Ironwood Ridge is 4-0 against Sahuaro since September of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks will welcome the Sahuaro Cougars at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Last Friday, everything went Ironwood Ridge's way against Douglas as Ironwood Ridge made off with a 35-9 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Nighthawks.
A big part of Ironwood Ridge's win came down to the chemistry between Jaiden Martinez and his top target Matthew Kroner. Martinez threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 12.2 yards per attempt while Kroner picked up 214 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Kroner torched the secondary when he pulled down a catch that went for 80 yards.
Meanwhile, Sahuaro made easy work of Cholla last Thursday and carried off a 35-14 victory. That looming 35-14 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cougars yet this season.
Sahuaro's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Isaac Lugo, who rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown while picking up 9.1 yards per carry. Lugo's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 136 rushing yards dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Manzo Blackwell, who threw for 140 yards and three touchdowns while completing 84.6% of his passes.
Ironwood Ridge's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Sahuaro, their win bumped their record up to an identical 3-1.
Everything came up roses for Ironwood Ridge against Sahuaro in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 44-7 victory. Does Ironwood Ridge have another victory up their sleeve, or will Sahuaro turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
