With three Chandler schools ranked among the top 25 nationally, Arizona high school football has never been in a bigger spotlight to start a season.
Basha (No. 8 nationally by USA Today), Hamilton (14)
and Chandler (22) lead the state in national recognition just a few weeks before the season for big-school conferences kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 27. That first week will feature five big 6A games, including a clash between Basha and Chandler on Saturday, Aug. 29, which will be televised by ESPN. 5A and 4A conferences also get underway, while the small-school conferences (3A, 2A, 1A) start a week earlier.
Chandler and Basha met in last year's Open Division championship game, which Basha won, 34-7.
The Bears are led by a Big 3 of running back Noah Roberts (Texas commit), offensive lineman Jake Hildebrand (Arizona State) and defensive tackle Anitoni Tahi (Kansas State) — seniors who all have started on varsity since their freshman years. Basha is the favorite to repeat as Open Division champion.
But how high in the national rankings can the Bears climb? How will that serve as motivation for Hamilton, Chandler and other teams that could stand in their way?
"I'm excited," said first-year Gilbert Perry coach Jeremy Hathcock, whose team is part of the Chandler Unified School District with Basha, Hamilton and Chandler. "I came into this region for a reason. I love seeing nationally ranked teams.
"Heck, at Mesa, we lost to Basha by a touchdown last year. We're a bunch of guys that nobody gave us credit,'' said Hathcock, whose team is in the same region as Basha. "I love the fact that we're competing. I think our (Perry) kids rise up to it. On Friday night, those kids are going to show up."
Arizona players draw national attention
The national spotlight on opening weekend will add to the luster that has helped Arizona high school football grow in the past decade.
For years, it's been a quarterback state, producing two current NFL starters — the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy (Perry) and the New Orleans Saints' Tyler Shough (Hamilton). Other positions also have stood out. Former Tucson Salpointe Catholic star Bijan Robinson recently signed a contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons, making him the highest-paid NFL running back at the time.
Current Arizona high school players, such as Chandler quarterback Will Mencl, Hamilton wide receiver Roye Oliver III and Basha offensive tackle Jake Hildebrand are in the national glow.
"New year, new players, another game plan," said Mencl, who will try to erase the memory of last December's loss to Basha in the state final.
Chandler coach Ty Wisdom welcomes the national attention on opening weekend.
"At the end of the day, high school sports is about memories," Wisdom said. "And that's a game they'll never forget. It is Game 1, but it's super cool for the kids to have an opportunity like that. (Basha coach) Chris (McDonald) and I aren't going to back down from the competition. We're excited to kick off the season."
At Hamilton, fireworks are likely again with the dynamic connection between quarterback Jax Sculley and Oliver, who reclassified from 2028 to 2027 and has committed to USC. The Republic ranks Oliveras the No 1 player to see in 2026, after he was named The Republic's Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 and took home the Ed Doherty Award for best high school football player in the state last season.
"I've played against both teams (Basha and Chandler) last year," Oliver said. "They're both great teams. We feel we can compete against anybody in the country."
On the national rankings, Oliver said, "It gets people's names out, and makes for better competition."
On his college future, Oliver said, "I'm not thinking about USC right now. I'm thinking about winning a championship with this team. I love my brothers. Head coach (Travis) Dixon, I love him so much. I want to win for him."
Hamilton bonded over camp. Oliver can break some state receiving records.
"But I'm worried about the one goal — winning a state championship," he said.
Dixon has seen the competition ramp up since he led Hamilton as a quarterback to back-to-back state titles in the early 2000s.
The Arizona Interscholastic Association started the Open Division playoff bracket in 2019. Chandler won Open state titles the first two years. Scottsdale Saguaro won it in 2021. Basha won it in 2022 and last year. And Peoria Liberty won back-to-back state crowns in 2023 and '24.
Hamilton has come close, but still is seeking its first Open title.
"Second to none is our motto here," Dixon said. "We know we're competing for Open titles year after year. Across the board in the district there are great players, great coaches. It makes for great competition on Friday nights.
"For anyone on a Friday night, it's great to have."
Basha senior linebacker Marc Duerson III is among 14 players in Basha's 2027 class who have committed to Division I college football. He'll be playing at Northern Arizona. He'd like to someday reach the NFL, like his cousin, Dave Duerson, who was an All-Pro safety with the Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears in 1985.
"I didn't see that coming, but that's a lot of D-I commits on one team," Duerson said about Basha's loaded senior class.
Leading that class is the state's No. 1 overall recruit Hildebrand, who has had more than 30 major colleges offering him. Hildebrand embraces the national recognition given to Basha.
"There's definitely pressure, but, for us, it's a chance to show Arizona has really good football," said Hildebrand, an Arizona State commit.
Hamilton linebacker Dylan Linder says he's happy to see the national light shining on Arizona.
"But I feel that is the standard, especially in this district, because we go out and compete and have hard-fought battles every time we play," Linder said.
Perry star wide receiver Amos Augustine is playing with added motivation, knowing there are three teams nationally ranked in the same district.
"I think we can be in their shoes and be a ranked national team and make it to the state championship," Augustine said.
Basha coach Chris McDonald is excited not just for his team but for Arizona and how it's grown into a football state.
"When you got multiple (Arizona teams nationally ranked), there's more of a microscope on it that, 'Maybe we need to look at who's really good over there,' '' McDonald said. "That's why you've got that."
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: 3 teams fueling Arizona high school football's stature in 2026
