OFFENSIVE LINE KEY TO MICA MOUNTAIN’S SURGE
The No. 11 Mica Mountain team that shut down No. 6 Sahuaro and its potent running game in a 21-0 win Friday — clinching the Thunderbolts’ second consecutive 4A Kino title — is much different than the one in mid-September.
Mica Mountain was 2-2 a month into this season, losers of two straight games for the first time since 2021 — the Thunderbolts’ first full varsity season after the Vail school opened in 2020.
The Thunderbolts (8-2, 5-0 4A Kino) lost four straight games in the 2021 season before winning the last five games — the start of a 30-2 stretch that included a 14-0 run last year toward a 4A state championship under legendary former coach Pat Nugent.
The consecutive losses to ALA-West Foothills and Sunnyside on Sept. 12 and 19, respectively, capped a soul-searching three-game road swing for the Thunderbolts.
.@MicaMountainFB coach Jay Campos is once again a region-championship coach, leading the Thunderbolts to a 4A Kino title in his first year as the program’s head coach. He earned many as Sabino’s coach. pic.twitter.com/dr43V1S7GI
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) November 1, 2025
What spurred the change?
“The biggest key for us, offensive line play,” said coach Jay Campos, in his first year returning to the sideline since his last year at Sabino in 2016. “Early on, we had 11 or 12 different combinations of O-line because of injury and different things that came up.
“We’ve been able to solidify our offensive line. I thought we did a good job of giving those guys continuity and confidence. That confidence has allowed us to do some other things, both throwing the ball and running the ball.”
Sahuaro (7-3, 3-2) is known for its running game with a deep stable of backs, which was boosted Friday with the return of leading rusher Isaac Lugo — out since the season opener at Empire after suffering a leg injury.
Mica Mountain’s offensive line, coached by two-time state champion coach Richard Sanchez while at Sunnyside, and running backs Colin Axford and Jeremiah Anderson met the challenge of outproducing the Cougars on the ground.
Axford rushed for 85 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns and Anderson finished with 11 rushes for 66 yards.
Mica Mountain’s quarterback Jaidyn Crist was sacked only once and finished with 23 yards on four carries while also completing 10 of 19 passes for 107 yards with a touchdown.
CAMPOS A REGION CHAMPION AGAIN
Campos, who coached Sabino to seven region championships during his tenure from 2003 to 2016, already has one with Mica Mountain.
The Thunderbolts ran the table with a 5-0 record in the 4A Gila similar to how Campos’ last team at Sabino in 2016 went unbeaten (6-0) in the 3A South.
“I’m really proud of the kids; obviously, we’ve had some adversity this year early on in the season but the kids have done a good job overcoming that,” Campos said. “We just continue to work. Our practices the last several weeks have been amazing.
“It really shows on the field. We’re doing a much better job of executing and playing as a team, paying attention to details.”
DEFENSE SPEAKS AND ITS LOUD AGAIN FOR MICA MOUNTAIN
.@MicaMountainFB defensive coordinator Brett Darling is leading yet another tough defense after his unit had a lot to do with last year’s 14-0 run to a 4A state title. Sahuaro’s potent running game was limited to 40 yards on 21 carries and the Cougars were held to 83 yards in… pic.twitter.com/Rv4OKVUZcg
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) November 1, 2025
Longtime defensive coordinator Brett Darling, the architect for Nugent’s outstanding defenses at Cienega and Mica Mountain, is one of the most vivacious and vociferous assistant coaches on the sidelines in the state.
Never a dull moment with Darling, whose defense plays with similar energy.
In the Thunderbolts’ six-game winning streak after starting 2-2, the defense has allowed only three touchdowns and 20 points overall. That’s only 3.3 points a game. Opponents averaged 6.5 points in Mica Mountain’s 14-0 season a year ago.
“They’re great kids, they love football and they fly to the ball — that’s been the one thing that we hung our hat on and it came out really well for us today because they just swarmed,” Darling said of his defense, anchored by middle linebacker Broden Schmidt, a Division I prospect.
Sahuaro rushed for only 40 yards on 21 carries and had 83 yards of total offense in the loss to the Thunderbolts.
