Thunderbird is preparing for their first region matchup of the season on Friday. They will challenge the Northwest Christian Crusaders at 7:00 p.m. Thunderbird will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
On Saturday, Thunderbird earned a 27-14 win over Deer Valley. The 27-point effort marked the Titans' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Melakye Little
| 09/27/25 vs Deer Valley | 2 |
| 08/29/25 vs Moon Valley | 2 |
| 08/22/25 vs Westview | 2 |
| 09/05/25 @ Prescott | 1 |
Thunderbird found their leader in sophomore Daryl Little, who picked up 170 receiving yards, and also punched in one score on the ground. Little's receiving production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 120 receiving yards. Melakye Little was in the mix as well, providing Thunderbird with two touchdowns.
Thunderbird's run defense was locked in: Deer Valley could only muster 2.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Javier Pursel for the heroic effort on defense: he. Thunderbird's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.2.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for Northwest Christian on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Moon Valley out of the water with a 38-6 final score. The matchup was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Crusaders had established a 25-point advantage.
Northwest Christian's win came from a few key players Thunderbird will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Nathan Johannes, who rushed for 178 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 9.4 yards per carry. Those 178 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Laki Wallwork, who threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
Northwest Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Colton Ederer, Chopper Penzkover, and Debo Vitale picked up one apiece.
Thunderbird's victory bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Northwest Christian, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Thunderbird has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 164.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northwest Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 167.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Thunderbird took their win against Northwest Christian when the teams last played back in November of 2024 by a conclusive 34-10 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Titans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
