21-02-2025
Arizona HSSA: Football state runner-up Basha to host Cali power Orange Lutheran this fall
One of Arizona's top high school football teams will host a California powerhouse next season.
Chandler Basha made it to the Arizona Open Division state football championship game this past season, falling to Liberty 35-17.
Orange Lutheran finished just outside the final 2024-25 USA TODAY Super 25 poll, as an honorable mention, after an 8-4 record against intense competition.
Both teams will be loaded with talent. That included Basha's Eli Cramer-Cronin and Bleu Dantzler who are Defensive Football Player of the Year nominees for the 2024-25 Arizona High School Sports Awards program, Presented by Diamond Kitchen & Bath. Jake Hildenbrand, Gio Richardson and Noah Roberts are Offensive Football Player of the Year nominees, as well.
According to the Arizona Republic's Richard Obert, the Basha-Lutheran game will be Sept. 5, during Week 2 of the Arizona high school season.
'Great opportunity for our kids to compete against some of the top teams in the nation,' Basha coach Chris McDonald told Obert. 'It should be a valuable experience for these kids and gives us a barometer of where we stack up, as well.'
The 2024-25 Arizona High School Sports Awards, Presented by Diamond Kitchen & Bath, are June 4 at the Orpheum Theater. Tickets will be available soon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: Arizona HSSA: Football runner-up Basha adds Cali power Orange Lutheran
