Editor's Note: For the 2026 Sollenberger Arizona Football Preview magazine flipbook, CLICK HERE.

With the heat of the summer in full swing, 3A football players are gearing up for another exciting fall season. Below are AzPreps365.com’s preseason Top 10 rankings for the 2026 campaign.

NO 1. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Suffering their only loss of the season in the 3A state championship game to Round Valley (13-10), Benjamin Franklin (0-0, 0-0 3A Metro) returns 10 starters, six of which are on the defensive side including linebacker Christian Sorenson, linebacker Ashton Goddard and corner Ayden Stebnicki Snower.

Another notable includes defensive lineman Paul Bergdahl, who stands 6-foot-3 and tips the scales at 275 pounds, making him a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball.

Coach Danny Norris’ group is going to rely heavily on younger players in the trenches, with four senior offensive linemen graduating in May. Norris said he’s excited to see the group develop.

“They will be smaller up front but more athletic,” Norris said.

The Chargers beat No. 16 Dysart 27-7, No. 8 Show Low 21-0 and No. 5 Pusch Ridge 47-14 to earn their spot in the title game last fall.

Top games to watch for Benjamin Franklin fans include their home opener against River Valley (Aug. 28), at Thatcher (Sept. 4), Seton Catholic (Sept. 18) and at Valley Christian on Sept. 25. They’ll wrap up the regular season at home againast Pusch Ridge on Oct. 30, making their schedule one of the more difficult in 3A.

Benjamin Franklin kicks off their season at Dysart on Aug. 21, 7 p.m.

NO. 2 ROUND VALLEY

After claiming the program’s eighth state championship in 2025 (first since 2019) and finishing the season with a 13-1 record, losing only to rival Blue Ridge 25-21, Round Valley (0-0, 0-0 3A Mountain) is back for more in 2026.

Coach Brad Baca’s group returns 11 players between offense and defense, including reigning 3A conference MVP Brody Crick at running back. Also returning are quarterback Kage Finch, lineman Joah Brown, Tye Williams and Brody Kelepolo.

Finch completed 118 of 188 passes for 2,092 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2025. Crick’s MVP campaign saw the 5-foot-9 star run for 1,193 yards on 170 carries and 15 touchdowns, and caught 21 passes for 413 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He is the choice for preseason MVP of the 3A conference among coaches.

Baca, who is 46-16 in five years as head coach of the Elks, said the club will have a “little less” experience at a few positions than last year.

Round Valley will begin their journey toward back-to-back championships for the first time since 1979-80 and are set to kick off the season Aug. 21 at Seton Catholic.

NO. 3 CRISMON

Three years ago, this group didn’t win a game. That’s right, 0-10. But, when coach Scott Hare joined the program, things changed quickly.

The Rattlers (0-0, 0-0 3A Metro) went 7-5 in Hare’s first season last fall, making the state playoffs and defeating Blue Ridge 30-26 before falling to eventual state champ Round Valley, 42-0.

Crismon returns 16 total players, eight on each side of the ball, including linebacker Wesson Haynes, wideout Asher Vance (receiving 3A preseason MVP votes), and running back Walker Higbee.

“We will be strong at most positions with many starters returning, and those who did not start last year have put in a great offseason,” Hare said, adding that their passing game shouldn’t skip a beat as quarterback Braxton Thill returns to lead an offense that was fourth in passing in the 3A a season ago.

“Our game at Crismon right now is played between the ears. We have a lot of work to do mentally if we want to be state champions,” Hare said.

Crismon begins the season Aug. 21 with a tricky road trip to River Valley.

NO. 4 PUSCH RIDGE

Making the 3A state semifinals as a No. 5 seed before struggling against No. 1 Benjamin Franklin in a 47-14 loss a season ago, Pusch Ridge is back to prove to everyone that they won’t go so easily in 2026.

And, it wasn’t that long ago that the Lions were atop the 3A conference, winning the program’s second title in 2024. If Pusch Ridge makes the state playoffs this fall, it will be for the sixth consecutive season.

Returning 14 starters, coach Kent Middleton’s team is a much-more experienced group this fall, and according to him, are much bigger across the board.

