Northern Arizona has been home to the Division VI (1A) state football title since 2008. That changes this weekend.

The battle between eastern Arizona's Pima High (10-0) and Valley newcomer Joy Christian (10-0) decides a new small school (8-man) champion. Game time is 6 p.m.on Saturday (Nov. 10) at Sunnyslope High in Phoenix.

No. 3 seed Pima, which has eight small school titles in a proud football tradition, pits its running game and defense against Joy Christian's air attack and defense. Pima likes to operate out of tight-run sets; Joy Christian, last year's runner-up and in just its fourth year playing football, airs it out frequently.

Both teams average better than 60 points per game, which hasn 't slowed for No. 4 Joy Christian. The Eagles, under second-year coach Brian Cole, have wins of 74-24 (over defending champ Joseph City) and a 60-24 conquest of Valley Lutheran in last week's semis. A big second half keyed the win last week as Joy Christian pulled away using a 38-7 advantage after intermission to close out Valley Lutheran. 

Joy Christian quarterback Nick Henderson has thrown 43 touchdown passes and one interception with two receivers he particularly likes to target --Trevor Deason and Aaron Martin. That duo has combined for 130-receptions and 35 of the 43 Henderson-TD passes. Two other receivers, Isaiah Goodspeed and Jerardo Samarripas, have another 655 yards and eight TDs between them. 

Pima, also under the tutelage of a second-year coach and former player Jace Hancock, topped Salome in the quarterfinals (60-18) and doubled up Bagdad in the semis (36-17). Pima's offense revolves around running backs Jhett Judd and Clancy Schmidt and quarterback Wyatt Reynolds. Judd scored twice last week and Reynolds and Clancy once each. Pima used a couple long pass completions to aid two scoring drives. The Roughriders, like Joy Christian, used a strong second half to put away its semifinal foe Bagdad. Piima outscored Bagdad 20-7 in the second half.

Pima's last football title came in 2005, oddly enough, the same year Cole guided his former school North Canyon to the 5A-II state title.