Arizona
From backup quarterback to team captain, Noah Fifita’s leadership has brought Arizona together
When the 2023 Arizona football campaign began last year Jayden de Laura was entering his second season as the starting quarterback, while Noah Fifita was the backup. Fast forward to the Stanford game, de Laura goes down with an injury and Fifita stepped up in his absence. Not only did he step up, Fifita took full reins of the team.
After close losses to Washington and USC, he would lead the Wildcats to seven straight wins, including an Alamo Bowl victory against Oklahoma. Once the offseason hit, Fifita was faced with a similar challenge of bringing his team together after Jedd Fisch left for Washington.
Following Arizona’s hiring of Brent Brennan as head coach, it only took one meeting with him for Fifita to decide to stay. Thereafter, Fifita has only gained momentum as being one of the top quarterbacks in the nation as well as the leader of the Wildcats.
With being named to many preseason awards watch lists, Fifita was ranked 51st by ESPN on its list of top 100 college players. On top of earning rankings and being named to watchlists, he has become popular in the NIL world. Picking up sponsorships with Alerion Aviation, the Tucson International Airport and SuperCuts, it is clear that there is extreme hype around Fifita.
Preseason training camp was one of hard work and fine tuning the little things, which is what got Fifita to be ready when called upon as the backup. Now, he will be leading the team as one of six team captains.
Alongside fellow captains Jonah Savaiinaea, Josh Baker, Jacob Manu, Treydan Stukes, and Gunner Maldonado, Fifita’s leadership is noticed by everyone on the team. Offensive coordinator Dino Babers made it clear that a player such as he is rare to find nowadays.
“He’s not average, the more and more you’re around him you’re just like ‘the guy is special,’ and he needs to be treated as such,” Babers said.
Quarterbacks coach Lyle Moevao gave credit to Fifita for adjusting to new pieces on the offense and the offensive scheme.
“You know the fun thing about Noah is that his mind is always on ‘what’s our plan?’,” Moevao said. “That’s the beauty of working with Noah, he’s always gonna be, you know, one step ahead.”
Being one step ahead goes back to his preparation from last season as a backup, but now going into this season Fifita has to make sure that the entire team is ready to go.
“I think last year it was kind of more about myself and really taking care of what I had to take care of,” he said. “Now this year it is about the team, and kind of having cohesion through all the positions and not just worrying about my responsibilities.”
The nation knows about the Fifita to Tetairoa McMillan connection, but one that is equally important is the center to quarterback connection. Baker’s face lit up earlier this week when asked about his relationship with Fifita.
“It’s been amazing to see a young kid a couple years ago come in with such a professional attitude and such a professional mindset,” Baker said. “Working hard every single day, not missing a beat, able to step up when his name was called, it’s just been amazing to see that.”
Outside of all of the watchlists, rankings, and sponsorships, Fifita knows that in order to be successful, he has to bring the team together as one.
“It’s always about the team,” Fifita said. “That’s the main part and that’s just Coach Brennan, he has referenced that a lot. Coach (Dick) Tomey’s thing is ‘The team, the team, the team.’ so that’s just kind of how we’re built, that’s what we take pride in and if we want to do what we want to do, it’s about the team. About us, not just one individual.”
Arizona
Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Feb. 27, 2026
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers
11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers
7-7-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers
16-19-20-26-37
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Triple Twist numbers
11-15-24-25-28-30
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?
In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.
How to play the Powerball
To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:
- 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
- 5 white balls = $1 million.
- 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
- 4 white balls = $100.
- 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
- 3 white balls = $7.
- 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
- 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
- 1 red Powerball = $4.
There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Arizona
Warmer temps increase rattlesnake risks: Arizona Game and Fish
PHOENIX – Officials with the Arizona Game and Fish Department said unseasonably warm temperatures in the state will increase risks for rattlesnake encounters.
What they’re saying:
In a statement released on Feb. 27, the agency said while rattlesnakes are most active in desert areas from March through October, they “may appear earlier in the year as warming temperatures bring them out of winter hibernation.”
“During the spring, it’s common for rattlesnakes to be out during daylight hours,” read a portion of the statement. “As the days become increasingly hot, rattlesnakes tend to move around more at night.”
What you can do:
Officials said there are things people can do to keep themselves safe, including:
- Step back and let a rattlesnake move away if you see one on a trail
- Be mindful of where you place your feet and hands, because rattlesnakes can easily blend in with their surroundings
- Carry a flashlight at night, especially on warmer nights when rattlesnakes can be most active
- Clean up yard debris and reduce standing water near homes, in order to avoid attracting rattlesnakes
- Stay on marked trails, as rattlesnakes encounters are more likely to occur when a person leaves a marked trail
Game and Fish officials said people should do the following if someone was bitten by a rattlesnake:
- Remain calm
- Reassure the victim
- Call 911 and seek medical attention without delay
- Remove all jewelry and watches from the affected area
- Immobilize the extremity, and keep it below the heart
- Decrease total body activity, as feasible
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.
Arizona
Idaho 78-58 Northern Arizona (Feb 26, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN
MOSCOW, Idaho — — Jackson Rasmussen had 19 points in Idaho’s 78-58 win over Northern Arizona on Thursday.
Rasmussen also had seven rebounds for the Vandals (16-13, 8-8 Big Sky Conference). Isaiah Brickner scored 15 points while shooting 6 of 11 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line. Jack Payne shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points.
Diego Campisano finished with 11 points for the Lumberjacks (10-19, 4-12). Chris Komin added 11 points for Northern Arizona. Karl Markus Poom also had 10 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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