Sahuaro hasn't had much luck against Walden Grove recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Cougars will venture away from home to square off against the Red Wolves at 7:00 p.m. Sahuaro will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each game than the last.
Sahuaro barely beat Sabino the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars breezed past the Sabercats to the tune of 44-6 on Friday. The Cougars' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Sahuaro's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lekie Sika led the charge by rushing for 81 yards and one touchdown on only five carries. Anakin Alexander also helped with two TDs in total.
Meanwhile, Walden Grove didn't have too much trouble with Empire on Friday as they won 35-21. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Red Wolves.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Dominic Sanchez and Sebastian Gallardo. Sanchez rushed for 97 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries while Gallardo rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Sanchez didn't just play on offense: he also forced one fumble, made five total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defended one pass.
Walden Grove didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Empire to a completion percentage of just 40%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from four players: Sanchez, Jeremiah Hayes, Jacob Fiehler, and Riley Hardy, who each logged one passes deflected. Walden Grove hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.4 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Walden Grove didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Wheeler Delancey, Hardy, and Jordan Dobson picked up one apiece. Walden Grove got some further help from Trey Forbregd: he picked up 3.5 sacks, forced one fumble, and made 14 total tackles (7.0 for loss).
Sahuaro's record now sits at 4-1. As for Walden Grove, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Sahuaro was dealt a bruising 72-27 loss at the hands of Walden Grove when the teams last played back in October of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Cougars were down 45-21.
