The rosters of the Xavier Prep Gators and Queen Creek Bulldogs are filled with rebellious teenagers.

How else to explain what both accomplished Monday. The Gators and Bulldogs started a combined 16 underclassmen in the biggest game of the year in 6A.

Very young teams aren’t supposed to orchestrate long postseason runs, let alone championship appearances. But Xavier and Queen Creek apparently like to break the rules.

In a 6A season that was also supposedly up for grabs, the kids of Xavier and Queen Creek reunited for the second consecutive year to determine the 6A champ at Farrington Stadium. And just like four of the previous five seasons, including last year, Xavier came out victorious, this time 6-0 over Queen Creek.

The Gators (six sophomores started) are young, but they were seasoned with 2024 championship experience. One of those super sophs, pitcher Angie Falls, tossed a two-hitter and fanned 10, a year after striking out 11 in the 2024 finale.

“It was so different from last year,” Falls said. “Everyone was so nervous, because we were all freshmen last year, and we all started and were all shaking (before the game). This year, you can just tell there was a silent confidence.”

After the game, Falls also said she struggled to find the strike zone.

But, despite her nine walks, the sophomore, liker her teammates, made adjustments on her way to a complete game.

Falls (13-2 .59 ERA), who also had two RBI singles as the No. 9 hitter, was the only pitcher to shutout Queen Creek (29-8) this season, doing so twice.

Falls, freshman Sydney Root (2-for-4), sophomore Makenzie Latvaaho, and junior Leah Jolineau brought home Xavier’s first three runs in the top of the fourth. The Gators added two more after two-out RBI hits by sophomore Noelani Romo and sophomore McKenna Hackett against sophomore Aubrey Chavez (16-2, 1.89 ERA).

Sophomore Sariah McNabb (two runs, 2-for-4, 1 walk) scored the final run in the seventh. Tom Sahhar and his daughter, Sydnie Steffen, took over the Xavier Prep coaching duties this season, guiding the program to a 25-6-4 campaign.

“(Queen Creek’s lineup) is tough and coached really well,” Sahhar said. “We’ve battled them for the past several years. They’ve got great players over there and sometimes it just comes down to one or two hits or one or two pitches, and we’ve been really fortunate that those one or two have been on our side.”

Charli Dixon, one of only three seniors on Queen Creek’s roster, broke up Fall’s no hit bid in the sixth inning with a first pitch single.

Leadoff hitter Emma Reynolds, who walked three times, led off the seventh with a double for Queen Creek (started three freshmen).

With a slew of players returning, are we in store for a third straight championship installment between Xavier and Queen Creek? Since 2022, the Gators and Bulldogs have squared off nine times, including in five playoff games.

So it might not be too early to book the next championship date between two programs that seem to write their own rules for success.

Queen Creek will return plenty of talent next year to help the program win its first title since 1990. (Photo courtesy of Andy Silvas)