One of the biggest factors in sports is the location of the game. There are many elements that accompany the location as well such as the crowd, the quality of the field, and who owns the fields. This has come to be known as the home field advantage and has been proven over and over again to have an affect on big games.

In an attempt to avoid this advantage, the AIA now picks the location of the championship game at the beginning of the regular season before anyone knows which teams will be playing in it. This has created an issue this year as the final game was scheduled to be down in Tucson but two Chandler teams made it to the finals.

As of right now, Perry is scheduled to play Chandler on Dec. 2nd at 7:00 pm at the University of Arizona stadium. Perry High is located in Gilbert and Chandler High is located in Downtown Chandler. Both schools are in the Chandler school district and average a 94 minute drive to the University of Arizona.

This extended travel time has become a controversial topic. Both players and students alike, although in different postions, are having issues with this situation.

Varsity football player Ethan Rosenhan said, “Well, of course I am going wherever the game is but it is kind of a pain and no athlete wants to sit on a bus for a few hours before playing in a game.”

The players are in a unique position because they have earned the right to play in the championship game but have no say over the location of the game. The one consolation that the players can receive is that the other team will have to travel the same distance in order to play.

The students are in another unique situation.

Senior Bryson Breinholt commented, “I would love to support my team but the length and cost of the drive in order to attend the game is discouraging me from going.”

This is not to mention all of the underclassmen that cannot drive themselves and must find someone else if they want to go.

Sophomore Brylin Eaves added, “As of right now I’m planning on going but only if I can find a ride.”

However, some students are planning on going the distance and supporting their team in Tucson.

Senior Nathanael Foster elaborated on the lengthy drive saying, “It actually makes me more excited to get out on the road with some friends and go support my football team.”

Despite all the hysteria and controversy, the game is to remain in Tucson. The only thing we have yet to see is which school will have more fans come to cheer them on.