Salpointe improved to 3-2 on the year after beating Mica Mountain 55-14 at home Friday night. The Thunderbolts moved to 1-4 with region play coming up next. The initial AIA power-rankings for 4A, 5A and 6A are set to be released on Tuesday and we will be able to get a better picture of what both programs need to do down the stretch.

The Lancers broke out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter with Mica Mountain struggling to move the ball early with an interception (John Martin) and a blocked punt (Dinos Drossos) setting the team back. A 1-yard run from Fredo Sotelo and a 3-yard run from Sotelo was followed by an 8-yard scoring run from Dailan Goodman and an 8-yard scoring pass from Taylor Nagore to Cordell Killingsworth. The Thunderbolts put together an 80-yard scoring drive to open the second quarter with Jayden Thoreson hitting Jack Bradley from 8 yards out to cut the lead down to 28-7.

Dominik Leon came up with an interception one play later but Jaxson Greene picked off a pass a couple plays later to put the Lancers back in business, if only for a moment. Xavior Johnson stepped in front of another Salpointe pass two plays later and he scampered down the sideline for 30 yards to cut the Salpointe lead down to 28-14 with 5:12 left in the half.

That was as close as Mica Mountain would get with Nagore hitting Gage Felix from 25 yards out to put Salpointe up 35-14 at the half. Elias Roberts put the Lancers up 42-14 on a 2-yard run and Sotelo hit Killingsworth from 39 yards out to make it 48-14 with a blocked extra point. Octavio Vidrio picked up another interception for Mica Mountain in the fourth quarter but Salpointe held on downs and Sotelo rushed for his third TD to make it 55-14.

Salpointe will travel to play Red Mountain (3-2) next week and Mica Mountain is slated to host Vail District rival Empire (3-2).