MORENCI — Morenci football doesn’t hide what it wants to do. It lines up, hands the ball off, and dares anyone to stop it. Friday night, Arete Prep couldn’t.
Senior running back Julien Aragon bulldozed his way to 269 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries, powering the Wildcats to a 34–21 win in the first-ever 2A crossover game at Lawson Stadium.
Morenci established control early, scoring twice in the first quarter and leaning on Aragon’s steady legs the rest of the night. Aundre McCauley added a rushing touchdown and two interceptions, while Kiano Torres sealed the win with a late pick — one of three turnovers forced by the Wildcat defense.
Arete Prep hung around behind Rayan Ahmed, who returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and caught another score through the air. But Morenci’s ground game — and the constant push of its offensive line — proved too much down the stretch.
“We played well. Julian had a great night,” said head coach Frankie Gonzalez. “Defensively we need to play better. We did have three interceptions, but we’ve got to tighten things up going forward.”
The victory gave Morenci a strong finish to the regular season and a spot in the playoffs. The Wildcats drew the No. 15 seed in the 2A state bracket and will host No. 18 Tuba City on October 31.
And if Aragon runs like he did Friday, there’s a good chance the Wildcats’ season will stretch into November.
