Florence hasn't had much luck against Thatcher recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Gophers will head out to square off against the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Florence's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They breezed past San Tan Foothills to the tune of 46-0. The Gophers have beaten the Sabercats the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Sabercats has come to flipping the script.
Brody Ramirez was a one-man wrecking crew as he threw for 216 yards and three TDs on only 11 passes.
Darrius Samuels
| 10/17/25 vs Sabino | 9 |
| 09/05/25 @ ALA - Ironwood | 7 |
| 09/26/25 vs Coolidge | 6 |
| 10/31/25 @ San Tan Foothills | 5 |
| 09/12/25 vs Thatcher | 5 |
| + 5 more games |
Florence didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Wyatt Stenson led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. Darrius Samuels also made five total tackles, which is notable because Florence is 4-1 when he posts at least four total tackles, but 2-3 otherwise. Zayden Cundiff was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 18 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Thatcher humbled Coolidge with a 42-14 victory.
Florence better keep an eye on Ryan Jones. He was instrumental in Thatcher's win, rushing for 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine carries. Those 120 rushing yards gave Jones a new career-high. Thatcher also got help from Dylan Riney, who showed off his sure hands for 93 receiving yards.
Thatcher didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Coolidge to a completion percentage of just 41.9%. The team can thank Josh Jones for the heroic effort on defense: he. Thatcher hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.41 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Florence's record is now 6-4. As for Thatcher, their record now sits at 9-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Florence has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 168 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Thatcher struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 212.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Florence couldn't quite finish off Thatcher in their previous meeting back in September and fell 21-18. Can the Gophers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
