The Payson Longhorns will be playing in front of their home fans against the Gilbert Christian Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Payson's defense has only allowed 15 points per game this season, so Gilbert Christian's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Payson's offense will try to repeat the strong performance it gave on Friday, when they got past Show Low's usually-dominant defense. The Longhorns came out on top against the Cougars by a score of 35-25. The Longhorns have beaten the Cougars the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Cougars has come to flipping the script.
Nathan Tsosie
| 10/31/25 vs Show Low | 141 |
| 10/03/25 vs Blue Ridge | 70 |
| 09/19/25 vs ALA - Mesa North | 68 |
| 09/27/25 @ Round Valley | 63 |
| 08/29/25 @ Page | 51 |
Payson's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Marco Guereque, who picked up 187 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Guereque showed off some serious burst, cutting upfield on a catch for 56 yards. Payson also got a significant boost from Nathan Tsosie, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 141 yards.
Payson was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 207 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Payson's defense and their five sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Ethan Gurtner and Landon Parton, who each picked up 1.5 sacks apiece. Gurtner was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks, forcing one fumble, and making seven total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Gilbert Christian). They blew past Apache Junction, posting a 53-14 win. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won six games by 23 points or more so far this season.
Gilbert Christian's win came from a few key players Payson will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kamari Stanbury, who picked up 45 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also punched in one rushing score.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Gilbert Christian, adding 11 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Stanbury, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Gilbert Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off five passes before the game was over. It was a group effort, with five picking up one apiece. Hyatt Lang got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Payson's record is now 7-3. As for Gilbert Christian, their record now sits at an identical 7-3.
