Mica Mountain senior linebacker Broden Schmidt’s tackling totals in playoff games in November:
4A Round II – 14 tackles in a 35-0 win over Lake Havasu on Nov. 14
4A Quarterfinals – 13 tackles in a 21-14 win at Snowflake on Nov. 21
4A Semifinals – 12 tackles in a 31-3 win at Yuma Gila Ridge on Nov. 28
That’s 39 tackles for Schmidt, 17 points for the opposition, in three victories. Opponents in Mica Mountain’s nine-game winning streak have totaled only 37 points.
The next highest tackler for the defending 4A state champions in the three November playoff victories was senior defensive back Blake Beltz with 17.
Thank you @ArizonaFBall for having me out! It was a great win yesterday and I had a great conversation with @Josh_Bringuel!
I can’t wait to keep this rolling! @CoachBrennan @Fletcher_UofA @CoachGonz @ronniepalmer33 @RealCoachCarter @jakejo2025 @dakari_monroe21… pic.twitter.com/pMNVK7Cg83— Broden Schmidt (@BSchmidt2026) November 23, 2025
Schmidt will lead the No. 7 Thunderbolts (11-2) into their second consecutive championship game Friday at the Mountain America Stadium in Tempe against No. 1 Phoenix Arcadia (13-0). Mica Mountain has won its last nine games largely because of a defense that has limited opponents to a touchdown or less in 10 of their 13 games.
The 6-foot-2 and 220-pound talent, who was a guest of Arizona when the Wildcats hosted Baylor on Nov. 22, leads Mica Mountain with 145 tackles. Fellow senior linebacker Ben Weinzinger is next with 75 tackles.
For his performance in November — which was essential to Mica Mountain steamrolling its way to another state championship game — Schmidt is the Jet Sports Training Male Athlete of the Month.
2025 MALE ATHLETE OF THE MONTH HONORS
January 2025: Desert View soccer player Jose Galaz
February 2025: Desert Christian basketball player Tyson Dobbins
March 2025: Catalina Foothills volleyball player Jacob Martinez
April 2025: Canyon del Oro baseball player Francisco Rivero
May 2025: Salpointe baseball player Colton Raetzman
June 2025: Sabino track runner Milo Mandolini
July 2025: Tucson Turf Elite standout Emeron Bourguet
August 2025: Tucson High baseball alum Juan Hernandez
September 2025: Catalina Foothills senior golfer Chase Cesarek
October 2025: Pima College soccer player Leo Gutierrez
November 2025: Mica Mountain linebacker Broden Schmidt
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator five years ago and is presently a special education teacher at Gallego Fine Arts Intermediate in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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