It's no surprise to see top-seed Mountain Pointe and No. 2 Chandler playing for the 6A title.

The surprise would be the outcome mimicking their regular-season battle back on Sept. 8 -- a 52-7 Mountain Pointe victory. The level Chandler has played at since that loss and Mountain Pointe's nail-biting semifinal win over Red Mountain clearly have many believing this game wil be close, if not a reversal by Chandler. That makes the matchup all the more intriguing.

The schools have proven over the last four years (2013-16) they are the cream of the big-school crop. In that span they've qualified for the semifinals or better each year. And they've each won a title -- Mountain Pointe in 2013 and Chandler in 2014. No other 6A school can say that.

Mountain Pointe (13-0) is 89-15 the last eight season under coach Norris Vaughan. The Pride have all the tools of a championship team. They run the ball effectively and can throw when needed. Best of all they thrive on defense with many observe believing its the best defense of this decade. Mountain Pointe has allowed only 12 points a game. The defensive standouts are many -- led by safety Isaiah Palo-Mao, and linebackers Hodge and Jacob Olsen, strong safety Kenny Churchwell and nose guard Matthew Palo-Mao. Only Isaiah Palo-Mao and Hodge are seniors.

Mountain Pointe has navigated injures to top running back junior Gary Bragg and starting quarterback senior Noah Grover. Hodge and Delano Salgado have subbed adequately for Bragg. Hodge has rushed for 1,015 yards, 16 TDs and Salgado 730, 6 TDs. Salgado had a team-high 160 in the semifinal win over Red Mountain. Grover returned from his injury against Red Mountain and appeared rusty, completing 3 of 8 passes for 42 yards. Receivers Jaydon Brooks and Isaiah Pola-Mao have turned in big plays as receivers in the passing game all year, none bigger than Brooks pass to Palo-Mao that was the difference in beating Red Mountain.

Chandler (11-2), 60-16 in Shaun Aguano's six seasons at the helm, was 2-2 after the drubbing it took to Mountain Pointe. Since then the Wolves have won nine games in a row and the only game marginally close was a 44-35 victory over Perry. Chandler has outscored the vanquished in that streak, 511-159.

The only team to shutdown Chandler's offense was Mountain Pointe. Running back TJ Green has run roughshod over opponents all year,  more so in the playoffs. In Chandler's three playoff games,  Green has rushed for 451 yards, 7 TDs and averaging 13 yards per carry. He's rushed for 1,853 yards and 30 TDs for the season.

Sophomore quarterback Jacob Conover has unleashed a brilliant season in his first year as starter. Conover has completed 72 percent of his passes totaling 3,264 yards, 27 TDs and three interceptions. He tossed two of those picks against Mountain Pointe. An array of receivers, led by senior Johnny Johnson III (72 receptions for 1,180 yards, 8 TDs) and junior Gunner Romney (55 catches, 1,080 yards, 7 TDs).

The keys to the game: Neutralizing the other team's rushing attack. Chandler must slow Mountain Pointe in that regard. It didn't happen the first time with Mountain Pointe rushing for 362 yards and tossing in 180 through the air. Bragg had half the rushing total so that task now falls to Hodge, Salgado and Co. Mountain Pointte's secondary matches up well with Chandler's receiving corps so dictating passing downs fiigures to be an edge for Mountain Pointe if it keeps Green and Ryan Johnson bottled up.