teams are starving for a win. Empire was blanked by Rio Rico 23-0 last weekend, putting up just 144 yards. Mica Mountain was thumped 55-14 by Salpointe Catholic. We liked the banged-up Thunderbolts to squeak by their rivals, 27-21. That five-minute bus ride up Houghton Road will be tough.

Nogales (0-5) at MARANA (4-1)

Location: 12000 W. Emigh Road

What to expect: Marana pieced together a well-balanced offensive game plan against Cienega last week, passing for 210 yards and rushing for 150. Tigers should have no problem gaining yards this week. Call it 56-14.

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PALO VERDE (2-5) at Tempe (0-7)

Location: 1730 S Mill Ave., Tempe

What to expect: Palo Verde hasn’t won a game since Sept. 2. Winning Friday won’t be easy, but we like the team from Tucson beating the team from Tempe, which hasn’t happened for one particular Tucson team — cough, Arizona Wildcats — since 2016. Call it 14-13.

PUEBLO (4-1) at Casa Grande Vista Grande (4-2)

Location: 1556 N Arizola Rd, Casa Grande

What to expect: Pueblo outscored its latest two opponents by a combined score of 63-10. However, Casa Grande Vista Grande has scored at least 30 points three times this season. Which version of Vista Grande will Pueblo see on Friday? Who knows? But we’ll definitely see a winning version of Pueblo, 31-28.

Rincon/University (1-4) at SUNNYSIDE (3-2)

Location: 1725 E. Bilby Road

What to expect: Friday marks the first Class 5A Sonoran Region game for both teams. Sunnyside’s defense has not allowed a point in two weeks, beating Ironwood Ridge and Tucson High by a combined score of 66-0. Expect the Blue Devils crush the Rangers this week, 38-14.

RIO RICO (2-3) at Sahuarita (0-5)

Location: 350 W. Sahuarita Road, Sahuarita

What to expect: Legendary coach Jeff Scurran can lead Rio Rico to a .500 record by winning Friday, but the Hawks will have to do it on the road. Rio Rico linebacker Jose Perez led the defense with 13 tackles in a 23-0 win over Empire. Defense travels. Call it 10-0.

SABINO (6-1) at Mesa Eastmark (6-1)

Location: 9560 E. Ray Road, Mesa

What to expect: The new kids on the block — Eastmark — have stepped onto the high school football scene with a dominant squad. Since losing to Thatcher in the second game of the season, Mesa Eastmark has won games 42-0, 45-10, 57-0 and 54-7. Sabino needs to bring its “A” game or the Sabercats are in danger of dropping their second game of the season. Call it 49-42.

Sahuaro (2-3) at WALDEN GROVE (3-2)

Location: 15510 S. Sahuarita Park Road, Sahuarita

What to expect: Walden Grove quarterback Gabriel Smith passed for 467 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-42 win over Mountain View. His top two targets: Paul Guy, who had seven catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns; and Caleb Lyden, who finished with five catches for 193 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore running back Robert Cash III also tacked on 109 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Walden Grove’s offense is among the tops in Southern Arizona, which means Friday’s game could get ugly for the Cougars. Call it 41-20.

SALPOINTE CATHOLIC (3-2) at Mesa Red Mountain (3-2)Location: 7301 E. Brown Road, Mesa

What to expect: Salpointe put up 484 yards of total offense against Mica Mountain. This week is a different beast. While Mesa Red Mountain is 3-2, the Mountain Lions lost to Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor and Class 6A power Chandler. If the Lancers can get through this week, their next three games will be at home. Friday will have a postseason feel of sorts. Call it 35-30 in favor of the visitors.

TANQUE VERDE (3-4) at Bisbee (3-4)

Location: 325 School Terrace Road, Bisbee

What to expect: Tanque Verde hasn’t given up a point in almost a month. That streak will come to an end, but the game will still result in an easy win, 28-7.

Chandler Valley Christian (6-1) at PUSCH RIDGE CHRISTIAN (6-1)

Location: 9500 N. Oracle Road

What to expect: Pusch Ridge Christian turned back the clocks in the Lions’ 41-20 win over Sabino two weeks ago. Instead of quarterback Bubba Mustain throwing the ball to the abundance of receivers at Pusch Ridge, the Lions relied on senior running back Brysen Barrios to shoulder the offensive load, running for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Following a confidence-boosting win and a bye week to rest, the balanced Lions should take care of business against a team they’ll likely face again in the Class 3A playoffs. Call it 45-42 in favor of the home team.