Championship Rematch, Out-of-State Battles Headline Weeks 1 & 2 of 2026 Arizona 6A Football Schedule

It’s that time of year again.

The scheduling committee, particularly for Arizona's largest football conference, 6A, has deliberated and finalized the initial 2026 schedule. Some games remain subject to change, as a number of circumstances can force rescheduling, cancellations and everything in between.

The first two weeks of the season allow for marquee matchups and battles across state lines, something Arizona teams have taken advantage of in past years. Often, those games further put Arizona on the map for high school football. And 2026 will be no different.

Here’s a look at some of the top matchups of the first two weeks of the 2026 season for 6A teams in Arizona, according to the master schedule obtained Monday night.

Stay tuned for the full schedule release from schools in the coming days.

Basha And Chandler Set for Open Division Championship Rematch to Open the Season

First announced by Sports360AZ’s Brad Cesmat, the reigning Open Division state champion Basha Bears will host Chandler in a rematch of last December’s title game to open the season Aug. 28.

The matchup is sure to draw national attention. Basha returns offensive tackle Jake Hildebrand, running back Noah Roberts and offensive guard DaJohn Yarborough, among many other top recruits in the latest Rivals300 player rankings for 2027.

Chandler boasts plenty of talent, too. Will Mencl was recently named the No. 4 player in the Rivals300 with a five-star rating. Chandler athlete Jai Jones is a four-star playmaker, while edge rusher Jaxon Zembrycki has begun to open eyes as a three-star for the Wolves.

Under first-year coach Ty Wisdom, Chandler returned to prominence in Arizona by knocking off rival Hamilton in the semifinals before ultimately falling to Basha. The Bears, under Chris McDonald, have reestablished themselves as the face of Arizona high school football. They finished No. 24 in the nation last year.

Week 1 will also deliver other marquee matchups. Centennial will travel to face ALA Queen Creek, a team that began playing its best football in the back-half of the season last year.

Casteel, the defending 6A champion, will open against an always scrappy Red Mountain team, while Brophy will host Hamilton in a battle of heavyweights. Williams Field and Campo Verde (5A) will renew its rivalry to kick off the first week, while Saguaro and Desert Mountain (5A) will do the same. Pinnacle (at Edison, Calif.), Mountain View (home vs Las Vegas), Shadow Ridge (home vs Civica, Nev.) and Westwood (home vs Bishop Mora-Salesian, Calif.) kick off the out-of-state games.

National Matchups, Travel Games Headline Week 2

Sept. 4 – Labor Day Weekend – is a popular weekend for Arizona high school football teams to face out-of-state teams, many of which travel outside state lines.

That remains true for 2026.

Hamilton, which will return quarterback Jax Sculley and standout receiver Roy Oliver III, will host Arbor View (Nev.), while rival Chandler hosts Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) in a rematch from last year’s contest that resulted in a one-point loss for the Wolves.

Highland will host Englewood (Calif.), while Higley will head to Colorado to face Dakota Ridge. ALA Queen Creek will also head north to Utah to face off against Lehi, while Corona del Sol travels to Mohave (Nev.) and Perry, under new head coach Jeremy Hathcock, to Centennial (Nev.).

Casteel, the defending 6A champion, will head to the Pacific Northwest in Week 2 to face Lake Oswego in Oregon.

Then there’s Liberty, Centennial and Basha. Three powerhouse programs that have represented Arizona on the national stage against some of the top football programs in the country in recent years.

They will do the same again in 2026. Liberty will host Utah and national power Corner Canyon in Peoria. Centennial, which has played in the last two 6A Conference championship games, will travel to Orange County, Calif., to face off against former Chandler coach Rick Garretson and Servite.

A short distance from the Servite campus in Anaheim, Basha will face off against Orange Lutheran, another Trinity League program that stunned St. John Bosco last year in the playoffs.

Full Schedules to be Released Soon

With the 6A master schedule complete, schools are beginning to roll out full schedule announcements on social media.

Other conference schedules are expected to be completed and released soon.