GILBERT — With the No. 1 and No. 2-seeded teams going head-to-head at the 4A state championship this Friday at Sun Devil Stadium, football fans couldn’t have asked for a better matchup.

And to have two clubs make it to the finals this fall that were in the 3A conference a season ago is truly remarkable.

Kicking off at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, in Tempe, No. 1 ALA-Gilbert North (11-2, 4-0 4A East Sky) will face off against No. 2 Snowflake (10-3, 2-2 4A East Sky), the two-time defending state champion.

Lobos head coach Kay Solomon said that his club is thrilled to make the title game at the 4A level.

“We took the challenge to heart and we’ve been working hard at it [all season]. We’re just thrilled to be here,” Solomon told a group of reporters in Gilbert at the AZPreps365 Media Day on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

The Lobos have won the last two 3A state titles before moving up this past summer.

Currently, Snowflake is riding a six-game winning streak, including a 23-3 win over Prescott the day after Thanksgiving, and a thrilling 16-13 overtime victory over Canyon Del Oro in the state semifinals Dec. 2.

The Lobos are led by senior quarterback Easton Butler, who has completed 83 of 143 passes for 948 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Jett McCray, a junior running back, led the charge offensively for the ground game, carrying the ball 133 times for 863 yards and seven touchdowns.

But the real story for Snowflake and what’s behind their consistent success is their defense.

Matthew Brimhall, a senior middle linebacker and East Sky region Defensive Player of the Year, led the state in tackles with 202 total, which was good enough for eighth overall in the country, according to MaxPreps.

With defensive lineman Jordan Mowers (112 tackles, 8.5 sacks) and defensive back Bradon Frost (5 interceptions) at Brimhall’s side, Snowflake allowed only 11.07 points per game defensively this season so far.

ALA-Gilbert North head coach Randy Ricedorf stands in front of a few of his players during a press conference at AzPreps365 Media Day on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, in Gilbert. ALA-Gilbert North plays Snowflake for a 4A state football title Friday, Dec. 9, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. (AzPreps365 screenshot)The Lobos will need every bit of that defense and more come Friday against ALA-Gilbert North.

The Eagles (11-2, 4-0 4A East Sky) average 41.9 points per game this season thanks to standout senior quarterback Adam Damante, who completed 271 of 393 passes for 4,484 yards and 56 touchdowns this season.

He was selected as the East Sky region Player of the Year, and has reportedly committed to play football for Northern Arizona University.

Damante’s arm isn’t the only thing leading the Eagles this year. His legs chipped in 48 carries for 484 yards rushing to lead the team, including seven touchdowns.

ALA-Gilbert North head coach Randy Ricedorf, who has built the program from the ground up in only five years, said his club is “honored and excited to represent our community” in the 4A state title.

“We’re excited to play a really good Snowflake team who has won the state championship the last two times,” Ricedorf said. “We have a great group of young men with high character.”

For more information on these two clubs or to purchase tickets to the game, visit AzPreps365.com.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on Twitter @AzPreps365Brian. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.