“We have experience, depth in skill positions, some size and attitude,” Middleton said. “If we play hard and stay healthy, we can make a run in the playoffs.”

Senior outside linebacker Levi Adcock leads the way, while linemen Brendon Keating, Gio France and Henry Garnand will be key this season to the Lion’s success.

Games to watch this season for the Lions include their home opener against ALA-Ironwood (Aug. 28), at home against Crismon (Sept. 4), at Florence (Sept. 18), home against Thatcher (Sept. 25), and a tough home game against Sabino on Oct. 2.

And don’t forget, they face off against 3A favorite Benjamin Franklin to end the regular season on Oct. 30.

Pusch Ridge opens the season Aug. 22 at San Tan Foothills.

NO. 5 THATCHER

Coach Daniel Jones returns for his eighth season to a program that is always tough to beat in 3A conference competition, Thatcher. The Eagles (0-0, 0-0 3A East) were 9-1 a season ago, losing only to Benjamin Franklin (27-12) in Week 3 action before rattling off six straight to enter the 3A state playoffs as a No. 4 seed.

That’s where the fun stopped, unfortunately, as Thatcher lost a tough one to Florence, 14-6, in the first round of state.

In 2026, Jones, who is 52-19 in seven seasons leading the Eagles, has seven starters returning including wideout Hudson Conrad, offensive lineman Vincent Bajarano, tight end Teagan Damron and running back Ethan Hayes.

Thatcher opens the season with ALA-Ironwood on Aug. 20. Then contests against Benjamin Franklin (Sept. 4), Florence (Sept. 10), Pusch Ridge (Sept. 25), Payson (Oct. 16) and Sabino on Oct. 23 are worth a watch.

The Eagles are tied for third with most state championships in Arizona with nine (Snowflake has nine) behind only Pima (10), Saguaro (14) and Blue Ridge (15).

NO. 6 SABINO

After winning it all in 2023, Sabino took a step backwards over the past two seasons, finishing under .500, but coach Ryan McBrayer has plenty of reasons to think his group can compete again for a 3A title.

First, the Sabercats return 13 starters in 2026, eight of which are back on defense.

“The strength of our team will be our defense,” McBrayer said, adding that senior Anthony Dimas, the reigning all-region safety, will look to make a bigger impact this fall.

On offense, junior quarterback Bodhi Sanford is poised to have a breakout season. As a sophomore he completed 152 of 275 passes for 2,340 yard and 26 touchdowns.

“He’s already a 2-year starter and looks to make a huge jump [developmentally],” said McBrayer, who is 64-33 in 10 seasons leading the Sabercats.

Other individuals to watch include middle linebacker Chris Yslas, linebacker Shaundon Harris, and offensive tackle Victor Alcantar.

Sabino (0-0, 0-0 3A East) opens with Valley Christian on Aug. 21.

Other games to key in on this season for Sabercat fans include a tough road game to Gilbert Christian (Aug. 28), a road game at Pusch Ridge on Oct. 2, and a matchup at home against Thatcher on Oct. 23.

NO. 7 FLORENCE

Despite starting the 2025 season with a 1-4 record, Florence had one of the tougher schedules in the state with losses to Show Low (28-0), Round Valley (39-14), Thatcher (21-18), and Pusch Ridge (39-27) to start the season.

Playing in the 3A East is always tough!

So, it was no surprise when they rattled off five straight wins to get into the 3A state playoffs as a No. 13 seed, then pulled off an upset over No. 4 Thatcher (14-6) in their first-round game.

Coach Mike Carlin’s group has six starting returners in 2026 and will be relatively young on both sides of the ball. Senior wide out Darrius Samuels, senior offensive lineman Rocky Valle and junior defensive back Keantum Greeley should lead the way.

“Our biggest strengths are our chemistry, work ethic, and leadership,” Carlin said, later adding, “Our expectation is to compete for a region championship, earn a playoff berth, and put ourselves in position to make a deep postseason run.”

Florence (0-0, 0-0 3A East) begins the season on the road against Show Low on Aug. 21.

