Head coach: Josh Wilkins, fifth season
2025 record: 7-5, reached the second round of the state playoffs
Returning starters: Four on offense, five on defense
Strength: Experience, leadership and team unity
Biggest concern: Developing depth and keeping the veteran core healthy
Pima enters the 2026 season with the kind of experienced core that gives a team every reason to think beyond the regular season.
The Roughriders return several three-year starters, productive two-way players and veterans throughout the offense and defense after finishing 7-5 and reaching the second round of the state playoffs last fall.
Head coach Josh Wilkins believes the talent is there for Pima to make another strong postseason run.
“We have a good core group,” Wilkins said. “If we stay healthy, we can go far.”
Senior Joe Palmer will be one of the central figures in that effort.
Palmer produced 633 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns as a junior, rushing for 469 yards and 13 scores while adding 16 receptions for 164 yards and another touchdown.
He was even more productive on defense.
Palmer led Pima with 107 tackles, including 22 tackles for loss, and recorded 3.5 sacks. Now entering his third season as a varsity starter, he has developed into one of the Roughriders’ most dependable players and leaders.
Wilkins said Palmer’s consistent effort and natural leadership have helped set the standard for the rest of the team.
Senior Adam Bryce gives Pima another physical presence at running back and linebacker.
Bryce received limited carries last season but became one of the Roughriders’ leading defenders, finishing with 63 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Together, Palmer and Bryce give Pima an experienced pair capable of affecting games from the backfield and the middle of the defense.
Junior Kaden Davis adds another versatile option. Davis rushed for 78 yards and caught eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown in five games last season, averaging 7.1 yards per carry and 14.4 yards per reception.
Senior Emmet McBiles will also be expected to play an important two-way role.
McBiles is Pima’s leading returning receiver after catching 15 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown last season. He also recorded 26 tackles and intercepted two passes on defense.
Wilkins described McBiles as a passionate three-year starter who brings energy to the team.
Senior Cedrick Grimes returns with varsity experience at quarterback and defensive back.
Grimes appeared in four games behind center last season, completing 22 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Although his opportunities were limited, he gained meaningful experience and showed Wilkins that he can handle important moments.
“He plays big in big games,” Wilkins said.
That quality will be valuable as Pima adjusts following the graduation of several of last year’s most productive offensive players.
Palmer, Bryce and Davis give the Roughriders multiple options in the running game, while McBiles provides a proven target through the air. Grimes’ experience should help Pima settle into its offensive identity without asking one player to replace all of the production that graduated.
The Roughriders also return an experienced group along the line of scrimmage.
Senior Hollen Hoopes enters his third season as a starter on the offensive and defensive lines. Wilkins said Hoopes has committed the time away from Friday nights necessary to become a dominant player when the lights come on.
Hoopes recorded 36 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and a sack last season.
Senior Colt Lunt and junior Jax Haws give Pima additional experience in the trenches. Junior Keegan Espinoza also returns at defensive end after recording 43 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a sophomore.
That group gives the Roughriders a strong foundation for establishing the running game and playing the physical defense that has traditionally defined the program.
When Wilkins was asked to identify Pima’s strongest position group, however, he chose something that reaches beyond the depth chart.
“I think every coach wants to say the offensive line,” he said. “But I think our biggest strength this year will be unity, everyone doing their job.”
That unity has been built through experience.
Many of Pima’s returning players have spent several seasons together and understand what is expected from them. They have played in close games, competed in the postseason and learned the importance of trusting the player beside them.
That experience should be especially valuable on defense, where the Roughriders return proven contributors at every level.
Palmer and Bryce form an accomplished tandem at linebacker. Hoopes, Lunt, Haws and Espinoza provide experience along the front.
Junior Mason Skinner and senior Gilbert Bryce are among the returning defensive backs. Skinner recorded 31 tackles and two interceptions last season, while Bryce made 20 tackles, broke up seven passes and intercepted another.
McBiles and Grimes will also contribute in the secondary, giving Pima several veteran athletes capable of filling different responsibilities.
The returning players Wilkins identified accounted for a considerable portion of last season’s defensive production. That gives the Roughriders a strong starting point as younger players compete for larger roles.
Pima’s primary concern is not the quality of its veteran group. It is making sure the players behind that group become ready to contribute.
The Roughriders do not have an especially large number of varsity ready players entering the season. Staying healthy will be important, but the situation also creates opportunities for younger players to earn meaningful roles.
“We have a small number of varsity ready players,” Wilkins said. “Can we get the younger and inexperienced players up to speed fast enough? Can we stay healthy?”
Pima will need that development to happen early.
Wilkins described the schedule as front-loaded, meaning the Roughriders will face important tests before the season has provided much time for the new contributors to become comfortable.
“It is a very front-loaded schedule that will test us early,” Wilkins said.
Fortunately for Pima, the players leading the way have been through those tests before.
That group will be responsible for helping the younger Roughriders understand their assignments and become confident enough to contribute when needed.
Pima has good reason to be optimistic.
The Roughriders return one of the area’s most productive two-way players in Palmer, experienced linemen, a versatile collection of skill players and a defense with proven contributors at every level.
They also have a group that believes in playing together rather than relying on one star to carry the entire load.
“The boys are tough and ready to go,” Wilkins said. “We will be an exciting team to watch.”
Pima may not have the largest roster, but the Roughriders have a veteran core that understands what it takes to compete deep into a season.
If that group continues setting the standard and the younger players grow into their opportunities, Pima has the pieces to make another memorable run in November.
