Arizona

How wide open is the expanded Arizona 2A high school football playoff field?

Published

5 months ago

October 28, 2025

How wide open is the expanded Arizona 2A high school football playoff field?

This week, the 2A Arizona high school football playoffs begin for 16 of the 24 teams in the postseason. The top eight teams have byes to next week’s round of 16.

The expanded field gives a conference with 51 schools a chance to extend the season. But how wide open is it? The Arizona Lutheran win over Scottsdale Christian in the final week of the regular season showed it might be anybody’s title.

“I think it’s as open as it can be,” said Scottsdale Christian coach Mike Sheahan, whose team won the past two titles and was No. 1 by The Arizona Republic all season until the Arizona Lutheran loss. “Whoever gets hot will win it.”

Let’s break down the Oct. 31 first-round matchups. All games start at 7 p.m., at the higher seed’s field:

No. 17 Santa Cruz (5-5) at No. 16 Glendale Prep (7-3). This isn’t your typical Santa Cruz team. It got blown out by Phoenix Christian and Arizona Lutheran during a four-game losing streak. Glendale Prep’s loss to No. 1 Veritas Prep should help it adjust to what it needs to win this game. The winner plays at Veritas Prep on Nov. 7.

No. 24 Tonopah Valley (4-5) at No. 9 Tanque Verde (8-2). The winner plays at No. 8 Camp Verde on Nov. 7. Tonopah Valley hasn’t had the same offensive firepower that it did the last few years under Brett Davis. Tanque Verde looks like a team ready to move into the next round.

No. 21 Scottsdale Prep (5-5) at No. 12 Parker (7-2). Don’t expect an upset. Parker should advance to play Nov. 7 at No. 5 Arizona Lutheran, which had one of its toughest games two weeks ago in a 19-12 win over the Broncs. “After playing Parker, I thought they were a top-eight team,” Arizona Lutheran coach David Peter said.

No. 20 Alchesay (6-2) at No. 13 Chandler Prep (7-3). The winner advances against No. 4 St. John’s, which has a legit shot to win the whole thing. Chandler Prep should win, but it is coming off a 35-7 loss to Pima.

No. 19 Globe (6-4) at No. 14 Benson (6-4). Benson has more impressive wins, a tougher schedule and should get through to face No. 3 Phoenix Christian on Nov. 7.

No. 22 Mountainside (6-4) at No. 11 Trivium Prep (7-3). When these teams met on Oct. 10, Trivium Prep struggled to beat Mountainside 20-14. It’s always hard to beat the same team twice in a season. The winner goes to No. 6 Willcox on Nov. 7.

No. 23 Holbrook (6-4) at No. 10 Pima (6-4). Don’t bet against Pima, which may be the healthiest it has been all season, after taking apart Chandler Prep last week. Holbrook just lost to Tuba City 20-18. Expect to see Pima next week at No. 7 San Tan Charter.

No. 18 Tuba City (7-3) at No. 15 Morenci (6-4). It’s been difficult for a reservation school to get beyond the first round in football, and Tuba City, which is part of the Navajo Nation, is facing a team that has had an extremely hard schedule, losing close games to Pima (13-6) and St. Johns (21-12) down the stretch. Expect Morenci to play at No. 2 Scottsdale Christian on Nov. 7.

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

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Arizona

Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers live updates. Arizona DH back in the lineup

Published

7 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers live updates. Arizona DH back in the lineup

LOS ANGELES — After tests on his sore elbow revealed no structural damage, Pavin Smith took batting practice and was declared ready to return to the Diamondbacks’ lineup.

Smith, who was a late scratch on Opening Day, was a late addition on Day 2. He will bat fifth and serve as the designated hitter, sending Tim Tawa to the bench.

Smith is a relatively important member of the Diamondbacks lineup as a potential impact hitter against right-handed pitching. Last year, he hit .265/.361/.456 with eight homers against righties in 226 at-bats.

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34

Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.39)* vs. Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 2.82)*.

