MHS hosting 8-Man Football State Championship

Maricopa High School will host the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division VI 8-Man Football State Championship Saturday at 6 p.m.

The game will feature No. 1 Pima High School and No. 2 Valley Union High School in a clash of perennial 8-man football powerhouses. The teams have combined for 11 state championships and 14 runner-ups since 1965.

Maricopa was selected as the site for the championship game by the AIA. The organization approached Maricopa Unified School District Athletic Director Mark Cisterna about using the field, and he was excited about the opportunity.

“We are happy to host the game,” Cisterna said. “It promotes our school and community as well as benefiting our booster club.” The booster club will sell concessions during the game.

“This is a good thing for Maricopa all around,” Cisterna said. “We make money for the school, and the city likely also makes money since the fans who don’t want to eat in the stadium have to get food somewhere. We had about 1,000 people show up last weekend (for the semi-finals), and we expect a good turnout for the championship as well.”

The AIA rents the facility from MUSD for about $450 per day plus $105 to use the stadium lights. The AIA also pays for staffing to cover ticket-taking, security, clock management and maintenance, so there is no cost to the district to handle the games.

The final step in bringing 8-man football to Maricopa is adjusting the field. Typically, 8-man football plays on a shorter and thinner field. For the state championship, however, the goal posts did not need to be moved. Maricopa was only responsible for bringing the sidelines closer.

Cisterna said MHS used a temporary powder to mark the sidelines.

The game will kick off at 6 p.m. at Rams Field. The stadium is located on the northeast corner of the high school campus at 45012 W. Honeycutt Ave.