The nationally-ranked Mountain Pointe Pride play the fourth-ranked Desert Ridge Jaguars in a Division I semifinal game Friday at Tempe McClintock High School. The Pride, who are number-one in the state, are currently 12th in the Maxpreps "Xcellent 25" National High School Football Rankings after last week's 48-7 victory over Red Mountain in the quarterfinals.

Mountain Pointe (12-0) can earn its first ever 13-win season with a victory. The Pride also look to get back to the Division I Championship Game after losing to Hamilton last year. The Huskies are facing Chandler in the other semifinal. Mountain Pointe has advanced to the semifinals in four of the last five seasons, but remain in search of its first state title.

Desert Ridge (11-1) is in the semis for the fourth straight year, but like Mountain Pointe, is also title-less. The Jaguars may be happy to face someone other than Hamilton. They lost to the Huskies in the semifinals in each of the last two years as well as the 2010 state title game.

The teams have split their two all-time meetings, with Desert Ridge winning the most recent matchup in 2010. The winner will play either 2nd-ranked Chandler or number-3 Hamilton in the Division I State Championship game next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at University of Phoenix Stadium.

By Thomas Jenkins