One team is jockeying for playoff position while the other is holding on to slim postseason dreams. The two Cinderella stories of the last two seasons – Mesa Desert Ridge and Mesa -- meet on Friday at Mesa with plenty at stake.

For Mesa (3-4), every win is crucial if the Jackrabbits want to make the playoffs. Sitting at No. 25 in power points, Mesa is on the outside looking in. But a win over the fifth-ranked Desert Ridge would go a long way in Mesa’s journey. The Jackrabbits finish the season with winnable games against Gilbert Highland and Mesa Mountain View so despite a dreadful 0-4 start, Mesa does have something to play for.

The Jackrabbits – who reached the state title game in 2009 -- finally got their offense in gear the last three weeks in wins over three Mesa schools – Dobson, Westwood and Skyline. Last week, Eugene McIlhenny carried for 174 yards and a touchdown to pace the Jackrabbit attack. Desert Ridge has already had a couple of down games and can’t afford for Mesa to catch them off-guard.

For the Jaguars, the last three games of the season will determine their playoff seed and whether they have momentum, which they rode all the way to the state final last season. Desert Ridge has great weapons – Parker Rasmussen and Jordan Becerra can run, throw and catch with almost anyone. And if you just need to grind it out, Joey Counts is there to get a touchdown or just a first down.

For Desert Ridge, ranked eighth in power points, this is likely the easiest of its remaining games. The Jaguars finish the year at home against Phoenix North Canyon (4-3) and Anthem Boulder Creek (5-2) and ranked sixth in power points. The Jaguars have shown they can put teams away, as they did in routing Chandler Basha 63-24 last week, but without Rasmussen, the Jaguars allowed Red Mountain to rally for a win over Desert Ridge two weeks ago. The Jaguars would like to spend the last two weeks of the season fine-tuning their potent offensive attack and maybe improve their position. It starts on Friday.

-Al Bravo