A year ago, Mountain Pointe finished with a record of 11-15. Flash-forward a year, under first-year coach Duane Eason, the Pride are 26-3 and clinched a berth to the school’s first 6A State Championship game where they will face Pinnacle (23-7) on Wednesday at Arizona State’s Wells Fargo Arena.

 “I’m excited right now,” said forward Jalen Graham. “I’ve never been in a situation like this and I feel like we could actually really win this thing.”

Senior Ryan Pate credits Eason for the turnaround. “As soon as he got here he changed the whole culture, we’ve all just bought into the system and that’s how we’ve been successful.”

Eason said a title would validate his seniors. “Their three years here wasn’t necessarily what they would of expected. So, to win a state championship and allow them to finish on a high-note like that, I think that will kind of erase any negativity that they might of felt about their first three years.”

Senior Guard Amarion Cash said the message in the lockeroom is to play for each other.

“They [underclassmen] want to send us [seniors] off with a championship, and we want to end our high school careers with a championship,” said Cash. “It’s really all love in the locker-room that we do it for each other.”

The last time Mountain Pointe and Pinnacle faced off, Mountain Point won 81-45. However, 5-star point guard Nico Mannion did not play.

“We need to stop their best player [Nico Mannion], that’s all they pretty much have,” said Graham.

Point guard Khalid Price isn’t worried about losing to one player.

“Our best option is our depth, we’re not really worried about anybody on their team,” said Price. “It’s just a regular game on the schedule, the only thing different is that were getting a ring for it. As long as we play our normal game, we should win the game.”