Arizona high school football is back and so is Best in the West! In this 2025 season-opening edition of Best in the West, Cactus looks to build off of a state runner-up performance in 2024, Mountain Ridge looks to return to the postseason, while Valley Vista and Sandra Day O’Connor welcome new faces to coach the programs.
A Glendale Cross-Conference Showdown
The smallest public school in the 5A conference came off its tenth state championship appearance last year, but fell short against Desert Edge. The Cactus Cobras are reloading heading into 2025 with a chip on their shoulder. Their last state title came in 2009, and CHS is 0–4 in state title appearances since then.
“I don’t know what you learn from losing a state championship other than it hurts really bad,” said head coach Brian Belles. “What it has done is obviously motivate the players who are returning to try and get back to that game and finish it this time. I think at Cactus, for the young guys and the new guys, is meeting the standard that has been set. That always takes some time, but we are all figuring it out together.”
Some photos with the 2025 @CHSCobraFB team@RsmithYWV @azc_obert @KevinMcCabe987 @JUSTCHILLY pic.twitter.com/tSKoB9x6Hi
— Ed Russell Photog (@edrussellphotog) July 27, 2025
Leading the way at quarterback will be Blue Ridge transfer Luke Berlin, who racked up 1,558 passing yards for 15 touchdowns in 2024. The three-year varsity starter arrived for his senior year in June and was voted as a team captain by his peers. Four-year varsity starter Adrian Suarez will help protect him as the anchor of a young offensive line.
The defense will be led by fellow senior captain and middle linebacker Jayson Burkhard. The 2024 first-team All-Region player is a three-year starter who tallied 102 total tackles and three interceptions last year. Sophomore Daylen Moore and junior Donta Sutton will also help lead the secondary.
Frames from spring ball stop #6 at Cactus. Some of the key returners for the Cobras include:
– ‘26 LB Jayson Burkhard
– ‘26 WR Juju Moncivaiz
– ‘26 WR Robert Bell Jr
– ‘26 RB Tevin Marrufo
– ‘27 WR Donta Sutton
– ‘28 QB Myron Lee pic.twitter.com/A6l4KQCTEh— BJ Media (@BJMedia1) May 5, 2025
The Cobras kick off their season on the road against fellow Glendale school, Mountain Ridge, a 6A Conference school. The Mountain Lions enter their second season under head coach Andrew Johnson, after a 4-6 season that had them ranked 20th in 6A in 2024.
“Our team really learned that they are a team that is really in the mix to play with anyone in the state,” said Coach Johnson. “We started seeing this last in the season with our strong finish. They will start to understand the resilience needed in these big games and that they can battle back in games. They are also building that trust in our experienced coaching staff and believe in the direction.”
Summer route combinations. 20 pounds heavier than last season. Better footwork and arm strength as well. Going into my senior year. Currently 6’5 195 lbs. @CoachA_Johnson @MauriLeBlanc @Dylan_Friedl13 @steve72706822 @Tolly761 @gridironarizona @BJMedia1 @RsmithYWV @azc_obert pic.twitter.com/VnuVPQY82X
— Lukas Baughman (@LukasBaugh5) June 18, 2025
Two-sport star Lukas Baughman returns for his senior season as quarterback after throwing for 1,151 yards and 10 TDs last year. “He is really looked up to as a leader and really works hard to run our offense. At times, he even knows the offense better than I do and it’s great to see him help his teams be successful in our offense.” Baughman will play behind an offensive line that Coach Johnson has described as “the heart and soul of our team!”
Senior receiver Senel Eminovic will play a large role in the Mountain Lions’ offense this year and is deemed “one of the top hurdlers in the nation.” Alongside him in the receiver room will be senior Ethan Fernandez, who will play both in the backfield and in the slot. Meanwhile, JT Shaffer returns for his senior season after leading the team with 62 total tackles last year, while senior safety Brayden Fife will be tasked with leading the secondary.
First day of Summer field work #rollridge #earnit pic.twitter.com/Z0zRceu92z
— Mauri LeBlanc (@MauriLeBlanc) June 2, 2025
Coach Johnson has been extremely impressed with the number of leaders who have volunteered to play both ways for MRHS this season. Senior Landon Williams will be one of those two-way players on both the offensive and defensive lines. Junior Lukas Hindle will play both corner and receiver. Senior Ethan Holley led the team in receiving last year but will also play a major role in the secondary. Meanwhile, junior Easton McClanahan will handle duties as an RB/DB hybrid.
