All 3A East gridiron finalists

The football rich 3A East Region again is the home of the two teams meeting for the Arizona 3A Conference Football Championship.

The Blue Ridge Yellowjackets and the Show Low Cougars will meet for the second time this season on Friday to determine the championship. The two powers have met for a state championship before and while not as renowned as Blue Ridge, Show Low has fared very well in those important meetings.

Blue Ridge earned its spot in the finals with a 53-7 trouncing of the Florence Gophers, the Cinderella team of the tournament in 2009. Show Low avenged an early season loss with a surprisingly decisive 31-7 win over the Fountain Hills Falcons. The Falcons had been seeded at the top of the power point system with Blue Ridge.

Fountain Hill's most difficult win in the tournament was a 23-20 last second victory over the Snowflake Lobos. The Lobos were the only 3A East team to lose to a non-regional opponent in the tournament. The other tournament team from the 3A East Region was Round Valley which lost to Blue Ridge.

Blue Ridge defeated Show Low earlier this season 34-20 but the Cougars have beaten the Yellowjackets before for a state title after having lost to them in the regular season. The two will meet at NAU in Flagstaff on Friday for the state crown.

The 3A North Region only had Winslow post a win in the tournament but the Bulldogs fell 35-28 to Show Low, to date the closest game the Cougars have had in tournament play. The 3A North is not particularly strong in football, but don't be surprised if that region is not as dominant in their best sport, basketball, as the 3A East was in football.

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