Football Preview: Walden Grove Red Wolves vs. Mica Mountain Thunderbolts
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The Walden Grove Red Wolves will square off against the Mica Mountain Thunderbolts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Walden Grove will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
On Friday, Walden Grove earned a 25-15 win over Sahuaro. The victory almost wasn't to be: the Red Wolves were down 15-0 in the second quarter.
Sebastian Gallardo
| 10/03/25 vs Sahuaro | 112 |
| 09/26/25 @ Empire | 114 |
| 09/19/25 @ Vista Grande | 136 |
| 09/12/25 vs Tucson High Magnet School | 19 |
| 09/04/25 @ Eastmark | 66 |
| + 1 more games |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Walden Grove to victory, but perhaps none more so than Sebastian Gallardo, who rushed for 112 yards. With that strong performance, Gallardo is now averaging an impressive 101 rushing yards per game.
Walden Grove's run defense was locked in: Sahuaro could only muster 2.6 yards per carry. The team can thank Paul Delgado for the heroic effort on defense: he. Walden Grove's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.4.
Walden Grove didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jordan Dobson and Delgado. Delgado also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with ten. Jaxsen Philistine was another major factor on D, forcing one fumble, making six total tackles (2.5 for loss), and defending two passes.
Meanwhile, Mica Mountain never let their opponents score on Friday. They claimed a resounding 40-0 win over Douglas. Considering the Thunderbolts have won four contests by more than 29 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Jeremiah Anderson and Colin Axford. Anderson rushed for 72 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries while Axford rushed for 67 yards and one score on only eight carries. Those 67 rushing yards gave Axford a new career-high.
Walden Grove's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Mica Mountain, their win bumped their record up to an identical 4-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Walden Grove has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 181.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mica Mountain struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 158.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Walden Grove couldn't quite get it done against Mica Mountain in their previous matchup back in November of 2024 as they fell 16-6. Can the Red Wolves avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
