Breaking down Arizona high school football 6A championship between Highland and Pinnacle
The headliner Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium will be the Open Division championship game between Saguaro and Basha. But don’t forget about the 6A championship at 1 p.m. The Republic breaks down the matchup:
No. 2 Highland vs. No. 4 Pinnacle
Before the season, not many expected Highland to repeat as 6A champions. Last year, this was a high-powered offense that averaged 27.1 points per game against one of the toughest schedules in the state. The reason for that success largely came down to senior quarterback Gage Dayley and his classmates. The Hawks’ top rusher and top three receivers were all seniors.
In their place, Highland coach Brock Farrell has built this year’s group around a suffocating defense. The Hawks are allowing just 11.9 points per game despite another challenging schedule. Back in September, they held Hamilton to 10 points. The star of the unit is senior defensive end Cooper Scott, who has 17 sacks and 19 tackles for loss in 13 games. And, with the possible exception of the Hamilton game, their most impressive performance came six weeks ago, when they shut out this same Pinnacle team, 25-0.
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For Pinnacle, that loss changed expectations. The Pioneers spent the first seven weeks of the season bound for the Open. Then, they lost three straight, to Highland, Saguaro and Centennial. Not only was the Open out of the question, but they became an underdog entering the 6A playoffs.
But like Highland, Pinnacle has proven expectations don’t always turn into reality. After rolling Valley Vista and knocking off No. 5 seed Queen Creek, they went on the road to No. 1 seed Casteel and came away with a 49-42 win. The path to that win was a familiar one — get the ball in star tight end Duce Robinson’s hands and let him cook. Robinson finished the night with 211 yards and four touchdowns.
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On Saturday, Robinson could again be the key. In Pinnacle’s wins, he’s averaging 132.3 yards per game. Successful opponents, though, have kept the ball out of his hands. In Pinnacle’s losses, he’s averaging 62 yards per game.
Highland has succeeded in that mission once. Can they do it again?
Prediction: Highland 24, Pinnacle 14
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona high school football 6A championship: Highland vs. Pinnacle
