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Best in the West 2026: Nov. 6 Spotlight

From postseason matchups to a battle to be called the No. 1 team in Arizona, three massive Westside vs. Westside matchups highlight one of the final weeks of Arizona high school football.

 

#1 Liberty @ #4 Centennial

A battle for the top seed in the Open Division is brewing this week. While No. 2 Chandler and No. 3 Hamilton battle in the southeast, No. 1 Liberty and No. 4 Centennial square off in the northwest. Either one of these games could be an Open Division championship or semifinal preview. The winners of these matchups will have a claim to being the top team in Arizona, at least until the fight for the actual crown in just four weeks.

The Liberty Lions could make a massive statement after coming up two wins short of their third straight Open Division Championship in 2025. Now with the No. 1 ranking in hand after blowing the doors off of Hamilton, 38-7, two weeks ago, another test of massive proportions will conclude the Lions’ regular season. Junior linebacker Brecken Garday has been one of the motors driving the Lions’ defense, tallying 2.5 sacks and a team-leading 74 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. Senior receiver Braxton Huynh has flourished again in 2026, averaging 99.2 yards per game while catching six touchdowns. Pair that with the electric running of senior Jayden Sanchez who has rallied for 686 rushing yards and ten touchdowns. This Liberty offense has been firing on all cylinders behind sophomore quarterback Jason Haines and will look to add another marquee win on Friday.

Since 2005, the Centennial Coyotes have played in 14 state championship games. After falling to Liberty in the 2023 Open Division Championship, CeHS has made the 6A Conference title game in each of the past two years, winning in 2024 and falling to Casteel in 2025. Now, they look to finally claim that elusive Open Division Championship. Senior defensive lineman Luke Franklin has been a menace with 14.5 sacks, the fourth most in Arizona. Not too far behind him is junior middle linebacker Aidan Torres, who has totaled 11 sacks. On offense, the Hills have been a star-studded duo. Junior quarterback Titus Hill has thrown for 1,456 yards and 15 touchdowns, while junior receiver Torrin Hill has reached 1,000 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches.

Liberty owns the all-time record at 9-7 and has won the last seven meetings, dating back to the 2020 Open Division Playoffs. And don’t be surprised if we see this duo battle again. Liberty and Centennial have squared off in both the regular season and postseason in the same year five times, including the 2014 and 2023 State Championship Games.

 

#21 Sierra Linda @ #12 Buckeye Union

Historic seasons come to a clash in the 4A Conference State Tournament as Sierra Linda and Buckeye have both set programs records in 2026. But now, only one of them can add a postseason victory to their list of accomplishments this season.

For the first time since 2023, the Buckeye Union Hawks are postseason-bound. They’ll also have the opportunity to tie the program record for most wins in a season, with nine (1937, 1956, 1986, 2000). BUHS ended the season with a six-game win streak to finish with an 8-2 record. The highlight of the season has been a stellar running game, with two players surpassing 1,000 rushing yards in the regular season. Senior running back Xylin Yancy racked up 1,204 yards at 13.5 yards per carry to earn 14 touchdowns. Meanwhile, junior quarterback Mekhi Sharper has been close behind, recording 1,189 rushing yards for 11 TDs alongside 1,681 passing yards. His 2,870 total yards rank third among all players in Arizona. Senior Caleb Swain has also been on the state leaderboard with his seven interceptions, placing him tenth in the state. A victory on Friday would mark their first state tournament win since 2012.

Last year marked Sierra Linda’s first postseason appearance since their inaugural season in 2010. In 2026, the Bulldogs broke last year’s record for wins in a season and will battle for the program’s first postseason victory. The lone blemish on their 9-1 season was a 14-7 loss to 14th-seeded Gila Ridge two weeks ago. Sierra Linda’s offense has spread the wealth with ten different players scoring multiple touchdowns this season. They are led by senior receiver Brandon Hadnot Jr.’s 12 receiving TDs. Hadnot Jr. has also burst into the AIA’s top-ten with seven interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

This will be the first meeting between these two teams since they played against each other for five consecutive years between 2011 and 2015. Buckeye Union won all five games. The winner will battle No. 5 seed Northwest Christian next Friday.

 

#18 Youngker @ #15 Thunderbird

Another 4A Conference bout will hit the gridiron in the 2026 state tournament. Youngker and Thunderbird will both vye for a postseason victory to capitalize on positive seasons.

The Thunderbird Titans return to the postseason after a brief hiatus in 2025, following the end of their streak of three straight state tournament appearances. A 6-4 season ended with losses against ALA – West Foothills and a three-point loss to Peoria. Now, the Titans will look to bounce back behind their junior offensive Swiss Army knife, Daryl Little. Tied for fifth in the state with 23 rushing touchdowns, Little has commanded the turf in 2026 with 2,531 total yards (1,111 passing, 1,343 rushing, 77 receiving). He ranks 11th in the state in total yards after being thrust into the quarterback position to start the year. A fellow member of the electric Little family, Trey Little has helped get the ball back into the hands of Daryl and the offense with five interceptions.

The Youngker Roughriders made program history in 2025 with their first state tournament appearance and now eye another milestone in search of their first postseason win. YHS finished the season at 6-3, including three shutouts, on the road to the postseason. Senior defensive back Gabriel Bouie has earned himself a spot on the national leaderboard with 10 interceptions in 2026, tied for the fourth-most in the nation. As a team, the Roughriders have had four different players swipe a pick-six in 2026. On offense, Larry Moore Jr. has tallied 1,007 receiving yards to place him seventh in the state, alongside his 18 total touchdowns.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2022. Thunderbird has won all five matchups since the teams first met in 2016. The winner faces the task of traveling to the back-to-back defending 4A Conference champion, Mica Mountain Thunderbolts, with a long trip to Tucson next Friday night.

 

Be sure to head out and support your local teams this Friday night. Keep an eye on Sports360AZ for all of our high school football content, including the Fiesta Bowl High School Showdown on CW 7, Bleacher Talk, Zone Read, Recruiting Roundup, and more.

Join the conversation on X using #FridayNight360AZ, and follow @Sports360AZ to keep up with the action from across the state on Friday nights!

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