Photo: Quarterback Uriah Tenette will lead an exciting Badgers offense this season
The Prescott Badgers are looking for bigger and better things after a disappointing (4-6) season in 2023.
The Badgers finished in fourth place in the Grand Canyon Region last year at (2-3) after suffering tough losses to Coconino 42-37, Bradshaw Mountain 21-13, and a frustrating road loss to Grand Canyon Region champ Lee Williams 36-33.
There are no new opponents on the schedule this year. Opening night is this Friday, August 30. The Badgers will host the La Joya Community Lobos from Avondale. The Lobos dropped their first six games last year, but closed out strong, winning three of their final four to end their season at (3-7). The Badgers blanked the Lobos 39-0 last year.
On September 6, the Badgers will travel to Phoenix and face the Thunderbird Titans, who closed out last season with a quarterfinal loss to Arcadia, after an opening round win over Bradshaw Mountain. The Titans finished (9-3) last season and beat the Badgers 50-30 at Prescott High School.
Week three does not get any easier as the Badgers will return to Phoenix on September 13 to take on the Northwest Christian Crusaders. Prescott fell 48-28 to the Crusaders at home last season. Northwest Christian won their first eight games, then stumbled down the stretch to end last year at (9-3) with a 38-17 quarterfinals loss at Mica Mountain.
September 20th the Badgers return home to host the Vista Grande Spartans, who opened up with five wins last season before just missing out on a playoff spot with a (7-3) record. Prescott lost the game last season in Casa Grande 41-19.
The Badgers will host the Combs Coyotes on September 27. The Badgers shutout the Coyotes 42-0 last season. Combs finished last year at (2-8) and were shutout five times.
Prescott will open up Grand Canyon Region play on October 4 with a big home game against last years region champ Lee Williams. The Volunteers won the Grand Canyon Region for the first time last season with a perfect (5-0) record and finished (9-2) overall, dropping a first round playoff game at home to AZ College Prep 21-14. The game last year was marred with highly questionable officiating, most noticeably the running clock, that resulted in a 36-33 Badgers loss.
The Badgers will take the week of October 11 off before returning to play back-to-back Thursday games starting on October 17 with a trip to Northern Arizona University to play the Flagstaff Eagles in the comfortable setting of the NAU Skydome. The Badgers handed the Eagles a 53-20 setback in Prescott a year ago. Flagstaff is looking to improve after going winless in the GCR and (2-8) overall.
The following Thursday, October 24, the Badgers will travel over to Prescott Valley for the rivalry matchup with the Bradshaw Mountain Bears. The highly anticipated game for local bragging rights always means a little more when both teams are in the playoff hunt. Last year, the Bears finished third at (3-2) in the GCR and ended (7-4) with a playoff loss at Thunderbird. The Bears beat the Badgers 21-13 in Prescott. Bradshaw Mountain has won two in a row and three of the last four meetings.
The day after Halloween the Badgers will host the Coconino Panthers. Prescott lost a wild one last year on a cold night in Flagstaff 42-37. The Panthers ended at (7-4) and were one of the three GCR team to make the playoffs, bowing out in the first round 23-20 at Arcadia.
The final regular season game on November 8 will be a road trip to Cottonwood, for the matchup with the Mingus Marauders, who were (4-6) last season. The Badgers beat the Marauders 41-12 at home last year.
The playoffs start the following week and with some solid region play, Prescott could be back in the playoff mix.
