John Estrada, 60, was a young lad when he witnessed Hayden High School win its first football championship.

His dad, Joe, took him to that game.

Fifty-one long years later, Hayden won its second title, with Estrada serving as its head coach. But there's more.

After Saturday’s 1A championship game, Estrada took the game ball and presented it to a fellow Hayden alum, his 83-year-old father.

“Now (Estrada) is the head man,” said Joe after his son’s Lobos defeated three-time defending champ Mogollon 62-30 at Coronado High School. “This is very special. I’m so proud of him. All four of my kids went to college, and I’ve been following them all of my life. I’m so proud of them.”

Hayden coach John Estrada (left) shared a special moment with his father, Joe, right after his program won its first title in 51 years. (Jose Garcia/azpreps365)

Estrada, who has 20 dedicated years to Hayden, took a six year break but returned in 2015, when Hayden moved to 1A and won just one game.

He vowed that would never happen again, and his program would someday bring home another title. It did so this year by simply dominating during its undefeated campaign.

Hayden’s offense scored the most points in 1A this year, and defensive coordinator Freddie Burnham’s unit allowed only two of its 12 opponents to reach double digits in points.

“All year round, they’ve been animals,” Burnham said about his aggressive defense. “They work well together and communicate. If something goes wrong, they talk about it, and they were able to adjust to different offenses all year.”

Saturday’s game was tied 6-6 with 7:12 left in the first quarter when Hayden began to pull away.

Running back Deondre Collier scored three touchdowns in the first half, when teammates Tyler Garner and Rene Ochoa also crossed into the end zone for Hayden. Meanwhile, the Lobos’ defense forced two turnovers on downs, two punts and had an interception in the first half to the delight of their throng of fans.

“This feels amazing,” Collier said. “It’s going to be a loud and fun trip back home. We’re going to go back to the town and with our whole community who was here today. This is for them. We wouldn’t be here without the coaches and everyone in the community who help us.”

Some of Mogollon’s key players didn’t play this year for different reasons and others were injured during the regular season.

Plus, its starting quarterback played with a sprained ankle, and a linebacker/running back broke a toe during the game and didn’t play in the second half. Despite this year’s struggles, 9-3 Mogollon became just the second program to make four consecutive trips to the 1A final.

Mogollon made some history Saturday night at Coronado High School. (Jose Garcia/azpreps365)

“I feel like I’ve been blessed with great kids,” Mogollon coach Richard Samon said. “And my coaching staff always has my back. We work really hard together, trying to develop these teams.”

Samon’s boys kept fighting in the second half and wound up scoring the most points against Hayden this season.

Because of injuries, a freshman, Ryan Schalow, was moved up to varsity and scored during the longest play for Mogollon Saturday, a kickoff return for a touchdown in the second half. But Hayden sophomore Kino Lorona also went on a long stroll in the second half, breaking away for a 75-yard touchdown.

On Hayden’s ensuing drive after Schawlow’s touchdown, Lorona also ran one in from six yards out. Lorona's great grandfather, Bobby, was the head coach of Hayden's 1972 state championship team, and Lorona's father, Geronimo, is an assistant on this year's staff.

In the second half, Hayden quarterback Paul Gaither also tossed touchdowns to JJ Manriquez and Eric Fox.

He wasn’t with the team, but Bob Bohrn was with Hayden spiritually, Estrada said. Bohrn was Estrada’s right-hand man on his coaching staff and played on Hayden’s 1972 state championship team.

Last year, Bohrn died of cancer, but his impact lives on. Hayden’s players wrote ‘Coach Bob’ on tape wrapped around their wrists.

“As a former player from Hayden, that was one of my goals, to be a state champ,” Estrada said. “I’m fortunate that they allowed me to coach there in Hayden and to accomplish this. It’s unbelievable.”