At Dodger Stadium: Nelson opened last season in the bullpen but moved into the rotation full time after RHP Corbin Burnes went down with elbow surgery. He was impressive from that point on, putting up a 3.38 ERA across 20 starts from June 1 onward. … Nelson faced the Dodgers three times (two starts) last season, giving up four runs in 13 innings with one walk and 12 strikeouts. … Nelson has solid career numbers against most Dodgers hitters, including 3B Max Muncy, who is 0 for 8 with three walks and five strikeouts. … Sheehan, 26, a sixth-round pick out of Boston College in 2021, returned from Tommy John surgery last year and performed well, logging a 2.82 ERA in 73 1/3 innings. He also logged important innings for the Dodgers out of the bullpen in the postseason. … Sheehan has never faced the Diamondbacks. … Last season, he averaged 95.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also threw a slider and change-up with the occasional curveball.

Coming up

Saturday, March 28: At Los Angeles, 6:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (9-9, 5.02)* vs. Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19)*.

Sunday, March 29: Off.

Monday, March 30: At Chase Field, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Michael Soroka (3-8, 4.52)* vs. Tigers RHP Justin Verlander (4-11, 3.85)*.

Tuesday, March 31: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (13-9, 5.25)* vs. Tigers RHP Casey Mize (14-6, 3.87)*.

* — stats from 2025.

(This story will be updated. Check back soon.)

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Make-A-Wish Arizona creates sea turtle adventure for San Tan Valley boy

Published

19 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Make-A-Wish Arizona creates sea turtle adventure for San Tan Valley boy

Boats, beaches, and buckets of fun! Just the way you’d expect a boy to spend his Florida vacation!

But there was something else 11-year-old Miles Boyd got to do last year when he and his family traveled to Florida. It was a sea turtle adventure that truly became the trip of a lifetime.

“I had never been to the ocean before,” explained Miles. “So see that just wowed me. It was amazing!”

Miles and his family also got to see baby sea turtles on the beach at night.

“The ocean is so mysterious,” says Miles. “It’s such a big place, and the fact that these turtles can move but are so tiny and when they go in the ocean, they get to hundreds of pounds.”

In so many ways, the trip to Palm Beach County, Florida, was a dream vacation for Miles and his family, but it only came after what was a living nightmare.

“I couldn’t imagine losing him,” says Miles’ mom, Natasha.

It was the harsh reality that Natasha had to face after learning her son Miles had a cancerous brain tumor.

“The world just stopped,” Natasha says about the moment she found out the devastating news. “I just sat on the floor and cried.”

Even Miles admits he was scared.

“I’m just a kid, you know what I mean?” he says. “It’s a lot to handle all at once.”

After three brain surgeries, countless hours of therapy and rehab, and having to take a chemo medication twice daily, Miles proved to the world he is a true survivor!

And his trip to Florida, through Make-A-Wish Arizona, proved to be the medication he never knew he needed.

Miles explains that the trip motivated him to keep going.

“It showed me that I made it to this car, and I can keep going,” he says. “I started at the lowest of lows, and now, I’m on a beach – it just gave me confidence and motivated me that I could keep going.”

Last year alone, Make-A-Wish Arizona granted 476 wishes; they’ve also fulfilled more than 8,500 since being founded in 1980.

Across the Globe, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 650,000 wishes since 1980

Miles and Nick Ciletti will co-host Make-A-Wish Arizona’s Wish Ball on Saturday! To learn more about Make-A-Wish Arizona, click here.

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Arizona

11 illegal Indian national truck drivers arrested at Arizona border last month

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

11 illegal Indian national truck drivers arrested at Arizona border last month

Eleven illegal Indian national truck drivers were arrested at the Arizona border in the month of February.

The Yuma Sector Border Patrol arrested 11 total Indian national truck drivers in Yuma, Arizona in February 2026.

According to a Facebook post by the Yuma Sector Border Patrol, all 11 truck drivers held commercial drivers licenses from the states of Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and California. All were “found to be present in the United States illegally.”

“Border Patrol remains committed to upholding immigration laws and protecting our communities,” the post continued.

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