The top-ranked Wolves jump on Saguaro early but hold on late in thrilling inaugural Open title victory; Jonah Guevara accounts for 230 yards and three scores in thrilling 6A instant classic.
Video: Bijan Robinson highlights Salpointe Catholic back looks to carry production into the postseason.
The long awaited battle between the Arizona classes went to top-ranked
Chandler (Ariz.).
But as expected, it went right down to the wire.
The Wolves jumped to a 21-0 first-quarter lead on a
Ramone Robinson touchdown pass and run, plus a pick-6 from
Brandon Buckner,
and then held off a big second-half rally en route to a 42-35 victory
over Saguaro in the first Arizona Open Division football champion
Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium, home of Arizona State.
Chandler
finished 13-0 and extended its overall win streak to 26. Saguaro
(11-2), however, it didn't go down without a fight. The Sabercats
came in on a 10-game win streak kept battling back, starting with a
19-yard touchdown run by
Kelee Ringo.
Chandler's
Daveon Hunter,
who earlier in the game broke off a 74-yard touchdown run, all but
sealed it, capping off a long drive with a 4-yard TD jaunt to go up
42-28 with three minutes to go.
Shaffer added a 1-yard touchdown run in the final seconds for Saguaro, but Chandler held on for the hard-fought victory.
Guevara fired touchdown passes of 40 and 69 yards and scored on a 10-yard run the first play into overtime to give Liberty a 34-28 lead. But the Lions missed the extra point, opening the door for a Red Mountain comeback win.
Three years netted seven yards and and fourth down, Red Mountain's quarterback
Hyrum Boren was intercepted in the end zone by Williams, setting off a wild celebration.
It was Liberty's first championship in its 14-years while Red Mountain (14-2), the top seed, was after its third state crown but first since 2001.
Bowen was otherwise brilliant, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He led a last minute drive to get the game into overtime, first throwing a 53-yard touchdown pass to
Jared Wilson to close to within 28-26 and then threading the needle on a two-point conversion throw to
George Ramirez. But it wasn't enough.
In other championship games, American Leadership Academy beat Benjamin Franklin 24-6 last weekend to capture Arizona's Class 3A high school football state championship.
The Class 2A state championship game between Round Valley and Phoenix Christian was originally scheduled to be played last weekend but a snowstorm pushed the contest to Friday.
In Class 1A, Williams beat Superior 35-20 for the state title back on Nov. 16.
Champions in 2018 included Chandler (6A), Centennial (5A), Saguaro (4A), Northwest Christian (3A), Thatcher (2A) and Superior (1A).
Arizona Open Division Full bracket can be found here - 2019 AIA State Football Championships Open Division
