The Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions will venture away from home to face off against the Highland Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Mountain Ridge fought the good fight in their overtime game against O'Connor last Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 17-10 to the Eagles. While losing is never fun, the Mountain Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona flag football rankings (they are ranked 64th, while the Eagles are ranked 19th).
Despite the loss, Mountain Ridge saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Amiaya Tice threw for 158 yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 66 yards.
Even if they lost, Mountain Ridge's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Lauren Laaker, Azul Mondragon-Lopez, and Tamryn Boucos, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Meanwhile, Highland owes their defense a big pat on the back after their performance last Thursday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat O'Connor 30-0. Fans of the Hawks have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.
Mountain Ridge better keep an eye on Alexis Eley. She was instrumental in Highland's win, throwing for 234 yards and four TDs, while also rushing for 64 yards on only nine carries. Eley is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as she's now passed for four or more in each of the last three games she's played. Addi Riggs was in the mix too, providing Highland with two scores.
Highland didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited O'Connor to a completion percentage of just 32.5%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from five players: Emery Wright, Kayitlyn Saunders, Emma Frost, Kenzie Egan, and Addy Lowe, who each logged one passes deflected. Highland hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.67 or higher in six consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Highland pushed their record up to 4-0 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 44.7 points over those games. As for Mountain Ridge, they now have a losing record of 1-2.
Mountain Ridge couldn't quite get it done against Highland in their previous meeting back in September of 2023 as they fell 19-9. Can the Mountain Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
