It was hard to imagine Tempe High and Greenway deciding the 4A Sky Region title Friday the way they did. Last week the teams combined to score 106 points in wins over Thunderbird and St. Mary's, respectively.

So their clash was decided by one score. A 90-yard drive in the final five minutes by Greenway was capped by quarterback Tyler Duncan's 5-yard touchdown run with 10 seconds left giving the #14 Demons a 6-0 win over the #22 Buffaloes at Bruce Harper Stadium.

Both teams knew the winner clinched the region title and more importantly, an automatic berth to the state tourney come November. Greenway (8-1, 4-0 region) was in a better place had it lost, but Tempe (6-3, 3-1) needed the win more as its doubtful the Buffaloes can finish high enough to nab one of eight at-large berths.

Tempe which piled up more than 500 yards rushing last week, found the going tougher thanks to Greenway's defense and a lot of offensive penalties. In the end Greenway's defense needed credit for pitching the shutout. Tempe's rushing total for Friday was 87 yards on 32 rushes. Greenway's penchant for strong second-halves this season continued.

"We were out to bring all the hats we could," Greenway coach Ed Cook, a Greenway alum said. "These kids have worked hard since last November for this. It means everything. Our first region title since "03-04."

Greenway's winning drive started with 5:21 left after a booming punt by Tempe's Quevion Baker-McCaulay traveled 56 yards and rolled out of bounds at Greenway's 10.

The drive belonged to the hard running of fullback T.J. Murphy and big run by Duncan. Murphy rushed for 32 yards on five carries on the march and Duncan's 33-yard scramble on third down at midfield went a long way in setting up the score. Murphy's powerful 10-yard run two plays after Duncan's scramble got Greenway to the Tempe 4. The next play Duncan scampered right on the option to the end zone. Greenway had four third-down conversions on the drive. Murphy finished with 83 yards rushing on 17 attempts; Duncan 81 yards on 17 rushes. 

Both team had scoring chances in the first half. Greenway had two scoring threats. Their opening drive of the game fizzled at Tempe's 5, ending in a failed fake field goal-attempt, an incomplete pass. The other was midway through the second when Duncan was intercepted in the end zone by Tempe's Omari Rogers.

Tempe had chances as well. The Buffaloes recovered a Murphy fumble with 1:31 left in the second quarter at Tempe's 40. Senior quarterback Nathan Clayton completed five passes on a methodical drive to Greenway's 2.

Tempe, which had to spike the ball a couple times for lack of timeouts on that drive, had a pass go incomplete as the half ended. Clayton was shaken up after taking a hit on a roughing-the-passer call on Tempe's first possesion of the second half. He did not return. The Buffaloes had a score called back by an illegal procedure penalty in the first minute of the third period. It negated a 58-yard run by Sione Tonga'uiha. Penalties were numerous in the contest with 22 of them enforced - Greenway 8 for 96 yards and Tempe 14 for 130 yards.