History of Marana High School
The Battle of the Boot is a historic high school football rivalry between Marana High School (Tigers) and Mountain View High School (Mountain Lions) within the Marana Unified School District. Established in 1988, the winner of this annual matchup claims a bronzed boot trophy and bragging rights for the district.
THE STORY
The tradition was created by former Mountain View head coach Wayne Jones in 1988. Inspired by his time as a quarterback at Purdue, where teams played for the "Old Oaken Bucket," Jones wanted to establish a similar passing tradition for the two local schools.
The Boot: The actual trophy is a real boot that belonged to Bob Honea, a Marana High School graduate (Class of 1947) and former standout basketball player for the University of Arizona. The boot was bronzed, and a local metal shop cut "Ms" and "MVs" to accompany the trophy tracking wins & loses.
History and Highlights
The First Game: In the inaugural 1988 meeting, Marana defeated Mountain View. At the time, both teams had entered the game with 0-9 records.
Mountain View Dominance: Following that first game, Mountain View historically dominated the series, at one point holding a 13-2 record over the Tigers.
The Hiatus: The series was put on hold for six years after a 2014 game involving a fight in the stands. The rivalry resumed as the season opener on September 2, 2022, the Tigers secured a hard-fought 13–12 victory at Tiger Stadium, marking the first win under first-year head coach Phillip Steward.
Recent Years: Marana has seen a resurgence, winning the 2024 matchup 46-13 and successfully retaining the "Boot" on October 2025 with a 48-20 victory. This marked the first time the Tigers held the trophy in back-to-back seasons.
THE BATTLE OF THE BOOT
1988 MARANA
1993 MT. VIEW
2011 MT.VIEW 27-2
2014 MT. VIEW
2021 MARANA 13-12
2022 MARANA 37-21
2023 MT. VIEW 42-35
2024 MARANA 46-13
2025 MARANA 48-20
School History
Built on a history of high expectations and high performance, education in the Marana community dates back to the early 1920’s, long before Marana was incorporated, with the Marana Union High School District #2. A cornerstone of the first high school building still remains on the current Estes Elementary School site (formerly Marana Elementary), with the words engraved “Union High School #2 – 1924.” The graduating class of 1922 had two students.
In 1939, the Marana Elementary District #55 was formed, composed of a couple of smaller area school districts. In 1942, the Marana Elementary District became #6.
In 1948, the elementary and high school districts began operating under a single Governing Board. Mr. O.H. Oldfather was appointed Superintendent in July 1948 - 1957, followed by Superintendent Mr. Lon Adams. The budget for the 1949-1950 school year was $147,800 for an enrollment of 350 students. The teaching staff consisted of eight elementary school teachers and six high school staff. The graduating class of 1948 consisted of four students and jumped to 12 in 1949.
In 1953, a new Marana High School building was opened, which is now Marana Middle School. Additions were made to the Marana elementary building in 1955 (now named Estes Elementary School).
In 1981, the Governing Board unified the Marana Elementary District and the Marana High School District to become the Marana Unified School District #6.
The District continues to be an integral part of the community and takes pride in knowing we are one of the reasons families choose to live in the Marana area.
Original High School
OPEN DIVISION
Marana High School's football team made history in the 2024 season by becoming the first 5A team in history to earn the #1 seed in the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Open Division playoffs.
The second Southern Arizona team ever to qualify for the Open Division, which traditionally features the top eight teams in the state regardless of conference size.