Jayden Nance is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student assigned to cover Pinnacle High School for AZPreps365.com.

PHOENIX – Pinnacle High School’s football program has spent more than two decades chasing the same dream, a state championship, coming close enough to taste it but never quite breaking through.

Since the school opened in 2000, the Pioneers have grown into one of Arizona’s most respected programs. Under coach Dana Zupke, who took over in 2004, Pinnacle has gone 160–91, a winning percentage that ranks among the state’s top 6A programs. Yet one milestone still eludes them: a state championship.

Pinnacle has reached the state title game only once (2022), when it fell to Highland 37-26 in the 6A championship.

Through nine games, Pinnacle sits at 6-3 overall and 2-2 in the 6A Fiesta Region, keeping pace in one of Arizona’s toughest regions. The Pioneers have displayed a balance of offensive firepower and defensive discipline, led by an upperclass core that has carried forward the standard set by earlier squads.

“We just want to stay together, a family, like coach says,” senior defensive back Brayden Fricke said. “We’re just one big family, we all love each other. As long as we stick together, work together day in and day out, we’ll make this state championship run.”

Quarterback Drew Varsano said the team’s mindset remains focused on steady progress rather than looking too far ahead.

“We’re just trying to go 1-0 each week,” Varsano said. “And when we get to the playoffs, it’ll be the same deal. We have confidence that we can beat any team we play. So that is our goal, but it starts with going 1-0 each week.”

That week-to-week focus has helped Pinnacle navigate a demanding schedule, filled with top-ranked opponents like No. 1 Hamilton and No. 2 Liberty.

Junior defensive back Kash Silva said the team’s preparation and chemistry have been key in keeping their championship hopes alive.

“We just want to be the best Pinnacle team ever,” Silva said. “To do that, it’s going to take a lot of hard work, and we have some amazing coaches that are preparing us to do that. I’m super excited for the next eight weeks on how we prepare to get there, because that’s all we’ve been thinking of. I know our coaching staff and all our players are like, ‘We need this,’ and I think our group is special this year, so I think we have a big chance to do it.”

The Pioneers’ blend of experience and motivation has created a belief that this could finally be the year they break through. When Dana Zupke took over in 2003, the school had just opened, and the football program was still in its infancy. Two decades later, he’s watched those early years of struggle turn into a tradition of consistent success, and he knows exactly what finally breaking through would mean.

“I have three state titles as an assistant coach, and I know what an incredible feeling that is,” Zupke said. “I want my players to feel that, and the school to know what it’s like to have that, because it is such an amazing feeling, it’s such an amazing accomplishment.”

“It would mean the absolute world to me personally — but ultimately, for these guys out here who work so hard,” Zupke said.