I consider myself fortunate to attend a multitude of games in all sports during a school year and many stand out. With 2014-2015 complete it's time to jostle the memory bank and select 10 of the best contests I saw for the year.

Here they are, in no particular order, but numbered just the same:

1. Division IV football championship -- Snowflake vs. River Valley: Two schools who knocked on the title-game door the year before, they provided a top-notch game. A defensive struggle tied at 7 heading to the fnal period the teams combined for 35 points in the fourth quarter. River Valley tallied the game-winner in the final minute-plus on a rushing score from four-year standout Brandon Long. Long's winning jaunt was the 100th TD of his career in a 28-21 triumph. River Valley lost in the title game the year prior and Snowflake was ousted in the semis in 2013. Snowflake would be heard from again during the year, winning the boys basketball title and the boys track title for a bit of redemption.

2. Division I girls soccer championship -- Desert Vista vs. Highland: Wow. The teams played for 99 minutes and 53 seconds without a goal, but this one was decided at the end of the second overtime. No PKs. No penalty kick deciding it in OT. A steal from about 40 yards out by Tory Rinsem and a feed in stride to a streaking Brianna Hatch who worked her way to a far-post winner from 5  yards out -- a picturesque finish to be sure. A much better ending for Highland from 2014 when it entered state as one of the hottest teams and ranked high only to be knocked out in the opener.

3. Division I boys baskeball championship -- Desert Vista vs. Corona del Sol: OK. So the game was a blowout. Corona 57, Desert Vista 32. However, it illustrated how formidable Corona could be when clicking on all cylinders. The Aztecs had a few close calls during the season (one loss only to an out-of-state school by 2). All the Aztecs's stars shined that night -- Marvin Bagley III, Alex Barcello, Dane Kuiper and the defense was as good as it gets. Little did anyone know it would be coach Sammy Duane Jr. 's swan song as Aztecs' coach after four straight titles and 10 years at the helm. Couldn't go out with a better win.

4. Division I sofball championship -- Sandra Day O'Connor vs. Mountain Ridge: A battle of the top two tourney seeds -- MTR 1 and SDO 2. O'Connor prevails 2-0. using defense, two timely hits and a cool customer in the circle in Emma Vesely in throwing a complete-game victory over one of the better hitting teams in the state .Tough loss for Mountain Ridge junior Giselle Juarez, who may have been the state's best pitcher once she got healthy in mid-to-late March. On the down side -- and something that made the game memorable for the wrong reason -- was poor sportsmanship by the losing coach. If you were there, you know what I mean. Must have missed the tape on Pursuing Victory With Honor. 

5. Division I girls basketball championship -- Dobson vs. Millennium:  With an ice-cold start and senior point guard Dyesha Stahley playing with a bad knee, Dobson pulled off an inspiring victory over Millennium, 58-49. It turned out to be the last game in Tyler Dumas' 10-year stint as Lady Mustangs coach. A highly successful and honorable run that produced two state titles. Dobson was down 10-0 quickly, trailed by eight at half and still was down heading to the final period. Senior and leading scorer Alexis Todd poured in 20 points and Stahley had a strong second-half with 13 points. Dobson entered state having lost only its second game of the year to Ironwood. The Lady Mustangs were banged up a the end, but found the reserve and enough rest prior to state to make the title run.

6. Division IV boys basketball championship -- Arizona Lutheran vs. Scottsdale Prep: Unlike Corona del Sol, which dominated in its four-peat boys hoops win, Arizona Lutheran had to mount a second-half comeback and buzzer beater to force OT to earn its chance for a repeat in a 49-47 win at Prescott Valley Event Center. One of the school's most-talented athletes in its history -- center Brady Cook -- scored 23 points and engineered a third-quarter rally from double-digits down. (Cook has a football scholarship to ????). Jesse Zwick, a football teammate of Cook's forced OT with a tough, 8-foot jumper with almost no-time left.  Cook hit a couple shots in OT and Josiah Weinstein gave ALA the lead for good in OT.

7. Division I baseball championship -- Mesquite vs. Liberty: It's unique to get to witness a school win its first state title not only in a particular sport, but the first ever in a school's history. Mesquite broke the championship barrier with its 5-2 win just a week ago. The fact that coach Jeff Holland and assistant Shane Gift, who have coached together at Mesquite for 17 years, acquired a first title with their players was a special moment. Mesquite won the game the way it won many of its 24 this season -- chipping away with run here and there, playing good defense and getting strong pitching from the triumvirate of Josh Webster, Jake Suddreth and Cobe Karhoff. It was also a treat to watch Liberty shortstop-pitcher Tyler Wyatt a couple times in postseason. Quite a talent. 

8. Corona del Sol vs. Perry -- regular season boys baskeball: Knew there was plenty of talent on the floor, but didn't expect Corona sophomore Alex Barcello to come out with guns ablazing to net 52 points in an individual shootout with Perry sophomore Markus Howard. Corona won the game 106-92. Howard tallied 47 in this one -- after hitting for a career-high 50 a few nights earlier vs. Highland. Thirty- and 40-point games for Howard were common as the focal point of the Pumas' offense this season. Not so for Corona with its many weapons  Barcello's numbers for the game were astonishing -- 19 of 25 from the field (76 percent). That included four threes, three in the first period. He was also 9 of 9 from the free-throw line.

9. Division I girls volleyball championship -- Desert Vista vs. Hamilton: Seems more and more the level of play at D-I title games is like watching a college level match -- only the girls haven't yet gone their separate ways to universities. Both schools were gunning for the first title in the sport in their respective school histories, which cover between 17 and 20 years. Molly West's Desert Vista squad didn't lose a regular-season match (power-ranking variety) and hadn't faced a fifth set in any of those. Sharon Vanis and Hamilton, who pushed Desert Vista to four sets in the regular-season, gave Desert Vista a five-set run this time. Hamilton stared too slowly in the fifth and deciding set to make up the deficit, dropping the last set 15-6.

10. Chandler vs. Mountain Pointe football -- regular season game:  I'm generally not one that goes for high-scoring football. I like defense. A 21-17, 17-14 outcome is my cup of tea. But the bizarre game Mountain Pointe and Chandler engaged in back in mid-September was entertaining and exhausting -- albeit the low-point in Chandler's title-winning season (a 45-42 loss). Despite the score, defense and special teams were vital. Three Mountain Pointe takeways in the first half led to its 42-21 lead at that point. The Pride put up only a field goal in the second half -- the winning margin as it turned out. Given anonther minute or so and Chandler might have won the game and had a 14-0 campaign, rather than 13-1.