Duncan has won three straight games at home, while Ray has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Wildkats will welcome the Bearcats at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, everything came up roses for Duncan against Baboquivari as the team secured a 50-20 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Wildkats have posted against the Warriors since October 12, 2018.
It was another big night for PABLO RUIZ, who threw for 127 yards and four TDs on only 12 passes, and also rushed for 68 yards. Duncan is undefeated when RUIZ posts three or more passing touchdowns, but 0-3 otherwise. MARK BEJARANO was another key player, gaining 89 total yards and two touchdowns.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Duncan was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 232 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
CONNER FREE
| 09/26/25 vs Baboquivari | 3 |
| 09/19/25 vs Dishchii'bikoh | 2.5 |
| 08/22/25 vs Lordsburg | 1 |
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Duncan's defense and their nine sacks. CONNER FREE led the group effort, picking up three of those sacks all by himself. Thanks to that big game, he is now up to 6.5 sacks on the season. Duncan got some further help from KARSEN LACEY: he made ten total tackles and defended two passes.
Meanwhile, Ray faced Fort Thomas in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Bearcats took their contest with ease, bagging a 54-26 victory over the Apaches. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 32-12.
Ray's win came from a few key players Duncan will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jesse James, who threw for 295 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 72% of his passes, and also rushed for 72 yards and one score on only six carries. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making 12 total tackles and defending four passes in addition to snagging three interceptions which he returned one-yard for a touchdown. Another player making a difference was RJ Nunez, who gained 139 total yards and four touchdowns.
Ray didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. James picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Ray's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Duncan, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
Duncan might still be hurting after the 40-20 loss they got from Ray in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Bearcats' Logan Rice, who threw for 373 yards and three TDs, and also rushed for 169 yards and one score on only 14 carries. Now that the Wildkats know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
