The Gilbert Christian Knights will challenge the Payson Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Gilbert Christian turned things around against Apache Junction on Friday. They claimed a resounding 53-14 victory over the Prospectors. Considering the Knights have won six games by more than 22 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Pierson Scott
| 10/31/25 @ Apache Junction | 2 |
| 10/24/25 @ Valley Christian | 2 |
| 09/26/25 @ ALA - Ironwood | 1 |
| 09/12/25 vs Seton Catholic | 1 |
| 08/22/25 vs Wickenburg | 1 |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Gilbert Christian to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kamari Stanbury, who picked up 45 receiving yards and one TD, and also punched in one rushing score. Pierson Scott was in the mix too, providing the Knights with two scores.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 11 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Stanbury, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Gilbert Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off five passes before the game was over. It was a group effort, with five picking up one apiece. Hyatt Lang got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Payson earned a 35-25 win over Show Low on Friday. The Longhorns have beaten the Cougars the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Cougars has come to flipping the script.
Payson's win came from a few key players Gilbert Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Marco Guereque, who picked up 187 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also hauled in two receiving touchdowns, which is notable because Payson is undefeated when he posts at least two receiving touchdowns, but 2-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Nolan Keeney, who threw for 213 yards and two TDs while completing 72.7% of his passes.
Payson was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 207 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Payson's defense and their five sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Ethan Gurtner and Landon Parton, who each picked up 1.5 sacks apiece. Gurtner was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks, forcing one fumble, and making seven total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Payson's victory bumped their record up to 7-3. As for Gilbert Christian, their win bumped their record up to an identical 7-3.
