Some rivalries are instantly born and some take time.

In the case of Scottsdale Christian and Scottsdale Prep, it's somewhere in between, but that can change Saturday, as the schools square off to decide the 2A state soccer title. The match begins at 10am at Mountain Pointe High School.

"This is huge for both schools and both soccer programs," Scottsdale Christian coach Mike Philipp said earier this week. "This would be the first soccer title in school history, and the same for (Scottsdale Prep)." 

The Scottsdale Christian boys reached the championship game in 1999, but the match officially ended in a tie with Cactus Shadows. Playoff overtime rules have long since changed, meaning one of these teams will become its schools' first state soccer champion Saturday.

"We're excited and these girls have exceeded my expectations this year," said Scottsdale Prep coach Denise Niccoli. In the 2A conference there are so many schools spread out all over the state, but we're just a few miles away from eachother. Some of these girls know eachother, so this game could go a long way in making this a legitimate rivalry."

Revenge and High Stakes

Coach Philipp has guided Scottsdale Christian's soccer program for nearly two decades. This makes the second time the Eagles have reached the championship game, with the first coming just four years ago, when they lost to a powerful Northwest Christian squad, 3-0. Scottsdale Christian (12-1) is on an eight game win streak, with its only loss comeing to Scottsdale Prep early in the season, 2-1. According to Philipp, a win Saturday is the perfect scenario.

"That was a tough loss," Philipp admits. "But I was proud of the way our girls handled things. They didn't get too emotional, but after that game I told them 'we're going to play them again in the playoffs,' so this is a great opportunity for our team."

Scottsdale Prep (14-0-1) has fashioned a perfect record save it a tie with ALA West Foothills in its third game. The Spartans are coming off a 9-4 season in 2024, but coach Niccoli admits a state championship was not a concrete goal coming into the season. "I told some of my girls I felt like we had a shot to reach the semifinals," the second year coach said. "Honestly I can't explain how amazing these girls are and how they've matured and progressed on the field this year. It's like having coaches on the field and the credit really goes to them."

Star Power 

Both teams are led offensively by juniors. Scottsdale Prep's Maeva Morgan leads the Spartans with 32 goals, the second most in 2A. She is already committed to the University of Denver. Fellow junior Katie An is right behind Morgan with 26 goals, while Adeena Feffer has 13 scores, giving Scottsdale Prep a deep arsenal of offensive weapons. The Spartans have scored 100 goals on the year.

Scottsdale Christian is lef by junior Gina Boffo (21 goals) and Lily Rucker (nine goals). However, it's the Eagles stingy defense that poses the biggest obstacle for opponents, allowing only seven goals for the entire season. When the teams met earlier in the season, both of Scottsdale Prep's goals came on penalty kicks against the Eagles backup goalkeeper. The two scores were also Scottsdale Christian's lowest of the season.

"I really like where we are," Philipp said. "We're really excited for this game. They have an outstanding offense and I thought we played well the first time around."

For Scottsdale Prep, defensive execution will be key. "We need to communicate better than we did last time against (Scottsdale Christian)," coach Niccoli said. "They have a great defense, but if we can maintain our share of possession we should get opportunies to score."

 

Ben Stapley is a staff writer for AZPreps365. He can be reached at bstapley@azpreps365.com or 480 295-9125