THATCHER — Thatcher’s road through the Class 3A state playoffs begins Friday night against the same team the Eagles saw when the season began nearly three months ago. No. 3 Thatcher hosts No. 14 ALA-Ironwood at Eastern Arizona College, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Eagles enter the postseason 8-2 and riding a five-game winning streak, while ALA-Ironwood comes in at 5-5. Thatcher won the first meeting 33-6 on Aug. 20 in Queen Creek, rushing for 288 yards and taking a 26-0 lead into halftime.
For Thatcher head coach Dan Jones, Friday’s rematch is about more than simply trying to beat the same opponent twice.
“We are excited to see how much we’ve grown since week 1,” Jones said.
That first meeting came at a very different point in Thatcher’s season. The Eagles were replacing a large senior class and breaking in a number of players who had limited varsity experience. Nearly three months later, Thatcher has developed into one of the top teams in 3A, finishing the regular season No. 3 in the AIA rankings.
Thatcher’s only losses came against top-seeded Benjamin Franklin and No. 5 Pusch Ridge. Since the loss to Pusch Ridge, the Eagles have won five straight, closing the regular season with a 62-13 victory over Coolidge.
The running game continues to drive the Thatcher offense. The Eagles are averaging more than 300 rushing yards per game, led by senior Tufden Taylor, but Thatcher has developed several other options in the backfield as the season has progressed. Against Coolidge, Taylor rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns while Josh Jones added 213 yards and another score.
That depth is one of the biggest differences between the Thatcher team ALA-Ironwood saw in August and the one it will see Friday night.
ALA-Ironwood has changed since the opener as well. The Warriors started the season 0-2 after losses to Thatcher and Pusch Ridge but responded with three straight wins over Florence, ALA-Vistancia and Apache Junction. They later added victories over Crismon and Seton Catholic to earn their way into the postseason.
The Warriors have also faced one of the more difficult schedules in 3A. In addition to Thatcher and Pusch Ridge, ALA-Ironwood played Gilbert Christian, Benjamin Franklin, Crismon and Valley Christian, all teams that reached the 3A playoffs. ALA-Ironwood closed the regular season with a 20-8 loss to Valley Christian.
Running back Frankie Olmos has been the centerpiece of the ALA-Ironwood offense, averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game. The Warriors average roughly 173 yards per game on the ground, meaning Friday could feature two teams determined to establish the run early.
The matchup is the third between Thatcher and ALA-Ironwood in the last two seasons. Thatcher won 41-29 at Eastern Arizona College to open the 2025 season before winning 33-6 at ALA-Ironwood this August. Friday will be the first postseason meeting between the two programs.
It will not, however, be the first postseason meeting between Jones and ALA-Ironwood head coach Myron Blueford.
In 2020, Blueford was the head coach at Arizona College Prep when his fifth-seeded Knights hosted No. 12 Thatcher in the 3A conference play-in round. Jones was in his first season as Thatcher’s head coach, and the Eagles went on the road and pulled out a 25-22 victory to advance.
Six years later, the roles have flipped. Jones now has the higher-seeded team playing at home, while Blueford brings the No. 14 seed to Thatcher looking to produce the upset.
The winner advances to the state quarterfinals and will face the winner of No. 11 Page and No. 6 Valley Christian on Nov. 13.
For Thatcher, though, Friday provides a more immediate measuring stick. The Eagles already know what they looked like against ALA-Ironwood in Week 1. Now they get to see what nearly an entire season of growth looks like against the same opponent.
Fans can follow the game for free Friday night on KATO Sports on YouTube. The broadcast begins with the Open Loop Energy Pregame Show at 6:45 p.m., followed by kickoff at 7. Fans can listen free on KATO 1230 AM or watch the live video stream free on the KATO Sports YouTube Channel. The broadcast is presented by Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center.
