Arizona Republic.....

Ben Stapley
Community columnist
Oct. 3, 2007 11:10 AM

Do you know how many years have passed since Mesa High last beat Mountain View in football?

If you can't come up with the answer, don't feel bad. It's been a really, really, long time.

We're not talking about the leather helmet era, but there was no such thing as power points, and a new television sitcom called 'Friends' was a week away from its NBC debut.


The date was September 16, 1994.

With a lightning quick backfield, Mesa shredded Mountain View's rock solid defense en route to 40 first half points and a 40-12 win.

Those were the days

1994 was the last time the two schools met as No. 1 and 2 in the rankings.

At that point, the teams had combined for three of four state championships.

There were semifinal match-ups in 1990 and '93, and of course the infamous '92 state

title game, which ended with an ugly, bench clearing brawl at Sun Devil Stadium.

Yes once upon a time, this was the fiercest rivalry in Arizona.

It was a must-see game, one in which you needed to arrive one hour early to guarantee a seat. Unfortunately, Mountain View vs. Mesa is now considered by most as just another East Valley Region match-up.

That could change tonight if the Jackrabbits can finally knock off the Toros.

"Mountain View has gone through rivalries with several schools, because they've always been on top," said Mountain View alum Todd Shell, a member of the school's first state championship team.