The Willcox Cowboys will face off against the Benson Bobcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Willcox is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last six games.
On Friday, Willcox didn't have too much trouble with Santa Cruz Valley as they won 42-23. The Cowboys pushed the score to 28-7 by the end of the third, a deficit the Dust Devils cut but never quite recovered from.
Kaleb Cooke
| 10/10/25 @ Santa Cruz Valley | 263 |
| 10/03/25 vs Desert Christian | 162 |
| 09/26/25 vs Scottsdale Preparatory Academy | 173 |
| 09/19/25 vs Tombstone | 56 |
| 09/12/25 @ Pima | 14 |
| + 3 more games |
Kaleb Cooke was his usual excellent self, rushing for 263 yards and three TDs on only 11 carries, while also picking up 32 receiving yards and one score. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 103.1 rushing yards per game. Asher Ward was another key back, rushing for 127 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Willcox was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 421 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 246 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
Willcox didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Cooke and Da'Marion Jackson. What's more, he's the contest marked his third straight with at least 162. Willcox got some further help from Ismael Cuevas: he made 15 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Benson). They claimed a resounding 67-7 win over Desert Christian. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Bobcats with their most commanding win of the season.
Benson's win came from a few key players Willcox will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Dawson Judd, who threw for 201 yards and four TDs on only 19 passes, and also punched in one score on the ground. His passing game has become a key predictor of Benson's success: the team is 4-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Rene Lorta, who rushed for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Benson's victory bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Willcox, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.
Willcox strolled past Benson in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 by a score of 39-21. Do the Cowboys have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bobcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
