Drew Caudle, Drake Phillips and Boosters Rally Support for Gila Ridge Hawks

Drew Caudle, senior defensive lineman for Gila Ridge High School, Drake Phillips, senior free safety, and members of the Gila Ridge parent booster club used a Feb. 19, 2026 appearance on "What's Up Yuma?" to lay out how booster-led fundraising and formal nonprofit status have strengthened Hawks athletics in Yuma County. Booster leaders and parents described concrete benefits for football, wrestling, and golf tied to 501(c)(3) organization structures.

"Standing 6’2”, 235 lbs, Drew anchored the Hawks’ defense during the 2025 season with 16 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and over 83 total tackles," the program noted when profiling Caudle, who earned Region Defensive Player of the Year honors and First Team All-Region recognition in the 4A Desert Southwest Conference. The show reported that Caudle has received multiple collegiate offers and that he and Phillips post their highlights on X.

The episode described Drake Phillips as a four-year member of the Hawks program. "Drake Phillips is a senior Free Safety at Gila Ridge High School and a four-year member of the Hawks football program," the broadcast said, and added, "This season, he recorded 85 tackles and 3 interceptions, playing a crucial role in the team’s defensive success." The episode also reiterated that "Drake has also earned multiple collegiate offers and joins us to talk about his growth, preparation, and what’s next after high school football."

Parents and booster-club leaders detailed how formal nonprofit status changed fundraising dynamics for Gila Ridge teams. "Lindy played a key role in establishing multiple booster clubs as 501c3 non-profits, allowing programs like football, wrestling, and golf to secure grants and improve fundraising through tax-deductible donations," the show reported about Lindy Caudle, who was identified on the episode as Drew's mom and a Roll native. The program credited that organizational work with widening access to grants and strengthening school spirit across the district.

Members of the Gila Ridge parent booster club appeared on the episode to discuss specific fundraising activities and community outreach; the episode title listed on platform pages read "What's Up Yuma? Radio - Drew Caudle, Drake Phillips and Parent Booster Club keep Gila Ridge Hawks flying high." The show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, YouTube and Instagram, where an episode caption fragment noted, "What's Up Yuma Radio, today's show featured Drew Caudle and Drake from the Gila Ridge High School Hawks football program, the we sat with Delayna."

The combination of standout defensive production from Caudle and Phillips, plus booster-led organizational gains, positions Gila Ridge programs to pursue grants and tax-deductible giving as they prepare student-athletes for collegiate opportunities.