The 2025 Arizona high school football season is nearing its end with just three weeks remaining in the regular season.

The team at Arizona Varsity decided to look back at the past eight weeks to identify the teams that have impressed us the most, as well as those who have been let downs and everything in between.

Four questions were posed to the team:

–          What program(s) has impressed you the most?

–          What program(s) have let you down?

–          What program(s) do you see as the favorites in each conference (can just be one or two)?

–          What program(s) do you see as dark horses?

Arizona Varsity Publisher Ralph Amsden, C-Town Rivals Host Brett Quintyne, photographer/writer JJ Digos, writers Chris Eaton, Adam Beadle, Zach Alvira and an anonymous voice all participated in the round table. Answers from the team are below.

What program(s) has impressed you the most?

Ralph Amsden: I’ve been most impressed by undefeated Arizona College Prep. There’s no way that they should have this much success against the 5A conference this fast after moving up from 4A last year, and switching coaches and coordinators for the third time in three years. More than that, they have had to rely on backup QB Gunnar Schmidt for a good chunk of the last month. I love the way Evan Heinrich takes care of the ball, and with the running game led by J’Cory Horne and Max Sasso- and the extremely physical defense, they might be playing at the end of the season for the second year in a row!

Brett Quintyne: I think the ACP Knights are the team that has impressed me the most. Moving up a conference and perfect after 7 games is something I think no one saw coming. That’s the team that I think has been most impressive. Also impressive but in a different way is how Hamilton has been hanging an insane amount of points on the opposition.

JJ Digos: The program that has impressed me in the 4A Conference has been Arcadia. They had a pretty tumultuous off-season with a coaching change transitioning from Ray Brown to BJ Pasquel. Pasquel has done an awesome job. Not only has he been a longtime teacher and coach at the Arcadia campus, I think he’s really brought a lot of good stability for the program. It’s shown with the success that they’ve had so far this season.

In 6A, I think Red Mountain has been super impressive this season. They’ve been able to hold things down offensively battling through a lot of injuries, especially in the backfield and now their transfer quarterback is eligible. Give a ton of credit to Caleb Joe, who was the starter for the first five weeks of the year. He was doing a great job and the Red Mountain defense has also been strong as they usually are. They lead the way and now they’re in a great position to make the Open Division play-in round. They could be a real tough out if they make it to the Open 8. 

Chris Eaton: Gilbert Christian (6-1), Lake Havasu (5-2), Millennium (6-1). None were in my preseason top 10’s for their conferences. A couple tough games coming up for GC (Crismon & Valley Christian). The Knights have a balanced offense and started the year 6-0 before running into Ben Franklin. Lake Havasu has a win over Gila Ridge, which keeps looking better by the week.  I saw Millennium for its Spring Game in May, but wasn’t expecting them to be a contender for the 5A crown. Playoffs, yes, but the performance of RB D’Mari Bryant (1500 yards in 7 games) has been off the charts!

Adam Beadle: Without a doubt, ACP. I think this one is pretty unanimous. Who would’ve thought that at this point in the season, we would be talking about an ACP team that is undefeated with the possibility of them making a run in the 5A playoffs? We, as the media, may have overlooked that this was a program that reached the 4A state championship last season. Yes, they face a new challenge in 5A, but behind Derek Zellner, it seems like there’s nothing this team can’t accomplish. I also have to give a shoutout to the job Jessica Slaughter has done at Gila Ridge this season, and what the Desert View Jaguars are accomplishing down in Southern Arizona.

Zach Alvira: Other than the pure domination by the 6A big three (Basha, Liberty and Hamilton), I’ve been impressed by the Chandler Wolves. They were written off last year after one of the worst seasons in recent memory – despite still making the playoffs and having a winning record. The team dealt with multiple injuries, including to quarterback Will Mencl. But the Wolves have come back at full strength under new head coach Ty Wisdom, who took over after Rick Garretson retired. The Wolves are a field goal away from being undefeated this year and playing very good football. 

It’s hard not to be impressed by the job Derek Zellner has done with Arizona College Prep in his first season. The Knights have dominated and have a few more challenges before entering the playoffs as what I believe to be legitimate contenders. A couple of southern Arizona teams have also given a fresh look to the standings with Gila Ridge and Desert View. When southern AZ football is good, all AZ football is good. 

Anonymous: A few impressive programs to me have been Higley and Gila Ridge. For the Knights to make the jump to 6A after all the talent they lost from their stellar 2025 class and still be successful is telling in terms of the culture head coach Eddy Zubey and his staff have built during their time. Higley continues to be a power year in and year out and is one of the contenders for a potential 6A championship this season.

Every year in Yuma the conversation from us in the Valley and most has only centered around Yuma Catholic. But Gila Ridge has proven why Southwest Arizona deserves more love. The Hawks have rolled to a 6-1 start with stellar victories over Northwest Christian and St Mary’s two teams that most have high expectations for. As well as a victory over Buckeye who appears to be in the race for a 4A playoff spot. They’re beating the teams they should with ease and are in position to finish 9-1 and have a high seed in the 4A bracket.

What program(s) have let you down?

