The Tonopah Valley Phoenix will head out on the road to face off against the Heritage Academy Heroes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Tonopah Valley has given up an average of 26.6 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Tonopah Valley easily dispatched Highland Prep West last Friday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Phoenix fell just short of Glendale Prep Academy by a score of 36-34 on Friday.
Damian Acosta
| 10/03/25 @ Glendale Prep Academy | 6 |
| 09/20/25 vs San Pasqual Valley | 8 |
| 09/12/25 vs San Tan Charter | 5 |
| 09/06/25 @ Camp Verde | 7 |
| 08/29/25 vs Scottsdale Christian Academy | 7 |
| 08/22/25 @ Odyssey Institute | 5 |
Even if they lost, Tonopah Valley's defensive line still kept up the pressure with eight sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Corey Webb Jr. and Damian Acosta, who racked up 5.5 sacks between them. Acosta is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least five every time he's taken the field this season. Another thorn in Glendale Prep Academy's side was Alejandro Rivas, who forced one fumble and made ten total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Heritage Academy posted their closest win since August 30, 2024 on Thursday. They pulled ahead with a 21-20 photo finish over San Pasqual Valley. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Heroes' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 215th in Arizona, while the Warriors are ranked 1029th in California).
Tonopah Valley better keep an eye on Preston Miller. He was instrumental in Heritage Academy's win, rushing for 144 yards and one TD on only 12 carries, while also throwing for 83 yards and one touchdown. Miller also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making two total tackles and defending one pass in addition to snagging an interception.
Heritage Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 227 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Heritage Academy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kaelan Williams and Miller.
Heritage Academy now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Tonopah Valley, they dropped their record down to 2-5 with the defeat, which was their third straight on the road.
Everything came up roses for Tonopah Valley against Heritage Academy when the teams last played back in November of 2022, as the squad secured a 75-14 victory. In that game, the Phoenix amassed a halftime lead of 47-8, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
