The #20 Longhorns of Payson travel to Blue Ridge to take on the #11 Yellowjackets. Watch by clicking the image below:
This is the final game of the regular season and the Yellowjackets will be fighting to improve their ranking to determine their position in the State Tournament, which begins next week. They also find themselves fighting for a chance at a region title. If they win tonight and Snowflake loses to Winslow, Blue Ridge will be the 3A East Region Champion. This fortuitous opportunity for the Yellowjackets is possible because Snowflake’s game against Holbrook was canceled, giving Blue Ridge more region games, and the potential for a higher region win percentage.
While it is unlikely that Snowflake will lose to Winslow tonight, the possibility does exist – making this game a lot more interesting. The Longhorns, who are 4-5 this season, have struggled against 3A East Region opponents. They were 4-2 heading into October, but have lost their last 3 games to Snowflake, Show Low, and Winslow, respectively. Despite this three-game slide, the Longhorns could give the Yellowjackets trouble if they are looking ahead to the playoffs, and are not focused on tonight’s contest.