THATCHER, Ariz. — Thatcher jumped out early and never looked back, grinding out 298 rushing yards and turning away multiple red-zone chances to beat Pusch Ridge Christian Academy 28-14 on Friday night and snap the Lions’ 17-game winning streak.
The Eagles (4-1) scored in every quarter, opening with Chad Johnson’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Jones midway through the first. Jackson Bryce pushed the lead to 14-0 with an 8-yard run just before halftime, and Johnson broke loose for a 12-yard scoring run late in the third to make it 21-0.
Pusch Ridge (5-1), which lost quarterback MJ Buckner to an injury on the first play, found a spark when Race Pinneo capped a drive with a 2-yard keeper with 35 seconds left in the third. Thatcher answered quickly in the fourth as Smith Mangum sprinted 33 yards for a touchdown. Dominic Painter immediately returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a score, but the Lions never closed the gap.
Johnson went 6 of 11 passing for 59 yards and a touchdown and rushed seven times for 53 yards and another score for Thatcher. Jones carried 10 times for 61 yards and caught two passes for 33 yards and a touchdown. Bryce added 46 yards and a score on 12 carries, and Mangum piled up 70 yards and a touchdown on six rushes.
Pinneo finished 15 of 28 for 186 yards with an interception and fumble for Pusch Ridge. He also ran 10 times for 37 yards and a score. Painter hauled in five receptions for 93 yards to lead the Lions, who were held to just 60 rushing yards.
Thatcher’s defense made the difference, turning back Pusch Ridge drives inside the 20 on multiple occasions, including a missed 36-yard field goal in the second quarter and a fourth-down stop at the Eagle 13. The win marked Thatcher’s eighth victory in the last 11 meetings with Pusch Ridge — and its most significant yet, ending the Lions’ unbeaten run that had stretched back to Sept. 6, 2024.
Thatcher will host cross-town rival Safford next Friday night at Eastern Arizona College.
