You’re sitting in the bleachers on a Friday night in Phoenix. The air is finally starting to drop below 90 degrees. You look up at the scoreboard and honestly, you think there’s a glitch. It’s the third quarter and one team already has 60 points. Is this a football game or a high-scoring basketball scrimmage?
High school football in Arizona has changed. It’s fast. It’s loud. And the az high football scores we’re seeing lately are basically rewriting the history books every single season.
The Night Saguaro Put Up 96
If you want to talk about "video game numbers," you have to start with the 2011 Saguaro Sabercats. They didn’t just win; they dismantled Sunrise Mountain. The final score was 96-74. Read that again.
Imagine being a defensive coordinator in that game. You’d probably want to quit by halftime. D.J. Foster, who ended up playing for ASU and in the NFL, scored 10 touchdowns in that single game. He accounted for 60 points by himself. That is still the gold standard for individual scoring in a single Arizona AIA game.
Most people think these blowouts are just about one team being "mean." Kinda isn’t the case. Often, it’s just a collision of a high-octane spread offense and a defense that simply cannot find a way to get off the field.
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8-Man Football is Where the Real Chaos Lives
If you think 6A scores are high, you haven't seen the 1A division. This is 8-man football. There is so much more open grass. It’s basically a track meet with pads on.
Back in 2004, Seligman and Canyon State Academy decided defense was optional. The final was 116-108. Yes, both teams cleared a hundred. That’s a total of 224 points in 48 minutes of play. Basically, someone was scoring every two minutes.
The 1A state record for a single game score is actually held by Seligman from that same year. They are the kings of the "too many points to count" era.
Recent 2025-2026 Score Trends
The 2025 season just wrapped up, and the "Open Division" playoffs showed us that even the best defenses are struggling to keep up. Take the Brophy Prep vs. Casteel game in November 2025. Brophy walked away with a 51-42 victory.
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- Basha High School finished the 2025 season as the #1 ranked team.
- Hamilton High followed closely at #2.
- Liberty and Chandler stayed in the top 5 mix.
We're seeing a trend where the top-tier 6A and Open Division teams are averaging well over 40 points per game. For example, Basha’s dominance isn’t just about winning; it’s about their ability to put up 30 points before the popcorn in the stands even gets cold.
Why Are Scores Moving This Way?
It’s the coaching. Arizona has become a hotbed for offensive "gurus." You’ve got teams like Saguaro, Basha, and Chandler running schemes that look exactly like what you see on Saturdays in the Big 12.
- The Spread Revolution: More receivers, more empty backfields, and a lot more tempo.
- Year-Round Training: These kids aren't just playing in the fall. They're doing 7-on-7 tournaments all spring.
- Elite QB Play: Arizona is currently a quarterback factory. Look at guys like Dylan Raiola or further back to Brock Purdy. When the QB is that good, the scores are going to be high.
The Most Ridiculous Scoreboards in History
Let's look at some of the all-time team records according to AIA archives. These are the ones that make you do a double-take.
In the 5A conference, Westwood once beat Yuma Kofa 100-6 back in 1969. That record stood for decades as the pinnacle of "large school" blowouts. But then you look at the 2A records, and Scottsdale put up 113 points against Salt River Indian School way back in 1940.
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It’s not just a modern phenomenon, but it is becoming more frequent.
What to Watch For Next Season
If you’re tracking az high football scores for recruiting or just because you love the Friday night lights, keep an eye on the 4A and 5A divisions. Teams like Mica Mountain and ALA-Gilbert North have been showing incredible offensive efficiency. In the 2025 playoffs, ALA-Gilbert North shut out Mountain View 42-0, proving that sometimes a high score is also paired with a brick-wall defense.
Check the AIA365 leaderboards regularly. Guys like Tee Smith from Casteel (who put up 38 touchdowns in 2025) are the reason these scoreboards are constantly smoking.
Your Next Steps:
If you want to stay ahead of the curve for the 2026 season, you should start by downloading the AZPreps365 app. It’s the official source for real-time scores. Also, make it a point to catch an 8-man (1A) game at least once. It’ll change your perspective on what "high scoring" actually means. Finally, keep a close eye on the MaxPreps "Strength of Schedule" rankings—a 50-point game against a winless team is one thing, but doing it in the Open Division playoffs is where legends are actually made.