New Faces Faceoff
In Surprise, a new face is at the helm of the Valley Vista Monsoon. After serving as an assistant at Liberty and Chandler, Ryan Desrochers looks to bring a winning culture to a program that has seen three different head coaches in the past three seasons.
“The transition has been great so far,” said Coach Desrochers. “Working for great coaches who have allowed me to grow and challenged me when I worked for them has definitely prepared me for this role. Coaches such as Colin Thomas, Mark Smith, Rick Garreton, and James Carter have definitely been a great help.”
Coach Desrochers highlighted sophomore offensive lineman Rocco Champey as someone he’s excited to watch as “a workhorse for years to come.” Meanwhile, junior defensive end Zade Brown has made an impact this summer and carries a GPA over 3.5.
Thank you to former Arizona Cardinal and Dallas Cowboy Leonard Davis for stopping by and speaking with the team while we work at camp! pic.twitter.com/RUNpKWr9AS
— Valley Vista Football (@vvhsfbbooster) July 19, 2025
“Immediate goal is to be a top-20 team in 6A and make the playoffs where anything can happen,” said Coach Desrochers. “Success will help grow the program, as we have already had 3 members of our basketball team come play due to word of mouth by our current players. In the offseason, the plan is to get out in the community and the feeder schools and show what Valley has to offer and give those athletes a viable school to play for that is closer to them than some of the west side powers that they may want to play for.”
Mountain Ridge travels to Phoenix week one to battle Sandra Day O’Connor. With hopes of returning to Open Division contention, SDO welcomes Ben Kullos as the new head coach of the Eagles. Since their Open Division appearance in 2022, SDOHS has gone 9–12 over the past two seasons and made a 6A postseason appearance in 2024.
O’Connor currently has five athletes with Division I offers, including their stout offensive linemen Tucker Smith, Colton Dermer, and Jaden Maxey, alongside safety Colton Lauffer and linebacker Owen Williams. Their schedule this year features six opponents MaxPreps lists among the top 15 teams in Arizona: Hamilton, Red Mountain, Chandler, Centennial, Saguaro, and Liberty.
Great day of team building and service!!@fmsc_org
@SDOathletics #ocfootball #Feedmystarvingchildren @bkullos pic.twitter.com/44e6r2cjwF
— O’Connor Football (@oc_football) July 19, 2025
“I’m most excited to see our athletes rise to the occasion versus some of the best in the state,” said head coach Ben Kullos. “Since arriving here at SDOHS I’ve tried to rally this group around the idea of being process-driven, rather than outcome-driven. Having the chance to be here in January has made this transition as smooth as possible. There is an amazing administration in place here at OC with a collection of coaches in the athletic department that do things the right way. And at an extremely high level as well!”
“Jeremy Adeyanju, is going to be a breakout player this year,” said Coach Kullos. “I try not to put too much pressure on kids. He is going to be special. Didn’t get a ton of carries last year behind an extremely talented senior RB. He is primed and ready to burst into the spotlight.”
You can watch the Sandra Day O’Connor Eagles battle Red Mountain on Sept. 11 on CW 7 Arizona as part of the Fiesta Bowl High School Showdown, featuring talent from Sports360AZ.
Games of Note:
The back-to-back defending Open Division champions face an early test at home against Mountain View, Mesa. The Liberty Lions open the season ranked as the No. 1 school in Arizona by MaxPreps, with Mountain View ranked No. 3. With a lot of returners on a tenacious defense, all eyes will be on the new-look offensive line and fresh faces at quarterback. This game will be available to watch live on Sports360AZ courtesy of Liberty PSBN.
The defending 6A champion Centennial Coyotes kick off the season at home against Chandler. The Coyotes face a major test with head coach Andrew Taylor at the helm of the program.
It’s an early Glendale Union District battle between Thunderbird and Moon Valley. This will be the 33rd meeting between the sister schools. Thunderbird shut out Moon Valley 34–0 in each of the past two seasons.
Bring it on! Next Thursday night @bashafootball @FootballBrophy More than just the game on @CW7Arizona pic.twitter.com/LUKr8E5RaC
— Brad Cesmat (@bradcesmat) August 23, 2025
Be sure to head out and support your local teams this Friday night. Also, 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!
The post Best in the West 2025: Aug. 29 Spotlight first appeared on Sports360AZ.
