Prescott. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

No. 2 Salpointe beat No. 1 Prescott 1-0 Saturday morning at Mesa Mountain View to claim the 4A Conference championship, the 11th in program history and the sixth under head coach Kelly Pierce. The Lancers have played in the state final nine out of the last ten years.

Salpointe (13-3-2) and Prescott (13-3-1) played even on the scoreboard through 70 minutes, despite several near misses by the Lancers, until Gianna Estavillo crossed the ball to Emma Veliz in the 71st minute to give Salpointe a 1-0 lead. The Badgers had several tries down the stretch but Ani Jimenez came up with a couple of saves to preserve the victory and the championship.

The Badgers have played in four state championships and the Lancers have turned them back twice now under Pierce since 2021.

Pierce also eanred two state championships with the Lancers as a player.