Stakes can't get much higher for AWC

None of the Arizona Western College football players have seen the plaque awarded to the champion of the Western States Football League.

Their coach can only guess it looks similar to the ones hanging near his office that the Matadors won back in the 1970s.

The symbol of what the Matadors have been playing for all season long might be a little blurry, but everything else at stake for No. 7 AWC in Saturday's matchup against No. 4 Snow College (Utah) is crystal clear.

"It would be nice to get it back here in Arizona," AWC coach Tom Minnick said. "I think Snow's won it the last four years, so that would be something special. This conference is tough, so when you got two teams in the top 10 in a championship game that's all you can ask for. They're fun games too because you always want to play against those types of teams."

A win would give AWC its first regular season football title since 1981 and all but assure the Matadors an invitation to a bowl game, which hasn't happened to a Matador team since 1998. It would also be the team's first nine-win season since 1972 and its first undefeated home season since 2000.

"All the marbles are on the line and we gotta stay focused from the start," AWC receiver Jamal Gray said. "When we come out and execute on the first series we keep it going all game. We're expecting a better (Snow) team this time, but we've got better too. It all come downs to execution."

A loss, on the other hand, could mean the end of the season.

"I sat down with the athletic director today and tried to figure it out, and it might be close and we might get left out if we lose," Minnick said Tuesday of his team's bowl prospects. "I'll be honest with the kids and tell them after practice and tell them you gotta win to secure a spot.

"It's just the way it works with the bowl games. The Maricopa schools leave us out of that (Valley of the Sun) bowl game, which when I first got out here I felt that was wrong because it's an Arizona bowl and the winner of the conference ought to be in that bowl game. But that's not how it is, so we're in a spot that's tough, but at the same time you want to get out there and play against teams for around the country and see how good you are and how good they really are."

Despite their 8-1 record, two road wins against top-10 teams and a No. 7 ranking themselves, Minnick said his team still feels the rest of the nation has given the Matadors enough credit for their accomplishments.

"It's great because they (Snow) are looking for the rematch to get revenge on us, but were looking for something that gives us some respect because of the the fact that they're in front of us at No. 4 and we're at No. 7, and that doesn't make any sense.

"How can they be ranked in front of us when we beat them up there? Our kids are mad about it, so that's the good thing on our side and we're going to give it everything we can."

As if that weren't enough, the WSFL Player of the Year may come down to how well AWC running back Reggie Bullock and Snow quarterback Quinn Mecham play in the final game of the regular season. Bullock, who leads the league in touchdowns (16) and rushing yards per game (168.3) is expected to play after missing the last two games with minor injuries, while Meecham has thrown 34 touchdowns and passed for more than 2,500 yards.

"Reggie's the type that he'll be ready to go," Minnick said. "He practices 100 miles an hour so he'll be itching to get in, and I've put some pressure on him to show everybody he's the No.1 back in the country even though he's missed the last couple games."

Snow, winners of eight straight, will most likely play in the Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl on Dec. 5 in Salt Lake City regardless of Saturday's outcome, but the Badgers still have plenty of motivation for gettting win No. 10. Payback for their 35-17 loss to the Matadors on Sept. 5 may be the most notable, as well as the national championship possibilites potentially within reach.

AWC is the only team that's held Snow's offense to less than 20 points, but the Matadors are coming off their worst offensive performance of the season with less than 300 yards of total offense and a 5-of-26 passing performance from Brandon Gorsuch.

"It's a big game," AWC linebacker Robert Martin said. "When coach Minnick recruited me he said it was a tough conference and I'd be playing against top teams and D-I athletes, so I'm excited."