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The Fantastic 4: Highlighting the Star Playmakers of Arizona’s Most Dominant Teams

Updated: Dec 12, 2025

Arizona has been a state of 4, a fantastic 4 you could say for high school football this season. Whether you are talking about the Hamilton Huskies, the Basha Bears, the Liberty Lions, or the Chandler Wolves this season, excellence is the standard. Arizona has 4 legitimate top 50 teams in the nation this season, and they all have a chance to hoist the open division trophy this season. These teams have some of the deepest rosters we have ever seen in Arizona, with double digit numbers of division 1 recruits on all of these teams. Let’s preview these teams ahead of the open state playoffs.


1 Hamilton

Hamilton has had a year nothing short of phenomenal. The Huskies are ranked #19 in the nation going into the playoffs with many marquee wins against other open teams: 63-20 over ALA QC, 54-14 over Casteel, 70-33 over Centennial, 50-10 over Centennial, 49-13 over Pinnacle, 28-12 over Basha in the national game of the week, and a key 55-41 win over their archrivals, the Chandler Wolves. As you can see, the Hamilton offense has been nothing short of lethal, averaging a whopping 54.8 points per game. This has been largely due to one of the best seasons ever by an Arizona receiver with Roye Oliver III exploding onto the scene. The sophomore standout had 27 touchdowns on the year, a 6A record, and only 2 shy of the all time state record regardless of division. In addition to those touchdowns, he racked up 1,598 total yards on 74 receptions, an average of 21.6 yards per catch. The Huskies offense will face a major challenge however, as sophomore QB Jax Sculley went down with a season ending injury against Chandler in the second quarter. Senior gunslinger Daniel Vaita will have to step up if the Huskies want to win the state title. Other standout targets in the Huskies offense include Roman Oliver, the younger brother of Roye, Montana Duncan, and Christian Riley, all of whom have put up more than 200 yards receiving this year. Hamilton also possesses a lethal, bruising ground game fueled by one of the most dominant offensive lines in the state. Big names on the Husky line include Nebraska commit Rex Waterman, Logan Ray, and Richie Dexter. On defense, the Huskies will be getting a huge boost with the return of stud linebacker Beau Jandreau, a hard hitting, bruising linebacker who plays excellent coverage and hits like a freight train. Other key defenders for the Huskies include Mitchell Raner, Derrick Leblanc Jr, Kacey Allen, Niko Jandreau, Connor Strand, Kingston Spivey, and Marquis Richardson. This is a star studded defensive unit that has suffocated teams at times. Hamilton is one of the best teams the state has seen in the past decade, and there is no doubt in my mind they can take the trophy home despite the loss of Jax Sculley.


2 Basha

Basha had yet another phenomenal season under head coach Chris McDonald, going 9-1 with the lone loss being to top seeded Hamilton. Basha came into the season loaded with stars, by far the team in Arizona with the most division 1 talent. Many expected the Bears to take home the trophy, and they still have very good potential to do so. Basha had their star quarterback Brodie Vehrs go down with injury in the Hamilton game, but there is general hope around the locker room that he could return early in the playoff run. Vehrs passed for 1,497 yards with 18 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions. Basha had 3 players with over 500 receiving yards: Kash Brock, Jaden Baldwin, and star tailback Noah Roberts. The Bears have a very balanced offensive attack with many weapons, including Roberts and Joshua Gaines out of the backfield. Basha has a monstrous offensive line that has been paving the way for 1,751 yards on the ground. The group is headlined by Jake Hildebrand and Dajohn Yarborough, but Yarborough suffered what is likely a season ending ankle injury. Other key pieces on the Bears offense include Barry Adams, Tevita Kale, Christian Diaz, and Jaden Burrell. The Bears have a loaded defense filled with division 1 talent. The group has been headlined by Wyoming commit Dante Bruley, a feared edge rusher and the state’s sack leader. Bruley has 13 sacks to go along with 77 tackles on the year. He has been terrorizing backfields all season, harassing quarterbacks at will with his elite speed and power off the edge. Other key pieces for the Bears defense include Marc Duerson, Eli Cramer-Cronin, Kyser Wilson, Kaden Williams, EJ Washington, Caleb Jordan, Anitoni Tahi, Mason Lewis, Xavier Rivera-Rogers, Kaedyn Smith, and Kaleb Garcia. Basha has recently brought themselves to the table of Arizona powerhouses in football, and adding another state championship would cement their spot at the table for at least a decade. It is imperative that the Bears lean on their ground game during the playoffs, as the combination of those two running backs with their monstrous offensive line is too much for most teams to handle.


