Pusch Ridge Christian head football coach Kent Middleton is living the dream, and the decades-long wait has been worthwhile.
Last Thursday, Pusch Ridge beat previously undefeated 4A Catalina Foothills 35-0 to win Middleton’s 51st game as head coach. The Canyon del Oro alumnus got to the 50-win milestone in a little over five seasons, going 8-2 in 2020, 8-3 in 2021, 11-2 in 2022, 7-4 in 2023, 13-1 last season and 4-0 so far this year.
“It’s a testament to the players that we’ve had over the years,” Middleton said about winning 50 games. “It’s a testament to the great coaching staff we have, I mean, these assistant coaches are fantastic and do a great job and it’s a testament to our culture and our administration.”
Pusch Ridge Christian head coach Kent Middleton, right, talks with his players after their 34-9 win over Catalina Foothills on Sept. 9, 2022.
Pusch Ridge has become one of the football powers in Southern Arizona, winning a state championship in 2015, but when Middleton took over the program in 2020, the Lions hadn’t had a winning season since 2017.
The Lions didn’t know Middleton had reached the 50-win mark.
“Wow, that’s incredible,” said PRCA senior receiver/linebacker Josiah Jones. “Coach Midds is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had, if not the best coach. Very smart, knows the game well, honestly doesn’t surprise me that he’s gotten that many.
“So I’m proud to be part of that team.”
The Lions have won 16 in a row, including last year’s 3A state championship game. Their last loss was Sept. 6, 2024, to Queen Creek’s Benjamin Franklin High, but they avenged that, beating the Chargers in the state semifinals.
Pusch Ridge junior linebacker/halfback Levi Adcock praised the Lions’ other coaches but said Middleton is the main reason why they’re winning so much.
“Oh, it’s a great, it’s great experience,” Adcock said about playing for Middleton. “He’s a great guy, he’s hard on us, but at the same time, he loves us and he just preaches the gospel and teaches us about God. It’s really just a great experience to be there.”
Pusch Ridge’s head coach Kent Middleton watches his Lions run through warm-up drills before kick off against Catalina Foothills at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, Sept. 14, 2023.
Instead of rebuilding like other state champions often do, the Lions reloaded.
Middleton was unsure what to expect after PRCA returned five starters on offense and five on defense.
“You never know from year to year, you know?” Middleton said. “We knew we had a lot of talent, a lot of young talent ... We’ve got to clean up a lot of stuff — penalties and fumbles and stuff.”
Middleton served 32 years as an assistant football coach at schools like Ironwood Ridge, CDO and Mountain View. He got his chance to lead a program in 2020.
“I love it, I mean, I like everything that involves being a head coach — and I loved being an assistant, too,” Middleton said. “So either way, it’s a lot of fun when you’re around kids this age, players this age, and you see their development, you see their growth and they got such genuine minds.
“It’s fun to see the younger kids and it’s been a blast.”
Pusch Ridge head coach Kent Middleton has a pat on the head for Tyler Drescher (1) after a Lion defensive stand against Blue Ridge in the second quarter of their State 3A playoff game at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy in Tucson on Nov. 3, 2023.
Lifelong love of football
Before getting into football coaching, Middleton became famous in Tucson for a different sport: hockey.
In the ’80s, Middleton captained the Arizona Icecats, when the UA played NCAA teams and packed the Tucson Arena.
“That was a blast,” Middleton said. “That was a special time, we had real good teams, we had real good success and great fan support, and it was just a blast.
“It was a great time back then, I had no doubt about it.”
Middleton’s desire to be a head football coach predates his time on the ice, though.
He used to pretend he was a coach as a kid in his living room.
“I’ve always wanted to be a football coach, even when I was playing hockey and I played hockey for a while,” Middleton said. “Back when I was real young, I used to go to U of A football games and I loved it and I loved everything about the game of football. And so I’ve always wanted to coach football, I used to pretend I was a coach. I’d listen to the radio, listening to U of A games.”
