Gridiron Guide: 'Crazy' student section rocks I-Ridge's stadium
Ironwood Ridge High School’s football stadium with Pusch Ridge in the background at the school in Oro Valley, Ariz., Tuesday, July 14, 2015. Mike Christy / Arizona Daily Star
School: Ironwood Ridge
Name: None, but coach Matt Johnson would like to see that changed at some point to honor Gary Minor, the program’s first coach
Address: 2475 W. Naranja Drive
Opened: 2001
The lowdown: I-Ridge stuck with the basics when building its stadium less than 15 years ago; the simple setup is surrounded in all directions by mountain views. While the stadium might not be much to look at on its own, the trophy case and record board in the nearby gym show off the program’s success. The school recently redid the track around the field and would like to add an artificial turf field in the future.
Don’t miss: The notoriously rowdy Nighthawks Nest is among the best student sections in the state. Fans, sometimes covered in body paint, pack into the stands and wreak havoc for opponents on Friday nights.
Biggest game: There have been many big moments in the program’s short history, but its first postseason victory may be the sweetest. That came in 2006, when I-Ridge took down neighborhood rival Canyon del Oro 20-0 in the first round of the 4A-I state playoffs. The win came just a week after the Nighthawks beat CDO 14-7 on the road. I-Ridge, which snapped a three-game skid in the playoffs with the win, lost the following week to Sabino, the eventual runner-up.
Performance for the ages: Arizona-bound linebacker Jake Fischer rushed for 228 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries to help lead I-Ridge to a 24-17 win over visiting Sunnyside in the 5A-II state quarterfinals in 2008, sending the Nighthawks to the state semifinals for the first time in program history. The victory also earned a degree of revenge against the Blue Devils, who eliminated I-Ridge in the previous season.
Quotable: “Our student section is pretty crazy. Versus CDO, students will line all the way from the parking lot, two or three deep, and when we come in they go nuts. It’s about as fun as you can get for a high school environment.” — Matt Johnson
