Both having achieved varsity status in 2021, Jayden Thoreson and Mica Mountain football grew up together.
The senior quarterback began playing on varsity his freshman year in 2021, the same season Mica Mountain began playing varsity football.
Mica Mountain opened in 2020, and after playing a couple freshmen/sophomore games, it had six varsity and four JV games in 2021.
“It’s been a grand experience,” Thoreson said. “I mean, I’ve grown a lot throughout the years with all the coaches around me, I’ve grown with all these players around me and I couldn’t have it any other way.”
Mica Mountain’s Jayden Thoreson (2) lunges for first down yardage through a trio of Thunderbirds late in their state 4A playoff game at Mica Mountain High School, Nov. 22, 2024.
The Thunderbolts (12-0) have won 12 in a row overall, 17 in a row at home, five in a row on the road and 28 of their last 30 games. Mica Mountain’s only losses the last couple of seasons were to eventual Class 4A state champion Canyon del Oro twice last year, both on the road.
In the state quarterfinals on Friday, it trailed for the first time all year, 7-0, but then rallied to beat Phoenix Thunderbird 38-14. Thoreson passed for 206 yards, going 8 for 10.
Mica Mountain heads to No. 1 Yuma Catholic for its first road game since Nov. 1 for the 4A semifinals on Friday, Nov. 29. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
“Our kids played well on the road this year and it’s been great,” said Mica Mountain head coach Pat Nugent. “We’ve got a good group of seniors, this senior group has been playing for three basic football years and they’ve got a lot of game experience and Jayden Thoreson was amazing (Friday night) and he earned it.”
Mica Mountain’s run of 28 wins in its last 30 games started on Oct. 18, 2022, when it beat Empire 48-6 to snap a four-game losing streak. It would go on to beat CDO 26-7 to win the 4A Kino championship in its first season with 10 varsity games.
Mica Mountain has 31 seniors, 12 playing their third year of varsity and about four who have lettered all four years.
“Oh, it’s been great seeing our quarterback grow from being a starter at 15 years old to being 18 now and leading our team, leading our offense to the final four,” said Mica Mountain senior tight end/defensive end Jimmy Leon. “It’s been great growing up and playing with him.”
Mica Mountain’s Jayden Thoreson (2) fires to Jimmy Leon (1) over the middle in the third quarter against Thunderbird in the state 4A playoff game at Mica Mountain High School on Nov. 22, 2024.
Leon, the 4A Kino Offensive Player of the Year, is a three-year varsity player.
According to All Sports Tucson, Thoreson’s 6,002 career passing yards ranks him eighth in Southern Arizona history. He is 72 yards behind Marana’s Elijah Joplin, who played from 2020-23.
Thoreson passed for 593 yards at the varsity level as a freshman, 1,695 as a sophomore, 2,304 last year and 1,410 so far this season.
Mica Mountain experienced some growing pains in 2021, going 3-3 in varsity play, including a 56-5 loss to Salpointe Catholic. But by 2022, Thoreson had won 4A Kino Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.
“It was it was a great learning experience,” Thoreson said about playing varsity four years. “I mean, we played Salpointe that year when they went to the state championship and we didn’t play too great, but it was definitely for the better and that’s why we are where we are today.”
His freshman year he had four touchdowns and three interceptions, then it was 20 touchdowns to eight picks in 2022, then 26 TDs and eight interceptions in 2023. This year, he has 24 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions. As a freshman, his quarterback rating was 92.0. This season it is up to 116.5.
Thoreson earned second-team All-4A Kino honors for the second straight season after being first team as a sophomore.
“We’ve blown people out all year long so he played 25 quarters all year out of 10 games and he never played many second halves, he only played two second halves,” Nugent said. “So his numbers don’t respond.
Mica Mountain’s head coach Pat Nugent and Jayden Thoreson discuss the Thunderbolts’ options on a drive in the second quarter against Canyon del Oro at Mica Mountain High School on Oct. 18, 2024.
“He got second team all-region, which was tough to do, but he’s a winner and he’s done nothing but win here at Mica Mountain, and he had a great performance (Friday night),” he added.
Nugent said Thoreson has had an impressive arm his whole high school career and can run more now, but his best attribute is his leadership.
“The No. 1 goal for all quarterbacks is winning football games,” Nugent said. “It’s not about numbers and he’s done nothing but win here and his record is unbelievable.”
Thoreson is 34-9 as a varsity quarterback.
