Josiah Thornwell scores four touchdowns in 42-13 Mica Mountain 4A title victory
TEMPE — They’re not the first team in the state to win it so quickly but Mica Mountain is the first from Southern Arizona.
The Thunderbolts, in just their fourth season playing high school football at the varsity level, climbed all the way up the Mountain Friday night at Mountain Financial Stadium, beating AZ College Prep 42-13 to win the Conference 4A state championship.
Senior Josiah “Jo Jo” Thornwell ran for 182 yards (on 19 carries) and four touchdowns. Thornwell scored on runs of 1, 7, 2 and 24 yards.
Quarterback Jayden Thoreson completed 13-of-17 passes for 183 yards and a 53-yard touchdown to Riley Carson. He also ran for a touchdown.
Tight end Jimmy Leon had five catches for 70 yards and helped lead a defense that came up with a big 4th down stop of the Knights from the three-yard line in the 2nd quarter.
Queen Creek Casteel won the Conference 3A state championship in 2017 in just their 2nd season. Eastmark, also in Queen Creek, won the 2022 3A title in their 3rd varsity campaign.
Both Mica Mountain and AZ College Prep (12-2) were playing in their first state championship games.
It’s the 1st gold football for Thunderbolts head coach Pat Nugent. It comes in his 22nd season. He had previously reached a state title game with Canyon del Oro in 2007 (Lost 23-21 to Scottsdale Saguaro) and has also coached at Flowing Wells and Cienega.
For the second straight year, Southern Arizona crowned a trifecta of state champions. Hayden repeated in Conference 1A (8-man), Pusch Ridge Christian won the 3A crown following South Region rival Sabino’s title in 2023 and Mica Mountain followed suit in 4A after rival Canyon del Oro won it all last season.
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Brittany Bowyer contributed to this story.