NO. 8 RIVER VALLEY

Winning six straight games after starting the season just 1-4 last fall, River Valley qualified for the 3A state playoffs as a No. 9 seed, losing a close one to Show Low, 21-14.

The Dust Devils (0-0, 0-0 3A West) return 11 starters this season including running back Aden Montgomery, offensive tackle Tallan Alexis, running back Bradlee Abell and senior D.J. Gramanz.

“The strength of this year’s group is going to be how resilient and coachable they have been thus far,” coach Adam King said. “We are certainly younger than last year, which if that’s a weakness, so be it. But, the youth movement has really put a spotlight on how receptive this group has been to coaching.”

King said their group has an impressive list of teams on the schedule.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to compete against some of the very best 3A has to offer,” said King, whose team has road games against Benjamin Franklin (Aug. 28), Seton Catholic (Oct. 16) and a home game against Payson on Oct. 23, all of which should be very good in 3A.

“With that being said, we have to stay healthy to be efficient in our play in order to compete.”

River Valley opens the season Aug. 21 at home against Crismon, another 3A Top 10 club.

NO. 9 SHOW LOW

Coach Michael Boyce’s group has only three starting players returning in 2026, but he feels that a young crop of players may surprise some people in 3A football this season.

“We are going to be young this year after graduating a lot of seniors that started on both sides of the ball,” Boyce said. “We have good leadership with the starters we have coming back. My expectations are to get better each week and make a deep playoff run.”

Show Low (0-0, 0-0 3A Mountain) finished 8-4 overall last season, making the 3A state playoffs as a No. 8 seed and defeating No. 9 River Valley 21-14, but lost to No. 1-seeded Benjamin Franklin the following week.

Players to watch include seniors Talen Slone at tight end and Karter Alexander at middle linebacker. Junior running back Corbin Wood and junior safety Zander Perez are also worth a watch.

Show Low opens the 2026 season with Florence on Aug. 21.

Other games to watch for Show Low fans include a road trip to Valley Christian in Week 2 (Aug. 28), a home game against Round Valley on Oct. 9, a road game against Blue Ridge on Oct. 16 and a home game in the regular season finale against Payson (Oct. 30).

NO. 10 PAYSON

Playing in the 3A Mountain region is never easy, but for Payson, they live for it. Coach Bryan Burke’s group finished a more-than-solid 6-4 during the regular season in 2025, but were edged out by No. 10 Gilbert Christian in the first round of the 3A state playoffs, 25-15.

Burke’s teams are always disciplined, but despite being less experienced in 2026 with only seven total returning starters, he feels this group is even more disciplined that years past.

Watch for wideout Xavier Robinson, running back Nathan Tsosie and safety Teagan Lewis to make some noise in 2026.

The Longhorns (0-0, 0-0 3A Mountain) could start their campaign a perfect 5-0 as they begin their fall schedule with a trip to Fountain Hills on Aug. 21. Page, San Tan Foothills, Apache Junction and ALA-Mesa North follow, and are all very winnable games for Payson, making Sept. 24’s matchup at home against Round Valley the first true test in 2026 for the Longhorns.

Payson enters 2026 with three state championships in program history, the last coming in 2008.

OTHER 3A NOTABLES

ALA-Ironwood may have gone only 2-8 a season ago, but the Warriors return nearly everyone under second-year coach Myron Blueford, including senior offensive lineman Brandon Rathi, who is a beast inside at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds. “Our team is going to compete at a higher level than last season,” Blueford said. We’ll find out as they open with always tough Thatcher on Aug. 20 … Seton Catholic has mustered only two winning seasons in the past nine years, the last an eight-win campaign in 2024 but Matt Hanshaw takes over a program that successfully appealed their placement in 4A and now sit in the 3A Metro. “My expectations for the team this season is that we compete and finish every game,” Hanshaw said. “To be successful we need to have a full-team buy-in.” Players to watch include defensive back Aiden Ashihundu, running back Coree Edwards and lineman A.J. Packer. … Valley Christian made the 3A state semifinals a year ago before losing to eventual state champ Round Valley. They return only six starting returners. Players to watch include D’Andre Dickerson, Brayden Voss and Titus Mueller.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.