It took overtime, but Canyon View closed the book on the definitive rivalry of the first two years of 5A flag football Wednesday night.
Now this record setting squad must commit a completely new book to memory to take home the only thing that has eluded them: a state title.
Top seed Phoenix Mountain Pointe (15-0) was one of the better 6A teams in 2023 and has not lost a 5A game yet. The Pride will get their toughest challenge from #2 Canyon View (14-1) in the 5A final at 3 p.m. Nov. 23 at Chandler High School.
"Having played in two basketball state title games, the feeling before the game is very similar," junior rush end Jaila Flowers stated in a Saturday Twitter interview. "Although I do feel calmer before this game than basketball, I feel the team and I are very prepared going into this game."
Other than close wins against Campo Verde, there are not many data points for these two teams to point to.
"This will be an absolutely fresh take for this championship. I don't think we even have that many common opponents so we can't even draw from somebody else's experience," Canyon View coach Michael Beal said. "There's no talk of focus or preparation this year."
Canyon View and Campo Verde have seen enough of each other for a while. The Jaguars won 35-0 in the regular season last year but saw how much the Coyotes improved when Campo Verde pulled a 14-13 upset in last year's 5A title game.
The Jaguars won the final regular season game this year 27-14 in Gilbert. But everyone on the team knew the semifinal rematch Wednesday would be tougher.
It was. Campo Verde erased a 10-0 halftime deficit and blocked senior Cassidy Siegel's 20-yard field goal attempt with 24 seconds left to force overtime.
"If you had been in our huddle, you would have heard me say, 'We are going to get their very best.' We knew it," Beal said. "We are going to get their very best rush, coverage and plays."
Campo Verde began sending two pass rushers on almost every play to force senior quarterback Katelyn Jewell to throw shorter and quicker.
Jewell said the response was to bring in an extra blocker, either junior Liz Wetherington or junior Kaylani Tucker. That made a big impact against the pressure of junior Payton Davis.
"I don't know her name, but that No. 34 is a menace. Good for her," Beal said.
Campo Verde (10-5) got the ball first in overtime. A roughing the passer penalty on third down against Martha Kaborloomene for missing a deflection and smacking junior quarterback Isabella Pap on the head on the follow through gave the Coyotes a new set of downs.
After an incompletion, Flowers made the play of the night. She pulled Pap's flag right before the quarterback with the quick release could throw, backing up the Coyotes to the 12.
Campo Verde junior Veronika Hutchings kicked a 27-yard field goal for a 13-10 lead.
"I have learned to be consistent, patient and stay disciplined with my rush ... that was my only sack of the game, but it happened at a critical time," Flowers stated. "The feeling when I got this sack was amazing. I knew that our offense could finish the game."
She was right, though some drama preceded the winning touchdown. Jewell connected with senior Makenzie Pope on second down for eight years, down to the two.
But a false start on Pope moved the Jaguars back to the 7.
On third down Wetherington snagged the winning seven-yard touchdown pass from Jewell to kick off a wild celebration of the 16-13 win.
"I was just running my route and I looked and it was there. I said it was mine. The feeling was not real. I have to be dreaming. I was in so much shock," Weatherington said.
She was the second or third option on the play - and when the ball was in the air.
"That play is an audible on the line. That's how we scored the first time at their house. We knew that was it. Liz went up and got it. It actually wasn't for her," Jewell said.
This time, when Canyon View plays in the state title game, it is a veteran group that has seen almost every scenario.
"We saw a lot of similarities in this game to our semifinal at Millennium last year, going into overtime," Jewell said. "The veterans knew, and we have a lot more football IQ this year in this situation."
Richard Smith Senior News Editor | Glendale & West Valley Preps
Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.
An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.
For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.
As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.
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