With the East Region title on the line Snowflake and Blue Ridge met up at Lobo Stadium last Friday night, where Snowflake methodically shut out the Yellowjackets, 28-0. The Lobos scored once in each of the four quarters en route to the regional title.
Following a Blue Ridge fumble that gave the Lobos a short field, Cody Fox scored on a 32-yard run in the first. David Brimhall punched in the conversion and Snowflake led 8-0.
Brimhall scored a touchdown on a three-yard run late in the first half, pushing the margin to 14-0 after the conversion failed.
Another Yellowjacket fumble, this time inside their own 10 yard line, set up Snowflake’s third score of the night when Brimhall carried it in from five yards out. Brimhall then connected with Taden Flake for the two-point conversion, pushing the lead to 22-0 going to the fourth.
Special teams got into the act with five minutes left in the game. Jake Christensen took a Yellowjacket punt and returned it 66 yards for the final points of the night.
Traegon Standerfer threw just six passes in the game, completing four of them for 26 yards. Brimhall was one of two for three yards. Flake had three receptions for 19 total yards. Jace Merrell had a one-yard catch and Fox had a nine-yard reception.
On the ground the Lobos rolled up 180 yards. Brimhall hit the century mark with 104 yards and two scores on 20 carries. Fox ran eight times, picking up 59 yards. Merrell had nine yards on three runs. Brigden Turley gained eight yards on two attempts.
Snowflake’s defense really got the job done setting up the Lobo offense with short fields, thanks to interceptions by Christensen and Sam Ruehle. The Lobos also forced and recovered three fumbles, one each by Christensen, Merrell and Justin White.
With the win the Lobos improved their season mark to 7-3. Snowflake, Blue Ridge and Show Low all ended the regular season with 4-1 East Region records. The Lobos held all the tiebreakers with the other two to win the region crown. For the first time in many years, what it didn’t earn them or any other East region team was a first round home game. Snowflake, Blue Ridge and Show Low will all be on the road on Saturday night, Nov. 4, in the first round of the 3A state playoffs. The seasons of Winslow, Payson and Holbrook all ended last weekend.
Show Low is the highest seeded East Region team, with the Cougars ranked ninth. They will travel to face No. 8 Northwest Christian. Snowflake, seeded 10th, will have a long trip to Yuma to face the seventh seeded Yuma Catholic Shamrocks. Blue Ridge was seeded 11th and will be on the road to face the sixth seeded Gophers in Florence. Barring any first round upsets, it is unlikely that any of the three East Region teams will get to host a second round game if they advance.