3 Liberty

Liberty has the chance to cement themselves as one of the great Arizona dynasties in recent memory. They look to complete the elusive three-peat, a task that few have accomplished in Arizona high school football. Liberty has been fueled by a dominant defense that has held opponents to just 11 points per game, while the Lion offense has scored 42.4 points a game. Liberty have people doubting them this year, and head coach Colin Thomas will have a chip on his shoulder going into these playoffs. The Lions feel like they have something to prove to the state of Arizona, and that is a dangerous thing for the rest of the state. Liberty has still not lost to an in-state opponent in nearly 3 years, with both of their losses from the previous two years coming to nationally ranked teams Corona Centennial and Corner Canyon. The Lions have two talented gunslingers to rely on with quarterbacks Brayden Stevens and Jayden Pico leading the Lions offense. These two combined for 2,045 yards and 26 touchdowns, with just 5 interceptions. The Lions possess a 4 headed monster in the ground game with Jayden Sanchez, TJ Foilefutu, Esteban Demby-Lamas, and Nick Sorce. These 4 have combined for 23 rushing scores on the season. The Lions also have a very talented receiving core headlined by Kam Segall, Braxton Huynh, and Marley Chancey. The Lions strength is the defense, however, as they have one of the most balanced and feared groups in the state. The highlight of the defense is the feared defensive line that has many talented pass rushers. Hudson Dunn has 8 sacks on the season, Tyler Burnstein has 7, TJ Foilefutu has 4 and so does interior rusher Paz St. John. Zeth Thues has proved to be a feared ballhawk in the secondary with his 4 interceptions and 40 tackles. Brecken Garday, Tyvel Calloway, Cannon Collins, and Eli Ruterman are other key pieces on Liberty’s defense that have potential to make significant impacts on that side of the ball. Liberty has not gone anywhere, and they are looking to leave no doubt this season.


4 Chandler

The Chandler Wolves are back to their historic form under first year head coach Ty Wisdom. Chandler went 8-2 with losses to top seed Hamilton and San Diego powerhouse Cathedral Catholic. The Wolves have relied on the state’s leading passer, Will Mencl, to dominate and take over games this year. The junior flamethrower has passed for 3,209 yards and 31 scores to just 4 interceptions this year, a true player of the year candidate. He has propelled Chandler’s offense over the top this season, dominating opposing secondaries. The Wolves have a multitude of weapons to utilize, with sophomore Chase Ochoa leading the way on the ground. Through the air, the Wolves have used two-way star Jai Jones, Skyler Ormita, Maxwell Sprott, Kaydon Gray, Jayden Spann, and Davian Laudermilk to slice and dice opponents. The Chandler offensive line has paved gaping holes and given Mencl time in the pocket. The line is headlined by Noah Swope, Blake Speer, and Sire Stewart. These three are highly touted prospects in the recruiting landscape, and for a reason. On the defensive side of things, Austin Reece has led the way with 64 tackles. Jayden Arnold, Iona Kupu, Jacob Najor, Jaime Quihuis, Cau’re Smith, Kamari Crawford, Damir Reagan, Jude Jones, Kade Franko, and Hamisi Juma have all played significant roles as well. This defense is deep, and Wisdom utilizes a lot of his guys to get stops on defense. Chandler is back in the thick of competing for the open state title, and they have a significant chance in doing so this year.


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