Football Game Preview: Kofa Kings vs. Gila Ridge Hawks

Kofa is 1-7 against Gila Ridge since October of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Kings will challenge the Hawks at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Kofa's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 32-0 victory over Somerton. That looming 32-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Kings yet this season.

Meanwhile, Gila Ridge entered their tilt with Yuma on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They claimed a resounding 56-0 win over the Criminals. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Hawks' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona football rankings (they are ranked 69th, while the Criminals are ranked 205th).

Kofa better keep an eye on Prentes Boxx lll. He was instrumental in Gila Ridge's win, rushing for 147 yards and five scores on only 11 carries. Boxx lll's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 114 rushing yards. Kanai Hongo got in on the action too, returning a kick for a touchdown.

Gila Ridge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 205 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.

Special teams was a major factor in the game for Gila Ridge, racking up 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Hongo, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

The victory got Kofa back to even at 3-3. As for Gila Ridge, their record now sits at 5-1.

Kofa was taken down by Gila Ridge 59-6 in their previous matchup back in November of 2022. Thankfully for the Kings, Steven Navas (who threw for 231 yards and five TDs while completing 75% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.