Ralph Amsden: Saguaro has been the biggest let down for me by far. The Sabercats are 2-5, and could reasonably be 7-0. All five losses have been by one score, and the O’Connor, Highland and Salpointe losses came down to the last minute with the offense on the field, unable to manufacture yards. It doesn’t seem like they’re confident in what to do from series to series at QB. They didn’t even fully put in stats after the Higley game. It’s just not the Saguaro we’re used to, and that’s difficult to process. Arizona High School football is better when Saguaro is good. 

Brett Quintyne: I’m not sure if these technically these are let downs but Saguaro and ALA-QC. After just one win last year I think Saguaro get three at most this season. It’s just tough to see a program like that miss the playoffs on consecutive years. With that being said not sure anyone felt that ALA-QC would have probably just three wins and miss the playoffs this year either. While they more than held their own the last couple of seasons, I still contend that they were moved up too quickly. It’s still a very small student population and I don’t know if they have the depth to sustain a down year and rebound quickly at 6A.

JJ Digos: I think ALA Queen Creek has been a bit of a letdown this year. Now, they’ve had probably the toughest opening five-game schedule in the entire state, and they had to replace a ton of seniors from last year‘s team that had Basha on the ropes in the open semifinals. But the way the program has been over the past few years being in contention for the Open coming into this season, you think that they would still be able to reload and be really competitive during that opening five game stretch. But they went through some really tough times and now they made some coaching staff changes. But it’ll be interesting to see if they can pull it together down the stretch of the last stretch of the season to make the playoffs.

Chris Eaton: I had Tonopah Valley (3-5) at #3 in my preseason poll and ALA-Ironwood (2-5) at #5. Both of them started out at 0-3.

Adam Beadle: It’s hard to say ALA-Queen Creek is the team that’s been the biggest letdown, because of how much they lost defensively coming into this season, but I know for sure I came into the season thinking they would be able to accomplish at least a little bit more than they have. I guess, to sum it up, the reason they are a technical “letdown” is that this is a team that has made the Open Division in consecutive seasons, and because the Patriots likely won’t be doing the same this season, that’s viewed as a letdown.

Zach Alvira: The Perry Pumas. Joseph Ortiz will probably text me when he sees this. The Pumas had lofty expectations and for good reason. Kael Snyder is as good of a quarterback as any in the country. Amos Augustine is a stud wideout and the Pumas returned just enough talent that had them as preseason contenders to make the Open Division. But a loss to Granite Hills, followed by Brophy and Chandler last week has the Pumas at 3-3. Sure, that’s not a bad record and they’re 13th in the 6A rankings, but still falling short of expectations. 

ALA Queen Creek has also been a surprise. But their schedule has been brutal. Highland had its worst start since 2011 (when I played there … ayo!). 

Anonymous: The biggest let down to me this year has been ALA Queen Creek. Granted they’ve played one of the most brutal schedules we’ve seen, but for them to struggle as badly as they have to start the year with an anemic offense (as shown by Max Hall’s firing) and injuries galore it’s hard to not feel for the Patriots and their rough start offensively. However, this is only game seven, and the let down could be flipped on its head should ALA Queen Creek score a victory over its rival Queen Creek.

What program(s) do you see as the favorites in each conference?

Ralph Amsden: 6A is extremely difficult to figure out which two of the top 3 (Basha, Liberty or Hamilton) are the best, and that’s what makes this season so much fun. I know that people think 5A is already wrapped up with Desert Edge in the mix, but I wouldn’t count out Marana. They can score in bunches, and Desert Edge’s offense hasn’t been fluid at times this season. In 4A, Arcadia looks better and better every week- but so does Snowflake. I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t rooting for Gila Ridge to go far in the playoffs though- having a Yuma representative in the championship that isn’t Yuma Catholic isn’t something I’ve experienced as a reporter. 3A is Benjamin Franklin by 10 miles, and in 2A, I think we had a championship preview last weekend with Scottsdale Christian’s 41-34 last minute win over Phoenix Christian.

Brett Quintyne: Until proven otherwise I still feel that Liberty and Basha are the teams to beat in 6A. Desert Edge may have some competition in 5A but they will be tough to knock off. Gotta love what Ben Franklin is doing at 3A.

JJ Digos: In the Open Division it comes down to Liberty of course, as well as Basha and Hamilton. Chandler looks like they could be in the mix, but it feels like there’s a clear gap between the top three and then the next tier. In 5A once again, it should be Desert Edge but Marana is also lurking around. The Tigers’ one loss is against Salpointe Catholic, but now Salpointe hasn’t had the best season for their standards. But they’re still a really good program. I think that the ACP and ALA Gilbert North game this week will tell a lot about those two programs to see if they’re contenders in 5A.

In 4A, I think there’s a clear gap at the top with Arcadia and Snowflake. Those two programs of course are undefeated, but also their wins have been impressive so far and when they meet up on Oct. 31, all signs are still pointing to that game culminating in a rematch at ASU on Dec. 5.

In 3A, Ben Franklin has definitely shown that they’re the clear top team. I think that Thatcher will still be in the mix considering they played Ben Franklin pretty tough earlier in the season. In 2A, Scottsdale Christian and Phoenix Christian played an insane game on Saturday night and I think that match up is probably going to be what we will see in the 2A championship on Thanksgiving weekend.

