The Buena Colts will head out to challenge the Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Buena has three straight wins, Ironwood Ridge has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Friday, Buena strolled past Canyon del Oro with points to spare, taking the game 35-17.
Michael Lujan
| 10/17/25 @ Casa Grande | 3 |
| 09/19/25 vs Tucson High Magnet School | 3 |
| 09/05/25 @ Skyline | 3 |
| 10/24/25 vs Canyon del Oro | 2 |
| 10/10/25 vs Vista Grande | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
Michael Lujan had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.9 yards per carry. Buena is undefeated when Lujan posts two or more rushing touchdowns, but 2-3 otherwise. Ricardo Brooks got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.
Buena didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Canyon del Oro to a completion percentage of just 48.6%. The team can thank Tariq Howard for the heroic effort on defense: he. They're 1-2 when they limit the passing game like that.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Buena, racking up 11 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Brooks, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Ironwood Ridge played a tough matchup on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against Tucson High Magnet School, falling 36-12. The last quarter was a mere formality, since the game's final score was reached by the end of the third quarter.
Despite the loss, Ironwood Ridge saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Maximus Harder threw for 215 yards and one TD, and also rushed for 36 yards.
Ironwood Ridge's defeat dropped their record down to 1-8. As for Buena, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Buena has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 229.4 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Ironwood Ridge, though, as they've been averaging only 83.4 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Buena against Ironwood Ridge in their previous meeting back in September of 2024, as the squad secured a 49-21 win. In that contest, the Colts amassed a halftime lead of 27-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
