Although only a sophomore playing his first full varsity season, defensive end Jack Andrews is as responsible as anyone for Mica Mountain starting 6-0 in defense of their two-time 4A state championships.
Andrews sets the tone for the Thunderbolts’ stringent defense, leading Southern Arizona and ranking fifth in the state with 9.5 sacks.
The prevailing thought entering the season was Mica Mountain potentially struggling on defense after defensive coordinator Brett Darling resigned and captain linebacker Broden Schmidt graduated and headed to New Mexico to play for the Lobos.
The Thunderbolts, on a 16-game winning streak, continue to thrive under defensive coordinator Diego Rivas, who was the cornerbacks coach last season under Jay Campos.
An important reason why Mica Mountain has established an identity on defense is because of Andrews’ work ethic in and out of the classroom and his skill level that is on the rise with two more varsity seasons remaining after this one.
Andrews’ 11 tackles for loss leads the Thunderbolts and is one of the highest tallies in the state. Fellow defensive end Roman Leon, also a sophomore, is second on the team with seven tackles for loss (five of them sacks).
Given how he has spearheaded Mica Mountain to remain one of the most dominant programs in the state, Andrews is deservedly the Jet Sports Training Male Athlete of the Month for September.
2026 MALE ATHLETE OF THE MONTH HONORS
January 2026: Sahuaro basketball player Cisco Llamas
February 2026: Sahuarita wrestler Marcus Killgore
March 2026: Canyon del Oro baseball player Regen Mazura
April 2026: Cienega volleyball player Caiden Mott
May 2026: Ironwood Ridge track and field athlete Jett Merrill
June 2026: Pima Community College infielder Aciel Guillen
July 2026: Post 132 Sunnyside Crunch infielder Pedro Lopez
August 2026: Marana inspirational receiver Sean Roebuck Jr.
September 2026: Mica Mountain sophomore defensive end Jack Andrews
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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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