Yuma Catholic Hosts Buena in Playoff Opener
The No. 15-seeded Cougars host the Colts Friday night at Ricky Gwynn Stadium in a 5A first-round game.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Football
Yuma Catholic, seeded No. 15 after a 7-3 regular season, hosts Buena in a 5A first-round playoff game Friday night at 7 p.m. The winner advances to face the No. 2-seeded Horizon Huskies.
Why it matters
The matchup marks another postseason appearance for Yuma Catholic, which has qualified for the playoffs for 25 consecutive seasons. It is also the program's second year competing in the 5A classification, following last season's first-round road win over Millennium as the No. 20 seed.
Yuma Catholic enters the game at 7-3 and the No. 15 seed, improving on its No. 20 seed from last season. The program has now qualified for the postseason in 25 straight seasons, though the result against Buena is not yet decided.
The players
Yuma Catholic Cougars
The Yuma, Arizona high school football program competing in the 5A classification, which has qualified for the postseason for 25 consecutive seasons.
Buena Colts
The Sierra Vista, Arizona high school football program facing Yuma Catholic in the 5A first round.
Horizon Huskies
The No. 2-seeded 5A program that awaits the winner of the Yuma Catholic and Buena matchup.
The details
Yuma Catholic will host Buena at Ricky Gwynn Stadium with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Friday. The winner earns a second-round date with the No. 2-seeded Horizon Huskies.
Timeline
Friday night: Yuma Catholic hosts Buena in the 5A first-round playoff game.
7 p.m. Friday: Kickoff at Ricky Gwynn Stadium.
Season Trajectory
Yuma Catholic's jump from the No. 20 seed last season to No. 15 this year, after a first-round road win over Millennium, extends a run of 25 consecutive playoff appearances. A win over Buena would send the Cougars into a second-round meeting with the No. 2-seeded Horizon Huskies.
A Yuma Catholic win would set up a second-round game against the No. 2-seeded Horizon Huskies, a matchup that changes the bracket for fans tracking the 5A playoffs. The result also determines whether the Cougars extend their run of postseason appearances past this opening round.
The takeaway
Yuma Catholic's 25 straight postseason trips show the program's consistency, and Friday's game against Buena decides whether that streak reaches a second-round meeting with Horizon.
What happens next
If Yuma Catholic wins, the Cougars will face the No. 2-seeded Horizon Huskies in the next round of the 5A playoffs.
Further reading
For more high school playoff coverage, see Football on Wisevoter.
