The Walden Grove Red Wolves will challenge the Northwest Christian Crusaders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Northwest Christian will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Walden Grove extended their winning streak to three on Friday. The Red Wolves blew past Amphitheater, posting a 58-6 victory. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Red Wolves just coasted through the last quarter.
Gauge Abalos
| 10/31/25 vs Amphitheater | 3 |
| 10/24/25 @ Douglas | 2 |
| 09/12/25 vs Tucson High Magnet School | 2 |
| 10/10/25 vs Mica Mountain | 1 |
| 10/03/25 vs Sahuaro | 1 |
Walden Grove's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Gauge Abalos led the charge by throwing for 77 yards and three TDs, while also punching in one rushing score. Those three passing touchdowns gave Abalos a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Mason Wright, who rushed for 56 yards and one score on only five carries.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Northwest Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They put the hurt on Paradise Honors with a sharp 42-21 win on Thursday. Considering the Crusaders have won three contests by more than 20 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Walden Grove better keep an eye on Laki Wallwork. He was instrumental in Northwest Christian's win, rushing for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only ten carries, while also throwing for 268 yards and three TDs while completing 76.7% of his passes. Wallwork's passing game has become a key predictor of the Crusaders' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 2-4 otherwise. 156 of Wallwork's passing yards were hauled in by Landon Beckman, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Northwest Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 219 rushing yards. They are a perfect 3-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Walden Grove's record is now 7-3. As for Northwest Christian, their record now sits at 6-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Walden Grove has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 175.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northwest Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 158.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Walden Grove was able to grind out a solid victory over Northwest Christian in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, winning 30-20. Do the Red Wolves have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Crusaders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
