The first varsity football games of the 2025 season are officially in the books in Arizona. Small schools kicked off their respective seasons Thursday, Aug. 21 and Friday, Aug. 22. 

Like just about every year, monsoon storms decided to make their presence felt in the form of long delays. Nonetheless, the season is underway, and some teams and players made early statements. 

Here’s a look at what we learned from Week 0 of the season. 

Scottsdale Christian lived up to the preseason hype

The Eagles of Scottsdale Christian didn’t let a long weather delay hamper their offense of defense Thursday night, as they knocked off Pima in convincing fashion, 33-6, in the rematch of last year’s 2A title game. 

Scottsdale Christian has talent all over the field, including senior running back Everett Salazar. Coming back from an ACL tear last season, Salazar found the end zone three times Thursday night. Defensively, Joseph Kassisieh made an impact all over the field from the defensive end position. 

Head coach Mike Sheehan has a talented squad on his hands, and the defending champions showed why they were the media’s top pick as the No. 1 team in 2A to start the season. 

San Tan Charter is a force to be reckoned with

There’s no question the Roadrunners will be the No. 2 ranked team according to the media in next week’s rankings. They entered the season No. 3 behind Pima and Scottsdale Christian. 

San Tan Charter dominated 3A Apache Junction, 48-7, forcing multiple turnovers and showing a high-powered offense that could very well have them meeting up with Scottsdale Christian at the end of November. 

Sure, it’s early to make a bold prediction such as that. But the Roadrunners didn’t show all they could do. They had just 37 passing yards on eight total attempts between two players Friday night. They did their damage on the ground, rushing for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Brandt Popes led the way with 126 yards on the ground, while sophomore linebacker Porter Smith helped get the job done on defense with a fumble recovery for a touchdown. 

Benjamin Franklin wasted little time establshing dominance

It took just two quarters for Benjamin Franklin to put up 40-plus points against Dysart Friday night. The media’s No. 1 ranked team in 3A was flat out dominant. Quarterback Gavin Wyler had a field day with 286 passing yards and two touchdowns. Landon Stetka, one of the predecessors to standout running back Ridge Allen, found the end zone four times on 59 rushing yards. 

Wideout Talan Spier made his mark early on, hauling in five catches for 195 yards. The Charger defense was dominant, too, proving that head coach Danny Norris once again has a championship contender in Queen Creek. 

Crismon ready to rise to the occasion? 

The Rattlers started the season with a 34-13 win over River Valley Friday night, officially giving first-year head coach Scott Hare his first win with the program. Quarterback Braxton Thill passed for 292 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Walker Higbee rushed for 109 yards and a score of his own. Asher Vance was a standout at receiver, hauling in five catches for 187 yards and three touchdowns.

Cameron Pope and Landon Duran each had an interception for the Rattlers on defense. 

Crismon is a team that showed improvement as the season went on last year. They were expected to make a jump this season, and they took a step toward that Friday night. However, the real test comes next week against 4A Eastmark in a battle of two of the newest schools in the far East Valley. 

Other Week 0 notables

• Tonopah Valley, the media’s No. 4 team in 2A, was shutout by Odyssey Institute, 25-0. 
• Round Valley dominates Seton Catholic, 45-21, led by wideout Jeffery Cochran
• ALA – Mesa recorded its first win in varsity history by knocking off Shadow Mountain 26-13
• Thatcher started the season with a 41-29 victory over ALA-Ironwood, which held a lead at one point
• Valley Christian started the season on a high note with a defensive stand to beat Sabino, 18-14