The Sahuaro Cougars will square off against the Mica Mountain Thunderbolts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
If Sahuaro beats Mica Mountain with 42 points on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Cougars really took it to Amphitheater for the full four quarters, racking up a 42-0 win. The victory was familiar territory for the Cougars, who have now won three contests in a row.
Julian Perez
| 10/24/25 @ Amphitheater | 148 |
| 10/17/25 @ Douglas | 105 |
| 10/10/25 vs Catalina Foothills | 103 |
| 09/12/25 vs Peoria | 70 |
| 11/08/24 @ Pueblo | 70 |
Sahuaro can attribute much of their success to Julian Perez, who rushed for 148 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 8.2 yards per carry, and Lekie Sika, who rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries. Those 148 rushing yards gave Perez a new career-high.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Sahuaro was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 243 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 178 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Sahuaro didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Omar Bartlett and Mariano Blackwell.
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 Mica Mountain on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Catalina Foothills out of the water with a 56-6 final score. The Thunderbolts have beaten the Falcons the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Falcons has come to flipping the script.
Mica Mountain had a senior duo take command as Colin Axford rushed for 58 yards and a pair of scores on only six carries and Jaidyn Crist rushed for 29 yards and one TD. Nic Regina made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Mica Mountain, racking up 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Riley Carson, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Mica Mountain's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Sahuaro, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 7-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Sahuaro has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 185.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mica Mountain struggles in that department as they've been averaging 151.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Sahuaro was taken down by Mica Mountain 50-0 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