SCHMIDT SHINES AGAIN
.@MicaMountainFB senior linebacker @BSchmidt2026 led a stout defense that shut down Sahuaro’s potent running game in a 21-0 victory to claim the 4A Kino title. Schmidt had a fumble recovery and was in on numerous stops. pic.twitter.com/tYmqBAhoDB
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) November 1, 2025
Schmidt (6-foot-2 and 200 pounds) recovered a fumble and was part of numerous tackles, spearheading the dominance of Mica Mountain’s front seven.
He led the Thunderbolts with 100 tackles with 14 tackles for loss entering the game at Sahuaro.
“We did amazing tonight; Coach Darling had an amazing game plan,” Schmidt said. “We kept watching film all week so we picked up on their tendencies. We practiced that all week and it showed tonight.”
Sahuaro was held to five first downs, one in the first half when the Cougars had four three-and-outs and a lost fumble.
“Since this team is young, we had to get it through our heads that we had to learn,” Schmidt said about Mica Mountain’s surge after the 2-2 start. “It’s us about being a whole team, so it’s not just a single-person sport. It’s all of us coming together and we’ve doing that really well the past six games.”
THE SCORING
After two punts and a missed field goal, Mica Mountain got on the scoreboard on Crist’s 3-yard scoring strike to Bryce Gillmore with 8:39 left in the second quarter.
The Thunderbolts scored on their first possession of the second half, capping a seven-play, 63-yard drive with 6-yard run by Axford with 6:28 left in the third quarter.
Sahuaro made its deepest penetration, to the Mica Mountain 27 but was stopped on a turnover on downs, with 4 seconds left.
Another turnover on downs at the Mica Mountain 35 with 5:09 left led to the Thunderbolts’ last touchdown.
The 65-yard drive that took nine plays ended with Axford’s 9-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds left in the game.
HOT TEAMS DOWN THE STRETCH
Teams with the longest winning streaks with the season reaching Week 11 next Thursday and Friday:
10 games — Desert View (11-game streak dating to last year … 10-0, 6-0 5A Southern)
9 games — Marana (9-1, 6-0 5A Sonoran)
7 games — Tanque Verde (9-2), Pueblo (7-3, 5-0 4A Gila) and Thatcher (9-1, 6-0 3A East).
6 games — Mica Mountain (8-2, 5-0 4A Kino).
5 games — Florence (6-4, 4-2 3A East)
4 games — Buena (7-3, 5-1 5A Sonoran)
WEEK 11
2A STATE PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
No. 9 Tanque Verde 43, No. 24 Tonopah Valley 6
No. 14 Benson 49, No. 19 Globe 6
No. 17 Eloy Santa Cruz Valley 66, No. 16 Glendale Prep 50
BYE: No. 6 Willcox (8-2) hosts No. 11 Goodyear Trivium Prep (8-3) on Friday at 7 p.m.
1A STATE PLAYOFFS
QUARTERFINALS
No. 6 Williams 58, No. 3 St. David 40
No. 2 Bagdad 60, No. 10 Valley Union 0
NON-REGION
3A: No. 1 Benjamin Franklin 35, No. 5 Pusch Ridge 14
5A: No. 10 Scottsdale Cactus Shadows 48, No. 21 Tucson 40
6A No. 26 Desert Vista 61, 5A No. 42Nogales 0
6A SOUTHERN
No. 16 Gilbert Perry 21, No. 11 Salpointe 7
5A SONORAN
No. 31 Casa Grande 41, No. 34 Canyon del Oro 24
No. 5 Marana 47, No. 35 Vista Grande 0
No. 13 Buena 38, No. 41 Ironwood Ridge 32
5A SOUTHERN
No. 2 Desert View 41, No. 19 Flowing Wells 23
No. 18 Mountain View 28, No. 27 Sunnyside 0
No. 20 Cienega 41, No. 16 Maricopa 19
4A KINO
No. 30 Douglas 31, No. 33 Catalina Foothills 28
No. 11 Mica Mountain 21, No. 6 Sahuaro 0
No. 13 Walden Grove 58, No. 54 Amphitheater 6
4A GILA
No. 27 Pueblo 48, No. 38 Empire 0
No. 32 Sahuarita 49, No. 37 Cholla 7
No. 55 Rio Rico 10, No. 48 Rincon/University 0
3A EAST
No. 4 Thatcher 42, No. 17 Coolidge 14
No. 16 Sabino 40, No. 24 Safford 0
No. 13 Florence 46, No. 28 San Tan Foothills 0
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