The Maricopa High School Rams football team (6-4) opens the Arizona Interscholastic Association 5A State Championships tonight with a first-round matchup at Notre Dame Prep, kicking off at 7 p.m. in Scottsdale.

The winner will play No. 5 seed Horizon (8-2, Paradise Valley) at 7 p.m. Nov. 14.

Head coach Tevin Rutherford said his players have built momentum heading into the postseason after surviving a tough competitive region that includes Buena (7-3, Sierra Vista) and Mountain View (6-4, Mesa).

“They can go as far as they want to go. That has been the message,” Rutherford told InMaricopa earlier this season. “I continue to tell our guys they can line up against anyone in the state. You’re going to face adversity in any football game but … I think we have the personnel and the players to be a truly great team.”

Meanwhile, the Desert Sunrise High School Golden Hawks (8-2) open the AIA 4A State Championships at 7 p.m. tonight on the road at Eastmark (5-5, Mesa). The winner plays two-seeded Snowflake High School.

The 4-year-old East Maricopa high school, after punting on its playoff hopes last year, closed its regular season with back-to-back wins: first a 49-18 victory over Westview (Avondale) and then a 42-15 rout of Agua Fria (Avondale). Ky’Jaun McCutcheon added 95 receiving yards and three scores as the Golden Hawks jumped out to a 35-12 lead by the end of the third quarter in that game.

Rams swimming makes waves at state

While the football team battles under Friday night lights, another Maricopa squad is chasing glory in the pool. The AIA Division II Swimming & Diving State Championships begin today at Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa, with Maricopa sending one of its largest groups in years.

For head coach Meg O’Brien, the weekend represents a payoff for months of quiet work.

“This is the first time since 2022 that I’ve taken a girls team to state,” O’Brien told InMaricopa, noting freshman and exchange-student contributors and a boys lineup stacked across relays and individual events.

She said they’ve modified their practice for weeks in preparation for the two-day event, adding that the staff handed out state-team hydrofoil caps and sweatshirts to mark the moment.

“I think everybody’s just excited,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien credited Copper Sky’s youth swim programs and the city’s investment in the facility for helping develop local talent.

“We practice exclusively at Copper Sky,” she said. “We have a competitive swim program in Maricopa.”

Golden Hawks double their state presence

The aquatic Rams share that pool and competitive program with DSHS, which is bringing its largest contingent yet to the state competition, doubling roster size and sending eight athletes, with every boy in at least one individual event.

Head coach Kate Dove, in her second season after moving from Pennsylvania, said the program set clear goals last spring.

“It’s a pretty cool feeling. It’s an honor,” Dove said. “We have 12 kids on the team. We are small but mighty. We have eight kids go[ing] to state. Every boy made state.”

Dove said the recipe has been simple and steady.

“It’s consistency,” she said. “They wrote down their goals. I’m showing them as a coach that I’m showing up every day. What did we do at the last meet? What can we do to fix that? They hold each other accountable.”

The Golden Hawks will lean on a pair of siblings to chase program-first hardware.

“I’m looking for Chloe Armstrong on the podium,” Dove said. “Her brother Ethan Armstrong is the fifth in the 200 individual medley. He wants to medal this year. That would be so cool.”

She added that the team’s mix of veterans and newcomers gives Desert Sunrise balance.

“We have a freshman who qualified,” said Dove. It’s her job to prepare these young student-athletes for the largest stage yet.

“I remind [them] that they’ve trained for this; have confidence,” Dove said. “They’re a close team and support each other.”

Community support surging

Beyond the pools and fields, the weekend also belongs to the arts. Tomorrow, the Desert Sunrise Marching Band performs at the AZMBA State Competition at Campo Verde High School. Later this month, Desert Sunrise Cheer/Spiritline competes at AIA Game Day/Stunt State, starting Nov. 21.

Both swim programs emphasized community support.

“It’s important to realize that we have kids competing on the state stage. Show up,” Dove said, pointing to a recent home invitational and local organizers who helped the sport gain visibility. O’Brien echoed the message and the mission.

“Swimming is a great lifetime sport… it’s also a survival skill,” she said. “We’ve got a great facility to do it in.”

What to know

Tonight:

• Football:

  • Maricopa at Notre Dame Prep, Scottsdale – 7 p.m. kickoff

  • Desert Sunrise at Eastmark, Mesa – 7 p.m. kickoff

• Swimming & Diving: AIA Division II State Championships, Day 1, Skyline Aquatic Center, Mesa

Tomorrow:

• Swimming & Diving: State Championships, Day 2

• Marching Band: Desert Sunrise performs at AZMBA State at Campo Verde High, Gilbert

Friday, Nov. 21 – Saturday, Nov, 22:

• Cheer/Spiritline: Desert Sunrise competes at AIA Game Day/Stunt State at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix

David Iversen contributed reporting.