Saturday was sections for two Shasta County high school football teams, and neither game disappointed.
In Palo Cedro, the top-ranked Foothill Cougars hosted their long-time postseason nemesis, the Pleasant Valley Vikings.
Last week, in the semi-finals, PV easily beat Enterprise 38-20 on the road, while Foothill smacked Chico 41-6 at home; this game would be nothing like those two.
Pleasant Valley came out aggressive on their first drive, with quarterback Lucas Benson (who was not the starter when the Cougars and Vikings previously met) connecting with his big tight end, Gavin Garretson, deep in Cougar territory.
That play set up a short field goal and an early 3-0 lead for the visitors.
With their defense swarming dual-threat quarterback Davis Smith, the duo of Benson and Garretson linked up again late in the 2nd quarter for a 30-yard touchdown.
Pleasant Valley, hungry for some revenge, took a 10-0 lead into half.
But as was the case for the 2022 Foothill Cougars, their offense could not be slowed forever.
Halfway through the 3rd quarter, Smith found shifty gadget receiver Alonzo Borchert, who took an underneath catch 50 yards to the house. Just like that, Foothill was right back in it.
Ultimately, defense was the difference in this game.
While the Cougars generated two turnovers (a one-handed interception by senior Hudson Edwards and a forced fumble/fumble recovery by junior Chris Hall), the Vikings did not let quarterback Davis Smith find his rhythm.
Smith entered the game with only two interceptions all season; he threw two interceptions in just the second half against a disciplined Vikings defense.
After losing 35-7 on November 4th to Foothill, Pleasant Valley marched into Palo Cedro and claimed another DII section crown, defeating the Cougars in a nail-biter, 10-7.
Meanwhile, in Glenn County, the Orland Trojans battled the U-Prep Panthers for the Division III title.
A back-and-forth affair for three quarters, a physical Orland squad pulled away in the 4th, beating the Panthers 33-19 in front of their home fans.
It's a perfect season for the Trojans, who will head to state as 13-0 Division III champions.