Southern Arizona State Football Championships

The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) began conducting “official” state football championships in 1959. Still, Tucson High’s championship record prior to that has been well-established.

It all began in the 1900′s (Interscholastic Athletic Association) with teams from Phoenix Union, Phoenix Indian, Williams, Prescott, Tempe Normal, the University of Arizona and Tucson High. The Badgers won Arizona’s first mythical football championship in 1912.

INTERESTING NOTES

Rollin T. Gridley has coached the most championships from Southern Arizona (5).

Flowing Wells has played in eight championship games and won one (1975).

Southern Arizona has been shut out of 3A championships since 1981 (San Manuel) due to enrollment figures that benefit the rest of the state for that division. For example, only Safford, Santa Cruz and Empire were able to fit that division’s parameters over the last few years.

Santa Cruz won three state championships from 1978-80. Three different coaches won the championships with a combined record of 37-2. Jay Denton went the longest between championships: 1978 and 1990.

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS

Tucson High (13)
1912: (James Fred “Pop” McKale)
1929: (Charles McFarland)
1937: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1942: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1943: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1944: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1945: (Rollin T. Gridley)
1951: (Jason Greer)
1952: (Jason Greer)
1965: 5A (John Mallamo)
1966: 5A (John Mallamo)
1970: 5A (Ollie Mayfield)
1971: 5A (Ollie Mayfield)

St. David (8)
1960: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1972: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1977: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1979: 1A (Jim Crawford)
1997: 1A (John Bryant)
1998: 1A (John Bryant)
2000: 1A (John Bryant)
2001: 1A (John Bryant)

Santa Cruz (7)
1965: 3A (Lonnie Foster)
1966: 3A (Lonnie Foster)
1969: 3A (Lonnie Foster)
1978: 3A (Jay Denton)
1979: 3A (Eddie Jones)
1980: 3A (Jim Ewan)
1990: 2A (Jay Denton)

Thatcher (6)
1986 : 2A (Ed Hughes)
1988: 2A (Ed Shamey)
1998: 2A (Jim Hughes)
2000: 2A (Don Conrad)
2001: 2A (Don Conrad)
2006: 2A (Don Conrad)

Canyon del Oro (3)
1976: 4A (Bob Smith)
1977: 4A (Bob Smith)
2009: 4A-I (Dusty Peace)

Marana (3)
1964: 2A (Duane Morrison)
1967: 2A (Don Hawkins)
1968: 2A (Don Hawkins)

Patagonia (3)
1987: 1A (Bill House)
1988: 1A (Bill House)
1991: 1A (Bill House)

Sabino (3)
1990: 4A (Jeff Scurran)
1992: 4A (Jeff Scurran)
1998: 4A (Jeff Scurran)

Valley Union (3)
1985: 1A (Gary Mauldin)
1986: 1A (Gary Mauldin)
2007: 1A (Tony Luzania)

Amphitheater (2)
1975: 5A (Jerry Loper)
1979: 5A (Vern Friedli)

Palo Verde (2)
1973: 5A (Van Howe)
2005: 4A-II (Todd Mayfield)

Safford (2)
1969: 4A (Dick Pottle)
1971: 4A (Dick Pottle)

Sunnyside (2)
2001: 4A (Richard Sanchez)
2003: 4A (Richard Sanchez)

ASDB (Tucson Deaf and Blind) (1)
1976: 1A (John Milford)

Flowing Wells (1)
1975: 4A (Larry Hart)

Mountain View (1)
1993: 4A (Wayne Jones)

Pueblo (1)
1961: 5A (Lou Farber)

Sahuaro (1)

1994: 4A (Howard Breinig)

San Manuel (1)
1981: 3A (Damon Becker)

Suffolk Hills (Immaculate Heart) (1)
1982: 1A (Steve Sorce)

Willcox (1)
1982: 2A (Paul Hanley)

*Please fill in any mistakes.

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