Jordan HammThe Mountain Pointe Pride have been flat-out dominant this year. They are the top seed in 6A thanks to a punishing defense, a physical offense and one of the best football minds in the state in head coach Norris Vaughan.
But no matter how good a team is, adversity will hit. After the Pride took a 14-0 lead over 13th-seeded Red Mountain Friday night in the 6A semifinal, the Mountain Lions came storming back and tied the game with a chance to take the lead. Red Mountain was sitting with a first down at the Mountain Pointe five-yard line. They ended the drive at the 15-yard line with no points. The Pride dug their feet and didn’t budge.
And thanks to a timely double-reverse pass to Isaiah Pola-Mao for a touchdown, the Pride escaped with a 21-14 win. They will play in Glendale on November 27th for the 6A state title against the Chandler Wolves.
The Pride delivered one of the worst losses in Chandler’s history this year, beating the Wolves 52-7. Though, the Pride know not to expect a similar game in the finals. They also know at some point in that game, there will be adversity.
Expect them to dig in again.