Chris Eaton: 2A: Scottsdale Christian & Phoenix Christian; 3A: Ben Franklin & Thatcher; 4A: Snowflake & Arcadia (about the only thing we have been able to count on in the 4A Conference!); 5A: Desert Edge & Marana; 6A (Open): Basha & Liberty. Not predicting 6A because 4 of them shouldn’t be happy to be there after losing in the 5-12 round.

Adam Beadle: It’s going to be a dogfight in 6A between Basha, Liberty, and Hamilton. I think you can make a case for a couple of teams in 5A, but without a doubt, Desert Edge is still the favorite. I can’t wait to see Arcadia and Snowflake battle it out in whatever round of the playoffs that happens.

Zach Alvira: I think the Open Division is pretty obvious. As for 6A, it depends which teams make it back into that playoff bracket. I could see a team like Chandler making a run if they fall back into 6A, as well as a team like Red Mountain. I believe Desert Edge will run away with the 5A title. The Scorpions may be challenged by a team like Marana but the talent on that roster is by far the best. 

The 4A Conference is a crap shoot. Arcadia and Snowflake appear to be the best teams in the conference, but Mica Mountain is starting to play better football. Ben Franklin has been the run away top team in 3A having already faced off against multiple contenders in the conference and having rolled each one so far with ease. Benjamin Franklin appears to be a shoe-in for the 3A title, while Scottsdale Christian and Phoenix Christian are clearly the two best teams in 2A. 

Anonymous: It’s hard to gauge a favorite in any conference except 5A and 3A. The open is a three horse race between Hamilton, Liberty, and Basha and there’s no clarity in the potential 6A bracket and the chaos that’s 4A. But 5A is very clearly Desert Edge. Dating back to last season they’ve won 15 out of their last 16 contests and appear to be hitting their stride with an offensive explosion against Verrado. 

What program(s) do you see as dark horses?

Ralph Amsden: A true dark horse that actually has a chance to win a title in each division would be Chandler in 6A, Desert Mountain in 5A, Lee WIlliams in 4A, River Valley in 3A, and St. Johns in 2A.

Brett Quintyne: Chandler Prep in 2A may surprise some folks in the post season. Valley Christian has great team speed in 3A. ACP can go a long way in 5A and a team I haven’t mentioned, the Chandler Wolves could be dangerous in the Open!

JJ Digos: My dark horse for 6A and the Open is Red Mountain. I think that if they get to the top eight and win that first round, they’ll be a tough out for any matchup in the Open. In 5A, a dark horse I’m looking at that could give a team like Desert Edge problems is Canyon view. They played the scorpions very tough a couple of weeks ago and they’re incredibly well coached.

In 4A things are completely wide open. I think a team like Marcos de Niza would love another crack at Snowflake and offensively, they could give Arcadia some problems. Outside of the Snowflake game, Marcos is scoring over 40 points a game.

In 3A I still think – and this is a completely unbiased opinion even though I’m working for the program – Crismon is a dark horse to make a run. Scott Hare has really worked some magic again with the Rattlers and they’ve got some really talented pieces on both sides of the ball that could give any of the top eight teams in 3A a run for their money. They’ve really proved they belong.

Chris Eaton:2A: Camp Verde & Willcox (rural part of the bracket); 3A: Payson & Show Low; 4A: Sahuaro & Eastmark; 5A: Desert Mountain & Millennium; 6A (Open): Brophy & Mountain View. 

Adam Beadle: Not going to go too in-depth, but Chandler is one in 6A, and Canyon View is one in 5A. Both of these teams have the potential to be dangerous come the playoffs.

Zach Alvira: I don’t believe there is a true dark horse in the Open because Basha, Liberty and Hamilton are clearly the top three teams in the state. As for 6A, Williams Field has a ton of talent that could sneak up on teams in the bracket, as well as Centennial. In 5A, Canyon View and Millennium have been playing very well this season, and the Jaguars gave the Scorpions a scare and earned the praise of Desert Edge coaches a couple of weeks ago. 

Marcos de Niza could make some noise in the 4A Conference, as well as Eastmark if the Firebirds play the way they did early in the season. Crazy to think Thatcher could be seen as a dark horse but that’s just how good Benjamin Franklin is. Further down the rankings, Gilbert Christian would love another shot at the Chargers, while Crismon and Blue Ridge have talent to make a run. In 2A, one could look up and down the standings, throw a dart and choose that team as a dark horse. Look out for Arizona Lutheran. The Coyotes know how to play good football in November. 

Anonymous: The biggest dark horse ironically is the defending 4A champion Mica Mountain. The Thunderbolts appeared at No. 9 in the initial 4A AIA rankings and haven’t gotten back to the top in the Arizona Varsity 4A rankings after dropping back to back games to ALA West Foothills and Sunnyside.

Mica Mountain had turned it on in the last three weeks on both sides of the ball and should they finish 3-0 in their last three games, they’ll be a force in the 4A bracket in a potential trip back to ASU.