Football Game Preview: Show Low Cougars vs. Payson Longhorns + Official Tickets

The Show Low Cougars will head out on the road to challenge the Payson Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Show Low 6.3, Payson 13.9) so any points scored will be well earned.

On Friday, Show Low took their contest with ease, bagging a 43-3 victory over Shadow Mountain. Considering the Cougars have won six games by more than 27 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Kash Perkins

Passer Rating

09/12/25 @ ALA - Mesa North	164.8
10/17/25 vs Blue Ridge	132.1
09/26/25 vs Apache Junction	131.8
09/19/25 @ Monument Valley	128.8
09/05/25 vs Page	127.3
+ 4 more games

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Show Low to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kash Perkins, who rushed for 75 yards and one score on only five carries, and also threw for 114 yards and a pair of TDs on only ten passes. Perkins' passing game has become a key predictor of the Cougars' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Jett Walker was another key back, rushing for 100 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Show Low was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 244 rushing yards. They are a perfect 6-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.

Despite a strong season so far, Payson has seen their luck take a bit of a downturn recently. They were three points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 34-31 heartbreaker at the hands of River Valley.

Show Low's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 40.0 points over those games. As for Payson, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-3.

Show Low couldn't quite finish off Payson when the teams last played back in November of 2024 and fell 24-21. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.