Football Game Preview: Mica Mountain Thunderbolts vs. Gila Ridge Hawks + How To Watch

The Mica Mountain Thunderbolts will challenge the Gila Ridge Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Mica Mountain sitting on eight straight victories and Gila Ridge on 11.

Mica Mountain is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They walked away with a 21-14 win over Snowflake. The Thunderbolts pushed the score to 21-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Lobos cut but never quite recovered from.

Jaidyn Crist

Passing Yards

11/21/25 @ Snowflake	190
11/14/25 vs Lake Havasu	157
10/31/25 @ Sahuaro	107
10/24/25 vs Catalina Foothills	63
10/17/25 vs Amphitheater	171
+ 7 more games

Mica Mountain's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jaidyn Crist, who threw for 190 yards and a pair of TDs on only 17 passes. That's the most passing yards Crist has posted since back in August.

Meanwhile, Gila Ridge got themselves on the board against Coconino on Friday, but Coconino never followed suit. They took their game with ease, bagging a 27-0 victory over the Panthers. The result was nothing new for the Hawks, who have now won six contests by 27 points or more so far this season.

Gila Ridge's win came from a few key players Mica Mountain will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Isaac Soliz, who threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns on only 18 passes. Kanai Hongo also helped out with an impressive 80 receiving yards.

Gila Ridge didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Coconino to a completion percentage of just 40%. The Hawks weren't nearly as limited: they posted one of 63.2%.

Mica Mountain's record now sits at 10-2. As for Gila Ridge, their record is now 11-1.

Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Mica Mountain has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 157.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Gila Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 177.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.