Air Academy is 0-5 against Palmer Ridge since October of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Kadets will welcome the Bears at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Air Academy sitting on three straight wins and Palmer Ridge on five.
Air Academy is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Sierra 43-6. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 22-0.
Cade Ballard
| 09/26/25 vs Sierra | 2 |
| 09/18/25 @ Standley Lake | 1 |
| 09/27/24 @ Sierra | 2 |
Air Academy's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cade Ballard, who threw for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine passes, and also rushed for 42 yards and one score. What's more, Ballard posted two passing touchdowns, the most he's had since back in September of 2024. Another back making a difference was Max Schlichter, who rushed for 65 yards and a pair of TDs.
Meanwhile, Palmer Ridge and Mesa Ridge faced off in a Battle of the Bears on Friday. The Bears claimed a resounding 35-7 win over the Grizzlies. Fans of the Bears have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.
Palmer Ridge had a senior duo take command as Jackson Mabe rushed for 103 yards and two scores and Cole Harris rushed for 74 yards and one touchdown. Zak Crisler got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Palmer Ridge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 229 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 152 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Palmer Ridge didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Michael Toth and Crisler. Crisler got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Air Academy now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Palmer Ridge, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
Air Academy took a serious blow against Palmer Ridge in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 46-14. Thankfully for the Kadets, Avier Elvira (who rushed for 169 yards and three TDs on only 14 carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
