Box Score
EPHRAIM – Uncharacteristic mistakes cost No. 6 nationally ranked Snow College as they lost to the No. 4 ranked Scottsdale Artichokes, 43-42, in Scottsdale in the semi-final round of the Western States Football League playoffs. The Badgers led by eight points, 36-28, midway through the fourth quarter, but Scottsdale scored on passes of 60 and 84 yards during the game's last six minutes to pull out the win.

Snow quarterback Alex Kuresa was 24 of 38 passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off four times. Kuresa came into the game with only three interceptions on the season, but doubled his season total in the first half with three picks and threw a fourth interception in the second half.

Usually sure-footer placekicker Conner McRae, who came into the game perfect on 46 extra point attempts on the season, missed three times in the game. Following both Badger first half touchdowns, McRae hit the upright on his attempt, and on the last Snow score of the game his attempt went wide left. McRae booted a 34-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to give Snow its first lead since the opening period at 29-28. 

After the teams traded interceptions on their opening possessions, Scottsdale earned a first and goal at the Snow eight-yard line threatening to score the game's first points. But on fourth and goal from the one, Snow's defense, led by Mark Ata, Gage Ferguson and Walt Reyes, stuffed the Artichokes' Za'Quan Summers at the two to take over on downs.

From there the Badgers drove 98 yards with Kuresa hitting Jonah Trinnaman from 10 yards out to put Snow ahead 6-0. But Scottsdale struck right back on a 78-yard scoring strike from Michael Sanders to Callen Hightower on second down, the first of nine passes of over 30 yards which Sanders would throw in the game. Sanders threw for over 400 yards and five touchdowns in the game.

With 10 minutes left in the game, McRae was good on a 34-yard field goal to give the Badgers their first lead at 29-28 since they had led 6-0 early in the contest. But even with only 10 minutes remaining, the drama was far from over. On the Artichokes' next possession, Ata tipped a Sanders pass at the 44, pulled it out of the air and returned it to the Scottsdale 29-yard line. 

Darrell Millburn scored on a seven-yard run and McRae's point after put Snow ahead 36-28 with 7:31 left in the game. That lead lasted only just over a minute as Sanders hit Hightower on a 60-yard scoring strike and a two-point conversion tied the score at 36 with 6:16 remaining.

Snow came right back with Steven Shepherd running in from the five-yard line, his third score of the game, but with the missed PAT wide left, the Badgers led 42-36 with four minutes remaining.

Scottsdale managed to return the kickoff only to their 10-yard line and Snow looked like it would secure the win when the Badgers forced a fourth and four from the 16. But on a wild short pass play, Summers rambled 84 yards leaving players and two penalty flags strewn on the field. After the officials conferred, they decided both penalties were on the Badgers and let the score stand. Scottsdale kicker Noe Perrales booted the extra point with 2:43 remaining and the Artichokes had the 43-42 win.

Both teams will now play on Saturday, Nov. 8, in the Ensphere Dome in Eager, Ariz. Snow (7-2) will play Glendale Community College (5-4) which lost to No. 10 ranked Arizona Western, 20-7. Arizona Western (8-1) and Scottsdale (8-1) will then meet for the WSFL championship.

Snow                     6              6              14           16   -   42
Scottsdale              7              7              14           15   -   43
 
1Q –       Snow – Jonah Trinnaman10 pass from Alex Kuresa, Conner McRae kick failed (hit upright) (6-0)
                Scottsdale – Callen Hightower 78 pass from Michael Sanders, Noe Perrales kick (6-7)
2Q -        Scottsdale – Thaddeus Thompson 4 pass from Sanders, Perrales kick (6-14)
                Snow – Steven Shepherd 13 pass from Kuresa, McRae kick failed (hit upright) (12-14)
3Q -        Scottsdale – Za'Quan Summers 1 run, Perrales kick (12-21)
                Snow – Darrell Millburn 8 run, McRae kick (19-21)
                Scottsdale – Najee Jacobs 53 pass from Sanders, Perrales kick (19-28)
                Snow – Shepherd 13 run, McRae kick 1:22 (26-28)
4Q -        Snow – McRae 34 FG (29-28)
                Snow – Darrell Millburn 7 run, McRae kick (36-28)
                Scottsdale – Hightower 60 pass from Sanders, 2-pt conv. Sanders pass to Thompson (36-36)
                Snow – Shepherd 5 run, McRae kick wide left (42-36)
                Scottsdale – Summers 84 pass from Sanders, Perrales kick (42-43)