Neither of the team’s in Friday’s 5A state title game Friday night even made the conference playoffs a year ago.

There’s a fairly major caveat to that statement. Desert Mountain did not get a shot for the conference title last year (or in 2023 for that matter) because it was the sixth highest ranked team in the state and qualified for the Open Division.

But Canyon View arrives at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe as a young program that was completely off the 5A radar until late summer. The Jaguars finished last year 3-7 and had never hosted a playoff game, much less won one.

This almost completely new coaching staff and more mature group of players gelled quickly. Before they took an official snap this Waddell squad believed it could play for a state title, history and a rough 7-on-7 t

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