The 11-1 Snowflake Lobos are the only area team remaining in the state football playoffs. They will meet eighth seeded Northwest Christian (10-2) at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Arcadia High School in the semifinal round of the Division IV state tournament.
The fifth seeded Lobos earned their sort with a quality road win in Goodyear against the fourth seeded Estrella Foothills Wolves last week. The Crusaders pulled off an even bigger upset with a 48-0 shutout win over top ranked Yuma Catholic in Yuma.
These teams have two common opponents this season, with each having beaten Dysart by similar margins. Northwest Christian’s only losses were to No. 1 Yuma Catholic, which it avenged last week, and a 23-14 defeat at the hands of Estrella Foothills, which the Lobos beat last week 26-7.
The Crusaders will have a ton of confidence coming into this game coming off the heels of their huge upset last week. Will that confidence be enough for them to get past a very good Snowflake team, which has only given up at least two touchdowns in just two of their 12 games thus far? As long as they play up to their potential, the Lobos appear headed for a return trip to the state title game, where they came up just short last season.
No. 3 Pusch Ridge and No. 7 Lake Havasu meet up in the afternoon semifinal game on Saturday at Arcadia. They come in with identical 11-1 records, but Pusch Ridge’s win over a very good Show Low team has to be enough to make it the favorite to advance to the title game.
