The Basha high school football team doesn’t just have a championship win, but it has a score to settle.

The xx, who play the Liberty Lions for the AIA Open Division title Saturday at Mountain America Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University, have lost two straight games to Liberty, including a season-ending 38-20 loss in the state playoffs two years ago.

Game time is set for 6 p.m. local time.

This season the Bears have outscored opponents 475-226 including a wild 40-35 semifinal win over ALA-Queen Creek thanks in part to 6-foot, 185-pound junior quarterback Broderick Vehrs who threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns. He’s had a terrific junior campaign with 191 completions in 260 attempts (74%) with 25 touchdowns and just one interceptions. He spreads the ball beautifully to five different receivers, led by Arizona-signee Gio Richardson (53 catches, 929 yards, eight touchdowns). Sophomore running back Noah Roberts has already come into his on with 1,042 rushing yards and 19 TDs. Defensively, junior linebacker Eli Cramer-Cronin is one of the state leaders in tackles with 169 while sophomore Marc Duerson III has 106. Edge rusher Bleu Dantzler (Oregon State signee) and OL Samuel Garcia (New Mexico State) are other top recruits.

Offensive tackle Nick Spence (6-6, 280), a Minnesota signee, is Liberty’s top senior recruit along with Colorado State-bound defensive lineman Caden Branston, while linebacker Hudson Dunn and safety Zeth Thues, an ASU commit, are top junior recruits. Senior QB Hayden Fletcher has thrown for more the 3,000 yards and 32 touchdowns, 11 of them going to favorite target sophomore Braxton Huynh (60 catches, 1,032 yards). The Lions run by committee, however near the goal line they give it to Dominic Lombardo (18 touchdowns).

Liberty has won eight straight, with their last competitive game being a 32-29 win over Pinnacle on Oct. 11. Likewise Basha has won eight straight, losing a 31-28 game to California power Mission Viejo.

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