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In 6A, Salpointe Catholic and Scottsdale's Saguaro play a rematch of the 2017 and 2018 4A championship games. Yuma Catholic hosts Marana, trying to exorcise some of its Southern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ demons after Mica Mountain ended its playoff run last year and Canyon del Oro beat them in the 2023 4A title game.

Plus, Sahuaro and Peoria replay the 1994 4A state championship game.

The other games are packed with intrigue as teams’ freedom games run out and region play comes.

All games start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted

THURSDAY

5A

South Mountain (0-2) at Canyon del Oro (1-1)

Location: 25 W. Calle Concordia

Notable: The reverse of Salpointe and Saguaro, Phoenix's South Mountain is 6A in other sports, but moved down a conference in football. The Jaguars’ last winning season was the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when they went 2-1.

4A/3A

Catalina Foothills (2-0) at Pusch Ridge Christian (3-0)

Location: 9500 N. Oracle Road

Time: 6 p.m.

Notable: After Foothills won the first matchup of these north-side schools in 2016, the Lions won the next five, including four wins in the last four years.

2A

San Pasqual Valley (1-2) at Santa Rita (0-3)

Location: 3951 S. Pantano Road

Notable: San Pasqual Valley, of Winterhaven, Calif., is located near the border with ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, close to Yuma.

FRIDAY

6A

Saguaro (1-1) at Salpointe (2-0)

Location: 1545 E. Copper St.

Notable: Both schools are 4A-sized (Saguaro 1,430 enrollment and Salpointe 1,305) but moved up a couple conferences in football.

5A

Mountain View (2-0) at Desert Mountain (1-1)

Location: 12575 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale

Notable: Mountain View is off to its first 2-0 start since 2015.

ALA - Gilbert North (2-0) at Buena (2-0)

Location: 5225 E. Buena School Blvd., Sierra Vista

Notable: ALA - Gilbert North’s head coach is Ty Detmer, who won the Heisman Trophy at BYU in 1990 and played eight seasons in the NFL.

Camelback (0-2) at Desert View (2-0)

Location: 4101 E. Valencia Road

Notable: Desert View is looking for its first 3-0 start since 2021, when the Jaguars began 5-0 and went 10-2.

Cienega (0-2) at Ironwood Ridge (0-2)

Location: 2475 W. Naranja Drive

Notable: The loser of this game between two 2024 playoff teams and two of the more prominent programs in Southern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ will start the season 0-3.

Flowing Wells (2-0) at North (0-2)

Location: 1101 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix

Notable: Phoenix's North was among the closed in the 1980s along with Phoenix Union, Phoenix East and Phoenix West. However, after closing in 1981, Phoenix North reopened in 1983.

Campo Verde (1-1) at Sunnyside (2-0)

Location: 1725 E. Bilby Road

Notable: Gilbert's Campo Verde plays its second straight Southern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ team after beating Ironwood Ridge 36-6 last week.

Marana (1-1) at Yuma Catholic (0-2)

Location: 2100 W. 28th St., Yuma

Notable: The 3A-sized Shamrocks (517 enrollment) moved up to 5A after losing to Mica Mountain in the 4A semifinals last year and CDO in the 4A state championship in 2023.

5A/4A

Sahuarita (0-2) at Nogales (2-0)

Location: 1905 Apache Blvd., Nogales

Notable: After snapping its 20-game losing streak in the season opener, Nogales ended its three-game skid against Rio Rico and now leads that series 14-3.

Tucson High (0-2) at Walden Grove (1-1)

Location: 15510 S. Sahuarita Park Road

Notable: This is the first-ever matchup between Tucson High, which opened in 1906, and Walden Grove, which opened in 2011.

4A

Mica Mountain (2-0) at ALA - West Foothills (1-1)

Location: 17608 W. Olive Ave., Waddell

Notable: Waddell's ALA - West Foothills lost the 3A state championship game to Pusch Ridge 26-7 last year, but moved up to 4A.

Combs (2-0) at Cholla (2-0)

Location: 2001 W. Starr Pass Blvd.

Notable: After beating Rio Rico 56-0 and Rincon/University 52-0, San Tan Valley's Combs plays one more Southern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ side.

Pueblo (0-2) at Douglas (1-1)

Location: 1550 15th St., Douglas

Notable: Pueblo and Douglas first met in 1960, a 35-14 Bulldogs win, according to .

Peoria (1-1) at Sahuaro (1-1)

Location: 545 N. Camino Seco

Notable: It’s a rematch of the 1994 state championship, which the Panthers and Cougars tied 17-17.

Rio Rico (0-2) at Sierra Linda (2-0)

Location: 3434 S. 67th Ave., Phoenix

Notable: Rio Rico plays Phoenix's Sierra Linda for the first time.

Amphitheater (0-2) at Somerton (0-2)

Location: 1093 W. Jefferson St., Somerton

Notable: Somerton, which is southwest of Yuma, lost 48-0 to Calexico (Calif.) after falling 48-0 to Glendale's Copper Canyon, as well.

Empire (0-2) at St. Mary’s (2-0)

Location: 2217 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix

Notable: After beating a couple of northern schools (Cottonwood's Mingus and Flagstaff's Coconino), Phoenix's Knights host their home opener against a Southern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ school.

4A/2A

Palo Verde (1-2) at Rincon/University (0-2)

Location: 421 N. Arcadia Ave.

Notable: Palo Verde’s enrollment is 699, and Rincon/University’s enrollment is 2,232 combined, so in terms of size, it is 3A vs. 6A.

3A

Coolidge (2-1) at Sabino (1-2)

Location: 5000 N. Bowes Road

Notable: Last week, the Sabercats celebrated the debut of their new field, lights and scoreboard with their first win of the season, 38-24 over El Mirage's Dysart.

2A

Catalina (2-0) at Desert Christian (2-1)

Location: 7525 E. Speedway

Notable: The Trojans put their perfect record on the line at Desert Christian, which rebounded from its first 11-person football loss to beat Santa Rita 64-0 last week.

Tanque Verde (2-1) at Benson (2-1)

Location: 360 S. Patagonia St., Benson

Notable: Since recording seven points in its first game, Tanque Verde has scored 93.

Bisbee (1-2) at Morenci (1-2)

Location: 473 Stadium Drive, Morenci

Notable: The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ have won six in a row against Bisbee, dating back to 2013.

Willcox (2-1) at Pima (1-2)

Location: 38 E. 200 South, Pima

Notable: Last season, Pima reached the state championship game, losing 28-27 to Scottsdale Christian.

Santa Cruz Valley (2-1) at Tombstone (0-2)

Location: 1211 N. Yellow Jacket Way, Tombstone

Notable: Eloy's Dust Devil is 3-0 all-time against Tombstone, most recently beating the Yellow Jackets 49-14 in the first round of the playoffs in 2023.

1A

Superior (2-1) at Baboquivari (0-3)

Location: Highway 86 and Route 19, Topawa

Notable: Topawa's Baboquivari has been outscored 153-6 this season.

Valley Union (2-1) at Kearny Ray (2-1)

Location: 701 N. Highway 177, Kearny

Notable: Elfrida's Valley Union, which beat the Duncan Wildkats 52-6 last week, play Kearny's Ray Bearcats this week and the Mayer ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ on Oct. 10.

Duncan (1-2) at St. David (3-0)

Location: 70 E. Patton St., St. David

Notable: St. David has outscored opponents 180-6.