Noah Fifita keeps stacking up records, and the latest one sends him to the top of Arizona’s all-time passing list.
The former Servite quarterback delivered a sharp night Saturday, going 31 of 34 for 325 yards and four touchdowns in Arizona’s 42-17 win over Northern Illinois. The throw that did it was a 7-yard completion to Isaiah Mizell in the fourth quarter, the one that moved Fifita past Nick Foles for the Wildcats’ career passing mark.
For people who watched him at Servite, it was another reminder of how far a quarterback can go when the polish shows up early and never really leaves.
“Noah was the right QB at the right time for the program - incredibly poised, rocket-arm and 5-star chemistry with T-Mac,” a longtime anonymous Servite supporter, @NotTroyThomas, told High School On SI. “A legend at Credo High.”
@ServiteFootball. I’ve seen the future and the future is Noah Fifita.
Credo class of ‘22 is gonna be a problem. #Credo #Chills
That “T-Mac” connection has followed Fifita for years. Tetairoa McMillan, his longtime teammate, later joined him at Arizona, but their bond was built long before Tucson.
Their final season together at Servite in 2021 was a big one. Fifita and McMillan helped push the Friars to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game, with Servite finishing 10-3.
Along the way, they knocked off national power St. John Bosco 40-21 in the semifinals.
Fifita threw for 2,974 yards and 34 touchdowns that season, while McMillan hauled in 88 catches for 1,302 yards and 18 scores.
And that was only the headline year. Fifita’s Servite career ended with him holding the program record for passing yards (7,273), passing touchdowns (83), total touchdowns (105), passing attempts (796) and completions (499). He was a two-time Trinity League Offensive MVP, a three-time All-Trinity League pick, a two-time All-Orange County selection and a two-time All-CIF honoree.
That background makes what he’s doing at Arizona feel less like a surprise and more like the next chapter in a familiar story.
“We could not be prouder of all that Noah Fifita has accomplished at the University of Arizona,” Servite athletic director Karlie Carlson told High School On SI. “Noah was a game-changer during his time at Servite and in the Trinity League, and he has continued to make that same impact at the collegiate level.”
Fifita arrived in Tucson as a three-star prospect, redshirted in 2022, then got his chance after Jayden de Laura was injured in 2023. He’s turned that opening into one of the most productive quarterback careers in Arizona history.
He had already set the Wildcats’ career touchdown-pass record before Saturday. After the Northern Illinois game, he now has 80 touchdown passes. His 91.2% completion rate also set an Arizona single-game record for quarterbacks with at least 30 completions.
Still, those around him keep coming back to the same point: the numbers are impressive, but they don’t tell the whole story.
“Noah is the epitome of a team-first quarterback,” Servite’s athletic director said. “He is quick to give credit to God, his family, teammates and coaches, and has never been someone who seeks the spotlight for himself.”
Mizell told the Arizona Daily Star that Fifita wasn’t chasing the record during the week and was focused on helping Arizona win. Once the milestone throw landed in Mizell’s hands, the sideline went wild.
NOAH "RECORD BREAKER" FIFITA📺 TNT pic.twitter.com/7Emz2dQxLL
It’s a long way from the first varsity snaps at Servite, but the traits people saw then are the same ones they see now.
“His football career has been marked by consistency, humility and determination,” Servite’s athletic director said. “He has never shied away from a challenge, viewing setbacks not as obstacles, but as opportunities to grow and achieve even greater things.”
Now he has more than 10,000 passing yards at Arizona and stands alone at the top of another record book. For Servite, though, the quarterback breaking records is still the same one they remember.
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