It’s a rare sight, but the matchup between Scottsdale football powers Saguaro and Chaparral actually lived up to the hype Friday, with the Sabercats escaping with a 31-28 victory.
Hopefully we’ll see these two squads face off again in the state tournament, and hopefully it’s not until the 4A-I title game. As of today, Saguaro was second in power points and Chaparral tied for fourth.
If the Sabercats finish up undefeated - as they should - they’ll undoubtedly be No. 1 at season’s end. If the Firebirds win out as well they shouldn’t finish any lower than third because two teams ahead of them, Cactus and Millennium, face off on Oct. 26.
If that’s the case, the two teams would be on a crash course for the title game, and the estimated 7,000 fans in attendance at last week’s regular season game would be sure to make University of Phoenix Stadium a rocking joint in December.
Chaparral’s toughest test will be Paradise Valley on Oct. 26.
Saguaro cruised past the Trojans in their game, but the Sabercats are built perfectly to stop run-oriented P.V. The Firebirds, on the other hand, might have some trouble containing an effective ground game with their limited experience on the line. Barring big mistakes, Chaparral should still have enough talent to dispatch a talented but young Trojan group.
And let’s hope so. It’d be a shame to see the two best teams in 4A-I face off before the title game.
