Mica Mountain Earns Electrifying Back-to-Back State Championships

Video by Kayla Marienau

A game of haymakers was settled in the second half as Southern Arizona raised another 4A Conference golden ball on Friday night.

In just five years of existence, the Mica Mountain Thunderbolts have become back-to-back state champions with a 42-17 victory over top-seeded Arcadia in the 4A Conference State Championship on Friday. The school from Southeast Tucson adds its name to an exclusive list of teams across Arizona to raise the gold ball in back-to-back seasons before making the more than two-hour trip back home from Mountain America Stadium.

In the offseason, legendary Southern Arizona coach, Jay Campos, inherited a state championship-winning program from fellow legendary head football coach Pat Nugent – and they never took their foot off the gas. This Thunderbolt program has done an exquisite job building a football program between Vail and Tucson into 4A powerhouses after just five seasons of football.

The Thunderbolt’s talent was more than obvious after a nine-win season in 2023 that took them to the 4A Conference Semifinal against eventual State Champion, Canyon del Oro. In 2024, they battled to dominate an up-and-coming Arizona College Prep team. Now, they write their name in history as back-to-back champions.

Ranked as the seventh seed in the 2025 4A State Tournament, the Thunderbolts blew past #10 Lake Havasu at home before having to travel on the road to defeat #2 Snowflake and #6 Gila Ridge. They faced an undefeated Arcadia Titans team at Mountain America Stadium for the right to retain their crown.

The senior duo of quarterback Jaidyn Crist and receiver Evan Wheeler was on full display, featuring three touchdown connections and 194 yards on just 4 receptions for Wheeler.

MMHS started the title game with unsettling drives. Arcadia halted the Thunderbolt offense on the game’s opening possession, then the Titans slung a ten-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead. Mica Mountain found the endzone on their second drive when Crist dropped a bomb to Wheeler for a 28-yard touchdown. Momentum fluctuated quickly on the very next play as Arcadia lost hold of the snap, and senior Sergio Raygada returned it to the endzone to take a 14-7 lead.

Last season for MMHS featured a perfect 14-0 record. This year, they tarnished what was Arcadia’s flawless record. Now, for two years in a row, Mica Mountain is responsible for defeating the bracket’s number-one-seeded team. On top of that, the Thunderbolt defense continues its dominant run, only allowing more than 17 points on one occasion over 28 games in the past two seasons. 

The Arcadia Titans made their first visit to a state championship game since 1962. The program showcased what first-year head coach BJ Pasquel has instilled in this program after an impressive 13-1 season, as they look to return to the state title game in 2026.

AIA High School Football Championships continue tonight at 7:00 p.m. with the 5A Conference Championship and Saturday with the 6A Conference Championship at 1:00 p.m. and the Open Division Championship at 6:00 p.m.