The Mica Mountain Thunderbolts will head out to challenge the Sahuaro Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Mica Mountain sitting on five straight wins and Sahuaro on three.
Mica Mountain is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Catalina Foothills 56-6 on Friday. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Thunderbolts had established a 36-point advantage.
Mica Mountain had a senior duo take command as Colin Axford rushed for 58 yards and a pair of TDs on only six carries and Jaidyn Crist rushed for 29 yards and one score. Nic Regina made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Mica Mountain didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Catalina Foothills to a completion percentage of just 48%. The Thunderbolts hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.22 or higher in 11 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
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.
Meanwhile, while Sahuaro put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Amphitheater. The Cougars simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Panthers 42-0. That looming 42-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cougars yet this season.
Mica Mountain better focus on containing Julian Perez and Lekie Sika as the pair were huge in Sahuaro's win. Perez rushed for 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 8.2 yards per carry, while Sika rushed for 89 yards and two TDs on only 11 carries. Those 148 rushing yards gave Perez a new career-high.
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.
Mica Mountain's record is now 7-2. As for Sahuaro, their record now sits at an identical 7-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Mica Mountain has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 151.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Sahuaro struggles in that department as they've been averaging 185.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Mica Mountain against Sahuaro in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 50-0 victory. Do the Thunderbolts have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
