In one of the biggest games of the 2026 Arizona high school football season, Chandler Basha (1-2) plays host to Peoria Liberty (3-0) on Friday, Sept. 18 with major power points involved.
Basha and Liberty have combined to win four of the past five Open Division state championships with Basha winning it last year and in ’22, and Liberty going back-to-back in 2023 and ’24.
No. 6 Basha (Arizona Republic’s rankings, Liberty is No. 2) was without eight starters in last week’s 40-7 loss at Phoenix Pinnacle. How many will be back this week? That could be a factor in picking the winner.
Here is this week’s Arizona high school football schedule (Sept. 17-19). The Republic’s picks to win are in capital letters. All games are 7 p.m., unless noted.
6A Conference
Friday, Sept. 18
LIBERTY at Basha
CORONA DEL SOL at Cactus Canyon
Mesa at CENTENNIAL
ALA Queen Creek at CHANDLER
SHADOW RIDGE at Desert Ridge
Casteel at HAMILTON
HIGLEY at Highland
Westwood at MCCLINTOCK
BROPHY PREP at Mesa Mountain View
Boulder Creek at PERRY
PINNACLE at Queen Creek
WILLIAMS FIELD at Red Mountain
MOUNTAIN RIDGE at Saguaro
SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR at Salpointe Catholic
DESERT VISTA at Valley Vista
5A Conference
Thursday, Sept. 17
Chaparral at CANYON VIEW
IRONWOOD at Raymond S Kellis
South Mountain at SKYLINE
ARIZONA COLLEGE PREP at Sunrise Mountain
Betty H Fairfax at TOLLESON
Friday, Sept. 18
MILLENNIUM at Apollo
PEORIA at Cactus
Camelback at CACTUS SHADOWS
Barry Goldwater at CAMPO VERDE
MARANA at Canyon del Oro
DOBSON at Central
ALA Gilbert North at DESERT EDGE
Mountain Pointe at DESERT MOUNTAIN
Marana Mountain View at DESERT VIEW
PARADISE VALLEY at Flgstaff, at NAU dome
NOTRE DAME PREP at Gilbert
Casa Grande at IRONWOOD RIDGE
Flowing Wells at MARICOPA
Sunnyside at MICA MOUNTAIN
CIENEGA at Nogales
HORIZON at Sunnyslope
WILLOW CANYON at Trevor Browne
Buena at TUCSON
Vista Grande at WALDEN GROVE
NORTH at West Point
VERRADO at Yuma Catholic
4A Conference
Thursday, Sept. 17
Holtville (California) at CIBOLA
ARCADIA at Deer Valley
ST. MARY’S at Mesquite
Washington at SIERRA LINDA
Greenway at THUNDERBIRD
Friday, Sept. 18
AGUA FRIA at Carl Hayden
SNOWFLAKE at Catalina Foothills
PUEBLO at Copper Canyon
EMPIRE at Douglas
Maryvale at EASTMARK
North Canyon at ESTRELLA FOOTHILLS
DESERT SUNRISE at Glendale
ALA WEST FOOTHILLS at Independence
CHOLLA at Kofa
TEMPE at La Joya Community
Alhambra at LAKE HAVASU
Poston Butte at MARCOS DE NIZA
BRADSHAW MOUNTAIN at Mingus
COCONINO at Mohave
GILA RIDGE at Northwest Christian
COMBS at Paradise Honors
Lee Williams at PRESCOTT
SOMERTON at Rincon University
AMPHITHEATER at Rio Rico
Sahuarita at SAHUARO
BUCKEYE at Westview
Moon Valley at YOUNGKER
CALIPATRIA (CALIFORNIA) at Yuma
3A Conference
Thursday, Sept. 17
Page at GANADO
Heritage Academy Maricopa at MIAMI
Blue Ridge at ROUND VALLEY
COOLIDGE at Safford
Friday, Sept. 18
Apache Junction at ALA IRONWOOD
PAYSON at ALA Mesa North
Seton Catholic at BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
PINON at Chinle
Valley Christian at CRISMON
ALA Vistancia at DYSART
PUSCH RIDGE at Florence
Wickenburg at HOLBROOK
SHADOW MOUNTAIN at Kingman
RIVER VALLEY at Odyssey Institute
San Tan Foothills at SABINO
Monument Valley at SHOW LOW
WINDOW ROCK at Tuba City
GILBERT CHRISTIAN at Winslow
2A Conference
Thursday, Sept. 17
Madison Highland at PARKER
GREYHILLS ACADEMY at Valley
Friday, Sept. 18
ARETE PREP at ALA Anthem South
Scottsdale Prep at ALA SIERRA VISTA
Heritage Mesa at ARIZONA LUTHERAN
CAMP VERDE at Bourgade Catholic
SAN TAN CHARTER at Chandler Prep
Red Mesa at CHINO VALLEY
PALO VERDE at Coronado
Antelope at CORTEZ
SCOTTSDALE CHRISTIAN at Fountain Hills
HIGHLAND PREP at Highland Prep West
ALCHESAY at Hopi
Catalina at LINCOLN PREP
Globe at MORENCI
DESERT STAR at Mountainside
Santa Cruz at PHOENIX CHRISTIAN
DESERT CHRISTIAN at San Carlos
BISBEE at Santa Rita
HERITAGE LAVEEN vs. St. John Paul II, at Trivium Prep
Trivium Prep at TANQUE VERDE
WILLCOX at Tombstone
BENSON at Veritas Prep
Saturday, Sept. 19
Pima at ST. JOHNS
1A Conference
Friday, Sept. 18
JOSEPH CITY at Baboquivari
Ray at CICERO PREP/NORTH PHOENIX PREP
BAGDAD at Desert Heights Prep
Maryvale Prep at DUNCAN
SUPERIOR at Fort Thomas
San Manuel at HAYDEN
Mayer at MOGOLLON
Salme at ST. DAVID
Sedona Red Rock at WILLIAMS
Last week: 96-11
Overall: 281-65
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
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Basha-Liberty tops Arizona HS football slate. Republic picks winners