Two dominant backs in Walker Higbee and Shawn Hinchcliff are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. After each having a week off, the Crismon Rattlers and the ALA - Ironwood Warriors will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Crismon is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 26.2 points per game this season.
Crismon took a loss when they played away from home back in September, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Friday. They claimed a resounding 40-6 win over ALA - Mesa North. With the Rattlers ahead 34-6 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Rigley Kollett
| 09/26/25 vs ALA - Mesa North | 81 |
| 08/29/25 @ Eastmark | 12 |
| 09/12/25 @ Blue Ridge | 1 |
| 09/05/25 vs Pusch Ridge Christian Academy | 1 |
Crismon's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gabriel Velarde, who rushed for 99 yards and one touchdown on only six carries. Velarde's longest rush was for an impressive 52 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Crismon also got a significant boost from Rigley Kollett, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 81 yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Crismon was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 315 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
Meanwhile, ALA - Ironwood played a tough contest last Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against Gilbert Christian, falling 43-17. The last quarter was a mere formality, since the game's final score was reached by the end of the third quarter.
Most of the squad's points came courtesy of special teams, who contributed 11 in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Nehemiah Armstrong, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
The win got Crismon back to even at 3-3. As for ALA - Ironwood, their loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 2-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Crismon has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 157 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like ALA - Ironwood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 152.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Crismon might still be hurting after the 44-21 defeat they got from ALA - Ironwood in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Can the Rattlers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
