Morenci and Pima are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2016, but not for long. The Wildcats will square off against the Roughriders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Pima will be up against a hot Morenci team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. The Wildcats blew past Miami 52-0 on Friday. That 52 point margin sets a new team best for the Wildcats this season.
Derick Lytle
| 10/03/25 vs Miami | 2 |
| 09/25/25 @ Benson | 1 |
| 08/22/25 vs Safford | 1 |
| 08/23/24 vs ALA - Ironwood | 1 |
Morenci can attribute much of their success to Julien Aragon, who gained 135 total yards and three touchdowns, and Derick Lytle, who rushed for 86 yards and a pair of scores. The dominant performance also gave Lytle a new career-high in rushing touchdowns (two).
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Morenci was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 354 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 161 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Morenci didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jaymz Guzzo, Aundre Mccauley, and Jacob Bracamonte picked up one apiece. Morenci is undefeated when Guzzo posts one or more interceptions, but 1-2 otherwise.
Meanwhile, Pima never let their opponents score on Friday. They blew past Globe, posting a 42-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Roughriders in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won four in a row.
Pima's win came from a few key players Morenci will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Joe Palmer, who rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. Rooster Alder helped out on the ground, rushing for 130 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Morenci's record is now 5-2. As for Pima, their record now sits at 3-4.
Morenci came up short against Pima in their previous matchup back in September of 2024, falling 20-14. Thankfully for the Wildcats, Jeremiah Martinez (who rushed for 182 yards and a pair of TDs) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
